Use Chalk to Lift More Weight
For several months I struggled with my grip on the ascent; I found the bar to slip out of my hands during the deadlift, although I often felt like I could lift more. A lot of that changed when I started using chalk, the gym savior.
The chalk absorbs sweat on your hands and creates friction between your hands and the bar for better grip. The end result is that you can often lift heavy weights more comfortably, as Greg Knuckles writes for Stronger By Science , which allows you to lift more reps or more weights, or both. (It is also quite commonly used by climbers and gymnasts for better grip.)
While chalk is often considered a must-have among powerlifters or crossfitters, it is by no means a must-have tool, although it certainly helps a lot when doing deadlifts, farmer’s carrying, pull-ups, or any other lift where sweaty hands are a problem. … You may find that not only chalk but grip exercises can benefit these exercises.
There is also no exact “right” time to use it – just experiment with it and find out how it works best for you. I personally don’t use it during a warm-up or on a lighter day, but will definitely use it during a heavy deadlift day.
There are also several different types of chalk that you can find on Amazon or any other sports store. Traditional dry chalk, usually a large ball or block, tends to be slightly dirtier; you may also need to re-feed between sets, but I also find this to be the cheapest solution.
Liquid chalk is essentially the same product as dry chalk, but with an alcohol additive. When it dries, it becomes sticky and residues can get on any surface you touch, which is its biggest drawback. However, I don’t think this is a big problem beyond the print you can leave on the shaft. Typically, you can last multiple sets without having to reapply.