Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 10:00:01 -0000 From: Daron Burrows Subject: Calluses... > I never cared about having ugly calluses, but from time to time they rip out > of my hand during a heavy deadlift or lock out work. Yesterday I was doing > lock outs without magnesium, and it happened again. Im 3 weeks from a > deadlift meet, and Im afraid of other calluses ripping out in the last week > or in the meet day. It never happened with me at meets, but I can remember > have seen that happen at least one time. As for calluses, I read a very interesting article in "International Powerlifter" on this very topic. The recommendation was to use a scraping device to remove the dead skin, and then to keep the skin moisturised. People's attempts to harden the skin are apparently misguided, as this tends to make the callused area so hard that it will all tear off together, with the soft surrounding skin being the area that tears. When I read this, it definitely sounded like something that I had seen at a compatition, as the guy's hand tore above the calluses and started bleeding quite impressively - funny thing was that his hand cramped at the same time, and because of the blood etc. he could not grab his hand hard enough to stretch the cramp out, and his helpers were also reluctant to jump in and help... Anyway, the technique i use is to scrape the dead skin off with a callus remover that I purchased from a chemist's; I think its specified use was actually for the feet, but it is great, for it consists of a grater with a handle attached (better than cutting skin off with a razor etc.) A few minutes of scrubbing will usually suffice, and this alone tends to do the trick. If you then use a heavy duty moisturiser, the job is done. Using this quick procedure, I have avoided all problems, and my hands (to my girlfriend's pleasure during massage) are much softer but still more resilient than they used to be, even when I am getting ready for a comp. Last cycle I forgot to follow this sage advice, and even though my calluses were still fairly small, even when I was lifting what was, in the big scheme of things, a fairly light weight (in the 550 range), my left hand tore up in the palm, along one of the lines that fortune-tellers read. I was surprised at how painful it was; fortunately it healed and held together for the rest of the cycle, but it was a good reminder to keep an eye on the calluses. Hope this helps! DARON Daron Burrows, Trinity College, Oxford University. trin0125@sable.ox.ac.uk Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 10:35:15 EST From: TMccull230 Subject: Re: Calluses... On Thu, 18 Sep 1997, "Denilson P. da Costa" wrote, >Yesterday I was doing >lock outs without magnesium, and it happened again. I don't know why you are doing deadlifts or lockouts without using chalk. Chalk dries the moisture and oils in the hands and prevents slippage of the bar. This slippage is what is causing your calluses to be ripped. Put some chalk on your hand. >How do you all deal with the stuff ? Is it better "to sand paper" those >calluses so there is nothing to rip out of my hands ? Or should I just put >wood glue over my hands?,,,,,,, No idea... Having just the right amount of chalk on the hand will usually prevent this from happening in the first place. Too much chalk or too little will enable the bar to move in the hand. This friction, while the knurling is burried in the skin, is what causes tearing. Now another problem some have is letting the calluses get too big or grow uneven, especially after they have been torn. I would suggest that you use one of those Dr Scholl's callus files or even fine grain sand paper to file the callus down some to make the layers of the skin even. And keep some chalk on you hands! Got to take good care of those hands! Here is something that I picked up from a friend of mine that was a professional water skier. These guys also have callus problems from the tremendous pull on the handle of the toe rope during competition and practice. He showed me that if you hold the handle more at the base of the fingers, instead of high in the palm, you will have a stronger grip and less problem with calluses tearing. Use the fingers like a big hook and grip the bar. T. McCullough Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 13:19:14 -0600 From: "Jeffrey A. Schiffel" Subject: Re: Calluses... It's important to keep in mind that different people's hands and skin vary a lot. I never have callus tearing problems because I was forward looking enough to select the right parents. But for what it's worth, it seems to be important to keep the calluses smooth and flexible. The bigger (but not higher!!) they are the better. If mine get too high an emory board works -- fine sand paper if they get really rough. Any time deadlifts "peak" them up, I just push them as flat as I can right after the lift. That night I rub hand lotion into them. For me, anyway, if I keep my palms relatively soft I have far fewer problems than if the calluses get hard and dry. I guess the pliability keeps them from pulling into a tear. -- Jeff Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 21:32:17 -0600 From: "Wade Hanna" Subject: Strength_List: Help...Callouses! Okay, it happened to me for the first time. I tore some callouses on my right hand doing deads tonight (figures it was the very last pull too). I didn't rip the whole thing off but, rather a flap aobut 1/2"under the main body of the callous on my ring, and pinky fingers (it is on my "under" hand if that matters). The "flaps" aren't too awful deep, blood was barely coming up on the ring finger one and the pinky not at all. Wes, luckily, had some super glue in his bag so we glued them back down and for now it seems to be holding. I don't know if they will hold up to a heavy pull or not but, Monday is scheduled for such. This is virgin territory for me as I have never had this happen. About how long does it take to re-knit the skin and what can I do to prevent this from happening again (besides making sure I use chalk ;-P)? Should I postpone my Monday pulls to let it heal or does everyone think the super glue will hold. I have been filing away at the body of the callouses with an emery board but, they are so thick and deep this may take some serious time to get them worn down again. Anyone know where I can get a Pumice stone? Any and all comments are welcome. My training is going really well right now and I don't want to interrupt a good thing (I have misjudged my progress so much in the last year that just to be going up is a wonderful thing). Thanks to all and good liftin' - -wade Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 22:44:52 -0500 From: Tyler McPhail Subject: Re: Strength_List: Help...Callouses! As bad as this sounds, I just bite mine down so that there is nothing left to tear. I do this every 10 days to 2 weeks. I know it sounds barbaric but it works for me. Tyler Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 13:48:54 EST From: Mcsiff@aol.com Subject: Strength_List: CALLOUSES & GRIP ***Beware of using this method, as you can infect any wound that may result. Apparently bites from man and dog (and kimodo dragon) are the most dangerous because they tend to contain a huge amount of harmful bacteria. Sure it may work, but all you need is one infection to set you back for many weeks. There is a simple law: no hands, no lifting! You can use an emery board or fine sandpaper (glasspaper) to do a far better job with no rough edges. You can often speed up the healing of torn callouses by squeezing on some vitamin E oil from a punctured vitamin capsule. Some other folk recommend a drop of lavender oil, but I have found the vitamin E solution to be cheaper and generally quite effective. Someone else mentioned that ripping of callouses happened more frequently with chalk because of the increased friction. This tends to be true if the load causes the bar to twist or roll downwards towards the fingers, so it is vital to regularly sand any callouses down before they become too prominent, to use a hand lotion regularly and to use as very strong grip that minimises the degree of slippage. Very often, it is one's manner of gripping that can lead to more slippage than is desirable. Unfortunately, a hook grip can be more uncomfortable in powerlifting than weightlifting because the lifts last much longer. For example, from films I took at World Championships I measured that the pulling phase from ground to sitting under the bar during Vardanian's snatch lasted only 0.69 second, while some deadlifts can last ten times as long. However, if you can tolerate the hook grip, then you may well find that you will never rip off a callous ever again, especially since it tends to distribute more of the load towards the base of the thumb instead of largely in the popular callousing area beneath fingers 4 and 5. Ever since I learned how to use the hook grip and to use a gripping manoeuvre (taking a slightly wider hand spacing while grasping the bar, then forcing your gripped hands strongly inwards towards one another to assume their final spacing) that I learned from Russ Knipp, top US weightlifter in the 1960s, I never again damaged the palms of my hands. If readers cannot visualise this, then we will have to discuss this at the forthcoming WSB training workshop in Ohio next month. Correctly, someone else mentioned the use of straps. This is certainly one time when the use of straps is sensible in allowing you still to do deadlifts (cleans or snatches, too) and preventing any further damage. In fact, at the least sign of your callouses becoming very prominent, sand them down a bit and use straps, at least for your heaviest training lifts. Dr Mel C Siff Denver, USA mcsiff@aol.com Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:54:47 -0600 From: "Greg & Julie Payne" Subject: Re: Strength_List: Help...Callouses! I tear a callous or two on every lift over 730 or so. Takes about ten days to completely heal for me. What I do is tape them up for training and once they heal up, tape up in training before meet weeks to prevent any further tears. Did not tear a callous however using the hook grip, but the wrist and thumbs are finally to the point where I can use an over under again without tremendous discomfort and the use of straps. GP Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 08:26:44 -0600 (CST) From: Keith Hobman Subject: Re: Strength_List: Help...Callouses! USE SOME STRAPS! I had to shout to get it out. Anyhow, I would imagine either you or Wes has some because of the strongman training. Why not just use them for the Monday workout? Try not to take advantage of them (ie. Let the bar drop to the end of the fingers), but take a normal grip and let the straps take some weight off the palm. I think it takes about 2 weeks to fully heal. I tore one in competition on a second pull and it makes the third pull very tough. Mine was bleeding quite copiously, so I had to use a ton of chalk so the judges wouldn't realize my hand was bloody. I don't file my callouses off, I just do heavy hold once in a while and then pull any loose skin off. Seems to work, but on the other hand I'm only in the 600 deadlift neighbourhood. I suspect this will become more of an issue as the weight goes up. Keith Hobman Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada ***Don't you guys ever trim your callouses? I trim mine regularly with a pair of fingernail clippers. I have never torn a callous in 22 years of lifting. Roger Broeg Burlington Iowa Message: 24 Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001 11:26:53 -0500 From: "Wade Hanna" Subject: Re: Hand care Super Glue. Don't cut the flaps, glue them down on your hand and by the time the SG wears off your skin underneath should be pretty good for pulling. You'll have to still be careful, but at least you can keep lifting. Won't be comfortable by any means. In the future file your callouses and even keep your hands moisturized with some hand cream when they get really thick to avoid this. Sucks I know...I did it last year, almost identical rips. -wade >>> rtreece@itnes.com 01/03/01 11:06AM >>> Help Listers! I tore two calluses this morning: the pinky and ring finger calluses on the hand. It looks like the skin closer to the middle of the hand simply pulled off of the hand right up to the calluses. How do I care for it now? Do I cut off the skin flaps? Do I just lay the flaps back on the open skin and tape it? Any advice is welcome. Rande Treece Denver, CO USA Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 13:57:25 -0500 From: "Agiato" Subject: Re: Hand care Hi Rande, I always just cut off the skin flaps, and then trim the calluses down until all the skin is pretty even. They usually bleed some, but you can use chalk to dry up the wound while your lifting, and if necessary at first so you can keep lifting after it just happened, a small piece of tissue between your wound and the bar (after putting the chalk on it) until it stops bleeding. This way you can keep lifting without getting blood on the bar. Yours in strength, Jon Agiato 1st class NFPT USAWeightlifting Club coach ICQ# 97477446 http://home.earthlink.net/~syntrasys/ Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 07:30:38 -0700 (PDT) From: "Dennis A. Heimer" Subject: Blister/calus question I ripped a calus off my hand doing deadlifts several weeks ago. It affected my totals when I tested at the end of my training cylce so I was bummed, but hey, it happens. I didn't do any deads for about 3-4 weeks while it healed. Well yesterday I was doing deads and after the third set at 365# I noticed I was getting a blister. So I used the wraps for my next set at 405# and after 4 reps, I put it down then noticed a huge chunk of skin rolled up to my finger joint. Naturally being the animal that I am (lol) I got some anti-bac ointment from the guy at the desk, taped it up, and got back in the rack for power shrugs! But now I'll have to heal my hand again. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on dealing with this. Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 13:58:54 -0400 From: "Clauss, Mike" Subject: RE: Blister/callus question Two words super glue or is that supposed to be one word? Next time glue the flap of skin back down, if you've already cut, bit, or pulled the flap of skin off you can still put a drop of two of super glue on the callous to seal it up so it doesn't open up when you're lifting. Mike Southfield, MI Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 15:46:57 EDT From: ANMLECNMZR@aol.com Subject: Re: Blister/calus question Screw it, lift anyway. Don't use something that is relatively minor (a little hand pain) keep you from achieving something major (a great deadlift). Back when I only DLed once every two weeks it really bothered me, but now that I do twice a week (once a week maxouts and once speed DL) I don't care. I just have some areas of my hands that will permanently look like crap and be a little painful to the touch. I've had a coupla times that enough skin would come off that I'd get my hand to bleed...it might hurt a little bit, but watching your deadlift sit on its butt would hurt more (for me anyway). Changing your hand placement might help a bit too. I found the best place for hand comfort is to keep your knuckles pointed parallel to the floor and make sure the bar sits in between your palm and your fingers, in other words, don't position the bar so that force will be applied to the palm or blisters, position it so the force is on your fingers. Smelling salts might also be of some help, you'll temporarily forget about hand pain, and will also probably lift faster, thus decreasing the amount of time you have to have so much force on your hands. Then again, you probably should be using smelling salts on any max attempts anyway. Have fun! Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 08:48:23 -0400 From: Rick Matthews Subject: Re: Blister, Callous Prevention is the key. Go out and get buy some of those gloves with the fingers missing. (NOT!!) Seriously, just use some sandpaper on your hands every couple of weeks when they build up to the point of starting to peel back. 80 or 100 grit works fine. Sand them down just far enough so they won't catch on anything; leave the base.