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I think the use of chalk is sometimes a bit exaggerated. Many times you put chalk on, you don't need it much. Unless you are sweating a lot during your workout. I don't, I use chalk, but it isn't a must.

I used to use gloves, but then I started to notice that they were the sole reason my grip was breaking on heavy deadlifts. They are not good for exercises that need a good grip IMO. Training without them is much easier. And manlier. Try without chalk.

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Prove the impossible!

@tuco: i think the calusses at the thumb come from miltary press. maybe my grip is not straight.

@dub: yeah, i also have a bad grip at rows sometimes, that's why i was searching for an alternative for gloves.

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

i totally disagree with that, chalk is the most important thing in my gym bag

I used to use gloves
Then I posted here and was shamed into abandoning them

I will use chalk at home. I now have more manly hands.

Switch gyms. Problem solved.

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Thanks TimD.

I think someone on here once said chalk was like "Jesus Dust" for lifting. And I totally concur. Deadlift above 315 and I am chalking. Ditto on bench. One thing though... I sweat... a lot. Drips down from my forearms into my palms if I just let my arms hang between sets. Sometimes I prop my hands up on the rack between sets. Absolutely necessary for any DL above 405 or bench above 340. If I don't chalk then I cannot hold the bar tight enough to DL above 405 (I'm good without straps up to around 500, just using chalk). Above 340 on bench my palms will start to slide out on the bar, no matter how rough the knurling (taking a layer of skin with it). Chalk on my palm and heel of the hand prevents this.

An aside: I can use gloves on bench to prevent that as well, but then my hands slide around inside the gloves. Like I said, I sweat... a lot.

Not really optional for me if I'm going heavy.

i think im going for the invisible liquid chalk, cause gloves suck at rowing and i want more manly hands

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Yeah, lose the gloves! You don't need chalk for pushing. For chins and DLs, maybe heavy rowing, it helps. When I'm in the US, I'm a smuggler. Container of chalk in my gym bag, reach in to rearrange my stuff, chalk up and dust off. Have your towel handy to wipe the chalk off the bar right away so the tell-tale hand print won't give you away.

If your hands are dry, the advantage is smaller. I usually DL to about 300 without chalk. I usually use chalk for chinups, because my bar is just smooth pipe, not knurled.

People vary a lot in how much they callus. If you tend to callus heavily, get an emery board, and file them smooth once in a while. That will keep them from tearing, and it'll keep you from snagging your wife's clothes when you hug her.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I've never used chalk, partly because it's so cold in my garage most of the time that my hands don't sweat. Yesterday though, for the first time, my calluses were actually stopping me from Deadlifting! I have them right under where the fingers meet the palms and each rep they get squished until they're all bunched up and raised. It was so painful yesterday! It's doing my head in that it's the pain from that which caused me to stop. This has never happened this bad before, what does everyone else do?

Also, liquid chalk vs normal chalk?

file them down, or just do what I do and pick them off. So satisfying!

AS for liquid vs real: liquid stuff is good but it's about a million times the price. Go to an outdoor shop and get a chalk ball for rock climbing. It costs like £1.50 and will last for well over a year. Liquid stuff is like £8 a bottle and you only get a couple of months out of it.

Also there's just something really cool about chalking up before a big heavy lift. It's part of my psyching up process; the chalky hand clap

I used to pick them off, but it always caused more bad than good. I started using a disposable safety razor to take them down. So the morning before I would DL, I take them all down in the shower after I've warmed and soaped them up. I haven't had a torn callous since!

I use chalk and i bite my callouses off. I have found, but don't tell anyone this, a good hand cream works wonders. My hands get really dry after using chalk and a little hand cream does the job. They feels so silky smooth afterwards.

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What if the Hokey Cokey really IS what it's all about?

you sissy

Thanks for the skin care tips babes.

Back to the original question, I use gloves outside when doing farmers walks, or anything else where I'd have to grab a freezing cold metal bar.

If I start failing the walks because of grip, I would use straps.