Alternative to chalk ?

[Saint Of The K]

Hi all,

It looks like I'll be heading to a commercial gym to lift weights, and I'm not sure if chalk will be allowed (actually pretty sure it won't be).

Is there any alternative to chalk ? Are gloves a no-no ?

Thanks !

 

[SimonAdd]

Rosin? Less messy than chalk, although I can still see some commercial gyms being funny about it.

I've never worn gloves, but they get a bad rap around here.

 

[JauntyAngle]

Rosin? Less messy than chalk, although I can still see some commercial gyms being funny about it.

I've never worn gloves, but they get a bad rap around here.

Rosin is amazing. When it's on your hands, its like you could climb up walls like spiderman. Minimal mess, and what mess it makes isn't visible.

Gloves are a massive no-no during deadlifts. My experience is that they make grip quite a bit weaker, I guess because they increase the effective diameter of the bar. I'd rather use nothing at all than gloves.

 

[SickyGnarwhal]

Dust off the floor.

 

[Kinglee]

i've just joined a new gym, this time i didnt even bother asking just go ahead i use chalk, try your best to be tidy with it i doubt anyone will complain

 

[Saint Of The K]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into rosin, seems interesting. However I guess it's not really cool for the guy who uses the bar after you, is it ?

 

[DrBdan]

Try liquid chalk. It's easy to keep tidy and be discrete with.

 

[LiKeS]

+1 for liquid chalk

 

[flak]

The gym where I usually lift doesn't allow chalk, and I started using restroom paper towels (the brown ones). They help a lot. I'm not joking.

Take two, crease 'em down the middle, lay one over the bar where you want to grip it. They only last for one or two sets before they get all torn up.

 

[JauntyAngle]

The gym where I usually lift doesn't allow chalk, and I started using restroom paper towels (the brown ones). They help a lot. I'm not joking.

Take two, crease 'em down the middle, lay one over the bar where you want to grip it. They only last for one or two sets before they get all torn up.

My gym in Chiang Mai has a bucket of (dry) sponges. You can wrap them around a bar- much better than nothing.

 

[LZD]

Blood.

 

[Saint Of The K]

Thanks for the tips guys ! I'm now thinking some kind of soda or something with high sugar, and wash my hands before the lift or something...

 

[PowerHungry]

Thanks for the tips guys ! I'm now thinking some kind of soda or something with high sugar, and wash my hands before the lift or something...

What? Soda and washing your hands? How the hell did you get there from rosin and liquid chalk?

 

[MASShole]

I put my chalk block in a tupperware bin and leave the lid closed, only chalk up between my thumb and pointer and across my first palm pads below the fingers while over the bin. It leaves minimal mess and doesn't transfer a ton of chalk to the bar.

Just use it. If they complain, switch.

 

[Saint Of The K]

What? Soda and washing your hands? How the hell did you get there from rosin and liquid chalk?

Well I was thinking of something sticky to replace the rosin, so...
This actually comes from the time I was doing RC car races. One time the track was so slippery that the organizers sprayed some soda over it to have a sticky effet. That worked pretty well so I was thinking "why not ?"

Will try and let you know if it works !

 

[turbozed]

Rosin works but I like chalk better. With Rosin, the skin on my fingers starts to peel pretty badly