Topic: Article: Weightlifting- A Hands On Sport

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Weightlifting: A Hands On Sport
By Chris LeRoux

For many, the topic of hand care might not sound like the sort of thing weightlifters worry about.  After all, these are strong and tough athletes, right?  Why would they care about their hands?

Well, the reason they should care is because a ripped callous can cost training effectiveness and sometimes training time.  So, assuming one would prefer not to rip a callous, what can one do to prevent them?

Well, there are three steps that will help quite a bit and hopefully greatly reduce the risk of any callous tears.

1) The first step is to make sure that you wash the chalk off your hands as soon as each training session is complete.  Chalk dries the skin and makes it less pliable. When skin is less pliable, it is more likely to tear.

2) Another very helpful thing to do is to apply lotion to the skin. This is best done after washing the hands following each training session (once the hands dry), but frequent application is also beneficial. Further, not all skin lotions are created equal. If you desire functionality over fragrance, ditch the fancy odors and go for lotions that absorb quickly. The quicker it absorbs into the skin, the less lotion will be rubbed off on things you subsequently touch. The best choice I have found is called Mane N’ Tail Hoofmaker, made by a company called Straight Arrow. It was designed for horses, who care little about fancy fragrances. Unfortunately, it has become somewhat difficult to find locally (at least in the USA) and is usually only available to licensed cosmeticians. However, it is offered here.  I know nothing of this website and am not affiliated with it is any way, but it does appear to offer the product. The next best lotion I have found is called Udderly Smooth Udder Cream made by a company called Redex. It seems to be much more widely available, but is not nearly as quick to absorb.

3) Buy a callous file and use it. The best time to use your callous file is right after a shower or bath when the skin is soft from soaking in water. This will make your callous file last longer, which is a good thing, considering they cost around $5-$8 (USD) for my preferred form. Some come with a callous shaver already built in. These are very nice, but unfortunately I couldn’t find one (or a picture) available online. One can use the shaver side to take off a very light layer of skin from the top and then file down what is left under it. DON’T OVER DO IT! This preserves the life of the callous file. When your callous file becomes dull, it is of less use. Don’t let it go dull, and save money by following the above steps. My favorite callous files are of the metal variety. Here and an example of my preferred file and here Here is an example of my preferred shaver.

One final tip - never file or shave your thumbs (unless you do have a rip there)!

I hope this article helps you keep your hands soft, pliable, and ready to lift big weights all of the time!

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Chris LeRoux is a USA multiple national champion weightlifter, multiple all-time national record holder in the 56, 60 & 62kg classes, and administrator of The Weightlifting Exchange.  He can be contacted at weightliftingexchange@gmail.com.