Hand Care by CJ

Almost everyones very first goal when they start CrossFit is to get those dam kipping pull ups! and we all know the secret to getting them: practice, practice, practice! But practicing those kips come at a price- blisters, hand tears, and blood. CJ has hand care down to a science! So here is a post she wrote, on how to take care of your hands to keep them looking nice & smooth ;)  Thanks CJ! enjoy:

So that very first moment when I got of the pull up bar and looked down at my hand with huge tears in them, I thought to myself now I am a true CrossFitter Whoo hoo! And I know I’m not the only one that has thought that! Well that thought didn’t last long though. I vividly remember siting on a stack of boxes trying to hold back my tears for close to half an hour. It was the worst feeling in the world, and after that I started to find ways to take care of my hands because I refuse to wear gloves!    

        

I use many tools that I have found work best for me. I still get the occasional tear but typically recover from it fast and back at it two days later. So I am pretty sure most us girls go get pedicures pretty often, I know I do! All the cool things they use on the bottom of your feet I used on the palms of my hands. I know it sounds silly but it works.

The first time you try I suggest not doing pull ups for a day or two after because your hands will be soft and might tear. While I am in the shower after my hands are nice and moist I use pumice stone on all my calluses and a foot callus shaver (looks like sandpaper on each side). The callus shaver will tear at the callus and shred the skin a little but it doesn’t hurt. Afterwards while my hands are still soft I take that cheese grater looking thingamajig (that is Janetssa’s name for it lol I have no idea what it is really called) and scrap off the skin. When you are done with that use a finer nail file to soften up and then apply lotion! I do this two to three times a week now and while my hands aren’t your typical girl hands I don’t tear them up that often anymore.

By Carolynn Rendon, cjrend014@gmail.com