Michael Traynor Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Tonights Ring Strength WOD was fantastic, felt great, lots of fun, but cost me an old reliable friend, my false grip calluses.If like me you are mourning the loss of your calluses; read up on Coach's guide to tears and calluses.http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=151&highlight=#151Probably the most over-used part of a gymnast's body are his hands. Rips, blisters and torn calluses are an unfortunate fact of everyday life for us. Over the years I have tried many methods of dealing with them. First and foremost of these is reasonable moderation. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your calluses be. You would like to work up to the edge of a rip, but not over that edge into an actual rip. It takes much longer to heal an injury and completely re-grow new callus than to add another layer to an old. Also don't discount the negative impact unnecessary rips will have on your training. The most efficient method that we have found to promote new callus growth is simple but rather painful. It is also an excellent way to promote callus health when you hands are simply "hot". 1) Remove the torn callus; trimming as closely to the edge of the wound as comfortably possible. 2) Smooth the edges of the wound with either a razor blade (proceed slowly!) or a pumice stone. These are available in handled versions as foot callus scrappers at all drug stores. 3) Now soak your torn callus in a bowl of water super-saturated with salt (to supersaturate continue adding salt to a warm container of water until the salt in no longer able to continue dissolving and you have a small amount of undissolved salt in the bottom) several times a day for at least 10 minutes. Initially this may be quite painful. How painful will depend on the depth of the rip. If it is a very deep "bloody" rip, you are in for an interesting experience. :shock: It is necessary however, as we need to encourage the growth of callus immediately, rather than new soft pink skin that will simply re-tear right away anyway. Unless the blister is unusually deep, in one to two days it should be mostly healed - compared to the 5-7 days needed for conventional treatments. 4) Use just enough medicated chapstick (my personal choice as you can easily carry it in your pocket) to prevent drying to such an extent that the rip cracks. Do not however use Neosporin or something similar; in my experience the use of these type of products will promote the growth of new skin rather than a protective sheath of callus. Yours in Fitness, Coach Sommer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Verma Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Yikes! I thought i had it rough when I first started with false grip stuff, but I now realize I was just being a pansy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Sapinoso Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 It's just a fond farewell to a friend....Who couldn't get things right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Traynor Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Glad you got my Elliot Smith reference Ts00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Sommer Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 A single layer of athletic tape around the wrist will usually prevent rips from false grip work.Yours in Fitness,Coach Sommer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newguy Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Yikes! I thought i had it rough when I first started with false grip stuff, but I now realize I was just being a pansy!Hehe This is nothing, my record is 7 rips (Some bleeding some not) from one swing (I don't remember it might have been something harder) on the high bar! :twisted: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nee_m Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Some people put teabags on rips....the tannins in there are supposed to help heal and reduce the pain. I've never tried it personally though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Sommer Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I tried the tea bags way back when I was a competitive athlete; my results were mediocre at best. The salt water soak, combined with medicated chapstick or bag balm in between soakings is still our number one choice. Yours in Fitness,Coach Sommer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acegerter Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 piss on it in the shower... old russian method that i swear by 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michel Hendrickson Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I guess this means I should do some false grip stuff even if I am nowhere near doing a muscle up yet. Just to prepare the hand/skin and grow some tough calluses on that area. Should I just do some dead hangs in false grip? And should I do a normal or a thumbless grip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachSeanie Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Urinating on my hands always worked best for me. Also soaking them in pickle juice was my close 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurre Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Yup, go for the golden shower. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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