Gym chalk

ItsCasey

I have written a lot about having problems protecting my hands, especially when doing snatches. I have no fewer than 6 different kinds of gloves, moleskin, and every kind of tape imaginable, and nothing worked.

I finally got some chalk and got the nerve to use it without any other kind of protection. Lo and behold, when you use enough of it (and re-chalk as necessary), it works. When I'm doing complexes, it's kind of annoying to have to stop after each round to reapply the chalk, but it's better than repeatedly tearing up my hands and not being able to do any snatches for a week.

If anyone is having trouble finding it, I ordered mine from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/GSC-PGE4360X-Gym-Chalk-1lb/dp/B0000BYSM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342189484&sr=8-1&keywords=gym+chalk

1 lb doesn't sound like much, but it lasts forever. I've been using half of one block for going on 3 months now.

hubie316

Thanks! Ordering some very soon!

pinkwhisk

my hands are destroyed at the moment, I have gloves on order.

KidP

We use chalk at our club. It really does help, but you have to be pretty liberal with it in order for it to work. I've learned to stop in the middle of a series of exercises in order to reapply it.

ItsCasey

my hands are destroyed at the moment, I have gloves on order.

My issue with the gloves was that I was having to replace them so often because once the padding on the inside starts to break down, the glove becomes a liability. The best ones I found, in terms of longevity, were Bionic Fitness half-finger gloves. I got some Harbinger gloves that worked well for about a month. I just can't justify replacing $30-$40 gloves that often. Ultimately, they do screw up your grip and tactile connection with the bell, and they create even more friction on your skin than the bell itself.

I talked to a trainer a while back, and he said if you're using anything more than chalk, you are only masking poor technique. After snatching for a while with one of the thinner-handle RKC 16 kg bells, I determined he was right. Because the handle wasn't so thick, I didn't have to put so much focus on maintaining control of the bell, and I was able to concentrate more on my drop-and-catch technique from lock-out to hiking the bell back at the bottom of the snatch.

So far, the chalk and improved technique have kept me from missing training time due to messed up hands, and I no longer have to use tape or gloves.

I did recently see a new product called Dragon Skins that is basically a band to wear around your hand and protect the skin from tearing. I haven't used it, so I don't know if it is really any different than a sock.


http://www.kettlebellfitness.com/html/dragonskins.shtml