My Response to a Reddit Discussion

Hey Everyone, This is Victor, the designer and founder of Victory Grips. I appreciate the discussion and want to provide you with objective information. First, Natural Grip and Bear Complex are fine products depending on what you are looking for. Whether it be price and basic protection, there are products to meet those needs. I designed Victory Grips to meet demands of elite athletes as well as the basic needs of the everyday CrossFitter. From the shape of the grips to the material texture and thickness, the product is made to help with performance and protection. The material is a very soft leather that is thin enough to not get in the way of barbell cycling or hinder your grip-feel on the bar or rings. It is thick enough to provide protection and soft to give your hands the comfort we all want. The leather is much softer than what you experience with typical gymnastics grips. The leather with typical gymnastics grips is chrome tanned versus a milled vegetable tanned leather, which I use providing a unique softness. There are nuances of the shape of the grips that have a specific purpose. The finger holes are rectangular with curved corners to feel comfortable in the front rack position or in a handstand as to not put pressure on the fingers or between the fingers. The softness of the leather also helps with the comfort of the finger holes. The finger holes go onto the middle, ring and pinky finger, because that is where your calluses are and the where you typically rip. If you you do a false grip in muscle ups there is protection on the side of the wrist so you can train harder and longer without pain or injury to the skin. The wrist straps are also designed to feel comfortable because of the leather softness and thickness of the strap. With the wrist strap in mind, know that you are doing high repetition dynamic movements on the bar or rings which makes the straps pull up on the wrist. This is precisely the reason why gymnasts wear wristbands high on the wrist under their grips. This helps a ton with sweat and comfort no matter what type of grips you use. As a coach and designer of the grips I have learned that a lot of CrossFitters do not know how to grip a pull up bar correctly or use grips in the proper way. You need to make sure you get your knuckles on top of the bar gripping with the palm of the hand. Gripping this way allows you to generate the most power possible and keeping your wrist in a neutral position, which allows for efficient kipping. Gripping with the palm and knuckles on top puts your calluses over bar. Your calluses actually help you hold on! They create a dowel effect like you see in competitive gymnastics grips. But it is also the very thing that causes discomfort and ripping. That is why you always rip up towards your fingers. With any type of grip you use you should be getting a fold of leather over the bar (between your fingers and the bar). This fold acts as your calluses, taking the pressure off of them and giving you a more efficient grip. This is the closest thing to a dowel that is legal in the Sport of Fitness. Additionally, the fold prevents bunching of the grips. If you feel bunching you are not gripping correctly. Make sure you jump onto the pull up bar getting your hands up and over the bar like blocking a volleyball first hitting the pull up bar at the bottom of the hand and sinking into the grip with your knuckles on top and good fold over the bar. Victory Grips are handmade right here in the USA (in my garage in Atlanta). I am constantly trying to improve the design. I have new innovations in the pipeline to be released soon. My goal is to help you all, no matter what level of athlete you are, perform better and keep your hands protected. If it holds any weight, Annie Thorisdottir broke the world record in event 3 in her Victory Grips. Check out this highlight:https://www.instagram.com/p/BF_Z46iQcYz/?taken-by=victorygrips For more information (not that I just didn't give enough) check out these videos: http://victorygrips.com/pages/function Also my blog: http://victorygrips.com/blogs/news Please feel to email me with any questions you may have. Like you I am dedicated to becoming my possible best. I appreciate your input! victorygrips@gmail.com