Chalk: Don't Be a Fool
/
(If you like, you can scroll down to the end of this article and watch a related - and very ridiculous - video.)
Chalk is not a particularly exciting topic of conversation, so if you’re looking for a scintillating article on the finer points of lifting, you’ve come to the wrong place today, my friend. That said, man, this conversation needs to be had every now and then, so here we go.
There are two types of chalk abusers in the gym. The first type consists of those who simply don't use chalk for whatever reason - they don't like the feel of it, or they don't think they need it. This particular type simply needs to get their minds right or pull a Kelly Clarkson and just walk away. Don’t kid yourself - if you’re not willing to use chalk, you’re wasting your time. It’s not efficient, and at some point, it’s a recipe for disaster.
However, we’re really here today to talk about the second type of chalk abuser. You know this lifter. He takes a perfectly good block of chalk - the Sacred Block - and breaks it into smaller pieces. He coats his hands - sometimes even the back of his hands - with a thick layer of magnesium carbonate and inevitably leaves a bunch of excess chalk on the platform when he’s done lifting. And of course, he gets chalk everywhere on the floor and equipment around him while he’s actually chalking up.
You, of course, are not such a lifter. Because you know better. But you know such a lifter, and just on the off chance that you talk to this lifter, you can remind him how “chalking up” is properly accomplished:
Correctly chalked hands - this guy’s ready to lift.
Put your hands in the bucket.
Take the block (Do Not Break the Block) or the powder and rub some chalk on both of your hands.
Rub your hands together so that any loose chalk falls back in the bucket.