need a crash course in grips!

[mustlovejumping]

Haha alright, second post of the morning.

As most of you might already know, I'm a 20 year old beginner gymnast. I work on bars a lot because of my ankle issues (and because I love bars!). I already have all the L4 bars skills except a mill circle because they're pretty pointless, and all the L5 bar skills except a kip which I'm currently working on. Unfortunately, I'm only able to go to a class one day a week and I end up ripping the same spot on my right hand every single class. I'm guessing the problem is that I'm not in the gym very much and when I am there, I'm working on skills that put a lot of pressure on my hands. I've been thinking that I probably need to get grips, but I honestly don't know anything about them.

If any of you could give me a crash course in grips it would be extremely helpful. Also, what type of grips would you recommend for a 20 year old? I'm fairly petite for my age and I'm not at all overweight or anything, in case that's relevant.

 

[GymSurvivor]

I just got Reisport grips.
I am also in the gym only 1 day a week and they really haven't helped with rips and such that much.
I really prefer not using them because I can't get them worn in enough that I like them. So each practice I put them on for a bit and then take them off so I can do my skills (because when I have them on the skills are limited because I don't feel comfortable doing them in grips.

So it's up to you but I think I'd suggest Reisport or Ten.0
ALSO make sure to get double long wristbands and not the short ones, otherwise the grips really dig into your skin.

 

[gym law mom]

Don't go get grips just to prevent a rip. Only being in the gym 1 day/week isn't giving you enough work on the bars to really toughen up the skin on your hands and do a lot of work with shifting your grip. You need time to just get used to the feel of the bar and then add the grips in later.
Remember girps need a break in time too and with very limited bar time, it may take longer than most to get yours comfortable.

 

[mustlovejumping]

Thanks TallGymnast and gym law mom. That's a very good point about grips taking a while to break in. My bar time is already limited and I really don't want any of the time being taken up trying to break in grips. Any you're totally right about not getting enough work to toughen up my hands--that's why I was really planning on waiting longer to get grips. I guess I'll just keep doing what I can for now and hopefully I'll be able to be in the gym more over the summer so my hands can get a little tougher!

Thanks for the opinions!

 

[gymgurl]

I am going to tell you now that from my experience (not saying this is the general case) that grips made a world of a difference with grips i used to rip like crazy (i had 8 rips over 2 training session with some rips on rips etc, i used to rip bad!) ever since getting grips i never ripped but now i don't do bars but when i was using them i never ripped.

I had reisport dowel velcro grips, they were lovely!

 

[Kiwi]

I have just been thinking along the same lines, wondering whether I should look at getting grips or not. I'm finding I get rips because the girls leave the bars in a mess of lumpy chalk - it is this uneven surface that causes the rips. I guess my other option is to spend about ten or fifteen minutes velcro-ing all the chalk off the bars each time I train.

 

[ivyagogo]

I'm an adult gymnast and work out a few hours a week. I love doing bars, but I hate wearing grips. I never wore them. My problem isn't so much with ripping because I can usually stop before I would normally rip. My problem is that my hands hurt so much I can't work enough to progress any further. I always feel like the grips bunch up around my palms and I can't get comfortable with that. I feel like I'm going to peel off the bar. Other than working more bars, is there anything I can do to toughen up my hands so they don't hurt so much?

 

[sportyspice]

My DD uses muslin cut into strips and looped around her fingers then tied around her wrist. This protects her palms and is easy to get used to. A lot of european gymnasts use this (even elite gymnasts) and it is a lot cheaper than grips. She does replace the muslin after every gym session though so I am buying 10m rolls!

 

[ivyagogo]

I know the Russians use grips like that. I'll give it a try. Where do you buy it?

 

[Kiwi]

There is somebody here who makes palm guards for kids. I think they use them as a transition stage before they move to full grips. I don't know if they make them in adult sizes though.

 

[sportyspice]

I know the Russians use grips like that. I'll give it a try. Where do you buy it?

I get the muslin from a fabric store, it is quite cheap, a couple of dollars a metre. There is a certain way to tie them with the middle of the muslin length looping around the middle finger and then crossing over the palm and tying a simple knot at the wrist.

 

[teena82]

I'm also an adult gymnast. I was only doing bars once or twice a week when I was learning my kip and ripped like crazy. I got my grips in the middle of the process and it made a world of difference. I still ripped every single practice BUT I was able to put a tape grip over it and then put my grips back on and get back on the bar. To me, it dramatically decreased the pain of the ripped and allowed me to kip my kip much faster than if I had to stop working bars after each rip. That being said, I've been told by a few coaches at our gym that I'm the toughest person they know when it comes to rips.

If you continue with bars you're probably going to end up with grips at some point down the line so you might as well get them and get used to them. That was the advice I was given and I'm glad I followed it. From what I've researched, ten-o and english bulldog grips have the shortest break in time. I personally use Reisport grips and love them. There are a few things you can do to help break in your grips before you take them to the bar like wearing them while you watch tv and just opening and closing your hands. You can also roll the leather from the finger tips to the wrist both directions. This will help soften up the leather and then it will only take a few practices to break them in. You can do tap swings to break them in but working kips broke mine in very quickly. Glide swing after glide swing has a huge effect on them.

 

[mustlovejumping]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

That makes sense about getting grips sooner rather than later. That's part of the reason I've been thinking about it, because I know I will definitely be continuing with bars hopefully for long time, and I know I will need grips for harder skills.

 

[ivyagogo]

How are the grip supposed to feel? I ripped again today and I'm getting really po'd. Everytime I get somewhere with bars, I rip. I put my grips on and it just feels awkward. They bunch up and I feel like I am going to peel off the bar. I have never even been able to do a kip with grips on - I wind up pushing away from the bar, which I never do without grips. I don't have the dowel type.

 

[cher062]

I would use a homemade one out of tape if you are just going once a week and want to protect from rips. My DD did that until she was L6

take the white tape like you would use to wrap an ankle or whatever. usually about 2 inches wide. take about 12" or so then fold the sticky part on to itself so it is half the width and the sticky parts are inside and not visable. You will have one long strip.

now this is the hard part to explain in text but would be easy to show you. you are now going to fold it in half and place the loop end around your middle finger so it looks like an upside down U with the folded edge on the outside of the U and the cut sides touching together on the inside so it it flat and the two part together make the origninal width. take tape and leaving the opening at the top of the loop large enough for your middle finger to fit in tape down the front and back side in one piece of tape so the part you tape is the two half sides together. place over your middle finger and it should reach down just past your wrist. Now prewrap is optional here but my DD always used it. Wrap pre-wrap around wrist with bottom of tape grip over prewrap then tape wrist so it goes over the homemade grip. its ends up 2 inches wide covers your rip areas and is fairly inexpensive. You can re use them so long as the tape isn't rolling and coming appart.

I wish i knew how to add a JPG file here so I could at least try to give you a small drawing of it. Oh well hope you understand what I'm describing.

 

[cher062]

How are the grip supposed to feel? I ripped again today and I'm getting really po'd. Everytime I get somewhere with bars, I rip. I put my grips on and it just feels awkward. They bunch up and I feel like I am going to peel off the bar. I have never even been able to do a kip with grips on - I wind up pushing away from the bar, which I never do without grips. I don't have the dowel type.

Grips don't really stop rips. My DD get rips with them all the time but they usually aren't as bad. I know before she got them she was told her hands had to toughen up with a few rips before she could get them. Her hands look like she digs ditches all day with out gloves with all the callouses on them.

 

[Sunobo]

I would use a homemade one out of tape if you are just going once a week and want to protect from rips. My DD did that until she was L6

take the white tape like you would use to wrap an ankle or whatever. usually about 2 inches wide. take about 12" or so then fold the sticky part on to itself so it is half the width and the sticky parts are inside and not visable. You will have one long strip.

now this is the hard part to explain in text but would be easy to show you. you are now going to fold it in half and place the loop end around your middle finger so it looks like an upside down U with the folded edge on the outside of the U and the cut sides touching together on the inside so it it flat and the two part together make the origninal width. take tape and leaving the opening at the top of the loop large enough for your middle finger to fit in tape down the front and back side in one piece of tape so the part you tape is the two half sides together. place over your middle finger and it should reach down just past your wrist. Now prewrap is optional here but my DD always used it. Wrap pre-wrap around wrist with bottom of tape grip over prewrap then tape wrist so it goes over the homemade grip. its ends up 2 inches wide covers your rip areas and is fairly inexpensive. You can re use them so long as the tape isn't rolling and coming appart.

I wish i knew how to add a JPG file here so I could at least try to give you a small drawing of it. Oh well hope you understand what I'm describing.

These are slightly different in the beginning but it gives you an idea of what Cher is saying.
http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/question-answer/17751-how-tape-rip-meet.html

http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/cet/SB/Gym/BigTapeGrip.jpg

This one has pictures.
Rifs Blog: How to tape your hands.

 

[Laban]

I really like Reisport and can surely recommend them.

you do need to get used to grips if you wish to continue advancing on the bar, but like some said before me - grips won't fully protect you from rips. what you need to do is take good care of your hands, keep them smooth and soft as contrary to the 'common belief' that you need to roughen them up.
you could also put several tape grips beneath your grips to help protect your hand, even in the uncovered parts, and of course - use lots and lots of magnesium.

hope this helps

 

[cher062]

These are slightly different in the beginning but it gives you an idea of what Cher is saying.
http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/question-answer/17751-how-tape-rip-meet.html

http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/cet/SB/Gym/BigTapeGrip.jpg

This one has pictures.
Rifs Blog: How to tape your hands.

Thanks for posting that link that is exactly what I was trying to explain. I do recommend prewrap at the wrist under the tape though it makes taking it off easier and it doesn't pull hair on your arm.