How do I protect my thumbs when lifting?

[EmpressaurusKitty]

I wore a plaster on this thumb until the cracked skin had healed but now it’s opening up again.

My current gloves protect my fingers but not my thumbs. Can anyone recommend better ones or is there something else I can try? I’d like to find a more sustainable solution than long-term plasters!

Are you powerlifting? What grip do you use?

I’m lifting as heavy as I can, which ranges between a 15kg barbell for sweep & presses & bicep curls and a 30kg barbell for deadlifts. Underhand or overhand grips depending on what I’m doing - I don’t know if there are more technical terms for grips?

My PT would say that you just need to develop thick skin & calluses (I have great calluses). At 30 kilos max lift, that's probably not heavy enough to do that, ironically!

But it could be to do with your grip.

Do you use chalk?

I’ll be lifting heavier as soon as I can manage to do it!

No, I didn’t know about chalk.

I used this kind of thing when I wanted to protect a cut I had. I didn't like the look of the whole thing, so I cut the top off and just made it into an appropriately sized 'sleeve' for my finger. Done the job.

Also handy for protecting rings, as I prefer not to wear gloves when I train.

Amazon link:
silicone finger protectors

Do you have access to different sized barbells? The standard one is quite thick so maybe if your hands are small you can’t get your hand all the way round to wrap your fingers and it’s putting pressure on your thumb

You could try a smaller barbell if you have one or wrist straps so you aren’t having to grip as much

In terms of grip I mean is your thumb over or under your fingers?

You can protect your thumb by putting your fingers underneath, but can be tricky if you have small hands that don’t reach all the way round

That’s a really good question. I use the weights provided at my local gym rather than having my own & yes, my hands are too small to wrap all the way round.

Is it the barbell that already has the weight attached? IIRC they are quite chunky

If they have the bars by themself see if they have a 10kg one and then add the weights yourself, it will be thinner

This seems strange to me, I've never had anything like that while lifting. I'm wondering if you are holding it oddly. I have very small hands but don't notice any rubbing especially on the thumb.

I think I’ll grab one of the staff next time I’m in & get some advice on my grip. And yes to trying the self-assembly bars.

I use Bear Grips to help with chunky bars that aren't designed for hands to go around. It helps spread the load around the hand and wrist.

You could try lifting straps or liquid chalk. There are lots of types of straps and you might need to try a few different ones. Ask at your gym.

My gym has 15 kilo bars, which are smaller in diameter than the standard 20 kilo bar. Better for smaller hands.

This is all sounding good. I’m making a list of what to ask next time I’m at the gym.

Surprised no one has mentioned thumb tape - just put it on before the workout to protect the damaged skin (it's gentle and shouldn't cause any more damage but will cushion the area and stop it rubbing)

I’ve put a plaster on for now but I’d like to find a solution that I just need to buy once.

Bear Grips are looking good, but I’ll talk to the gym before deciding & hopefully they’ll have stuff I can try.

It’s fine for protecting an injury but it shouldn’t be happening. If OP tries covering up her hands instead of changing her technique she risks injuring herself further

Unfortunately most gym equipment is designed for men with big man hands so it’s easily done!

This thread has been really helpful - I’m going to prioritise getting hold of one of the PTs at my local gym to sort out my technique! Thanks everyone.

There was a thread in "exercise" about spinning and small feet. The "small feet" in question were size 5, so normal range for a woman and not actually small small.
Says size 2.
Clearly spinning is not for me. What a shame

Resistance machines assuming longer body and limb proportions is also annoying. Especially when leaning chest forwards on to a pad that doesn't take breasts into account, let alone hormonal variations in sensitivity.