Bad Rope Burns

[LiveLoveTumble]

Okay, I wasn't sure where to put this, so I put it here. Sorry if it is the wrong place.

I have been having problems with bad rope burns on my legs. We are allowed to climb the rope using our feet, but for some reason, I can't get a grip with my feet. So instead of using my feet, I squeeze the rope between my legs. I'm not sure if I get the burns from doing this or coming down, but I'm pretty sure they're from doing this. I always get a big burn on my inner thigh, at the very top. It also swells up pretty bad, and it is red about an inch all around the actual burn. It is super painful. I have tried putting a band aid over it, but that hurts even more. For some reason, whenever I have anything sticky in that area (band-aid, tape, etc) it hurts like crazy. I wear GK shorts when climbing the rope, but I get the rope burn right where the shorts end. Then for the rest of practice, it hurts even more because the shorts are rubbing on it. I don't know what to do! I can't think of any other way to prevent this from happening. I already wear shorts (and I can't get a bigger size for more coverage or the waist will be too big), and I can't put a band-aid or tape over that spot. My dad suggested wearing pants just for the rope, but I don't think that will work either. It gets unbearably hot in there, plus I don't have time to run out and grab pants right before climbing, as we do it during warm up.
Anyone have any other suggestions? Or am I just being too picky about solutions? Please reply soon, I don't think I can take another week of climbing like this!

 

[iwannacoach]

Maybe a rope allergy?? Seriously! Take a pair of long baggy shorts to the gym and leave them near the ropr climb area. If you can't put them on in 10 seconds or less, you should be practicing something other than gymnastics.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

LOL no I can change very fast! It shocks my friends! Okay, I will try that and see how it works. How does a rope allergy work? I mean, what would I be allergic to in a rope?

 

[iwannacoach]

I don't know exactly what it is that causes it, but I had a girl that "welted up" when I took my team to another gym to work-out. The girls all wanted to climb their rope because we didn't have one at our gym. I thought she was talking about rope burn when she first told me about it, but was convinced when she ran the rope across the back of her knee. In 15 minutes time it had raised up in a welt..... Not saying that's the deal with you....just letting you know what I saw happen that day.

 

[Kiwi]

I don't have an answer but I emphathise. I started trying to climb the rope every training, but ended up ripping up the tops of my feet on the rope. I tried wearing shoes but couldn't get a grip with them on.

 

[bogwoppit]

DOn't climb as high until you can master the skill.

 

[CreateMagic]

You could also try capri-length running tights. Its what I use when I go rock climbing so that my shorts are longer than my harness. The tight fight is great too, so they don't bunch up. Something like this:

 

[Aussie_coach]

Simple solution is not to use your legs and feet. At your age you should not be using them anyway. It will take a while at first to build the strength to do it but in the long run you will get it. Climbing the rope is to develop upper body pull strength by using your legs you are defeating the purpose to a large degree.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I am not sure I am strong enough to climb with no feet. I know at my age most team girls can, but I don't compete and only practice for 2 hours one day a week. Also, our rope is slippery, so I can't get a grip while holding on with just my hands.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Okay, at practice yesterday I tried climbing with pants on. It failed. I could not get a grip at all and kept sliding down. I couldn't get up more than about 6 feet up, and my coach told me just to stop because I wouldn't be able to get a grip with pants on. I am pretty much out of options now. Should I keep climbing without pants and just tough out the rash/welt/burn thing, or tell the coach and see if she will let me out of climbing the rope (unlikely, as she probably won't believe me)?

 

[Aussie_coach]

You can't climb without feet YET, but keep working and you will be able to. You can do strength work at holme, if you have a set of monkey bars at your local park, backyard or school you can work chin ups with develop the same upper body pull strength that rope climbing needs. Work up from the goal of get just one hand step up, then 2, then 3 and so on.

Using chalk on your hands can help with the slipping.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I don't think we are allowed to have chalk on the rope. The manager is very strict about only having chalk on bars. It's not so much the strength issue, but just the slipping issue. I find that it is actually easier to get a grip on the rope with slightly sweaty hands.

 

[Kiwi]

My DD got a rash on her thighs from the rope climb just a couple of days ago. She told me can climb up without feet, but has trouble coming down.