FEATURE TURE
FEA TURE B Y
R O B I N
S T E W A R T
GYMNAST HANDS O W N E R / F O U N D E R
O F
R I P F I X . C O M
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f you search #gymnasthands on social media, you will be sure to find numerous posts of overworked hands with huge calluses and rips. Young gymnasts are so proud of their first rips and love to show them off, but a seasoned gymnast knows that those badges of honor get old quickly. Calluses and rips are inevitable in gymnastics and can lead to unwanted downtime. The key to getting you back on the bars quicker is maintenance.
There is a big difference between a healthy and an unhealthy callus. Calluses are basically layers of hardened dry, dead skin caused by overuse. The minute a callus starts to discolor, turn brown, yellow or white, it’s a good indication that they need to be filed down. Calluses should be pliable. They should work with you, not against you. Think of it this way, the bigger and harder the callus, the bigger and deeper (and more painful) the rip. Hardened calluses plus chalk (which is very drying) plus friction from swinging bars equals rips. Once you rip, the vicious rip/heal/rip cycle can begin. In order to stop the cycle you have to do maintenance. Here are some simple hand maintenance tips that will lead you to healthy hands that rip less. 1. Get a good all natural pumice stone. The all-nat16
TECHNIQUE • JULY/AUGUST 2017