Gymnastics Grips - Hand maintenance

Brian Lawyer · 02-03-2009, 01:30 PM

Does anyone use gymnastics grips for Olympic lifting and if so what type? Something like these are what I was referring to except I had not realized there are hundreds of different kinds. I am thinking for our purposes the simplier the better.

WFS, http://www.gymsupply.com/index.asp?P...ATS&Category=8.

I am considering investing in a pair to at least use for my kipping pull-ups, since I have noticed that if I am lucky enough to make it through a long Snatch and C&J workout without losing the skin on the Palms of my hands, that adding Kipping PU’s to the end of a workout are guaranteed to rip my hands to shreds. Since I have been taping my hands in basically the same fashion as a gymnastics grips, i.e. looping the tape from my wrist around my index, then another around my middle finger, secured by taping around my wrist, I thought I mine as well just by the leather gymnastics straps and use them.

I have tried everything to maintain my hands. I’ve got sandpaper, pumus stones, files, lotion, etc. I also have been trying to keep the bar from slipping in my grip by starting my pulls by only holding the bar with my thumb and index and middle finger, i.e. the hook grip, and taking all the slack out before initiating the pull from the floor. I actually found less chalk is better. When I load up on chalk my hands are ripped to shreds. I barely get a little chalk on the part of my thumb that my index and middle finger hold in the hook grip.

Anyways, like I said above, taping is the only thing that works. I can make it through a shorter O’Lift workout with my hands intact, but most of my O’Lift workouts are upwards of 5 sets of Snatches and/or CJ’s. So instead of all the hassle of taping every workout, why not just buy the gymnastics grips that do the same thing?

I also believe they are legal at a competition. I think I remember someone saying the only requirement is that your fingers are visible or something.

Brian Lawyer · 02-03-2009, 01:36 PM

I am thinking these would do the trick, WFS http://www.gymsupply.com/index.asp?P...OD&ProdID=3183.

You don't get much simpler and to the point than those...ha. I'd still like to hear others opinions or experience.

Garrett Smith · 02-03-2009, 03:50 PM

Wish I could be of more help, but here's what works for me.

I don't use any chalk in my OL workouts, only in meets or really heavy days training with my coach (where they have chalk, of course, I don't have any at my house). I do find a tendency to tear my hands up when I do use chalk on rare occasions--I can only imagine what using it almost every day would do.

I use chalk in my gymnastics workouts, but then again, I go for strength in those (low reps).

One thing you might try is reducing the number of kipping pull-ups by always doing the first half of your goal number of pull-ups deadhang, then switching to kipping. Think of it as the pull-up equivalent of going from a standing BB military press to a push press. Kipping pull-ups tear up your hands, plain and simple. If you want to treat the cause and not just a symptom, you need to go after the number of kipping pull-ups, this is just one way.

I would guess that the grips are not legal in OL competition or they would be a regular sight at comps. If you don't plan on competing though, it doesn't really matter, except that you'll be getting less grip work.

Blair Lowe · 02-04-2009, 04:03 AM

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/C..._RipOnGrip.wmv

A bit tough because you have to have stronger fingers when you hanging and kipping this way than when getting the palm in there as an assist.

So long as the High Bar grips fit well on the bar you are kipping they might be alright. Not every CF gym uses a bar that is basically 1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter as sometimes they use fatter bars in lieu of the fact that they are not steel which I believe are also forged and tempered.

btw, you still rip in grips...sometimes worse. there have been some other gripping hand devices out on the market that i've seen. google it. some are chinsy and some are decent. i haven't got to try most of them.

Brian Lawyer · 02-04-2009, 11:46 AM

Here is how I have been taping my hands. http://rifsblog.blogspot.com/2007/05...our-hands.html. WFS

I started doing this almost every workout, hence why I was considering just buying gymnastics grips. On the workouts I don't tape like this picture shows, I usually end up wishing I had.

Patrick Donnelly · 02-04-2009, 12:07 PM

You do not want to use gymnastics grips for lifting, period. If you were to dump a bar holding it with grips, they would lock up, yanking strongly on your wrists and hurling your face into the bar.

You do have calluses, right?

Brian Lawyer · 02-04-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Donnelly

You do not want to use gymnastics grips for lifting, period. If you were to dump a bar holding it with grips, they would lock up, yanking strongly on your wrists and hurling your face into the bar.

You do have calluses, right?

I think you are thinking of different grips than what I am referring to. Take a look at the second link I posted above regarding the basic grips I had in mind. I don't see how dumping with those would do anything because they aren't attached to the bar.

If I was going to attach to the bar I would just use lifting straps. People use lifting straps and can still dump with them. I think Olympic lifting straps are shorter than regular straps so as not to cause a problem, like you noted above, when dumping.

Yes I have major callouses which rip off all the time and take half my palm with them...j/k...I am being sarcastic. But they do rip quite a bit. And LIke I said above I have been trying to maintain them.

Grissim Connery · 02-04-2009, 01:55 PM

yeah i found that "rip on grip" video quite helpful when i first saw it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Donnelly

You do not want to use gymnastics grips for lifting, period. If you were to dump a bar holding it with grips, they would lock up, yanking strongly on your wrists and hurling your face into the bar.

as brian said, you're probably confusing straps w/ gymnastic grips

Garrett Smith · 02-04-2009, 02:39 PM

I use lifting straps on my snatch pulls, only looped once, they come off quite easily. Looped twice would be a totally different story.

Steven Low · 02-04-2009, 06:13 PM

If you are shaving/pumicing/whatever your calluses properly when you run your finger over them they should be FLAT. You can still feel the roughness, but they should be shaved down to hand level. Most people who shave don't shave them down this much so just giving you a heads up if this is the case.

The problem a lot of new people have when they start up gymnastics is they hold on too tight. Basically, during kipping pulls or whatever you're doing you want to hold on just enough to stay on... NOT as hard as you can. Holding on as hard as you can generally leads to more ripping.

As it is I rarely rip anymore just because I know how much grip I need and when to stop. Ripping = injury cause it screws up your workouts.. treat it as such as stop when you're going to.

As for the grips, eh.. that's up to you.