This is what 150 pullups will do to your left hand when you already have calluses from pullups and weightlifting. My right hand is ripped as well. I don’t want to touch anything! This is so gross and yes, it hurts. I will be vigilant about filing down calluses from now on.
Still loving every minute of Crossfit. Would not trade the feeling of being able to say, why yes I did run 1.5 miles and do 150 pullups in 41 minutes to have my girly, delicate, lotiony hands back.
Edited to add: before I get 200 comments about needing to wear gloves, they supposedly make it worse. Then the whole surface of your hand is rubbing fabric AND has the pressure of your body weight dragging it back and forth 150 times. Blistery fun! We do kipping pullups in Crossfit, which I’m sure compounds this problem. I don’t think you’d get nearly as many calluses doing dead-hangs.

Maybe you need some fingerless gloves….? That looks painful!
GOOD WORK!!!!
I’ve commented before that I’m very intrigued by this whole crossfit thing. I’d love a post on what changes, physical effects you’ve noticed, etc, since you started. Aside from just feeling great. I’m curious about the results as well.
Make a cup of non-herbal tea. Put the tea bag on your rips/blisters. The tannin in the tea bag will dry out the blisters. Gymnasts do this for their hands, and I’ve recommended it to quite a few dancers for their blistered feet.
Another thing that helps is liquid skin,the first aid stuff, gives them a bit of protection for the first day or two.
I won’t tell you to wear gloves, but do look into a pair of gymnast grips or tape your hands before you go at it! As a former gymnast, I can tell you that absuing your hands like that for prolonged periods will really wreck them long term.
looks like my hands after trapeze class last night!
thanks for all the crossfit info, btw, as i’m thinking it might be the perfect way to condition myself for the trapeze!
Ohmigod! That’s so intense. I can’t even fathom doing just one plain ol’ pull up.
Those blisters are looking mighty painful. I hope they clear up soon. Eep!
Love the gorgeous, inspiring yoga picture. As for your hand, mine looks about the same right now but for far less virtuous reasons: drunk tumble. Oh well, that’s what happens after a dinner party with forty million glasses of wine.
keep up the good work!
My mother always said, “You’ve gotta suffer before you can get to the sweet stuff”
Bad ass! I stopped reading your blog on accident when I lost my RSS feed list, and I come back to find you Crossfitting. I’ve been working at Crossfit South Brooklyn for a little over a year now and recently got both my dead-hang and kipping pullups. Callouses are one thing, but I’m not sure I’m down with the whole bleeding wrecked hands thing and am going to check out gymnastics mitts. My stigmata from our last Wednesday WOD is just now healing, ugh!
Ewww, callus tears. Mine ripped recently to doing a heavy pull-up Crossfit workout. I hear you about remembering to file down calluses from now on.
Hi – a fellow crossfitter here. Ouch!! I have rips only on my fingers. The weightlifting gloves actually have saved my palms – I have callouses only, no rips there. Congrats on the 150 pull ups!