Torn calluses

[Big Al]

Anyone ever get them? I was doing some deadlifts today... I exploded from the ground, and the bar must have started rolling in my hands. I didn't notice that I had torn a callus until I was done with my set and I looked at my left hand... lo and behold- there was a dime-sized tear, with the callus hanging on by a thread of skin! It wasn't bleeding or anything, but it exposed the bottom-most (and very sensitive) layer of skin. I spent the rest of the workout training with part of my hand covered in adhesive tape :)

[Somnumbalist]

Do you use an alternating grip when you do deadlifts? I've never had a problem with the bar rolling with that grip. Never tore a callus lifting. When I was a kid I used to tear them all the time climbing trees. It stings like a bitch... I don't know if you're looking for advice, but, gloves?

Somnumbalist

[Big Al]

Yes, I alternated the grips. Dunno exactly what happened. I was going fairly light, and I exploded out of the bottom. When I was done with my set, I started rubbing my hands together. That's when I noticed the tear. It didn't really start to hurt until the workout was done :)

I'll probably use sponges for DLs. I usually use them for bench presses so that my grip doesn't slip.

I've had the same thing happen to me but on different exercises in the past. It sucks and takes quite a while to heal and reform. I've have yet to have such problems re-occur after using wrist straps for heavy movements. I'm referring to the straps with a loop at the end in which the thread the other end through and then around wrist and bar. Alot of folks don't like to use them because they feel that straps take some of the "grip" work out of exercises, but they also allow some folks (me) to lift more. If that's a problem, just wind them loose and use as a hand pad-very conveinent as you never drop them on the floor. Never tried the leather ones and found the cheap nylon works great. Lifting gloves never really lasted very long for me, but Walmart (in cooler areas anyway) sells a $10 pair of neoprene gloves which, if cut (fingertips and collar) make cheap, effective, and virtually indestructible work-out gloves. I like to cut a slit in the top for ease of use. The neoprene is grippy as hell and even on wide grip exercises, never wanders and provides a good cushion to prevent the bar from digging in. Easy to clean, too! groaboa628