New Video: Managing your calluses.

[Mark Rippetoe]

http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...aging_calluses

[Mike C]

Crazy. I was literally coming to this site to ask a question about grip and chins.

Rip, you're a damn mind reader.

[tdood]

Thanks for the video coach. I can attest to it being entirely possible to have small hands, train hard and not have gnarly calluses. I have woman hands (glove size small/medium and baby soft) and deadlift 500+ and never use wraps or gloves. I developed grushing grip strength during puberty and go double overhand grip until I absolutely have to stagger. Do this long enough and be mindfull of how you grip and your hands will be fine.

[Randle McMurphy]

Rip, I have a oly specific question. FYI, I have small hands.

During a C&J, I pull in the manner you reccomend. I catch the bar in a rack position, in a front squat, with fingers on the bar. At the top I grip re-adjust a little to get the bar where my fingers meet my palms.
As a I jerk, the bar rubs all the way down from the top of my palm to the heel of my palm. As a result I have a big old callus.

A similar thing happens to a lesser extent on the snatch.

Am I doing something wrong? Can I do anything to fix it?

I have tried jerking with the bar low in my palms, like a press, but due to the elbows low position, the bar doesn't as nicely on my deltoids, reducing the power of my jerk.

[Marotta]

Rip,

As well as the calluses described in the video, I also get a less prominent one lower on the hand, it's probably hard to see the callus itself in the picture, but the area is circled.

callus 001.jpg

Is this due to incorrect grip (possibly in pressing motions, as I'm pretty sure I grip properly when pulling)? Or is it normal?

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Nice. This one went straight to my wife's desktop--she's been bitchin' about her calluses from deadlifting. I saw you do something similar on You Tube (think it was for CF) a while back, and I've tried to explain it to her. Maybe she'll listen to you. Listening to me has been out of the question since sometime during the first Bush Administration.

These vids are awesome. Keep 'em coming.

[forgeforth]

Rip, this is a great video. I've been gripping the bar this way for about a year now after having reviewed one of your videos found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTqNSgCmM2s

One of my main concerns while doing deadlifts was being able to maintain the tightest grip possible. The tighter I squeeze the bar and the more secure it feels in my hand, the less I have to worry about failing a rep due to grip issues. With this method I feel like I can grip the bar much more tightly and in a much more "snug" manner. There's nothing worse than feeling the bar slide down your palms on the lockout. I have a nice yellow line going on each hand, but haven't had to pick off any loose skin since implementing this method. Another useful tool that's simple and extremely effective.

Thanks again.

[Mark Rippetoe]

During a C&J, I pull in the manner you reccomend. I catch the bar in a rack position, in a front squat, with fingers on the bar. At the top I grip re-adjust a little to get the bar where my fingers meet my palms.
As a I jerk, the bar rubs all the way down from the top of my palm to the heel of my palm. As a result I have a big old callus.

A similar thing happens to a lesser extent on the snatch.

Am I doing something wrong? Can I do anything to fix it?

I have tried jerking with the bar low in my palms, like a press, but due to the elbows low position, the bar doesn't as nicely on my deltoids, reducing the power of my jerk.

You're not gripping wrong, you're jerking wrong, with your elbows high. A tricep extension with a heavy bar. I don't know about the snatch, but I have never seen a callus like that. Look up Alexander Kurlovich and try to jerk like he does.

Rip,

As well as the calluses described in the video, I also get a less prominent one lower on the hand, it's probably hard to see the callus itself in the picture, but the area is circled.

Is this due to incorrect grip (possibly in pressing motions, as I'm pretty sure I grip properly when pulling)? Or is it normal?

I see no abnormal callus there. Your hands are supposed to callus.

[LimieJosh]

Thanks for the Vid, Rip.

As an aside, Mike made an off hand comment to me during the Melbourne seminar about overcoming grip issues on the dead - even if you put the bar in your hand it will gradually find its way to your fingers and that movement of the bar makes it harder to hang onto than if you started out with the bar there in the first place. My grip hasnt failed since. The lack of new calluses I only considered a side benefit until watching this.

[Scrofula]

Thanks for these videos.

I haven't really had callus problems from deadlifts and chin-ups -- I was already holding the bar this way (I think it was in the book). I do occasionally tear up the skin of my palms trying to lower snatches slowly (no bumpers for warm-up weights). Is there a sensible way to do this?