Everyone knows the long sock, athletic tape rope burn prevention trick by now. It works most of time. By that, I mean it works when you're logging 5 to 10 rope climbs in a session, but once you get into a 12-plus rope climb workout a la Tommy V, it's not always enough.

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...

Whether your muscle-ups are so good you don't need to false grip, like phenom muscle-upper Alex Schaalo, or you struggle along with the false grip like myself—which often leads to ripped skin on my wrists—a good grip is important when it comes to any ring work, especially big swinging movements like muscle-ups.