View Full Version : Magnesium and other grippers
Ive read various people mention using magnesium or something helps to increase your grip? Does it work, if so how well? Are there better things out there besides soap and water? Also where can you buy this stuff from?
Thanx people
Adrena1in
13-09-2006, 10:02
Mine's not actually called Liquid Magnesium, but it's much the same thing...it's called SureGrip, and I got it from a sports shop. Was in the racket sports section, where all the grip tape and stuff is.
It's liquid, and you squirt it onto your hands. Says not to rub it in, but I put a splodge on my palm then rub my hands together, to get them coated all over and right up to my finger tips. I then pick up the Powerball, (only find I need to use it on the Metal), and I roll it about in my hand to get its surface nice and sticky as well.
Does it work? Absolutely! Sometimes it's a bit TOO sticky, and hurts a little bit when I want to let go, but it soon wears off a little and is just very tacky. Whereas in the past I could get to top speed, but then would have to stop immediately because the Metal was slipping out of my hand, now that doesn't happen at all, and I can keep my maximum effort run going indefinitely. Which, for me, is the main thing.
I'd love to be able to make some good speed records, but the Powerball is just as much, if not MORE, about exercise and rehab for me. I need to know my grip isn't going to fail every few seconds if I want to go for a nice long endurance run, and with the Metal that means having to use this SureGrip stuff.
If you do get some, just make sure you keep it away from the rotor, as it might not be great for it, and definitely don't touch the rotor with your palm because it'll stick fast and could rip your skin at high speeds. Not happened to me yet fortunately.
I use that stuff that comes from trees :D . Thats why my balls looks so messy, if you have noticed. Maybe I should try that liquid magnesium cause winter is coming and trees get frozen.
Adrena1in
13-09-2006, 13:29
I use that stuff that comes from trees :DAh, that's why you always Powerball outside!! :p
Liquid Magnesium stuff does make my Metal less shiny, but soon wears off.
hmmm i cant seem to find this stuff on the net.. any help anyone? i tried looking for SureGrip on **** but found vaginal tightening cream....:rolleyes:
hmmm i cant seem to find this stuff on the net.. any help anyone? i tried looking for SureGrip on **** but found vaginal tightening cream....:rolleyes:
XDDDDD lol!
maybe in a sport store??.. i dont think they have vaginal tightening on a sport shop =P
XDDDDD lol!
maybe in a sport store??.. i dont think they have vaginal tightening on a sport shop =P
hmmm cant find anything through google tho
Adrena1in
15-09-2006, 11:43
I couldn't find it on-line either, but go to a sports shop that sells tennis, squash and badminton rackets and you ought to find something.
DarrinSimon
15-09-2006, 14:03
XDDDDD lol!
maybe in a sport store??.. i dont think they have vaginal tightening on a sport shop =P
ROFLMAO!!! Heh, maybe that would work? LOL!
Adrena1in
15-09-2006, 15:20
Yeah yeah, okay, can we get back to the subject please...this is a family forum.
And before anyone asks...NO, we're not going to start a new Ladies League!!!!!!
NO, we're not going to start a new Ladies League!!!!!!
xDDDDDD ROFL! xD
Gaijin01
18-09-2006, 17:09
The reason the powerball is such a good workout, is because it takes alot of forearm stregnth to use. The powerball is a large awkward size BECAUSE it makes gripping harder. I am all for having the Cheetoes film off of the ball, but this is going too far.
When your body is having a hard time gripping the ball, it takes more stregnth in your hand to hold it, and over time you will have better grip, as well as stregnthing muscles in your hand. If all you care about is high scores, you might as well strap it to your hand, or glue it, or, if your going that far just Photoshop your high score. It’s all the same to me.
I dont care if using the stuff is "Legal" for high scores or not, it's CHEATING in my book.
The reason the powerball is such a good workout, is because it takes alot of forearm stregnth to use. The powerball is a large awkward size BECAUSE it makes gripping harder. I am all for having the Cheetoes film off of the ball, but this is going too far.
When your body is having a hard time gripping the ball, it takes more stregnth in your hand to hold it, and over time you will have better grip, as well as stregnthing muscles in your hand. If all you care about is high scores, you might as well strap it to your hand, or glue it, or, if your going that far just Photoshop your high score. It’s all the same to me.
I dont care if using the stuff is "Legal" for high scores or not, it's CHEATING in my book.
Then what are those people that have naturally sweaty hands. I don't use anything myself, but sometimes after endurance workouts my hands do get sweaty, so I just put on a rubber glove to continue. My grip isn't weak, but when your hands are sweaty its harder to hold and maintain that grip because the powerball slips inside.
Plus, using something to help your grip for high scores is not that big a deal. A really high score is more about pure technique.
Gaijin01
18-09-2006, 20:05
If your hands get sweaty, wipe them off. If anything, having sweaty hands will get you stronger in your hands, because you will have to exert more pressure to hold onto the ball. Its not like you powerball for hours on end and cant stop to use a towel.
I do not believe that is any excuse for mechanically attaching the ball to your hand. To each his own, there is the kind of person that will buy the strategy guide with a game, and there is the kind who want do do it on their own power. If someone sets a record using that stuff, they will never be able to say they did it alone, because lets face it, your grip on the ball makes a HUGE difference.
> "Plus, using something to help your grip for high scores is not that big a deal. A really high score is
> more about pure technique."
Technique is important, but its a LOT about grip, try to set a record with soap on your hands and you will see what I mean.
If they wanted the powerball to be super easy to grip they would have made it smaller, or molded the plastic to the contours of your hand. The "hard to grip" aspect is part of the genius of powerball.
Hi Gaijin01,
I do not agree with you, but hey, that's what a forum is about, right?: discussing different views and opinions.
I believe, however, that there's a big difference between cheating (like the PhotoShopping you suggested), or trying to get on an equal footage with somebody who has naturally dry hands by using magnesium. I mean, why would you allow a person to use soap and water to wash their hands, but not magnesium? This sounds a bit inconsistent to me.
I do not believe that is any excuse for mechanically attaching the ball to your hand.
Strapping the PowerBall to your hand using tape or glue is different from using magnesium to get rid of sweat. I think weightlifters (just like gymnastic turners) are quite content about the fact that they're allowed to use magnesium to prevent a several hundred kilograms weight to slip from their hands during an Olympic record attempt.
To each his own, there is the kind of person that will buy the strategy guide with a game, and there is the kind who want do do it on their own power.
Does this mean I'm not allowed to look at other people how they achieve those high scores and try to copy their technique? Moreover, does my technique have to be unique to make the scores valid? I think that reading about a certain technique (whether it's a guide for a strategic game, or PowerBall) is quite similar to looking at somebody playing the game (or PowerBalling) and learning from it. Sometimes a single picture or movie can say more than a thousand words.
If someone sets a record using that stuff, they will never be able to say they did it alone, because lets face it, your grip on the ball makes a HUGE difference.
Was it the magnesium that made the person able to achieve the high score, or did it prevent that person from sweating too much during an attempt?
Technique is important, but its a LOT about grip, ...
And strength. Powerfull and speedy muscles are very important as well. Do you think it would be cheating to use weights and going to the gym to increase my muscle power when I go for PowerBall high scores? Is my brother, who is naturally more muscular than me therefore a cheater by nature?
... try to set a record with soap on your hands and you will see what I mean.
Am I allowed to wash off the soap with water before I touch my PowerBall? Or would that be cheating? Can I clean my PowerBall by opening it and brushing or blowing off the dust and plastic flakes, just as I did with my hands?
If they wanted the powerball to be super easy to grip they would have made it smaller, or molded the plastic to the contours of your hand. The "hard to grip" aspect is part of the genius of powerball.
Although I agree with you that PowerBalls could be made smaller, I disagree when it comes to molding the plastic to the contours of a hand. As you may have noticed from the numerous movies (do you allow yourself to watch those, or do you consider that cheating?) everybody uses a different grip. I don't think we can expect NSD to fabricate a personal PowerBall for every customer based on their personal demands (although I definitely like the idea!)
In general, I think it's up to the RPM people to set the limits and determine the rules that allow scores to enter the score boards. So far, I have heard that they've even recommended using magnesium or latex gloves if you find it difficult to maintain a firm grip (not because of a lack of strength, but because of sweaty hands).
Kind regards,
Dennis
P.S. Please don't start the discussion about the Edouard/Burst technique!!!
DrummerBoy2000
18-09-2006, 23:22
Ouch, he just ripped your entire argument apart, line by line. That's gotta hurt :D Anyways, I think that using magnesium is not a big deal, it's the same as washing your hands, excpet you don't have to do it after every time you use the pball since your hand gets sweaty. I would def use some if I had it, where can one buy safe magnesium for your hands? Or is it all safe?
Hi DrummerBoy2000,
I believe all magnesium carbonate is safe, just do not try to inhale or swallow it. It's not toxic, but just very inconvenient when taken in... :rolleyes:
I personally don't use magnesium for PowerBall; my hands are not very slippery, although I do tend to have sweaty hands. I find that for me a little bit of sweat increases my grip as it makes the rubber band more sticky. I must be blessed; I can imagine people with a little bit of extra sweat wouldn't be able to keep a firm grip on the PowerBall. I tried the magnesium once, though. But my hands became so dry that all the friction between my hands and the PowerBall was gone; similar to when making bread or pizza, you apply a light coating of flour on top of your kitchen table, which prevents the dough to stick to the table surface. So it didn't work out as desired for me.
Instead, I use magnesium for rock climbing. Climbs usually take longer than a PowerBall high-score attempt. Without magnesium, I wouldn't be able to climb as well as I'm doing now. Not because I'm not strong enough or my technique is too bad, but simply because I'd slip from the ridges and protrusions I use as hand holds. And there's usually no water at hand to wash my hands during a climb. ;)
Bless chemistry for their wonderful invention of magnesium carbonate powder...!
Kind regards,
Dennis
P.S. Eventually, the sweat will win it from the magnesium. It'll gradually turn into a white paste of sweat and magnesium. Just wash it off with water, dry your hands thoroughly and apply a new light coating of the white powder...
Adrena1in
19-09-2006, 08:40
I don't think this is an argument about who's right or wrong. I have to admit, when I first saw some people using a form of magnesium to aid their grip I thought to myself that, though it wasn't "cheating" as such, I didn't agree with it. But then I got a Metal and I realised that, for some people, it's a necessity.
I can happily use the Metal for gentle workouts, but when it gets to about 10k it'll start to slip in my hand. I don't think this is because I have a particularly weak grip...it's because my hand isn't that big and the Metal is polished chrome. And while I think that no amount of training is going to make my grip strong enough to be able to hold onto the Metal at 10k for longer than about 3 or 4 seconds, the reason I have a Powerball is not to strengthen my grip anyway...it's to exercise my muscles, relieve me of any RSI, and have a friendly competition with friends from all over the world.
For training purposes I want to be able to maintain my grip on it at those sorts of speeds for 30 or 40 seconds, and that's why I use liquid magnesium. If it helps me get better scores then great, but that's not the sole purpose.
Gaijin01
20-09-2006, 16:16
...I know bashing magnesium in a pro-magnesium thread was going to be a flame fest, but that is ok. Like he said, to each his own.
The reason I think soap and water is ok is because it seems very normal to me. I dont want cheeto dust on my powerball. But putting a chemical on your hands, solely for the purpose of enhancing your grip seems like cheating to me. I know that "cheating" is a strong word, but that's just how it seems.
As for your stronger brother, no you don’t need an advantage to compete with him; you just need to get stronger. On that logic, what about people who have fast twitch muscles. No matter how much you train, practice or stretch, someone with slow-twitch muscles will NEVER have fast twitch muscles, are they at a disadvantage? Definitely! Does that mean its ok for me to try and find a way to lessen his advantage? Absolutely not. We are all different. Look how buff Akis' arms are and then you see videos of people with scrawny arms doing nearly as well, that’s just how it is; some people are more gifted than others. Competition is about pushing beyond our own limits, not minimizing others. Some people have sweaty hands...so what?
I appriciate Adrena1in's comment about excercise, if thats your goal, i think thats perfectly fine. Although I do believe that your finger stregnth will increase more without grip improving substances... It's in regards to high scores that I raise an eyebrow.
I just realize that half of the work in powerballin is just maintaining a grip on the ball. Its awkard and smooth. If it was about pure stregnth it would be fairly easy. To take a device that was desined to be hard to grip and then put a chemical on your hand to help grip it better just seems wrong, at least to me.
Adrena1in
20-09-2006, 16:58
Have you got a Metal Powerball Gaijin01? I don't use gripper for the Plastic Powerballs as I don't have a problem holding on...it's only with the Metal. And as I said before, for me it's not about getting a stronger grip...it's about exercise first, and going for good scores second.
Gaijin01
20-09-2006, 17:47
Nah someday I would love to get a metal, I cant afford it right now however. Definatly ont he want list though.
I personally don't use magnesium for PowerBall; my hands are not very slippery, although I do tend to have sweaty hands. I find that for me a little bit of sweat increases my grip as it makes the rubber band more sticky. I must be blessed..
yup, a little bi tof sweat i your hands increases the grip.
actually i powerball with a golf glove, and when am done powerballing i took off my glove and give it a few runs with the naked hand, i must say i grips better with th elittle bit of sweat than with the golf glove =D
Adrena1in
20-09-2006, 18:51
Sweat's fine as long as the Powerball and grip are clean. Ground in sweat can be oily and slippery = not good.
MrCharlie
20-09-2006, 22:29
where can I get that liquid magnesium stuff? I want 14k!
Adrena1in
21-09-2006, 08:14
Try a sports shop, and look in the racket section where all the grip-bands are for badminton, squash and tennis rackets. I bought another bottle yesterday as my first one was quite old, and it wasn't working. When I first started using it it was very liquidy, and excellent for grip...very sticky. Lately it's been gel-like, and not so grippy, but more dusty when it dries.
Try a sports shop, and look in the racket section where all the grip-bands are for badminton, squash and tennis rackets. I bought another bottle yesterday as my first one was quite old, and it wasn't working. When I first started using it it was very liquidy, and excellent for grip...very sticky. Lately it's been gel-like, and not so grippy, but more dusty when it dries.
it s easy to clean off right??
Adrena1in
22-09-2006, 08:54
The stuff I got, when it was "fresh", it would coat my hands and the powerball and would last for a couple of sessions. After a while the Metal was gleaming again and I had to add some more. Now that the SureGrip isn't working quite so well, and is less liquidy and more gel-like, it seems to be staying on the Metal for longer. I haven't re-coated my hands in 4 or 5 sessions, and this morning I was still able to get some new records.
Cleans off my hands with no problems, and I'm sure that with a cloth it would clean off the Powerball too. I'm just not that fussed about keeping it clean...my Metal's in a bit of a state actually. (I use it without the rubber grip, and because the two halves of the shell didn't quite line up exactly, leaving quite a sharp edge in some places, I've filed those edges down, exposing the metal underneath the chrome surface. Doesn't look the best, but works for me!)
you FILED your metal powerball?? *GASP*
xDDDd
lol
yesterday i exchanged the rotor between my 250hz and my 350hz.
because of the shell of the 250hz it´s smaller, i had a beter grip you know.. and i made a new highscore on the metal rotor ( yay =D).. i was from 10966 to 10976 xDDDD LOL.
it worked fine thou..
can i submit a metal record on a 250 shell??
PS: DONT powerball with just the upper half of the metal, the rotor will come off and fall right in your toe. XD
Adrena1in
23-09-2006, 13:22
can i submit a metal record on a 250 shell??
You can submit anything you like...doesn't mean we'll approve it! After all, the photo would show a 250Hz casing, and others might question it.
I would say that for a 10rpm increase, don't bother. If you want to be able to grip the Metal better then try removing the rubber grip and using a form of liquid magnesium if you can get it. Or tree sap, like Jarkko. You'll probably add a few hundred to your record.
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