Cross Training Pads: what they are, what they are for, how to choose and use them.

The best solution for that, use street rails . Surely you have heard about what they are or are currently using them, but you will have some questions that we are going to answer.

What are the streets?

The first thing is to know what a handlebar is and what you get by using them.

It covers the palm of your hand, which is the part where calluses and wounds appear, and is held in 2 or 3 fingers with holes through which you have to insert them. In some cases, the handlebars do not have holes and are “open”. The wrist guards also have a wristband with additional support and a velcro closure that protects your wrist joint.

With the grip, friction in the palm of the hand is minimized, it improves the grip and supports the wrist so you will be able to maintain the natural grip, conserve strength, be able to perform more repetitions in a row to optimize the execution time of your exercises and do movements more safely correctly.

What do I look for when choosing a street:

• Holes on top to fit fingers.
• A smooth and elongated part to protect the palms of the hand.
• A closure on the end to immobilize the wrists.
• Hypoallergenic.
• Vegan friendly.
• Made by hand in Spain.

Optimized grips for functional training and CrossFit have been created to suit all athletes, so there is a wide variety of grips you can choose from.

The differences between the variety of Picsil grips are:

• The number of holes
• The material they are made of
• Their thickness
• Different colors so you can choose the ones you like the most

• Raven Grips: They are the thinnest grips in the Picsil range, and are 1mm thick. They are made with synthetic leather. Available in two colors and in 2 or 3 holes. With very high lightness and good protection, resistance and durability. You will notice the contact with the bar at all times. It doesn't lose any natural grip.
• RX Grips: These grips are 1.8mm thick. It is also the first made with synthetic fabric (Carbon Fiber) in the world. This material ensures maximum durability and resistance. Available in two colors and in 2 or 3 holes. At first they may be a little hard, but they easily adapt with use without losing their strength and durability. These are somewhat less light than the Raven Grips.
• Falcon Grips: This type of grips is an evolution of the RX Grips. A 0.08mm soft-touch internal fabric has been added, making the total thickness 2mm. Available in one color and in 2 or 3 holes. They are made of patented carbon fiber fabric that ensures maximum durability and resistance. They are less light than RX Grips and are used by athletes around the world on a daily basis.
• Azor Grips: They are very popular grips among professional CrossFitters, both in their training and in the most demanding CrossFit competitions. Athletes such as Sam Briggs, BK Gudmundsson and Jen Smith have released a special edition model of Azor Grips with Picsil. It is made of a special patented synthetic fabric that ensures the greatest lightness, protection and resistance. It has a soft interior fabric to protect your hands and a thickness of 1.8mm that makes its durability slightly less than the Falcon Grips and RX Grips. Available in three colors (apart from special editions) and in 2 or 3 holes.
• Eagle Grips: These grips are thin, soft, resistant and with extreme grip thanks to the fabric with which they are manufactured, Micro Diamonds Tech, which has represented a technological advance in grips. By incorporating magnesium into these grips, the grip is spectacular. Its protection, resistance and lightness are very high and its durability is slightly less than the Falcon Grips and RX Grips. They are 1.1 mm thick and available in black and with 2 or 3 holes.

Grips with 2 or 3 holes. What is better?

This is one of the million dollar questions. How to choose between a street with two or three holes?

This choice depends on each person, but to guide you in this decision you must take into account the size of your hand.

The 2-hole ones are enough for most people, but if you want to have your hand very covered, the 3-hole one would be the one you would choose, you will see the entire palm of your hand covered.

If in your case you have a large hand or if you need more protection, we recommend the 3-hole one.

In practice, CrossFitters usually put their fingers in the holes, but there are others who are more comfortable without putting their fingers in the holes. It all depends on the type of exercise you are doing. As they usually say in these cases: tastes, colors.

What size should I choose?

To choose your size, the first thing you have to do is measure your hand. Measure from the base of your wrist to the beginning of your hands and leave a few millimeters of margin so that the handle is not too tight and allows you to open your hand without problems.

Picsil has 4 different sizes in all its models: S, M, LY XL.

The type of grip you are going to make will make you decide on one size or another: If you want to use it in the usual way by inserting your fingers, you must choose the size that corresponds to the measurement of your hand according to the size guide. If, on the other hand, you prefer to protect your fingers a little more in the famous “muscle ups” and you choose to do the gymnastic tuck on the street, or even prefer not to insert your fingers, you will choose one size larger than what is shown in the table .

For example, if the measurement you have taken is 9.5cm, M (Size 1) corresponds to you, but if you want to make the fold you would choose L (Size 2).

How to clean them?

If the streets have picked up an odor and you want to eliminate it, we advise you to put them in the freezer. You will notice the difference when you take them out. However, if you want to wash them because they have a blood stain, you can wash them by hand being very careful.

When they are sweaty, wet or you have washed them, it is very important that you let them dry. It is always recommended to carry them on the outside of the backpack, as you have surely seen from the professionals.

It is not washed except in exceptional cases to remove a stain. And it is very important that it is never machine washed.

How to use the handlebars correctly?

The grips are used by inserting your fingers into the holes, in such a way that it always allows you to have enough room in the palm of your hand and that it does not remain tight, so that it does not impede mobility in the hand. As we had mentioned before, there are people who prefer not to put their fingers in, which is also an option.

Using gymnastic tucks is a personal decision that some crossfitters use to have more mobility. In this case, they make the fold at the junction of the fingers with the palm of the hand and in this way they further protect the area where the calluses appear and prevent the appearance of wounds. This grip is widely used in pull-ups or muscle ups.

Many comment on the importance of the wristband when it comes to offering support to the wrist, ensuring that the closure remains securely fastened.

At Picsil, new velcros have been created to provide greater support, are more durable and provide more security.