Hand Care For Kettlebell Training

If you've been training hard with kettlebells, it's likely that you have suffered some blood blisters and torn calluses at some stage. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it usually means you need to take at least a few days off grip-intensive exercises and that's not always ideal if you're working towards a particular goal.

There are many things you can do to ensure you don't rip your hands to shreds:
1. Keep calluses trimmed:
Calluses are more likely to rip when they are raised. There are several methods you can use, I personally have found that a corn plane from the chemist is the ideal tool for keeping the calluses down. The corn plane has a blade so you can actually slice the whole callus off. Always cut across the callus (right to left or vice versa, rather than up or down) as this minimises the risk of cutting too deep.

You can also use those cheese grater type applicances that you can get from the chemist, either on their own or after taking off the bulk of the callus with the corn plane. The cheese graters work best when your skin is soft, so soak them in some warm water first.

2. Use techniques that minimise hand damage
One arm swings:
* focus the grip on your thumb and forefinger, or if comfortable just use the fingers (in a hook grip)
* as the bell swings back, internally rotate your shoulder so that the bell swings back on roughly a 45 degree angle

Cleans and snatches:
* start with the bell handle in your fingers in the bottom position of the swing and skip it across your palm as you come to the final position. The bell should land diagonally across your palm so that the bulk of the force is driven through the corner of the heel of the hand (where it meets the wrist)
* high rep one arm cleans with a lightish bell are a good way to learn how to jump the kettlebell across the palm to avoid pinching and tearing calluses.

Here is some video footage of how to save your hands during the snatch:

Also check out the discussion on the forum.