Rubber or neoprene: which grips are better for the horizontal bar

Dedicated to everyone who gets and pulls off calluses on the horizontal bar, with a barbell or a kettlebell.

Rough skin on manly palms or manicured palms will undoubtedly indicate that you've been training hard, but soreness may temporarily limit your range of exercise. Therefore, we could not ignore this problem and found information on how to protect our palms and how to deal with calluses that had already appeared.

In order not to immediately overwhelm you with an abundance of text, we will first analyze the generally available simple methods: exercise technique, winding the working surface, magnesium and analogues, caring for the palms. And in the second part of the article we will give an overview of special equipment - gloves and pads.

Sewing gloves from scrap materials

Many people are interested in how to make gloves for the horizontal bar with their own hands. Such products have a huge advantage: only proven sewing materials will be used, so the durability of the gloves can be increased. First of all, it is necessary to determine what fabric will be used to make them. Usually the choice is between leatherette and leather. Of course, it is quite possible to sew such products yourself, but you need to have at least primitive cutting and sewing skills.

Buying tips

When purchasing grips, you should consider the following points.

• The standard internal diameter of the product is 22.2 mm, it fits tightly onto the crossbar. The manufacturer tries to indicate it on the product, but if there is no mark, it means that the standard was used.
• The length should correspond to the width of the palm or the existing handle on the horizontal bar.
• The thickness of the product is no less important. Athletes with a large weight are advised to purchase grips as thick as possible, and they must be anatomically shaped so that the load is distributed evenly across the palm.
• The shape can be both ergonomic and anatomical.
• As for materials, rubber makes your hands sweat a lot, although it does not absorb dirt and is easier to clean. Neoprene handles are soft and pleasant to the touch, but absorb sweat and dirt. Silicone is one of the best options as long as it is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Advantages and disadvantages of overlays

The advantages of this sports equipment include:

• excellent grip on the horizontal bar;
• protection of the hand from breaking under maximum load;
• protection against a large number of bacteria.

The product also has many disadvantages. Let's look at the main ones.

• They do not prevent blisters because they do not provide the proper level of cushioning. When lifting, the hand rubs against the material, causing excess friction.
• Many athletes suffer from eczema symptoms on the palms or between the fingers due to sweating and increased friction. During exercise, your hands are exposed to unnecessary heat and moisture, which are a breeding ground for this type of bacteria.
• The pads are quite fragile and can break at any time.
• They are often the cause of swelling of the hands.
• This accessory needs to be washed constantly, otherwise it will become a breeding ground for bacteria and will smell unpleasant.

What to do if the callus has already been torn off?

If you are faced with a situation where a large callus has already been torn off, you need to:

1. Immediately stop the training process.
2. Treat the damaged area with an antiseptic.
3. Apply an adhesive plaster to the damaged area
4. Treat with peroxide at home.

In addition, you will have to stop training for some time, even while wearing gloves. Because even in protection, the hand will still sweat, and sweat, getting on the damaged area, will corrode it and interfere with further healing. If you continue to train, a real scar may form at the site of the callus.

Rubber grips - durable and reliable

What makes rubber grips better is their durability. The service life is not limited - for rubber grips to regain their original appearance, it is enough to wipe them with soapy water. When buying a horizontal bar with rubber, you can be sure that in the future there will be no need to buy additional handles. You can buy rubber and neoprene grips at the same price - only for the first you pay once, and for the second you will have to spend money regularly. Durable material ideal for strength training equipment. Such handles will not tear from stress and stretching. High-quality rubber handles have an anatomical shape, so they fit well in the palm and provide a tight grip. Some models have an anti-slip surface texture.

Flaws:

1. small variety of colors
   - mostly rubber handles are presented in black, but some models in the catalog of our store are distinguished by a pleasant yellow color.
2. do not absorb shock
   - this can be a significant drawback in other areas of application, for example in cycling, but when exercising on weight machines it does not create discomfort.

Magnesia

If anyone doesn’t know yet, sports magnesia is a special powder based on magnesium salt (also found in the form of a solution), reminiscent of loose chalk. It improves friction and reduces sweating on the surface of the palms. This is due to its special property, which is expressed in its high hygroscopicity and ability to bind sebum.

To use magnesium effectively, you need to thoroughly degrease the surface of your palms with soap. It’s worth saying right away that with multi-repetition complexes, for example, when you need to do 150 pull-ups in a short period of time, magnesium will not save time. The technique of gripping and briefly resting your palms will still work here.

In the gyms you can most often see powdered magnesia in a bucket near the horizontal bar. Surely everyone has already had the opportunity to experience its properties. Then let’s note the advantages of liquid magnesia:

Why do we need handles for the horizontal bar?

It happens that the horizontal bar kit does not include grips. After the first training on open metal, it becomes clear that doing this is pure torture. Your hands slip, your grip is loose and calluses quickly appear.

Read also: Why you shouldn’t shave at night

How to get rid of calluses from the horizontal bar

Athletic gloves can be used

. But your hands sweat in them and you need to wash them after every workout. At the same time, as a good rule of thumb, you should buy new ones at least once a year.

How to wrap a horizontal bar to prevent your hands from slipping

Sometimes horizontal bar owners decide to make a homemade winding

. For this purpose, different materials are used:

• elastic bandage;
• cut hose of suitable diameter;
• roll adhesive plaster;
• insulating tape.

The wrapping will help increase grip on the bar, but it will definitely not provide a comfortable grip. As a result, intense training may lead to wrist pain.

, which is no longer very good.

Both fitness gloves and wraps can be purchased in addition to the handles. But such accessories will not replace the presence of grips

. Only high-quality rubber or neoprene handles for the horizontal bar can ensure the correct position of your hands during exercise and protect you from injuries.

The catalog of our store mainly presents models with rubber handles. For example, Absolute Champion have exclusively developed high-strength rubber grips for their exercise machines.

How to get rid of calluses on your hands after the horizontal bar

It is not enough to understand how to prevent formations from appearing. It is important to know how to remove calluses on your hands from the horizontal bar. If rough skin does not cause any big problems, then torn calluses cause pain and make training impossible. There are many treatment options. Propolis has proven itself very well. The product relieves pain and accelerates healing.

You need to apply propolis before going to bed - a thin layer under the bandage. In the morning, the latter is untied, and the dried substance is scraped off. The procedure must be repeated until the problem is completely resolved. Until the calluses heal, you should refrain from training.

Other treatment options are presented in the table.

In most cases, self-medication is sufficient. But, if nothing helps, you need to contact a specialist. Modern medicine can easily treat calluses using nitrogen and laser.

Buying tips

When purchasing grips, you should consider the following points.

• The standard internal diameter of the product is 22.2 mm, it fits tightly onto the crossbar. The manufacturer tries to indicate it on the product, but if there is no mark, it means that the standard was used.
• The length should correspond to the width of the palm or the existing handle on the horizontal bar.
• The thickness of the product is no less important. Athletes with a large weight are advised to purchase grips as thick as possible, and they must be anatomically shaped so that the load is distributed evenly across the palm.
• The shape can be both ergonomic and anatomical.
• As for materials, rubber makes your hands sweat a lot, although it does not absorb dirt and is easier to clean. Neoprene handles are soft and pleasant to the touch, but absorb sweat and dirt. Silicone is one of the best options as long as it is not exposed to direct sunlight.

When purchasing pads, there are some nuances to consider.

• Different designs are designed to work on different sports equipment. There are models not only for horizontal bars, but also for rings or parallel bars.
• Men's pads are much thicker as they must support more weight.
• The finger hole should be as narrow as possible so that the loop fits snugly. If it is too narrow, then you cannot rip it apart - you can take a pencil and try to stretch it from the inside, or wrap it in sandpaper and scratch it a little.
• Leather pads are kneaded before use. In new products, complex tricks are not performed immediately; they are first developed using simple exercises.
• If the threads stick out on the product, it is of poor quality, but you can additionally stitch the leather in a shoe workshop.
• Leather pads should not feel wooden to the touch; they may have been previously wet with water, but this is not allowed.
• More expensive models have not one hole for the finger, but several, which allows you to better stay on the horizontal bar, since there is no risk of injury, even if one loop breaks.

How to put neoprene grips on the horizontal bar, see the video below.

Dedicated to everyone who gets and pulls off calluses on the horizontal bar, with a barbell or a kettlebell.

Rough skin on manly palms or manicured palms will undoubtedly indicate that you've been training hard, but soreness may temporarily limit your range of exercise. Therefore, we could not ignore this problem and found information on how to protect our palms and how to deal with calluses that had already appeared.

In order not to immediately overwhelm you with an abundance of text, we will first analyze the generally available simple methods: exercise technique, winding the working surface, magnesium and analogues, caring for the palms. And in the second part of the article we will give an overview of special equipment - gloves and pads.

Exercise technique

Technique is the basis for the safety of performing all exercises, be it crossfit, or workout, or gymnastics.

Firstly, this is the correct grip during the exercise. When gripping, it is better to use your fingers rather than your palm, which is well illustrated by Anton Kuchumov in the video at the end of our article. If you grasp the horizontal bar with the middle of your palm, a fold will form, which will lead to chafing of the skin. It is better to use your fingers rather than your palm when gripping. This method of holding weight requires more strength in the hands, forearms and especially the fingers themselves, but this will save the palm from damage when “rotating”. Also, with this technique, the grip is stable, and the main movement around the horizontal bar is performed through the joints of the hand. You can also turn to rock climbing techniques, where the basis of the movement is more pulling than pushing.