Damn Blisters

[RowtheRockies]

I asked this question in the old forum but am hoping to get some more ideas. I have been rowing now for 2.5 months and never row longer than 10K in a session. Before I started rowing I did a lot of pullups and had built up some pretty good caluses on my hands

I now have mostly caluses but have a couple of blisters on each hand that have torn, healed, blistered, torn, healed. How can I toughen up my hands more. Today I put my hands on two cotton running socks on the handle which seemed to help but I would prefer to just row bare handed. Is there anything I can soak my hands in to toughen them? Epsom salt? anything?

I do not grip the handle tightly and try to just use use my hands as hooks but this just put blisters on the second joint of my fingers.

Does the old C2 handle tend to cause less problems?

[whp4]

I asked this question in the old forum but am hoping to get some more ideas. I have been rowing now for 2.5 months and never row longer than 10K in a session. Before I started rowing I did a lot of pullups and had built up some pretty good caluses on my hands

I now have mostly caluses but have a couple of blisters on each hand that have torn, healed, blistered, torn, healed. How can I toughen up my hands more. Today I put my hands on two cotton running socks on the handle which seemed to help but I would prefer to just row bare handed. Is there anything I can soak my hands in to toughen them? Epsom salt? anything?

I do not grip the handle tightly and try to just use use my hands as hooks but this just put blisters on the second joint of my fingers.

Does the old C2 handle tend to cause less problems?

How often do you row? I find that if I make a point of doing at least 15 minutes of rowing every day when I start up after a long break from rowing, I don't have blister problems, and after a week or two they are up to just about anything. Also, the roughness of the Model D handle will diminish with time, though I'm undecided as to whether this has much of an effect.

Bill

[RowtheRockies]

whp4,

Thanks for the reply. Up until last week I was rowing 6 days a week and rows were between 7K and 10K. Last week I added two days of running in now that an injury seems to be healed so am doing 4 days a week.

[Ben Rea]

are you gripping the handle corectly?

[Terry S.]

Keep your D handle clean!

I row hour long pieces. My Model C has the D handle as a retrofit. Although my hands have become plenty tough, I've found it necessary to wash the salt off the handle regularly. The salt (and whatever else) will build up over several days and begin to cause discomfort and hot spots which probably would develop into blisters. After cleaning, never a problem.

[helpplease]

i never get them while erging but while on the water i have them now... what should i do to them, i hear rubbing alcohol works. Don't they make any creams that make calluses!?!?!

[RowtheRockies]

I'll definitely try cleaning the handle. I clean the rail after each session but never thought about the handle.

Rich

[Ben Rea]

i like the model D better for the way it pulls and holds but i also like the model C because it seems smaller and desnt give me too many blisters.

[gorow9]

try readjusting your grip some, experriment a little bit and see if you can come up with something that works. By the place on your hands that you have blisters and that you said you try to hook the handle it sounds like you might be allowing the handle to pull on your skin more than you should. Try to have a (not hard or heavy) but an even grip, still with wrists straight and not holding in your palms but an even light grip.

Anyways that is what I found helped a little for my blisters, I row on the water and I used to get them on my second finger joints as well but after readjusting my grip I don't have any blisters, just 2 callouses. Good Luck!

Helpplease, do the same as above also if you don't have personal oars try different oars until you find ones that are right. Some people like the typical c2 ones with the blue handle, there are some with a smaller light blue handle also some with the black rubbery handle and some with just a wooden handle. If you have the option, try a different pair of oars and see if it helps. (I'm assuming you scull) if you do sweeps you may not have the option.

Good luck!

[helpplease]

try readjusting your grip some, experriment a little bit and see if you can come up with something that works. By the place on your hands that you have blisters and that you said you try to hook the handle it sounds like you might be allowing the handle to pull on your skin more than you should. Try to have a (not hard or heavy) but an even grip, still with wrists straight and not holding in your palms but an even light grip.

Anyways that is what I found helped a little for my blisters, I row on the water and I used to get them on my second finger joints as well but after readjusting my grip I don't have any blisters, just 2 callouses. Good Luck!

Helpplease, do the same as above also if you don't have personal oars try different oars until you find ones that are right. Some people like the typical c2 ones with the blue handle, there are some with a smaller light blue handle also some with the black rubbery handle and some with just a wooden handle. If you have the option, try a different pair of oars and see if it helps. (I'm assuming you scull) if you do sweeps you may not have the option.

Good luck!

I sweep and this year i'm using the old plastic white oars and they seem to be a lot rougher on the hands... i only get them on my outside hand though because of the friction when feathering; my grip with the out side hand is real loose also just enough to be able to hang on it

[Ben Rea]

but if you have a loose grip...wouldnt that allow the skin to roll more causing a blister, where as if you grip tightly everything stays in one spot?

[Milly]

Said it once (elsewhere on this form), I'll say it again.

There's nothing on an erg handle that can cause blisters, and there's no rotation of the handle inside the hand like there is in a boat.

So if you're getting blisters on a rowing machine, then get help with your technique.

[helpplease]

Said it once (elsewhere on this form), I'll say it again.

There's nothing on an erg handle that can cause blisters, and there's no rotation of the handle inside the hand like there is in a boat.

So if you're getting blisters on a rowing machine, then get help with your technique.

But what should i do with the blisters i do get from rowing on the boat?

Right now I'm using this stuf called new skin (liquid bandage) witch pretty much puts a temp layer of skin over the blisters... seems to work relatively good compared to nothing but something must be better.

[Ben Rea]

wrap tape around ur blisters, thats all i can do ussually

[Raymond Botha]

I read somewhere, maybe UK site, that C2 changed the density of the material on the Model D in later versions because of premature wareing of the material covering the handle. It is only these examples that cause the blistering . I think because it does'nt allow movement on the handle and pulls the skin. I have noticed that when my hands are wet they don't blister. I rowed through the blisters for 6 months and found it a never ending cycle that gradually improves of blister to calouse. People who don't get blisters where either born with thick skin or have the old handle ... Wood never caused the problem.

I solved the problem eventually by using the C2 padded grips and once over the feeling of insecurity you get from the looser grip (a little like driving on under inflated tyres) they are very comfortable and make GREAT pull up grips . I do pull-ups after an erg session and would fall off the bar if not for the grips . Nice and cheap too.

Good luck.

Ray