Alternative to Chalk?

[dannyboy9]

A brand new 24 Hour Fitness recently opened up in my area and I went to check it out last week. What can I tell you that you don't already know? It's a brand new gym which means brand new equipment, lots of equipment and the works, new showers, all that good stuff. The only roadblock I've hit is that they don't allow chalk in the gym.

I guess all I can do is wear gloves when I go lift huh? I was thinking of getting the gloves that provide wrist support as well seeing they're not such a bad buy @ $15. I was pretty bummed out when I called today and verified the "No Chalk" rule.

[Merk0135]

do it anyway.

[Noir]

Straps?

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by Merk0135

do it anyway.

That's what I originally was going to do until I remembered I don't take well to being reprimanded so I tend to try my best to abide by the rules. If I was 16 again, I wouldn't care but the older you get, the less excuses you have for "not knowing"

Originally Posted by Noir

Straps?

That covers deads. Now what about every other exercise, like Bench for example?

[Merk0135]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

That's what I originally was going to do until I remembered I don't take well to being reprimanded so I tend to try my best to abide by the rules. If I was 16 again, I wouldn't care but the older you get, the less excuses you have for "not knowing"

That covers deads. Now what about every other exercise, like Bench for example?

I can't strap when I dead. Deads require a half breath and pushing the stomach out to protect the core. Hard to do when you're kneeling and strapping. Straps also take the urgency out of the lift. I don't like to think about or look at the weight until I'm grabbing hold of it. Deads are much more a mind game than anything.

Hooks are the only thing I can think of.

[BigMikeD]

Gloves are a ***** to get used to... especially the ones with big bulky wrist supports. If your a chalk guy, chances are your going to want to throw them in the trash about 10 mins into your WO.

From what i remember, The Schieks were the only ones with wrist supports that i could stand.

[Noir]

If the equipment is all new, I wouldn't think you'd have to worry about your grip on bench.

[RyanLRams]

I love my gloves. I had the ones with wrist support straps and after they wore out, I bought ones without the wrist support straps. The thing with the support straps is you only use them on a couple of exercises, like bench. It's not a big deal actually. I just loosely strap them when doing every other lift. I HATE to lift without my gloves. The only complaint that I have is after I have been busting my ass for close to an hour and I am all sweaty, the gloves start to slip around so make sure you do all your heavy lifts first.

[Hawkwind]

Originally Posted by Merk0135

Hooks are the only thing I can think of.

Hooks would be my suggestion as well. I just left a gym that didn't allow chalk. I broke in a pair of gloves and now have hooks as well in my bag. It's so hard to find gloves I like that I keep repairing my pair when the stitching lets go.

Anyhow...I'm so used to my gloves and hooks that I would feel off kilter with anything else now.

[Boomer91]

Kleenex.

I heard about it on here a while back.

Wrap a couple pieces around the bar where you are going to grip it, you tear through it in a set, but it gives a nice dry grip. I just buy a few of the pocket packs and throw 'em in my bag.

[ambientdeath]

Call me ghetto but I've never used gloves on anything.

Except last week, my bar at home is rusted to high hell and Im sick of the past 2 months of "rust-hands" so I found a pair of gardening gloves laying around the house and used those instead.

Even then, I only use them for the heavier lifts to prevent my palm skin from folding over (big hands, thin bar).

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by Boomer91

Kleenex.

I heard about it on here a while back.

Wrap a couple pieces around the bar where you are going to grip it, you tear through it in a set, but it gives a nice dry grip.

If I'm going to get kicked out of my gym, I'd rather get kicked out for using chalk than for making a tissue paper tundra

J/K

[Merk0135]

I used to use gloves but they weaken the grip. Pretty soon you won't be pulling the weight you should so you'll start to strap for everything. I'll never use gloves again.

[dannyboy9]

I don't understand how gloves affect one's lifting so much. What's the explanation behind it?

[theman818]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

A brand new 24 Hour Fitness recently opened up in my area and I went to check it out last week. What can I tell you that you don't already know? It's a brand new gym which means brand new equipment, lots of equipment and the works, new showers, all that good stuff. The only roadblock I've hit is that they don't allow chalk in the gym.

I guess all I can do is wear gloves when I go lift huh? I was thinking of getting the gloves that provide wrist support as well seeing they're not such a bad buy @ $15. I was pretty bummed out when I called today and verified the "No Chalk" rule.

why don't u just lift?

[Spinman]

I only really like chalk for tricep pull down on cables... my grip never gets extremely sweaty tho.. and i like the bars callousing my hands so i dont use gloves :P

[dannyboy9]

I find it hard to understand how you could enjoy having your hands look like this...


Forget how they look, it's how they feel the next time you go lift!

[Merk0135]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

I find it hard to understand how you could enjoy having your hands look like this...


Forget how they look, it's how they feel the next time you go lift!

...and that guy has probably been lifting less than 6 months without gloves. Your hands at first will look like garbage but they will improve.

[dannyboy9]

So you're saying I should just go at it bare handed and try my best to work through the repercussions on my hands?