Take care of you Paws

Take care of your calluses and they will take care of you.  A few people had minor tares today doing pull-ups.  I would love to tell you that you are never, ever going to get a blister, experience pain or have your hands open up on you mid-WOD but I'd be lying.  Here are a few tips to try and avoid this.

HANDCARE 101:  
1.) Use less chalk.  Chalk creates friction, friction creates heat, heat makes blisters and blisters make bad.  ***With that being said I love chalk, it makes you 10% stronger, and I will use it all day long realizing the consequences of those actions.***

2.) If you feel a tare coming on wrap your shirt, towel or other protective device around the bar (see Maris for more information)

3.) Wear gloves even if other people laugh at you.

4.) Callus care.  The night before a big pull-up WOD I will take my razor and shave my hands in the shower.  It sounds weird but the Mach 3 Razor does an amazing job.  I don't have the patience for a pumice stone.  The razor creates a smooth surface by lightly removing the dead layers of skin.

5.) Use lotion (please keep the sexual innuendo to a minimum).  If your hands are dry and crusty like elephant skin they are probably going to crack and rip.

What happens if despite all my best actions I rip.  Tape those hands up and get back on the bar.  This video is to say the least a bit dry, but it shows a good tape job of the hands that can be done fairly quickly.  WE DO NOT SUPPLY TAPE SO BRING YOUR OWN.

WOD for 02/09/10

"FRAN"
21,15,9
Thrusters and Pull-Ups
M: #95 W: #65

Comments

[Matty P]

I use no chalk and put nothing on the bar. I've found the more finger grip you use instead of a palm grip on the bar helps reduce the skin from bunching up and wanting to tear, DO NOT have a death grip and spin you hands constantly around the bar!!! You're basically grating your hands like cheese when you do that :p. Anyways I still tear occasionally but it's never too bad.

ps. For all you chalk lovers I hope that all the chalk you inhale and spread through out the box while im working out for me to inhale comes back to haunt you by making you slower at all your wods!!! :)

pss. I love you all

[Cindy]

My hands get so sweaty! If I didn't use chalk, I would slip right off the bar after awhile.
I slipped off a bar and landed on my butt during a competition once because my hands got so sweaty.....VERY embarrassing!
And it was on tape. Josh mentioned wanting to watch it once, but somehow it got destroyed and thrown in the garbage before he got a chance.
Chalk is my friend.

[DJ]

I heart chalk also Cindy! I think you should find that video so that it can be used for training/safety purposes.

[Lisa C.]

I too heart chalk because my hands also get sweaty. I am one of those people that usally tear and I know it's because of my "death grip" and I have no idea why I do it but I do. I saw yesterday's post and immediately grab a box cutter razor (I was at work) and shaved what little calluses I had (lack of not coming to crossfit for three weeks) and it helped. I did not tear but I did get a couple of blisters. Today will be a little tough because my hands are sore as well as my lats but after doing 100 pull ups yesterday, 45 is nothing!! lol

[Suz]

Lisa you have to come to the box to use the chalk!!!! HA HA...Hurry back we miss you!!

I love chalk too. My hands slip on the bar after a few reps without chalk...

Looking forward to Fran tonight!

[Denise]

Yeah Maris! FRAN! I'll be in at 7 if you want to join me! And then maybe we can do it again tomorrow!
I think I used a smidgen of chalk once. Didn't help my grip strength, didn't help me pull my big butt up, didn't help. Hhhmmm.... Maybe I'm just not ready to give up the assist band. 'Cause more than chalk, that PURPLE band helps! HA!

[saki]

I *heart* chalk. Except when I see blood in it or excessive sweat. No bueno. Lol.

[Evan "CG"]

I had my first bad chalk experience last week doing Little Eva. To my fortunate luck, I tore my hand on the last rep of the workout.

I love chalk cause I'm a profuse sweater due to hyperhydrosis (meaning: no I didn't just wash my hands, they are almost always that sweaty), which is why I am more of a waver than a handshaker, so don't be offended.

Hopefully I don't throw up due to FRAN like Joey did last night from ANGIE. HAHA.

[Halie]

I just wish I could wear gloves and still wrap my hand around the bar.

[LO]

I like chalk myself, but I don't think it's necessarily the chalk as it is the AMOUNT of chalk one uses. I use very little to do its purpose; remove/dry sweat from my hands. I do not look like Minnie Mouse when working out (think big white gloves).
I also believe it has to do with ones KIP- I noticed some people don't push away at the top of the bar to go into the next kip, instead their bodies just drop, which in my opinion creates friction and tares. I am not a kipping expert, but I haven't ripped in quite some time- knock on wood- even with the weight gain (and my kip has gotten pretty violent to compensate for the weight).
Good luck to everyone today! I AM SUPER impressed by Seth's 3:18 and Meg's 3:47!! amazing!

[Joey]

throwing up makes you cool

[Syd(:]

I'm with Joey.

[LO]

if thats the case sampson is the coolest person at cfs..then joe dirt.

[Joey]

i'm at 4 times so far... where you guys at, sampson and joe dirt?

[saki]

I lost count on Joe...poor kid.

The more your hands rub the bar, the more likely you will tear. I noticed that recently I've been using a reverse hand grip (one hand over and one hand under) and I haven't torn. With this grip, I can hold on to the bar longer and there is less friction. With an overhand grip, I can't get my thumbs to wrap around the bar so my hands are just cupped on the bar--and that tears the wazoo out of my hands.

I also can't tape my hands if I tear. It just creates a larger rubbing surface. So, if I tear really badly, I try to hand with my fingers as long as possible but that only lasts so long...then I just have to stop because that means I'm injured.

You can get ultra thin gloves. Try cycling gloves as some aren't nearly as thick as lifting gloves--especially the thick leather ones. Shop around because they could totally save your hands. And trust me, as a mother and wife, your hands are precious. Try giving a toddler a bath, wash dishes, do laundry and other house chores with torn hands. Ouch.

[LO]

Sampson is at 11- I think, and Joe 9.