Sweaty trainers in the gym have cocoons on their hands.
But too thick a cocoon can be troublesome: not only does it make grip awkward, but it also carries the risk of tearing when impacting large weights.
In this article, we will introduce the principles of cocoon formation and the importance of managing calluses.
Cocooning is the thickening of the cuticle of the skin caused by long-term friction and compression of the skin – frequent gripping can cause the skin to harden and accumulate, in other words, an extra layer of dead skin. If the hand cocoon grows too much, it may cause tearing and even suppuration into large blisters.
For strength trainers, the palms of their hands are prone to cocoons due to the frequent grip on the weight. As the training level increases and the training weight increases, the cocoon will grow larger and larger unconsciously, so you need to pay special attention to managing them.
There are two types of cocoons:
Surface cocoon
Deep cocoon
The surface cocoon, as the name suggests, grows in the cuticle of the skin on the surface of the skin.
The deep cocoon is even more severe. Strength lifters who use oversized weight training for years are susceptible to deep cocoons – if not handled properly, they can tear apart in their entirety during training.
Cocoons usually appear on the palms of the hands along the knuckle joints and on the fingers. Players who are accustomed to locking hands (four fingers pressing the thumb) will also have calluses on the thumb.
What is the significance of "callus management"?
The physiological differences between individuals are enormous, and the size of each person's hands, the length of his fingers, and the usual way of grasping are different. This leads to some people needing to repair the calluses regularly, while others don't have to deal with it at all.
Those who don't need to care about calluses are usually people with strong gripping ability. With tight grip and less friction, they have fewer calluses on their hands and grow very slowly. Therefore, strengthening the "grip force" may be the highest priority, the treatment of the symptoms and the root causes.
If you are a type of person who is prone to cocooning, the consequences of neglecting to manage calluses are:
The calluses were completely torn off and the blood flowed non-stop
The deeper the cocoon grows, the deeper it gets, eventually leading to pain
If your calluses are torn, you'll be forced to recuperate at home for the next few weeks. The significance of "callus management" is to keep its thickness within a controllable range and delay their growth.
Does hand cocooning help with strength training?
As a strength training enthusiast, in addition to witnessing your efforts, the right amount of cocoons also contributes to your progress:
Protect your skin from the ginning of the barbell dumbbell rod
・ Greatly reduces the pain caused by grasping
・ So that you can grip more firmly
The key to enjoying these benefits is not to let the calluses stack too thickly.
So let's take a look at 5 suggestions for "callus management"
1. Use pumice stone to sand the calluses
2. Apply hand cream or vaseline regularly
3. Protect your fingers with breathable tape
4. Use magnesium powder
5. Use a booster belt for heavy weights
Treat calluses with pumice
Pumice is a stone with holes formed after the natural magma foam has cooled, and the texture is rough. The powder that comes off after it is rubbed can be used to remove the stratum corneum of the skin and can also be used to treat athlete's foot.
Therefore, pumice is widely used to soften the calluses formed by various sports (strength lifting, rock climbing, etc.). The use of pumice is very simple, just use it to gently rub on your skin.
Get into the habit of applying hand cream or vaseline
For post-training hand care, applying hand cream or vaseline is an extremely cost-effective option. These products help moisturize and lock in water in the hands, which in turn reduces the formation of calluses.
Applying hand cream before bedtime can get the best results
--- carefully wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer and dry them
--- apply the care product evenly over the area of the hand you want to care for
--- if you want to make the care better, you can wear plastic gloves after applying the care product to make it fully absorbed.
Products such as Dabao and Vaseline are sufficient for fitness people.
Protect your hands with breathable tape
I've seen many athletes tear the whole calluses off their thumbs when the lock is pulled hard.
Using products such as breathable tape to protect your fingers is a very cost-effective way.
There are two common types on the market: breathable tape and muscle effect patch
Choosing a product of the highest quality, such as Hampton Judo/Rock Climbing Finger Stickers, will allow you to reduce the quality of your training without frequent adjustments during training.
Compared with finger stickers, muscle effect stickers have less stickiness and better breathability, so they have become an essential equipment for many professional weightlifters.
Use non-slip magnesium blocks
Everything is a must, and while non-slip magnesium powders/blocks/liquids are very useful, it is also undesirable to abuse them. For Calloused Calloused Management, of the three similar products mentioned above, I recommend solid magnesium carbonate blocks the most rather than liquid non-slip products.
The powder of the magnesium block will fill the gap between your palm and the barbell, increasing friction and distributing the friction evenly across the contact surface, effectively reducing calluses.
And liquid non-slip magnesium is applied to dry hands, and it attaches to your palm like a layer of dead skin, which may make the situation worse.
Use the booster belt
The use of a booster wristband during heavyweight training will greatly reduce the requirements for grip ability and greatly reduce the trigger for calluses to grow. Proper use of wristbands can give your hands some respite. If the calluses on your hands are already showing signs of tearing, this one is especially important.
Other calloused common problems
1. Can I cut off the calluses?
You can trim the calluses with special scissors, but it's worth noting that what you want is "trimming", not "removing", and it's easy to cut the meat without a little attention.
2. Can't calluses be eradicated?
Even without strength training for a long time, calluses can remain for years. Once you continue training, the calluses will continue to grow.
summary:
As long as you still love and devote yourself to resistance training, it is unrealistic to completely eradicate calluses. The original intention of "calluse management" is to control it to a degree that does not affect training. The right amount of calluses can reduce the pain caused by friction when grasping, so that you can practice more enjoyably.