STOP THE MADNESS

I've noticed a recent trend at the gym. It seems the last few days I've come into the gym, there is always a new pull-up bar with tape on it. I have only one word to say about you putting tape on the bar.

STOP!!!

You need tape on the bar because you have a weak grip. That's it. That one reason you need tape does not outweigh the reasons you should not put tape on the bar.

Reasons Not To Put Tape On The Bar:

• Do high rep pull-ups, toes to bar, knees to elbow, or bar muscle-ups on a bar that is taped, and you are guaranteed to tear. You want your hands to slide around the bar. If you take care of your callouses you will not tear on a smooth bar.
• Once the tape wears off, there is a sticky mess on the bar that I have to clean. I hate cleaning anything.
• You aren't seeing it on the black tape, but tape gets pretty disgusting pretty quick:
• You can't get a stronger grip if you aren't addressing the problem.

So you have the grip strength of a 7 year old child. I should hope you would want to fix that rather than roll with it. How do you fix it? Here are a number of suggestions:

• STOP USING TAPE, DUMMY! Sure, your sets of continuous rep bar movements might end up smaller at first, but your grip strength will increase and your sets will get longer. CrossFitters are always trying to from the A to Z as fast as possible. Game the workout. Put tape on the bar to get a better grip. What about what happens between A and Z that helps you improve? You finish the workout quick, but you still have forearms the size of my wrists and can't hold onto shit. A fast workout time doesn't really do shit for you in real life....
• Use less chalk when practical. Chalk is like tape. It serves a purpose if you have sweaty hands, but you don't need it EVERY TIME you touch a bar or a barbell.
• Strict pull-ups with no tape and no chalk. If you aren't swinging around the bar like a crazy gymnast in knee high socks and a Lululemon headband, you can really improve grip strength. Step One: Hang tightly onto bar. Step Two: Pull up to chin over the bar. Step Three: Lower yourself down to dead hang. Strict pull-ups are probably #1 exercise for improving grip strength for CrossFitters.
• Plate pinch farmer's carries. I remember when One World hosted the Power Athlete Team Series. One of the workouts was 45# bumper plate farmer's carries. There were so many guys who could not carry the bumpers farther than a few feet without putting them down. It was pretty pathetic. I bet they do pull-ups on bars with tape on them. Just saying....
• Deadlifts with the ends of your fingers. Sounds silly, but when I do light weight deadlifts, especially in workouts, I try and just use my fingertips to hold the bar. It works!
• Wrist curls:  Arnold did them. In his prime, he could probably squeeze your neck and pop your head right off. If it was good for Arnold, it's gonna be good for you.

There are a myriad of other ways to increase grip strength. Just Google it. You will find many things you do in CrossFit and in life will benefit from a stronger grip. Minimally, you won't shake hands like a pussy anymore. 

No more tape on the bars!

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WORKOUT   2/26/2014

• 8 x [1 power clean + 3 front squats]

Then....

Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:

• 10 thrusters (M:95#/W:65#)
• 15 knees to elbows
• 200m row

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8 WEEK WEIGHTLIFTING CYCLE by Catalyst Athletics

Day 52

• Snatch - 75%x2, 80%x1x3
• Snatch Pull - 90% (of sn) x 2 x 3
• Front Squat - 75%x2, 80%x1, 85%x1

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Comments

[freddy]

Yes Fred... CrossFit One World is nothing more than adult day care

[Fred]

Is it just me or does Freddy seem like a Gym nanny. Don't do this, don' t do that. Bla bla bla!

[ansel]

I learned the hard way that tape gives too much traction on the bar, same as too much chalk. Two sets of torn hands was enough for me.

[tracy]

Freddy, I love reading your posts. You crack me up but also quite informative. That's why I read them daily. I'm in So Cal but follow your posts for a while. Unfortunately in Nov I had open heart surgery to fix some congenital defects so I'm limited to what I can do. Unfortunately no more PR's and heavy weightlifting. Which why I liked your workouts. Just keep up the good posts and keep irritating the haters (dudes need a life).

[TOM CHO]

HI FRED D,

ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I READ SUCH A NICE INFORMATIVE FRED D. POST. IT MAKES SENSE THAT CHALK SHOULD BE USED FOR SWEATY HANDS. I THINK PEEPS USE CHALK FOR MANY REASONS OTHER THAN SWEATY HANDS. HOW CAN YOUR HANDS SWEAT IF YOU ALREADY GOT A BUNCH OF CHALK ON YOUR HANDS? WHERE IS THE CHALK GOING WHERE WE NEED TO ADD MORE? I THINK FOR SOME IT IS JUST A HABIT WHERE THEY THINK THEY NEED CHALK OR USING CHALK MAKES YOU "COOL". DRY HANDS AND DRY CHALK PROBABLY CAUSES CALLOUS TEARS - DO YOU AGREE? HOW CAN A SMOOTH BAR CAUSE A CALLOUS TO TEAR? USING TAPE ON A BAR MAY THOUGH. WHAT DO I KNOW, I AM JUST AN AMATEUR PUTTING IN MY TWO CENTS WORTH AND I DON'T USE CHALK. I THINK USING YOUR FINGER TIPS IS A GREAT IDEA BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH USING CHALK?

TOM CHO

[freddy]

I miss the days when idiots posted comments on the reg.....

[Freddy]

"Nick" is late getting on the hate train. LOL

[Nick]

Cross fit is the worst thing to happen to the fitness world thank you for proving our in this article. It must be cool to insult other people trying to workout who need some tape because they are sweaty. Great idea take it away so they can't do it all.
I can't wait for this fad to be over when everyone realizes how terrible your form is and how injured and weak you will be later on.