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CrossFit is all about pushing your limits—lifting heavy, swinging from the rig, and grinding through those high-intensity workouts. But one thing every CrossFitter knows all too well is how much wear and tear these activities put on your hands . The dreaded torn calluses, blisters, and raw palms are part of the game, but with proper care, you can keep your hands in top shape and minimize painful setbacks. In this blog, I'm going to cover the essentials of hand care for you, from preventing tears to treating sore hands after a tough workout. Why Hand Care is Important in CrossFit Your hands are your primary connection to the barbell, kettlebell, rings, and pull-up bar. Without healthy hands, your grip strength suffers, and your performance can take a hit. Torn skin can not only be painful but also prevent you from training effectively for days or even weeks. Proper hand care helps: Prevent injuries: Reducing the chance of rips and tears keeps you in the gym and on track with your goals. Improve grip: Healthy hands mean a stronger grip, which directly improves your performance on lifts, pull-ups, and gymnastic movements. Enhance hygiene: Open wounds from hand tears can lead to infections, especially in a gym setting. Keeping your hands well-maintained reduces the risk. 1. Build Your Calluses, Don’t Let Them Tear Calluses are your body’s natural response to the friction caused by lifting and pulling. They’re a good thing, but if left untreated, calluses can grow too thick and eventually rip off during a workout. Tip: Regularly file or shave down your calluses. Using a pumice stone, callus file, or hand care tool, gently smooth out the thick areas of skin on your palms. Do this when your hands are dry to avoid making them too thin. Pro Tip: Aim to maintain smooth, even calluses rather than letting them build up into thick patches. This balance helps protect your hands without putting them at risk for tearing. 2. Moisturize Your Hands While it may seem counterintuitive, keeping your hands moisturized is key to maintaining their health. Dry, cracked skin is more likely to tear under pressure, so regular hydration is crucial. Tip: Use a hand balm or lotion at night to keep your skin soft and pliable. Look for products specifically designed for athletes, which tend to absorb quickly and offer long-lasting moisture. 3.Grip-up for Protection During high-rep bar work, kettlebell swings, or gymnastic movements, you can reduce friction and protect your hands by using grips. Tip: Learn how to properly tape your hands or invest in a pair of hand grips designed for CrossFit. Grips can provide an extra layer of protection without sacrificing your grip on the bar. We have a partnership with Victory Grips and a staff member can help you measure the right grip your hands. Also, taping around your thumbs or palms can also reduce friction in high-wear areas. Pro Tip: If you’re using grips, make sure they’re broken in and comfortable before a big workout. When you first get them they can be a little slippery on the bars. Depending on the type of grip you can get them damp and use some chalk to help break them in. 4. Keep Your Hands Clean After a tough WOD, your hands are likely covered in chalk, sweat, and potentially even small cuts or blisters. Keeping your hands clean and free of dirt and germs is crucial for preventing infection and helping them heal. Tip: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after every workout. If you have any open cuts or tears, clean them with an antiseptic and cover them to avoid bacteria. Pro Tip: In the event of a tear we have a First Aid kit on the wall with bandages, antiseptic wipes, and tape. Let a coach know and they will help you treat any small injuries on the spot and get back to your workout quickly. 5. Treat Hand Tears Right Away Even with the best care, tears can still happen. If you rip a callus or blister during a workout, it’s important to treat it properly so you can heal quickly and prevent infection. Tip: If your hand tears, wash the area immediately with warm water and soap. Gently trim away any loose skin using sterilized scissors. Apply a wound ointment like Neosporin and Polysporin and cover the tear with a breathable bandage. You don't want the wound to dry and continue to crack, it will just take longer to heal. Pro Tip: Some people swear by products like liquid bandages to cover and protect small hand tears, allowing them to heal while still being able to use their hands for lighter workouts. 6. Strengthen Your Grip One of the best ways to prevent hand injuries is by improving your grip strength. Stronger hands are better equipped to handle the friction and pressure from heavy lifts and high-rep movements. Tip: Incorporate grip-strengthening exercises like farmer’s carries, dead hangs, and fat bar training into your routine. This helps toughen your hands and fingers while reducing the strain on your skin. Pro Tip: Chalk is great for improving your grip, but don’t rely on it for every movement . Use chalk sparingly and practice training without it to build natural grip strength. Chalk will dry out your hands and the combination of dry skin, friction, and pull-up/barbell work is a recipe for ripping. As a result, hand care is a crucial part of your CrossFit training, just like mobility work and recovery. By maintaining healthy hands, you’ll be able to train more consistently and perform better without the setback of painful tears or injuries. Remember to build your calluses carefully, moisturize regularly, grip up when needed, and treat any injuries promptly. Taking care of your hands today will pay off tomorrow when you’re crushing your killer workout's pain-free and feeling strong. 💪

When you start a training regime there is a lot of excitement that athletes experience. Getting in the door is sometimes the hardest part, but once you have crossed that threshold a host of new questions start to surface. We will try to outline for you how to effectively scheduling your CrossFit workouts as a beginner for optimal performance and recovery. Understanding CrossFit: The Basics and Benefits CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program that combines elements of weightlifting, cardiovascular training, and bodyweight exercises. It is designed to improve overall fitness by targeting various physical skills such as strength, endurance, flexibility, and agility. One of the key benefits of CrossFit is its scalability – workouts can be adjusted to suit any fitness level, making it an ideal choice for beginners. The community aspect of CrossFit is another significant benefit. Training in a group setting fosters camaraderie and accountability, which can be incredibly motivating for newcomers. Additionally, the varied nature of CrossFit workouts ensures that you are constantly challenging your body in new ways, preventing workout boredom and promoting continual progress. Determining Your Fitness Level and Goals Before diving into a CrossFit routine, it's essential to assess your current fitness level and set realistic goals. If you are new to exercise or returning after a long hiatus, it's crucial to start slow to avoid injury or extreme soreness. The staff at CrossFit Westport is here to help you with that evaluation. We want to make sure that you are moving correctly and effectively before introducing levels of intensity (i.e. load & volume). Setting clear, achievable goals will keep you motivated and focused. Whether you aim to lose weight, build muscle, increase endurance, or simply improve overall fitness, having specific targets will guide your training schedule and help you track your progress over time. Many of our athletes are training for life. They are working to have more energy to spend with their families and friends. Some are training to help them on the job (i.e. construction, first responders, care takers). Crafting a Balanced CrossFit Weekly Schedule As a beginner, it's important to strike a balance between training frequency and recovery. A typical starting point is to train three days a week, allowing for adequate rest days in between. For example, you might schedule workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with rest or active recovery days on Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend. Each of our classes typically includes a warm-up, skill or strength training, the Workout of the Day (WOD), and a cool-down. As you become more comfortable with the routines and build your fitness base, you can gradually increase the number of training days to four or five per week, always listening to your body and adjusting as needed. Incorporating Rest and Recovery in Your Routine Rest and recovery are just as important as the workouts themselves. Recovery days allow your muscles to repair and grow stronger, reducing the risk of overtraining and injury. On rest days, consider activities like stretching, yoga, or light walking to promote blood flow and aid in recovery without putting additional stress on your body. Proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep are also critical components of recovery. Ensure you are fueling your body with a balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates, staying well-hydrated, and aiming for at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night. This will certainly help you in recovery and this will be noticeable in your workouts. Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Your Schedule Tracking your progress is essential to see how far you've come and to make informed adjustments to your training schedule. Some ideas are to keep a workout journal or use Wodify to log your workouts, noting details such as weights used, repetitions completed, and how you felt during each session. By using the Wodify app to track your lifts and times you will be able to measure your fitness over time. Although our workouts are constantly varied, we will program benchmark workouts in to measure our members fitness progressions overtime. Fitness is a journey and by being consistent you will see your improved levels of fitness both inside and outside of the box. If you have any questions or need help focusing in on your goals Libby or I are always open to meeting with you to help. You can book time here or email us chris@crossfitwestport.com