Liquid Chalk vs Block Chalk for Workouts. Which is best?

Which chalk is better for calisthenics and body weight exercises? 

One of the most important aspects of calisthenics is a good grip. Grip strength is used and tested in many different body weight exercises. It is particularly important for doing pull ups, dips and muscle ups on the bar or rings. 

However it doesn't matter how strong your grip strength is, if the surface you are trying to hold becomes too slippery, you will not be able to maintain grip.

To remain stable and in hold on the bars or rings your hands have to have enough traction on the equipment to lock in and concentrate on the exercise.

Sweat, moisture, sun block and even the soap you used to wash your hands can make your palms to slick and make it difficult to hold tight. 

If you don't prepare in the right way this can become a factor that is holding your training back.

Of course chalk isn't just the preserve of calisthenics but is for gymnastics, rock climbing, cross fit, weight lifting and any sport that relies or has a focus on grip strength.

What is the difference between Liquid and Block chalk?

The main difference between the two is the ingredients. Traditional block 'chalk' is actually made from Calcium Carbonate whereas the main ingredient of liquid chalk is Magnesium Carbonate. 

The three ingredients that give liquid chalk its unique properties are magnesium carbonate, Rosin and ethanol or alcohol which gives it its distinct smell when applied. 

The ethanol dissolves the rosin and keeps the magnesium carbonate in a liquid solution. When it is exposed to the air i.e. when its applied to you hands the ethanol quickly evaporates leaving an application of a more solid, slightly tacky, chalk onto your hands ready for action.

Regular chalk is simply applied by rubbing the solid block against your hands, particularly focusing on the points of contact. Or you can contain the chalk in a bag or container and use it in its powdered form.

The chalk block naturally splinters off and turns in to powder with repeated handling so using it in its powdered form, in a container is usually the most practical option.  

Reasons to choose Liquid chalk

On of the key benefits of liquid chalk is that is far easier to apply then block chalk.

Its very easy to precisely apply to your hands and the main points of contact with the bar or rings. This means less waste and less fuss. 

Block chalk however inevitably turns into powder the more it is used and has to be carried around in a sealed bag or container. 

When applying this to your hands it naturally generates the characteristic chalk powdery dust cloud that can cover not just your hands but everything else that happens to be in the vicinity.

The characteristic block chalk dust cloud

This includes covering not only your clothes with white marks but also cover the equipment you are using. 

At a lot of public gyms, powered chalk is not tolerated for this reason. However gyms that ban powered chalk do tend to allow liquid chalk simply because it leaves a lot less mess and can be easily cleaned off after use.

The liquid chalk comes out like a viscous liquid with a thick consistency and therefore is far easier to apply specifically. As it retains more of a 'tacky' quality because of the addition of Rosin, it tends to stop dust particles from spreading to where its not wanted. 

This also stops you from inhaling a cloud of dust which can irritate your lungs or irritate sensitive eyes.

Because the liquid chalk tends to stay more localised on your hands where you apply it, rather then spreading in a cloud, it can be easily and quickly removed by just washing your hands after finishing your workout.

One of the key benefits of liquid chalk is that it is far more portable in a practical sense then block chalk. 

You can throw a bottle of liquid chalk in your gym bag or take it outside and train on the bars without a problem.

Whereas block chalk has to be carried in a bag or sealed in container as it is liable to spread the characteristic dust everywhere if not properly contained.

When powered chalk does escape into your gym bag it can cover its entire contents and it is a bit of a pain to get it out.

Liquid chalk is far less likely to escape its container and a little bottle it can be slipped into your pocket easily if you are training outside and your on the move.

The benefit that I enjoy the most of liquid chalk is that the consistency is slightly more tacky then powdered chalk.

This gives you a slight edge in grip when holding on to bars or rings. Whenever I go for a personal best with an exercise that I need a good hold (e.g. ring muscle ups) I always opt for the liquid variety. 

My Favourite Liquid Chalk

Liquid chalk can vary in quality, some are too thin and some I have used tend to dry in the bottle and become unusable. The liquid chalk that I use (link to amazon) is the perfect consistency with a slight tacky quality which is perfect for gripping barbells, climbing and gymnastic rings. The bottle keeps everything airtight so there is no leakage. The texture of this particular chalk and how it dries on your hands is the best I have used as it stays applied to your hands for longer (without rubbing off like cheap brands do) so you don’t need to constantly reapply after every set, so the bottle lasts a lot longer.

Reasons to choose block chalk

Block chalk has been the mainstay of weightlifters for decades. Whilst there are many reasons and occasions where liquid chalk is more appropriate, there are still some good reasons to opt for block chalk.

The most arguable benefit is that it does not contain rosin which may be attributable to allergies. Rosin is a form of resin that is obtained most commonly from pine trees.

It is this ingredient that gives liquid chalk its more tacky feel, to help with grip. However those with an allergy to pine resin or particularly sensitive skin can find that this can cause rashes and discomfort. If you suffer from eczema I would advise you to stay away from liquid chalk and use block chalk as a precaution. 

Block chalk contains only one inert ingredient (calcium carbonate) that is not known to irritate the skin.

Also the ethanol content can have a drying effect on the skin which may exasperate some dry skin conditions.

If you are intent on using liquid chalk but worried about any adverse effects, I would advise that you do a small patch test on yourself to see if you react.

Apply a tiny amount and rub it into the skin. Do so on an area such as you forearm or calf i.e. a place of the body rather then your hands so you aren't comprised or inconvenienced. If it begins to irritate the skin then just wash the area with plenty of water.

Reactions are rare but not unheard of and do not tend to be serious, but if you do not want to take the risk, then simply use block chalk.

Another advantage of block chalk is that it doesn't spoil when exposed to the air. If you leave the lid off your liquid chalk then the ethanol will evaporate and thus the liquid will dry and become solid and trapped in the tube.

It can be really annoying when you're in the flow of your workout and find your entire tube of chalk has gone solid or too thick to come out the tube because you or your gym partner forgot to close the cap fully. Not to mention a waste of money.

This has happened to me on occasion and I had to cut open the bottle with scissors and use the remaining, now dry, lump of chalk as I would with block chalk.  

Block chalk on the other hand doesn't perish when exposed to the air however it is obviously important not to get it wet.

Another bonus of the block chalk is that it's cheaper then liquid chalk. It does depend but generally speaking gram for gram block chalk is about half the price.

Of course its definitely a lot cheaper then liquid chalk that spoils and it wasted after the first use because you forgot to close the cap. 

In my personal experience there isn't an appreciable difference of which product last longer, in terms of the amount of per product. You can use both economically every workout and they will last for ages.

Verdict

So whats the better option? Liquid or block chalk?

For most circumstances Liquid chalk is the better of the two. It has a slight edge in performance, it doesn't leave a mess, its more portable and most gyms allow you to use it.

However if you have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies then block chalk is the better option. The simplicity of one ingredient means it is far less likely to cause any adverse skin reactions.

Whilst I do slight prefer the liquid version predominately because of how it feels, I would encourage you to experiment. 'How it feels' is a highly subjective criteria and there are people who favour the old school block chalk for different reasons. 

Fortunately both are fairly inexpensive options so the best recourse could be to trial both. However if I were to personally recommend one it would be liquid chalk. It is more gym friendly, creates less mess, easy to use and it's suitable for beginners and experts alike.