Why is traditional chalk superior to liquid chalk for Strength Training?

[Robin UK]

Hi Rip, I’m eagerly awaiting this week’s podcast - always informative and highly entertaining, a highlight of my week.

Questions:

1) Apart from the convenience aspect, why is traditional chalk better than liquid chalk for strength training?

2) In rank order, which of the following is best for measuring body fat % most accurately?

You might ask “Why do you care?”

Well, Starting Strength is one of the very few organisations in the fitness industry I believe to be honest and have a robustness of foundations and “core” ethos (said in the hilarious way you say it) both from a scientific and practical aspect of information relay and program effectiveness.

To the extent I care about body fat, it’s of tertiary importance to me other than I don’t want to fluffiness to take over. As long as my numbers are increasing, feel strong of mind and body, enjoying my training and feeling generally “manly” (in the Art of Manliness sense, not the Justin Bieber / Men’s Health Magazine sense), I couldn’t give a shit about body fat. In as much as I do give a shit about it, as above, I at least want to know which is the best method to have it measured in your personal opinion. I’m a fussy Brit and don’t want to leave my body fat measurement purely open to the vagaries of mood. Despite considering myself psychologically robust, I’m still prone to having days where I believe I’m Thor when the reality might be my fluff levels have just spilled over into Homer Simpson territory.

Skinfold Calipers

Body Circumference Measurements

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

Hydrostatic Weighing

Air Displacement Plethysmography (Bod Pod)

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS)

Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM)

3 D bodyscanners

Multi Compartment Models (considered the gold standard)

The hot women on the beach who either want to stop their tanning session and come to bed with me immediately or say decline the offer.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[Mark Rippetoe]

As long as my numbers are increasing, feel strong of mind and body, enjoying my training and feeling generally “manly” (in the Art of Manliness sense, not the Justin Bieber / Men’s Health Magazine sense), I couldn’t give a shit about body fat. In as much as I do give a shit about it, as above, I at least want to know which is the best method to have it measured in your personal opinion. I’m a fussy Brit and don’t want to leave my body fat measurement purely open to the vagaries of mood.

These two statements would seem to be at odds. If you are true to your initial indication, the extent of your need to quantify would be either "too fat" or "not too fat", ascertainable by mirror, wife/GF, or your hands. And that would be better than all these methods, for you.

[Robin UK]

These two statements would seem to be at odds. If you are true to your initial indication, the extent of your need to quantify would be either "too fat" or "not too fat", ascertainable by mirror, wife/GF, or your hands. And that would be better than all these methods, for you.

Brilliant answer Rip, incisive in its brevity and spot on the money in its takeaway practical wisdom, many thanks.

I’m sceptical about most of the above measuring tools quoted in my original message, including the “gold standard” high-tech robots of Big Pharma who have their own agendas (their own financial health taking precedent over patient health. I swear sometimes that they actually INVENT pathologies to fit the new drugs they want to design and cash in on. Cancer = named “branding” of what in a lot of cases is just the evolutionary function of life-death cycles). I digress.

I bet a lot of the above devices can’t factor in or measure bone changes accurately so just lump the “extras” in body weight gain in the muscle, water and fat categories. Bones grow as SS followers know. And Nicholas Taleb’s fascination with bones is very noteworthy, as is the fitness industry’s obsession with muscle to the detriment of bone and ligaments. No ABS to show off on Instagram or other public areas re. bone and ligament gains, so perhaps it’s not entirely surprising these latter domains escape mainstream attention - whose very “attention” appears skewed towards one big vanity project. Interesting studies done showing how astronauts use resistance training with weights to bring back lost bone density whilst on space missions receive next to zero attention.

[Soule]

What’s the problem with liquid chalk?

[Pete Troupos]

What’s the problem with liquid chalk?

It's basically rubbing alcohol mixed with pulverized chalk. If you use it as often as you use regular chalk in the gym, it makes your hands raw as hell.
Guess how I found that out.

[Soule]

Might be a brand problem, Pete. I’ve used “liquid grip” pretty much every day for the last 4 years with no issues.

This is a necessity if you lift at a globogym.

[Pete Troupos]

Might be a brand problem, Pete. I’ve used “liquid grip” pretty much every day for the last 4 years with no issues.

This is a necessity if you lift at a globogym.

Could be. Every liquid chalk I've encountered has been made with alcohol. The liquid grip stuff looks like it uses something else. I'll have to give it a try.

[gadders]

I recently got some liquid chalk from a climbing/outdoor shop. Still alcohol and chalk, but a much thicker consistency than gym liquid chalk - more like a lotion than something pourable. I quite like it.


Never had an issue with liquid chalk making my hands raw, and I use it 2-3 times a week.

[Nockian]

Many people have problems with alcohol hand sanitisers. I find the alcohol liquid chalk fine on my hands, but then I'm probably not using it a fraction as much as Pete Troupos. I might try the standard stuff next time out.