This week we are starting the Swing into Spring 10,000 kettlebell swing challenge. There are several topics we need to address before we start.
The most important is kettlebell hand care.
We are going to have to keep our hands in good to great condition for the entirety of the 5 weeks and that can be challenging, especially if you are a newer swinger.
TO CHALK OR NOT TO CHALK
First off, you should decide if using chalk is a thing for you. For me personally, it 100% depends on the weather. During the winter/spring in the PNW it is pretty much nonstop rain for days on end. When there is that much moisture in the air 2 things tend to happen; the bells get slippery, and if you use chalk, the chalk can get sticky or gunky on the kettlebell handle. Both issues are problematic. In this case, I strongly suggest having a clean dry towel to wipe the sweat off your hands maybe also your kettlebell handle in between swing sets as needed.
I mainly use chalk in the summer when it is dry for months at a time and I am not battling the moisture in the air along with the sweaty hands. I prefer to use either block chalk or liquid chalk. I also like chalk balls (lol) - these are like a small hand sized sock filled with powdery chalk and you just move it around your hands for a nice coating. Funny name, but they work well. I do not like powdered chalk in buckets or bags. As a person with chronic breathing issues I feel like there just are way too many chalk particles in the air to justify this method. I also do not recommend using block chalk if you have children. This falls under the if you know, you know section of life. (if you don't know, just know the mess will be notable).
They can all be bought on amazon.
DEALING WITH BLISTERS + CALLUSES
First thing to know is that you WANT to have some calluses on your hands. They are the armour of your hands. That said, they can also completely halt your swinging if you don't take care of them.
EVERYDAY CARE
After each training session make sure to clean your hands and apply some sort of thick cream or balm directly on your calluses. It doesn't need to be anything special, but there are some that are better than others. Having a long history of making organic healing skincare products, I make 2 different hand care products that are specifically made for kettlebell (and jiu jitsu) hand care.
Either way look for a natural product with healing properties. Jergens isn't going to cut it. I make mine with lavender and peppermint essential oils, both are great for burns. Why burns? When the skin on your hand has something rotating over and over again in it, it creates heat and friction turning hands hot and red. This happens as a precursor to blisters. Blisters are friction burns.
Anyways, go put some fucking cream on it.
BIWEEKLY CARE - ENTER THE EMERY BOARD
The emory board is your new friend.
After your calluses start to build up (which is GOOD) you are going to want to start watching them for "folding" or "pinching" when you are working out. When this starts to happen you are going to want to start gently filing your calluses down a couple of times each week. You never want to go too far or you will literally give yourself a friction burn with the emory board. Make sure your hands are dry (don't do it in the shower). Go LIGHT. Never too much. You just want to file the callus down enough for it to stop pinching. You want to KEEP THE CALLUS. It is protecting your hand. You do however need to keep them under control to prevent them from ripping while training. I will have some available in the studio for everyone in Mac Kettlebell Club.
RIPS AND ACTUAL BLISTERS FROM KETTLEBELLS
Both rips and blisters are a reality when training with kettlebells. Both will prevent you from training for up to 2 weeks. So, we need to prevent then from happening.
Blisters: If you feel a blister starting you need to immediately stop swinging. It will take about 3 swings or snatches to go from huh? to fuck! If you start to feel a blister starting immediately stop, inspect your hand, and assess how much more of the workout you need to finish. You can switch over to something like alternating deadlifts and squat jumps to finish for the day. If that is the case, make sure to go home and take care of your hands. That hand salve/balm/cream mentioned above is going to help immensely.
RIPS: If you just tested your fate and didn't believe me, and done fucked up and now have a torn callus or a ripped blister, prepare to have a boring 2 weeks ahead. You will be working on lots of mobility and non-ballistic kettlebell movements until you are healed up. That's all the sympathy I got for you.
Ripping your hands did not make you tougher, it only made it so you can't train for a while... while everyone else continued to get stronger.
You will need to take better care of your hands moving forward.
Thats all I got for now.
I am sure we will be talking about this topic a LOT over the next few weeks!
Let me know if you have any questions.
✌🏻DEBORAH
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