Rings and hands.

[Middle-aged Dad]

I am working my way through the Rippetoe Q&A's tabs (working backwards from 500, at 390ish) in an effort to avoid asking an especially stupid question. I haven't seen this asked yet, but I'm impatient enough to risk humiliation.

Should I wear my wedding ring during sessions? My concerns are 1) damage to the hand and 2) damage to the ring (in that order). In the event weight plays a role in the answer, I am currently at (3x5's for all but deads) 315 squat, 145 bench, 45's (dumbbell) press, 305 deads.

As a secondary concern, I plan on continuing my progression around as far as my post-40 frame will take me short of a catastrophic injury (rupture, break, spinal event). Will hand size change as grip strength increases, requiring either a resizing of the ring and/or a different answer to my first question?

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Hill]

I've never really heard of anyone actually injuring themselves while wearing a ring and training. However, I work in an industrial environment and have seen enough pictures of de-gloving injuries (the squeamish should NOT google for this) to know that I don't want to be the first that I'm aware of, so I don't wear a ring while training.

YMMV.

[Sean Herbison]

Should I wear my wedding ring during sessions?

No.

I've never really heard of anyone actually injuring themselves while wearing a ring and training.

I have. Not loss-of-finger level, but enough for a reasonably deep cut. Usually involves a faster movement like power cleans, or losing the grip during deadlifts.

Will hand size change as grip strength increases, requiring either a resizing of the ring and/or a different answer to my first question?

Possibly. Mostly depends on whether you've done a significant amount of work with your hands in the past. Well, that and genetics.

[MBasic]

If you don't damage your finger, you'll damage the ring. Also, if you're losing that much weight , its probably not going to fit correctly anymore.

[Jr_Geezer]

Here is a thread I started last year based on the same question: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ding-ring.html

I've taken to not wearing the ring to the gym, especially on deadlift days, as that is the main lift where I have an issue with a ring.

-RJP

[jillingworth]

There was a thread on this a few years ago in either the generic training section or in Ends & Pieces. I usually train without my ring on, but have left it on a few times. I prefer ringless lifting. Just guessing, but I think you'll notice the ring more with the explosive lifts.

[Randy Scheingold]

Too late...I just googled it... makes me appreciate my boring office job more...

[HiCntry]

I wear my ring and the only thing I've noticed is I get a bigger callous below it on my hand and on skinnier pull-up bars it can be painful if I don't set my grip just right. But on barbells I've rarely noticed it, although at 6'4 I have big hands and really long fingers so I've got a lot to work with when it comes getting my grip just right, ymmv.

[Adam Nelson]

I've pinched the skin/callous at the base of my ring finger while deadlifting, so I stopped wearing my wedding ring. Like Steve, I've never heard of anyone getting seriously injured, but de-gloving type injuries were also in the back of my mind when I made that decision.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

I leave my ring behind when I lift because it alters my grip slightly. The last thing I need to add to my problems is an avoidable grip issue.