24
Mar 2016
Don’t Be a Victim!
Have you been the victim of a callous, torn hand, a cut up shin, or suffered any wrist strain while CrossFitting?
While training hard in CrossFit, some of these things are hard to avoid while others are not. Preparing yourself with the proper gear is just as essential as any other element of your CrossFit training.
One way to help minimize these negative effects is by taking necessary precautions. Below are a few simple ways to better help protect you for your next CrossFit WOD…
Callouses and torn hands – Try chalking up before a big set of barbell pulls or a movement on the pull-up rig. Only apply enough to give you grip. Too much will often create a thick paste on your hands and when you are sweating it up, it may start working against you causing you to slip more so than if you went without it. We are just trying to avoid “bar slip” which causes friction in your hands causing calluses and tears. Another great tool is using a some form of hand protection. I find the gymnastics grips found here – http://www.ten-o.com/2nd-Grip-Palm-Guard,637.html?b=d*13597 to be really good at minimizing or totally reducing hand tears.
Cut up shins – The shin scrape is another annoying, but preventable inconvenience. This usually results from doing dead lifts or other lifts where we are trying to keep the bar as close to the body as possible. Next time you lift, try wearing shin socks, which provide a nice protective layer over the skin. Also, try holding the bar out just a little bit further, as this will work to your advantage by not creating drag or friction on the bar, which causes you to move less efficiently.
Painful wrists – Athletes who have incurred wrist pain, in my opinion, are either lacking in flexibility or are not in full understanding of the movement they are trying to perform. The quickest fix for this is to gain mobility in the forearm/wrist complex, and in the chest/shoulder/tricep complex. If you feel you have adequate range, try working on movement mechanics with the movements that lend to the most amount of wrist pain. Speak to one of your coaches and have them oversee your performance on these lifts so they can better assess your quality of movement. Also, wrist supports are a great remedy for wrist pain as they secure the wrist from being placed in an overly extended position.
Like football or hockey, Olympic lifting or Gymnastics, the sport of fitness (CrossFit) is demanding of your body. Anytime you compromise yourself with a cut or callous or anything else of that nature, you are compromising your progress. Try to stay in the game as consistently as possible. Take the necessary PRECAUTIONS and you will have one less reason to miss an opportunity to stay ahead. Remember, every day missed is a day you will never get back for the rest of your life.
Coach Chris
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