Working Hard and Losing Skin    June 9 2009

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WOD:  Overhead Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps.

On Hand Maintenance

With proper love, care, and affection you too can have well-kept, 100-pull-up-strong, blister-proof hand calluses.  All it takes is a measly 2 multitasking minutes each day.  Ok, every couple of days would probably suffice!

Here are some tips: 
  • Wash you hands as soon as possible after a workout in which you used chalk.  Follow-up with a good alcohol-free moisturizer.
  • Keep your hands hydrated – drink water, use lotion (lotion your hands while reading an email – see, multitasking!)
  • Use a pumice stone or hand razor to sand/shave down and smooth over calluses.  Eric has also used his Dremel tool to shave them down.
The goal is not to completely remove the calluses but to prevent them from becoming really large tough bumps of skin on your hand.  In a workout on the pull-up bar, those tough bumps rub against the soft skin underneath and cause friction.  This friction creates heat, a blister forms, and then wham!, you’ve lost all of the tough skin that once protected your hand.  Keep those calluses in check and working for you!

 

We have this callus shaver from Tweezerman. It's the best one we've found.
We have this callus shaver from Tweezerman. It’s the best one we’ve found.

 

The Tweezerman in action.
The Tweezerman in action.

By Nicole · In Workouts
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