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How to improve your grip and lifts with this liquid chalk
Say goodbye to sweaty palms with this £8 grip game-changer
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Louise Thomas
Editor
Do you find that the harder you work out in the gym, the sweatier your hands get? This isn’t ideal when you want to grip onto a heavy barbell or knock out 50 (or at least 20) pull-ups, but there is an affordable performance enhancer that you can easily fit in your gym bag. Myprotein liquid chalk (£8, Myprotein.com) is designed to soak up all excess moisture on your palms so you grip better and knock out your next PB faster than you may have imagined.
Liquid chalk grew in popularity in 2020, when sharing chalk in powdered form became less appealing following the coronavirus outbreak, and since then formulas have been developed to make them less sticky and gloopy and more long-lasting.
Chalk fans swear that a small application before starting a set can help them get through those last few seemingly impossible reps in their workouts. Better grip on the bar means they’re less distracted by the stinging of hand blisters and more likely to distribute the weight better through their wrists, resulting in better form.
So whether you need a little help with the clean and press or you’re stuck in a rut when it comes to deadlifts, the route to progress could be less than £10. Here’s everything we know about what it’s designed to do and how to get it.
Read more: A beginner’s guide to weight training
Myprotein liquid chalk 250ml: £8, Myprotein.com
Myprotein’s liquid chalk is made with magnesium carbonate, which absorbs sweat without turning it into a cakey mess in your hands. All you need is a 10p-sized amount onto your palms and once rubbed together it’s dry pretty much straight away, so you won’t be wasting any precious gym time waiting around.
Once dry, there’s no dropping chalk onto the floor or onto your gym kit either, as the chalk stays on your skin once rubbed in. The chalk works by absorbing the moisture in your hands, which could help you lift a little. Praised for providing excellent grip for reaching new PBs, it’s clearly a weightlifting must-have.
Form is vital when it comes to weightlifting (and all exercising for that matter), and there’s also a possibility that liquid chalk can help. For example, if sweaty palms mean a weight starts to break free from your fingers during a bent-over row, you may compensate by bringing your torso up little by little, causing stress on your lower back. Applying chalk beforehand could prevent this from happening.
Myprotein’s liquid chalk promises to wash off easily, too. Simply rinse with warm, soapy water when your workout is done and nobody will ever guess you’ve been working out, unless, of course, you want to brag about the PB that the chalk helped you achieve.
Looking to get fit? Here’s how to start running