Coaches Not all Chalk is created equal!

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Not all gymnastics chalk is created equal!

Do you coaches have suggestions as to what gymnastics chalk does your gym ulitize?

Recently we ordered gymnastics chalk. It was ordered to arrive so that no shortage would occur. Our planning and order went well and was recieved timely. Arrived was familiar 8 blocks of 2oz. magnesium carbonate packaged in white boxes. It looked the same, same materials (labeled chalk comprised of magnesium carbonate).

I unwrapped the block from the first box, and it fell apart. Just crumbled when touched. I checked 3 more blocks and they barely stayed together. Another box checked and it stayed together better than the first, but crazy easy to break apart. I see this chaulk as small particled and presumably with more drying agent than the previously used chalk brands. It is not only the small particles, but the usage problem that the chalk does not stick to leather grips or the bar rails that confounds me.

UB's practice this past week with the new chalk was not good. The girls struggled to get used to the chalk. I heard that the rails are slippery, chalk falls off my grips, can not get chalk to stay on my grips and I do not like the new chalk often. I asked our athletes to tough it out and learn to use the new chalk. I changed my workouts to minimize big swings and releases. That meant doing more basics and in-bar work. This week, I will have to make progress on this issue. I start a new week, today, workout inquiring the seller/manufacturer about chalk. I need more info.

I have expertise in womens's atristic gymnastics coaching, but not chalk. Comments coaches? Experiences?

Short Balding Guy, Eric -
 
Oh yeah...the slippery stuff that you are using sucks!

We order from Norberts.net...

Chalk : Norbert's Athletic Products, Gym Mats, Gymnastics Mats, Cheer Mats, Cheerleading Mats, Martial Arts Mats, Stunt Mats and More

They are "out of stock" right now.

Norbert's imports top-quality Taiwanese gymnastic chalk preferred by gymnasts, weightlifters and climbers. Avalable by the pound (8 two oz. cubes per pound) or by the case (36 one pound boxes per case). All orders ship via UPS.
 
We order from NRA Gym Supply and order the broken boxes which are better for our limited budget and I've never had those issues! Good luck!
 
Thanks JBS and Mustanggal for the replies.

I have contacted the retailer for the Ader Gym Chalk product we have. No reply yet. I also contacted a couple of suppliers asking for info on what the differences may be on the chalk on the market. No info yet.

SBG -
 
OK....more info. Chalk is not chalk. This has now been confirmed. I have learned that their are a minimum of 7 combinations of chalk retailed on the market for gymnastics. The "gymnastics chalk" that we have purchased is chalk processed for the "medical market" in that it is a finer particulate and has a "stabalizer" added to it. This is different than the label on the box - "gym - gymnastics chalk." In speaking with AAI and UAI today, the regional reps cautioned our business about buying chaulk from other than recognizable business reps. The Tawainese chalk marketed by AAI, UAI and Norberts is our normal chalk. The supplier problem puts chaulk from a couple of them out until late July/August.

What to do? I have been advised to contact our regional reps and see about being allocated chalk. At US Natinals/NIT Invit. next week. I will aquire a small amount. A supplier has sent me sample of liquid chalk to try. Geeeez!

I hope my post finds you coaches well supplied with chalk.

Best, SBG (Eric ) -
 
you are speaking about medical grade magnesium NOT used in gymnastics. the best chalk ever was "Grippy" imported from Italy by Spieth. they closed the mine so chalk no more. any of the companies listed above, including Midwest Gym Supply, know what chalk is applicable for our use.

liquid chalk doesn't work. fine for kids doing kips. it stops there.
 
liquid chalk doesn't work. fine for kids doing kips. it stops there.

Dunno; Would you please expand on your comment that liquid chalk stops at kips? Thanks in advance.

I am learning a lot about about chalk the past week. This is a product that I never anticipated needing or wanting to know a lot about. I would appreciate being informed on this product used in gymnastics.

Best, SBG (-Eric-)
 
Dunno; Would you please expand on your comment that liquid chalk stops at kips? Thanks in advance.

I am learning a lot about about chalk the past week. This is a product that I never anticipated needing or wanting to know a lot about. I would appreciate being informed on this product used in gymnastics.

Best, SBG (-Eric-)

it's for the hands. you can't place it on the grips. so, if they are barehanded it works pretty good but they still have to put more on depending on how much they are doing. that's why i stated that it pretty much stops at kips.
 
Now for another question: How similar is rock climbing chalk to gymnastics chalk? The little blocks at Mountain Equipment Co-op say magnesium carbonate, and from looking at the wrappers at my gym that seems like that's all that important (from my very very limited knowledge, we don't seem to use a specific gymnastics chalk, at least it doesn't say that on the wrappers) For adult rec my gym almost always hides the chalk to keep it for the comp girls but I'm still training bars and need chalk! I can buy rock climbing chalk at my local MEC for $1.50 a block, and would be very happy if I could use that! I'm not doing giants or anything, but I have dowel grips and am working layout fly-aways, kip cast handstand, sole circle, clear hips, etc., and use a decent amount of chalk. I'm tempted to just buy a block and see, it's not like it costs much.
 
I was talking to someone a Deary's yesterday and apparently this is going to get worse before it gets better. One of the two chalk makers in the world went out of business so the only remaining supplier isn't able to keep up with demand.
 
Now for another question: How similar is rock climbing chalk to gymnastics chalk?

StarG; Similar, but not the same. My recent forced learning about chalk taught me not all chalk is created/intended equal. Magnesium carbonate is refined, "ground up," dried, and composed into bricks. Obviousely, at each step it can start to vary. The compound is used in flooring, fire extinguishing, cosmetics, toothpaste, and in some table salts (recall the advert. "When It Rains It Pours"), laxitives, climibing use, gym use, and gymnastics use.

The gymnastics chalk is different. The practical question that you need to answer for your situation is if another derivative will work for your use. My experiences with climbing, general gym and gymnastics liquid chalk(referenced early in the thread) is that they do not work for our USA Gymnastics JO athletes. While waiting for some gymanstics chalk to arrive I was forced to have the girls not do HB, big swings, releases, & dismounts. Those few days were difficult for all of us (coaches and athletes). We did get a supply of chalk at USA Gymnastics Nationals.

The vendors I spoke to relayed that more chalk would be on the market later in July/August.

Learning about chalk has made me even more carefull with our chalk supply at the gym, be very observant with athlete use and review with staff chalk practices. Expensive as we, like other clubs I spoke to, have purchased and are now storing shalk that will not be used in the facility. I hope weight lifting participation booms so that I can vend my supply.

Best, SBG -
 
Thanks SBG! Some of the boys at my gym bring their own chalk so I'll have to ask them where they get it from. I think they use the rock climbing chalk but maybe it's different for them because they can use honey on their p-bars, and I have no idea how the consistency of chalk affects men's high bar. Hopefully all this get sorted out soon!
 
Not all gymnastics chalk is created equal!

Do you coaches have suggestions as to what gymnastics chalk does your gym ulitize?

Recently we ordered gymnastics chalk. It was ordered to arrive so that no shortage would occur. Our planning and order went well and was recieved timely. Arrived was familiar 8 blocks of 2oz. magnesium carbonate packaged in white boxes. It looked the same, same materials (labeled chalk comprised of magnesium carbonate).

I unwrapped the block from the first box, and it fell apart. Just crumbled when touched. I checked 3 more blocks and they barely stayed together. Another box checked and it stayed together better than the first, but crazy easy to break apart. I see this chaulk as small particled and presumably with more drying agent than the previously used chalk brands. It is not only the small particles, but the usage problem that the chalk does not stick to leather grips or the bar rails that confounds me.

UB's practice this past week with the new chalk was not good. The girls struggled to get used to the chalk. I heard that the rails are slippery, chalk falls off my grips, can not get chalk to stay on my grips and I do not like the new chalk often. I asked our athletes to tough it out and learn to use the new chalk. I changed my workouts to minimize big swings and releases. That meant doing more basics and in-bar work. This week, I will have to make progress on this issue. I start a new week, today, workout inquiring the seller/manufacturer about chalk. I need more info.

I have expertise in womens's atristic gymnastics coaching, but not chalk. Comments coaches? Experiences?

Short Balding Guy, Eric -

This is a little late but for others reading through old post, I ordered GSC Gym Chalk- 1lb it was about $13.00 cheaper than from AAI, I didn't tell the girls (highschool team) and to be honest they can't tell the difference. The blocks break apart a tad easier but really I always break it up a little anyway and the girls use whats in the bin. I honestly think in regards to brand its more psychological. It states its Magnesium Carbonate and the ingredients are the same as other chalks, it is 1lb, I weighed it. It says its used for rock climbing, weight lifting and gymnastics. Im not a geologist or a chemist but I wonder how much of buying the good stuff gets to our heads? Oh yes, best part about ordering on amazon, if you have prime you can get your chalk in two days guranteed.
 
I was sent the Chinese chalk about a year ago. The girls were immediately complaining that they were slipping and I had two peels (luckily into pit). I have a good friend that is an aai regional rep. He told me all the intricacies between the newly widely used Chinese and what had usually been used. Bottom line... Specify you want Taiwanese and not Chinese chalk.
 
I was sent the Chinese chalk about a year ago. The girls were immediately complaining that they were slipping and I had two peels (luckily into pit). I have a good friend that is an aai regional rep. He told me all the intricacies between the newly widely used Chinese and what had usually been used. Bottom line... Specify you want Taiwanese and not Chinese chalk.
hmmmm...I guess I have been lucky that the off brands I have bought weren't Chinese...I know now to double check this and when I order from Amazon prime its free returns so I may utilize that if aI see the manufact. Is from China.
 
We started using some chalk that comes in a bag with little chunks.... it's not very good but the kids are accustom to it and now when we go to meets they really don't care what they use because it's always better than what we have. :)
 
I was sent the Chinese chalk about a year ago. The girls were immediately complaining that they were slipping and I had two peels (luckily into pit). I have a good friend that is an aai regional rep. He told me all the intricacies between the newly widely used Chinese and what had usually been used. Bottom line... Specify you want Taiwanese and not Chinese chalk.

+1 to Hollowarchkick's post!

Boy oh boy I am not going thru Chalk Issues again! I have "normal chalk" and enough in storage to cover the next world chalk emergency.

CoachP; I do buy bulk chalk (big garbage plastic bag sized of chalk chunks and small particulate in a protective cardboard box). Better price and works great. Boxed and wrapped 1 lb blocks, of the same chalk, are pricier. Saving money.

Best, SBG -
 
Different brands make different chalk. Some girls like hard/block chalk rather than power but others are the other way around. I would say try to get one that most of your gymnast like, however if they compete they should get use to using different types of chalk because you never know what type of chalk the gym hosting the meet will have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sce

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back