There’s no need to rip your hands up in everyday training. Pär Larsson explains a pull-up technique that might hurt your ego but not your hands.
I don’t mind calluses. No one particularly cares what my hands look like. I personally don’t care who does more pull-ups faster in a generic WOD at CrossFit SoCal as long as I’m having fun and getting a good workout consistent with my goals. I do, however, care if I’m doing a pull-up test for work or a competition—and I really mind if my hands are bleeding or if pieces of them are missing. Blood makes a mess that eventually has to be cleaned up, and call me a sissy, but pain hurts.
Thirteen years of doing pull-ups, rock climbing and being tested on max consecutive pull-ups for Navy special programs taught me how to avoid busting up my hands with a minimum of effort and no fancy gear, gloves or tape.
I don’t want to go off on a rant here, but judging by the number of CrossFit athletes I see with bloody hands and ripped blisters, plenty of people can learn from my mistakes, and this might be something worth watching for if you’re a trainer.