The Open leaves us with many questions, but there’s one thing we can be certain of every year: whether it’s barbells or dumbbells, pull-ups or muscle-ups, at some point, our hands are going to take a serious beating. This year is no different, as the one and only Dave Castro didn’t wait even a second to throw one heck of a grip-killer our way. 18.1 may have left your hands a mess; so, how do we survive five more weeks of this?

Fresh Tears

Let’s start with perhaps the worst of it all: brand spanking new tears. First and foremost, your hands need RECOVERY! Time is your best friend. Fortunately, though, there is a way to speed up the healing process and encourage recovery. We love Ript. The kit comes with a few different things, namely Quick Fix, which will help fresh tears heal in a flash.

CrossFixe is another great option. Put it on right after a workout or at night before bed, and you will see improvements by the next morning.

Dealing with fresh tears is the first step toward a strong and healthy grip; but what about tough and stubborn calluses?

Calluses

If you spend time in a gym, you probably have at least one callus. Around the base of your fingers, on your fingers and sometimes in the middle of your palm, the skin will harden over as a way to protect itself. These can be uncomfortable during training. They pull, pinch and sometimes rip off. The quickest solution is to shave them off.

Callus shavers look intimidating but are an incredibly helpful too. The one we sell at The WOD Life easily fits inside your gym bag and has a two-sided blade.

Callus shavers are excellent for extra thick skin. If your calluses aren’t quite as intense, you can use something like the Ript bar, which will take off less skin.

Remember, you don’t want to remove all of the callus. You still want a little patch of thicker skin. Because these are spots on your hands and fingers that experience more wear, they need the extra protection.

Regular Maintenance

Just like your training and nutrition, maintaining healthy hands is an everyday responsibility. Even if they aren’t sore or covered in tears, keeping them moisturized and protected is vital, particularly because chalk can dry out our hands and lead to cracking, which makes us more susceptible to tears. (Even washing your hands can be tough on the skin.) Ript includes Daily Dose, and CrossFixe is also suitable for everyday use. Hand & Body Soothe is another one of our favorites. The idea is to keep your skin moisturized, but your standard store-bought lotion probably won’t cut it.

We know time is of the essence. That’s why we put everything you’ll need for the Open in one spot. Shop here!