Hand Injury and Training Adjustments

I have had a few questions lately regarding my training. 3-4 weeks ago I was practicing for the Atomic Athletic Olde Time Strongman Picnic and injured my hand (pictured below). I did this while snatching two 32kg bells in one hand.

I suffered a similar injury in 2008 in Las Vegas doing the same feat of strength. At that time I had thought that skin on my hand was caught between the bells when they came back together, causing the lacerations. That is not the case.

This past time when I did the feat I felt my hand separating mid snatch on the way up, as the bells were coming apart so did my hand. This injury was worse than when in Vegas, this time a small vein also came out of my hand. Think eating a steak and what it looks like when you cut into it and find a vein, same thing except I was looking at my hand.

9 stitches and a few weeks later I'm now getting back into kettlebell training, slowly. My training lately has been geared around my injury and pain. My main thought was to maintain strength in as many areas as possible while I healed. Thick bars did not put as much pressure on the wound and I was still able to use my fingers in a static position.

As you have seen, I have started to slowly do kettlebell jerks again and will do the same with snatches. I will continue using the powerlifts and strongman training to do just that, stay as strong and powerful as possible.