I picked up a 500 lb tire to start my strongman training. My deadlift is 455 right now so I was surprised that I could only lift it 2-3 times most days. I have a real issue with finding any handholds because the treads are too smooth.
Yesterday I found one side that has some chunks broken off and was able to flip 7 times pretty quickly just because I was able to finally grip it. Does anyone have any experience with grinding in some texture/something else to deal with a tire like this or should I just keep sucking it up?
To begin w, it does sound like your tire is pretty smooth. You may want to look for another one. Next, do a search for ‘Gorilla Grip’ it’s a tacky towel that’s also used in baseball or golf (presumably for gripping the bat/club) and will give you just a bit of stickiness on your forearms, biceps and shoulders to help w the flip.
Finally, make sure that most fo the lifting isn’t being done w your hands. That’s a good way to tear a bicep. It’s frustating when it seems like there’s nowhere to put your hands, or when you can’t get traction with them, but too many guys try to grab a tire like theyre trying to get a handle on it