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What type of chalk do you use?


2sweetdadstrength

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I currently use some Amazon magnesium carbonate chalk for all my lifts.  I think it is a bit too smooth and I am looking for suggestions on a chalk that is grittier and rougher, if what I’m saying makes sense.

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Metolius Super Chalk, Spider Chalk, Ivanko

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I like the dry hands liquid chalk from cannon powerworks.  

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I use friction labs unicorn dust for climbing, and generic block chalk I get by the pound for training. I don't like to make my training with "perfect" conditions and try to save big PRs for competitions. 

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Friction labs gorilla or Mighty Mitts from Sorinex.

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Metolius super Chalk has a drying agent in it - which I like in the hotter summer conditions.  White gold for most other times.  Friction Labs is good but not good enough to justify the price  I have done several experiments with different chalks - the only thing of note I have found is that Bison is slippery compared to others and Metolius is better when I'm sweating a lot.  Friction Labs fine grind actually gives me a lower number on Euro than Metolius or White Gold.  Very fine chalks hurt my performance.  The chalk bucket in my gym (with which several World Records have been set) is just left overs of what I had in various chalks bags while climbing - so a little of everything.

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5 minutes ago, climber511 said:

Metolius super Chalk has a drying agent in it - which I like in the hotter summer conditions.  White gold for most other times.  Friction Labs is good but not good enough to justify the price  I have done several experiments with different chalks - the only thing of note I have found is that Bison is slippery compared to others and Metolius is better when I'm sweating a lot.  Friction Labs fine grind actually gives me a lower number on Euro than Metolius or White Gold.  Very fine chalks hurt my performance.  The chalk bucket in my gym (with which several World Records have been set) is just left overs of what I had in various chalks bags while climbing - so a little of everything.

My "bucket mix" is usually the best as well.

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I think my chalk came from ironmind over a decade ago. I'm serious.  It was not very expensive and I didnt realize the size was huge it has a ton of the smaller blocks in the box, like the size of a klondike bar. I still have a ton left too.

Calcium carbonate I believe it is.

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I use rogue’s chalk. I bought the box of 8 two once blocks a while back and still haven’t run out. It’s a three ships free item so included two other such items to get free shipping 

https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-gym-chalk

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23 minutes ago, Tommy J. said:

Same here i guess. I use the cheap stuff found at every Academy out there. Never made any attempts to seek better performing chalk. The thought of there being better performing chalk never even crossed my mind.. 

i have seen chalk being sold for what appears to be an arm and a leg tho... but always assumed people were suckers for paying that much. Does chalk actually vary?.. holy moly.

Yes chalk does vary but about the only time you would notice is on a pure friction lift or climbing under different conditions.  I like the Metolius Super chalk back here in the east where humidity is high but out west with the super low humidity the drying agent can cause skin to get too dry and crack on some people.  The differences are not huge but every little bit helps in  Grip competition.

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21 hours ago, Anthony C. said:

Friction labs gorilla or Mighty Mitts from Sorinex.

This.

The Gorilla Grip from Friction Labs is da shiznizzle.  I am convinced that a lot of the generic blocks I've bought in the past made things more slippery than less.  Most of those are about 10% impurities.  The Friction Labs and Mighty Mitts chalk is guaranteed 100% pure MagCarb.  I was surprised what a difference it makes.  You use less of it too.

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15 hours ago, Tommy J. said:

Same here i guess. I use the cheap stuff found at every Academy out there. Never made any attempts to seek better performing chalk. The thought of there being better performing chalk never even crossed my mind.. 

i have seen chalk being sold for what appears to be an arm and a leg tho... but always assumed people were suckers for paying that much. Does chalk actually vary?.. holy moly.

I was in your camp until I actually tried the Friction Labs Gorilla Grip after hearing different climbers talk about it.  I figure those guys know, since their lives depend on a good grip.  I'll be darned... they were right.  I can tell a huge difference.  Not going to see 10% increases or anything, but a marked difference for sure.

Edited by Mike Rinderle
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5 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

This.

The Gorilla Grip from Friction Labs is da shiznizzle.  I am convinced that a lot of the generic blocks I've bought in the past made things more slippery than less.  Most of those are about 10% impurities.  The Friction Labs and Mighty Mitts chalk is guaranteed 100% pure MagCarb.  I was surprised what a difference it makes.  You use less of it too.

Dude I also feel like my chalk makes things more slippery. I rarely use it.

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15 hours ago, Tommy J. said:

Same here i guess. I use the cheap stuff found at every Academy out there. Never made any attempts to seek better performing chalk. The thought of there being better performing chalk never even crossed my mind.. 

i have seen chalk being sold for what appears to be an arm and a leg tho... but always assumed people were suckers for paying that much. Does chalk actually vary?.. holy moly.

Since it is expensive to purify magnesium carbonate (what grip chalk is supposed to be) some chalk has calcium carbonate (baby powder), which is slippery, in it as a filler. More expensive chalks will have a higher percentage of magnesium carbonate and thus will be much grippier. The better brands actually get their products lab tested for purity. I have noticed pretty significant (~10%) differences on pinch lifts between good chalk and trash chalk. With grippers and thickbar, it doesn't really matter much. 

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14 minutes ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

Dude I also feel like my chalk makes things more slippery. I rarely use it.

I got the same way.  Try some better chalk.

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22 hours ago, Anthony C. said:

Friction labs gorilla or Mighty Mitts from Sorinex.

Same here. 

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29 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

I got the same way.  Try some better chalk.

I notice a big Difference between my truck and go to it when I go to Jedds and Luke’s

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1 hour ago, Tommy J. said:

Interesting!

now im sort of kicking myself for not experimenting!

or i guess never even giving it a thought to try..

I have also felt like chalk is chalk is chalk.  Any I have ever bought is always just labeled as "magnesium carbonate" so I've wondered how a single-ingredient product can vary so much. 

Does anyone know what the rules are here?  If the chalk says "100% magnesium carbonate" is that a good sign?  Or is it like sports drinks where it might say "100% real juice" but all they mean is that the 5% of the volume that is allocated to "juice" will be 100% real juice.   

I have a brick of Mighty Mitts that I've never opened.  Maybe I should max out on Flask, change chalks and see if more comes up.  Would be an interesting experiment.   

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My $2 amazon chalk is about to run out and I was just going to reorder. 

Great, one more thing to research and worry about. 

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I experimented fairly rigorously several years ago - even before Friction Labs existed.  And then again after it came out.  I don't like the fine Friction Labs but then I don't lift as much with any of the fine grind chalks.  (the real powdery stuff)   The worst chalk I ever tested was Bison - but I like it for KB snatches etc as it lets the handle turn in my palm better.  Another product I really like is the Metolius Eco Ball - I use it on those days when the sweat is running off my fingertips in the gym or on the rocks.  Not legal for a comp but  a good base layer for training on hot days - does nothing on cooler days and using it too much will dry out and crack your fingertips - I am assuming it's the drying agent they put in their chalk???   If I haven't deleted it I may still have my notes of my chalk experiments?

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5 minutes ago, climber511 said:

Not legal for a comp but  a good base layer for training on hot days

Because it also has resin or what?

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I just had this internal struggle about a month ago when the gym I go to ran out of chalk. When I rock climbed I would always go for Black Diamond's White Gold when I ran out, so that's what I bought. It works out to around $17 for 1lb, so it's not terribly expensive either.

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