Gymnastics is not for the weak. Not only must you have incredible strength for all events, but you must also be able to endure the burn and pain on your hands from the friction of swinging round and round on the bars. Even if you use grips and have built up calluses, chalking your hands is essential before you mount the bars. Made of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate, chalk reduces friction and helps keep your hands dry of sweat. You can chalk your hands and feet before any event, and you can apply chalk across the bars.
Step 1
Dip both hands into the bowl of chalk.
Step 2
Rub your hands together until you have evenly distributed the chalk across your palms, between the crevices of your fingers and across the backs of your fingers. If you wear handgrips, rub the chalk into them.
Step 3
Clap hands together two times to release excess chalk, which can otherwise get in your eyes when you are on the bars. If you still have excess chalk on your hands, bring your palms up to your chin and blow on your hands so the air pushes the chalk from your wrists out past your fingertips.
Tips and Warnings
- Applied to the feet, chalk can help your grip, especially on the balance beam. Scoop chalk into the hands and rub across the feet, or rub a block of chalk across your feet. Some gyms have a bowl of chalk on the floor that you can step into to apply the chalk.
- Not using chalk leaves you more susceptible to rips on your hands from the bars.
Things You'll Need
- Chalk Bowl
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