They say you can tell a CrossFitter by their hands. The abrasions caused by barbells, pull up bars, kettlebells and everything in between can leave our hands feeling rather tender.
Here are some of our favourite tips to keeping your hands pain and rip free.
Moisturise
Dry skin creates callus’s, and calluses create blisters under your skin that get hard and tare when under pressure. Keeping your hands moisturised will help reduce dry skin and callus formation. We reccomend after training, or 5+ hours prior to your training session. Too much moisturiser and you will be slipping off the bar.
Hand / Callus Shaving
Hand and callus shaving is recommended when you get a build-up of callus on the surface of your hands. Generally, the callus will form on the palm of your hand, or near the base of the fingers. Calluses protect our hands from blistering, and we do need some protection against the harsh surfaces of the gym. However, the larger callus’s can get caught and tear, causing an uncomfortable and painful rip.
Once a month, or when needed. Ideally before a rest day, or 24-48 hours before your next session to allow for the soft skin to settle.
Grips
Getting a good pair of grips can help prevent rips and tears during gymnastics work. They are a light layer of fabric or leather that protect the hands, and allow for the athlete to keep holding on.
We recommend @bearcomplex or @Jawgrips. 3 finger holes for more coverage or 2 fingers for less. Fingerless for advanced athletes. These two brands are great quality.