Reddit reviews Climb On! Bar - 1 oz and 0.5 oz Mini Bar

I only started at the beginning of the year so i know exactly what you're going through. If you go about once a week for a few weeks you'll slowly have more and more endurance. So instead of being wiped out after 25 minutes, you'll soon be able to go 2 or 3 hours.

The biggest thing you need to know is that if you really keep at it and start going 2 or 3 times a week, you need to stretch well, both arms and legs before you climb, every time, no matter what. And then when you feel loose, go climb some super easy stuff for about 7-10 minutes. Otherwise you'll pull a tendon in your arm(s) and not be able to climb for weeks.

There are stages that you'll go through:

1. Sore forearms and fingers
   
   Do push ups on days you don't climb to help build up your muscles a bit more. The forearm and finger soreness gets better fairly quickly (at least for me) as long as you're consistently climbing. I think i stopped having ridiculously sore forearms after about 2-3 weeks.
   
   
2. Blisters
   
   Most likely the skin on your fingers isn't used to the feeling of basically rubbing sandpaper on it for hours at a time, so even though your forearms may be feeling better, all that climbing has now caught up to your soft fingers and fingertips and you'll probably get some nasty blisters on your fingers (pinky specifically). For that, i recommend getting climbing tape, and just taping over the cuts and sores until the heal and turn to callus.
   
   
3. Skin is constantly torn up
   
   Once you've been climbing for about 1.5-2 months consistently, your hands will start to feel a bit rougher and you'll be able to get some of those crimps and slopers you couldn't before. But that doesn't mean you still aren't irritating your skin and turning it red raw. When you go to grab a hold and it just feels like fire, that's when you know it's probably time to stop for the day. I got to point where I had to stop for about 5 days (it felt like a lifetime) because my hands just weren't healing fast enough.
   
   Buy this it's climb on! an amazing lotion bar that heals your hands SO fast. i use it daily and on days that i climb, i use it right when i get home and that burning sensation is just gone and my hands feel rejuvenated. It's literally saved my ability to continue climbing. It's not greasy, it smells good and it's even edible (not that you'd WANT to eat it). couldn't recommend it more, i'm actually addicted to it i think.
   
   Hope this helps man! And sorry for making this so long, i just feel obligated since i just went through the exact process you're about to go through.
   
   As for full body workout, you'll definitely feel fairly sore almost everywhere after a solid day of climbing, but its definitely like 60/40 upper body to lower body.
   
   tl;dr: you'll get sore, it'll pass. use tape on wounds, and heal them with climb on.

Climb on Bar is super helpful. I bought one after my calluses started getting bad from climbing and lifting - just rub a little on at night to help soothe your hands.

Ever heard of this stuff? It's not JUST for climbers.

If you do find a chapstick or balm that works for you, try putting it on right before you go to sleep. You're less likely to lick it off while sleeping and it will help a ton with your lips drying out overnight (when I do this consistently my lips are almost never chapped and I don't need to reapply during the day or anything).

I've never really believed the "chapstick will make your lips need chapstick" idea, but that's just anecdotal. I definitely don't think your lips would get "addicted" or anything if you only put it on once a day.

Related advice: if your heels or hands dry out in the winter, climb on balm is the best thing ever. It's like magic for curing those nasty heel cracks, and it's made from food-grade natural ingredients. I've never tried it on my lips, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

Edit: They make climb on chapstick. Basically beeswax + plant oils.