As an avid functional fitness athlete since 2008, one of the most common injuries I would experience along with the fellow athletes I train with were ripped hands due to poor maintenance of hand calluses. Hand calluses are inevitable in weightlifting, and gymnastics where the constant applied force on the fingers and palms of your hands (from pull-ups, muscle ups, cleans, deadlifts, snatches, and
kettlebell swings) creates a thickening of the skin. While having a thin callus provides a layer of protection against the above-mentioned actions, too much callus is where the trouble starts. When a hand callus over develops and grows too thick, it can form a ridge that gets snagged from the pull-up bar, barbell, or kettlebell and eventually rips open, thus putting you on the sidelines. Some try to remedy their calluses by using files and shavers that are designed for the feet. These tools are not equipped to adequately and effectively work with the contours and grooves of the hands. Others try to avoid hand calluses altogether by covering up their hands with messy tapes or expensive grips and gloves. These only take away from your natural ability to know where an object is in space relative to your body, also known as proprioception. This is crucial when suspending your body on a pullup bar or when having a heavy barbell over your head. Nothing proves better at feeling your way through a pull-up, clean, snatch, deadlift or kettlebell swing than using your own bare hands. So after years of research, design, and prototyping, I came up with BloQaid so that everyone can have healthy and happy hands.
