Rips aren’t created equal. When a client gets a large blood blister that turns into a deep rip in the palm of his hand, I usually recommend avoiding handwork for a day or two.  Versus, when someone whimpers about some superficial skin loss on his thumb from hook gripping during high-rep hang cleans, I tell him to tape it up and suck it up!  Generally speaking, regardless of the rip, tape can be useful. It’s great for preventing rips, and it’s also great for reducing pain when you do rip. Further, it helps prevent further damage to the skin when you hit the bar. 1. Finger and Thumb rips  These guys, which often result from using a hook grip on the...

 Have you ever been held back because of your grip in a workout with high reps of toes-to-bar, pull-ups or hang cleans? Your shoulders or legs weren’t even lactic yet, and your lungs were breathing comfortably, but your damn small hands (or at least that’s what you told yourself) just couldn’t hang onto that bar any longer. What a shame! You have worked so hard to improve your pulling strength and barbell cycling only to have your grip fail… Don’t blame your small hands. Work on your grip strength instead! Seven Ways to Improve your Grip Strength quickly 7. Deadhang Holds Some high level gymnastics coaches don’t teach their young athletes any great swinging moves on bars until they can hang from a bar...