Weightlifting, or any strength and conditioning workout, are activities that require the use of your hands to get the most out of each lift or pull. Unfortunately, taking care of your hands for these exercises can be a forgotten aspect. To optimize performance and prevent injury, it's important to take proper care of your hands when weightlifting. With the right approach, you can keep your hands healthy and strong to get the most out of your workout routine.
Here are a few ways to take care of your hands to prevent rough and damaged hands.
1. Wear hand grips for protection – grips create a consistent stick, helping prevent slipping while also protecting your hands/palms during pull-ups, muscle-ups, kettlebell swings, deadlifts, snatches, and just about any other movement known to cause rips and abrasions. Check out these grips.
2. Keep them clean – After each workout session, make sure to properly clean your hands with soap and water. This will help to reduce the risk of infection.
3. Moisturize – Moisturizing your hands prevents them from drying out due to the constant contact with weights. We love O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream.
4. Monitor for injuries – Pay close attention to how your hands are looking. If you notice any tears in the skin, make sure to treat before going into another workout.
Uh-oh I have calluses. Now what?
So, you’ve done all the heavy lifting along with pull ups for days, and now you are starting to see some build up of skin above your palm. Many people think calluses are a bad thing, but they are actually helpful in protecting your palm during your workouts. The problems start occuring when your calluses are too thick or too thin.
When you’re calluses become to thick, our favorite way to combat the issue is to use a pumice stone to scrub them down.
How to use a pumice stone:
- While you’re soaking your skin, also soak your pumice stone in warm water. Never use a dry pumice stone on your skin. A wet pumice stone will glide across your skin easily and will reduce your risk of injury.
- Remove the target area from the soap bath and pat dry with a towel. If your skin is still rough, soak for a few more minutes before patting your skin dry.
- Remove the pumice stone from the warm water and apply it to your skin.
- Rub the abrasive side of the pumice stone over your skin in a circular motion with light pressure. Massage your skin for two or three minutes. If your skin begins to feel sensitive or sore, stop immediately because you’re most likely using too much pressure.
- Continue rubbing the pumice stone on your skin until you’ve removed the dead skin and revealed softer skin underneath.
- After two to three minutes of light rubbing, rinse your skin. If you still see patches of dead skin, repeat this process. Also, rinse your pumice stone for every session to keep the surface clean.
- You can repeat this process daily or a few times a week to maintain soft, supple skin.
By taking care of your hands before and after working out, you can build healthy hands that will help you perform better in the gym.
