Rips. If you’ve ‘hung’ around the gym enough, you’re sure to come into contact with a ripped callus at least once. Rips are well known around the world of CrossFit mostly due to the amount of emphasis we put the gymnastic and barbell movements. Anything that will twist the skin of the palm and base of the fingers in a repetitive motion will cause some level of trauma to the hands.
Grooming
Ever heard of the saying “you have to tear ’em down to build ’em up”? Well this is true for callus formation too. As a newbie, you might walk away from a WOD feeling some discomfort in your hand which could last for hours or even days. Initially, this is to be expected on some level. The body will respond by thickening up the skin and building layers of dead skin over the contact points on the hand. This is natural to a certain extent. It is important to know the appropriate time to take care of your mits! Once calluses start to accumulate, the goal is to keep them smooth and level with the rest of the surrounding skin. A rough and protruding callus will eventually tear around the sides or the base, thus producing another tear. A good rule of thumb is that if you can pinch the raised edge of a callus, it generally needs to be filed down. Calluses can be filed down with pumice stones, nail files, sandpaper, or cuticle scissors. Remember to lube your hands, too! All that repetitive chalk usage will leave your hands dry and an easy target for a tear. Chalk is not meant to stop tears only to reduce moisture and slipping.
Grip Technique
Calluses at the base of the fingers can start to become painful, especially if your gripping at bar at 6 in the morning! Grip technique is something to think about to instead of just mashing those puppies down and grinding out another ten toes-to-bar. A better way to grip the bar is to place it between the metacarpals and the proximal phalanges (the crease between palm and fingers). This video by Mark Ripptoe explains better grip technique.
After the Tear
If you have a tear and are lucky enough to still have a flap of skin hanging over you tear then LEAVE IT! I see so many of you guys just tear it off mid-WOD or come back the next day with it cut off and bandaged. Your old skin actually acts as a natural bandaid for the raw skin underneath. When you get home, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Apply some Neosporin and bandage the sucker up during the day to keep out any unwanted bacteria.
Further Prevention
Gloves and tape are two ways to prevent tears during a WOD. I know it might be a pain to take these extra measures but for some of us it might be necessary. Here is a step by step diagram on how to tape your hands. Reebok also introduced a glove to wear similar to a batting glove in baseball. Here is a complex review of the gloves. If you need to take this step.. Do it! Anything to prevent tearing.
And remember: If you feel or see a tear coming on mid-WOD then tell me immediately! It is better to switch up the movements really quick than to tear and be out or limited for 3-4 days.
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300 Challenge is coming May 12th…. Everyone is encouraged to participate!