Hand Care

So sooner or later you will probably end up with some callouses. Typically you get them when you overgrip, when you use your palm to decellerate (control) a heavier bell, or from not having a good hip-hinge/hip-snap. With practice these 'mistakes' will go away.

BUT, you need to stay on top of your callouses. If you dont, they will tear, which hurts. A lot. Torn up hands mean no bell work. We cant have that!

Below are 3 items I use for callous control.
The first is a simple glycerine-based, non-oily, hand lotion. (Corn Huskers Lotion) It is said to have skin toughening properties to it. I like it because its cheap and seems to do the job. And it doesnt smell like a flower garden. You can get it for a few bucks at walmat.
http://www.amazon.com/Pfizer-Consumer-Healthcare-Huskers-Lotion/dp/B0015TI8VS/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1315574793&sr=1-3

Next is a ped egg. Looks like a cheese grater, but not painful at all to use.
http://www.amazon.com/Pedicure-Foot-File-Colors-vary/dp/B00113FENI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315582793&sr=8-1

Finally, if you have some serious callous work to do, the tweezerman safety razor is great. But be careful, its possible to dig too deep and cut tender skin.

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1315574732&sr=8-2

After a bath, doing dishes, or a gentle warm water soaking, let your hands dry off an rehydrate, say, 10-20 mins. (If you try to work on them too soon, you runt he risk of cutting too deep.)

Use the ped-egg or safety razor and file the callouses down as best you can. Then apply some hand lotion.

In your training, focus more on your hip-snap, and your hip-hinge and keeping the bell in the hook of your fingers, rather than at the base where your palm and figners meet. 

Looking for a stronger grip? 

Try 20-30 1-handed swings with a heavy bell for 5-10 sets.

So heavy is a relative term, but for me currently, 88#'s or more is needed to tax my grip. And it doesnt happen until the 3rd set or later. By the end of these sessions I am lucky if I can do 10 swings before setting it down to shake off the pump. I found this out while doing the Program Minimum from Enter The Kettlebell.

Another grip trainer, long (50' is good.) farmers walks with a heavy bell. This seems to develope general strenght and endruance. It will have carry over to your swings, though it is a different kind of challenge. do this one outside, in case you need to dump the bell.