By Coach Cheyenne
I remember the first time my hand ripped in CrossFit. I felt a sense of pride, but it also hurt especially when I washed it with soap and water or touched it on anything. If you’re not taking care of your hands, more than likely, you have or will have calluses soon or ripped skin on your hands from lifting, pull-ups, or toes to bar. Here are some tips on how to take care of your hands.
- If you have calluses, file them down or shave them.
When you put chalk on your hands when lifting, friction occurs and produces calluses. The development of calluses cannot really be avoided, but making sure the rough, hard skin doesn’t get caught on the bar to cause a rip can be.
Use pumice stones or a razor to file them down or shave them. A good time to do this is after a shower when your callouses are soft. File until you no longer feel hard edges.
- Apply Moisturizer to the calluses.
Do this at night before going to bed.
- Grip the bar like this:
If you grip the bar with your palm, try to grip the bar with the base of your fingers. Less skin will be pushed against the bar and your fingers. Also avoid having a death grip on the bar.
- Wear gloves or tape to protect your hands.
This can be weight lifting gloves, gymnastic-style gloves, bare hand gloves, rock tape, goat tape, and numerous other products.
Here is a video reviewing several hand protection products:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqNYcFf6518
Below is a link on how to make your own hand wraps out of tape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-IIfmXdrQs
Here are some links to where you can buy some of the products that were talked about above:
https://www.roguefitness.com/lifting-straps-wraps/hand-protection/hand-care
If you do rip, wash the area with soap and water. Also make sure you clean the bar or rig off where the injury occurred. Cut the skin off that is hanging close to the rip. Then doctor it with a salve (Neosporin). Then cover it with a blister band aid or gauze. You definitely want it to get some air. Keep treating your wound while it heals. If you are working out, cover the area with gloves or tape.
In review, it’s best not to rip in the first place. Please take care of your calluses before they cause you to rip. But if you do rip, then make sure you keep it clean, wrapped, and allow air in to help heal it faster…and make sure you take a picture and post it on social media so everyone knows 😉