Lifting Gloves

[righty]

Hi everyone,

As you may know, I've started lifting more free weights.
Since then I have noticed more callous on my hands, probably just due to the knurled bars. I don’t really mind but I have seen a few peoples heavily calloused hands where the callous has started to peel off. It looks rather painful and a tad bit disgusting. I would guess it’s also the result of having dry hands.

So, is there a point where you may want to start wearing gloves while lifting? Are they really that important?

I’ve seen some people wearing ones that look like they have some sort of wrist support in them. Does anyone have advice on these?

Thanks in advance.

[Frodocious]

You don't want to use lifting gloves. They will affect your grip and your grip strength. The more you lift without gloves, the more you will condition your hands to lifting. Your best bet is to use chalk. It helps to prevent calluses forming as it stops the bar pinching flesh. Just get some climbing chalk and that should sort out your problems.

If you have problems with calluses and sore hands use contrast baths and callus removal

http://www.beastskills.com/contrastbaths.htm

http://www.beastskills.com/calluses.htm

[CosmicFish]

If you lift without gloves your hands eventually adapt to it. The worst calluses I ever got were from doing deadlifting, and even they were manageable.

[Arnoo]

When deadlifting grip the bar as high in your hands as possible while maintaining good grip (so between the middle of the hand and where you fingers start) the bar is going to go that way anyway and gripping the bar there will prevent it from rolling down to that position and thereby preveting a big part of the calluses forming.

[Custom Volusia]

I lift heavy AND use gloves. My grip has not suffered...of course I also do grip work. I prefer gloves. My experience is that it's all preference.

[Frodocious]

I lift heavy AND use gloves. My grip has not suffered...of course I also do grip work. I prefer gloves. My experience is that it's all preference.

You big girly wuss! (just kidding!) ;) :)

I find that my grip on the bar suffers with gloves (not necessarily grip 'strength', more just being able to hold it comfortably) and that I have more problems with getting skin trapped and creased and causing pain and calluses with gloves. I don't get that when using chalk. I can definitely lift heavier weights using chalk than I can with gloves.

[Custom Volusia]

You big girly wuss! (just kidding!) ;) :)

I find that my grip on the bar suffers with gloves (not necessarily grip 'strength', more just being able to hold it comfortably) and that I have more problems with getting skin trapped and creased and causing pain and calluses with gloves. I don't get that when using chalk. I can definitely lift heavier weights using chalk than I can with gloves.

LOL

I get the opposite...without gloves is when I just have my hands hurting....chalk isn't an option. Not allowed at Golds. I have never had an issue with gloves. That's why I think it's just preferance (sp? stupid no spell check on the Navy server...)

[Stuart H]

LOL

I get the opposite...without gloves is when I just have my hands hurting....chalk isn't an option. Not allowed at Golds. I have never had an issue with gloves. That's why I think it's just preferance (sp? stupid no spell check on the Navy server...)

Golds don't allow chalk because proper training takes second place to convenience for their cleaners. Find another gym.

[Custom Volusia]

Golds don't allow chalk because proper training takes second place to convenience for their cleaners. Find another gym.

That's just funny right there!!! We have competitors that train here (at this location)..body building, power lifting, and figure....I think plenty of proper training gets done there! :rolleyes:

Not having chalk does not affect me in anyway so I'm not concerend about it.

[Arnoo]

That's just funny right there!!! We have competitors that train here (at this location)..body building, power lifting, and figure....I think plenty of proper training gets done there! :rolleyes:

Not having chalk does not affect me in anyway so I'm not concerend about it.

Nothing against you or your gym but i have a hard time believing that you have serius power lifters (close to competitional level) in a gym that dousnt allow chalk. Unless its like the only gym in a 100 km radius.

[fighting13]

dude if i were you i would just stick it out eventually your hands will get conditioned to the lifting and you won't get the callouses nearly as bad. and from personal experience i've found it easier to grip the bar without the gloves than with.

just my two cents :P

[fifthchamber]

I don't use gloves, but I see absolutely no reason not too...Why not?It hurts a little less, that's a good thing..And it doesn't add anything to your ability to life at all, unless it's being able to continue beyond a certain pain boundary...

I'd suggest going without gloves for as long as you feel you want too, and when you find your hands in pain while training, think about a switch over to using gloves..

I'd suggest not using the gloves with grips..But that's a personal choice again...I prefer to have the strength in my wrists to be able to hold that weight, rather than lift more without it..But it's a choice you will have to make yourself...

As for chalk, it's useful to a point...But I've seen people get a little carried away...I'm at Gold's too, but see no real plus side there either...Either I can manage without chalk and gloves, or I'll choose one or the other..Up to now I've been okay without...

(Besides, all callouses will fade if you don't train for a week or so..So if you really need nice looking hands then stop training..).

Regards.

[Custom Volusia]

Nothing against you or your gym but i have a hard time believing that you have serius power lifters (close to competitional level) in a gym that dousnt allow chalk. Unless its like the only gym in a 100 km radius.

Oh well. That has nothing to do with anything. They train there. I don't know why they choose to. I don't talk to them on a regular basis. Due to my job (USN) I'm rarely in there at the same time everday.

All I know is that they compete.

[fifthchamber]

Oh well. That has nothing to do with anything. They train there. I don't know why they choose to. I don't talk to them on a regular basis. Due to my job (USN) I'm rarely in there at the same time everday.

All I know is that they compete

Agreed...Training with chalk doesn't make a champion...Training hard, long, and working your way up through hard work seems to cover all the people I know at my gym who compete in lifting...

Mind you, Japan ain't exactly hardcore on the weight-lifting scene...Heh..

Still..There are a lot of guys lifting a lot of weight here..Without chalk...

[Wizwar31]

Speaking from experience, the callouses only seem to peel in the beginning. Not too sure though. Honestly, i dont see a need for the gloves, and personally, i like the feeling of callouses on my hands (my girlfriends not too fond of it though...)

[HBKirishwarrior]

I wear gloves sometimes, my hands are callouses (weighttraining and cabinetmaker.) I wouldn't recommended gloves with wrist strap. Other day, I was doing shoulder lateral raise, I was lifting 35 lbs dumbbells, the guy next to me, did exactly same exercise, only at 30lbs, (he appeared good shape), he wore gloves with strap because he has no strength on his grip. Avoid strap, build a strength on your wrist and grip.. It's okay to wear gloves, try without it once in a while to build up callouses.

[Ranzan]

The Callouses create man hands :P I dont see a difference honestly sometimes i lift with gloves sometimes without just depends on how sweaty the hands get.

[JaxMMA]

The Callouses create man hands :P I dont see a difference honestly sometimes i lift with gloves sometimes without just depends on how sweaty the hands get.

Of course you don't see difference, because you don't lift hard :)

j/k


Back to the topic:
Try lifting with and without gloves see if you can get used to both...

[Ranzan]

o yea i pump the iron once maybe twice a month completely ripped :D :P but seriously dude i dont think it makes a difference i use them cause its hot as all hell in my gym and get some sweaty hands depends on your taste matey.

[Custom Volusia]

I forgot about this thread.....

[harukoraharu]

I just started some free weight lifting tonight and wow do my hands feel it. Going to have to find some chalk

[Kuma]

Even though this is an old thread, I agree that you should just let your hands adapt. If your calluses get too thick and start to peel, you can always sand them down a bit which helps a lot. Farmer's walks will strengthen your hands up in a hurry, as will partial deadlifts and other similar lifts. It takes time but once you get to where you can handle heavy weights without gloves, you'll feel much stronger.

A friend of mine is a good powerlifter and he was stuck in a gym where they didn't allow chalk so he often used gloves. A 500 pound/~228kg deadlift kept eluding him and he realized it was his grip because his hands weren't tough enough for it. He worked hard on his grip with a few good exercises (one of them being power hangs, where you just hang from a pull-up bar as long as you can) and his next meet he ripped 235kg/517 pounds off the ground like it was nothing.

[JaxMMA]

I just started some free weight lifting tonight and wow do my hands feel it. Going to have to find some chalk

Unless you're pushing some serious weight, using chalk at the gym will make you look like a tool.
I'm no iron-man lifter, but when I see a newbie doing deadlift with 135lbs and chalk all over the place makes me want to :bang:

[seiken steve]

I rock climbed and mountain biked for a while so my hands are a mess as it is.

I just don't see the point in gloves to be honest.
I've never seen a pro use them ether, i think that speaks for a lot.

[Frodocious]

Unless you're pushing some serious weight, using chalk at the gym will make you look like a tool.
I'm no iron-man lifter, but when I see a newbie doing deadlift with 135lbs and chalk all over the place makes me want to :bang:

I really don't see the problem in people using chalk. If it helps them lift the weight then what's the problem? Once I get above 135lbs, I need to use chalk to help with my feeble grip. Also 135lbs, for me, is over bodyweight so I class that as decent weight. I would rather see people using chalk than gloves.

[Microlamia]

I kinda like the calluses on my hands. It's grossly childish, I know, but I love when someone shakes my hand and then comments 'Holy crap, your hands are so rough...'

[JaxMMA]

I really don't see the problem in people using chalk. If it helps them lift the weight then what's the problem? Once I get above 135lbs, I need to use chalk to help with my feeble grip. Also 135lbs, for me, is over bodyweight so I class that as decent weight. I would rather see people using chalk than gloves.

I don't really find it very useful for anything under 225lbs. That's just me tho...however, most of the people I've seen deadlifting lighter weight and using chalk are tools at the gym (it's really not necessary to grunt and drop 135lbs)

[CosmicFish]

Yeah, just use chalk if/when you need it. YMMV on exactly what weight you need to start using it.

[Controversy]

I use gloves and my max's go up so.......I'll choose the nice, smooth hands. I doubt a girl would want a massage from rough hands that feel like they were finger-breakdancing on concrete.

But that's just my personal preference.

[Rizwan]

Yes it's important to use Gloves because they protect your hands from any injury while lifting.
I strongly recommend you to use Mechanics Gloves (http://shamimleather.com) because they have nice grip. You can easily find best quality mechanics gloves at shamim leather.

[seiken steve]

Yes it's important to use Gloves because they protect your hands from any injury while lifting.
I strongly recommend you to use Mechanics Gloves (http://shamimleather.com) because they have nice grip. You can easily find best quality mechanics gloves at shamim leather.

I'd have thought lifting gloves were best for lifting and mechanics gloves good for mechanics...

I personally have never injured myself of seen others injured by not wearing gloves, they've just manned up and got on.

[Frodocious]

I'd have thought lifting gloves were best for lifting and mechanics gloves good for mechanics...

I personally have never injured myself of seen others injured by not wearing gloves, they've just manned up and got on.

Or womaned up! ;) :)

The Beastskills website has a couple of decent articles on hand care:

http://www.beastskills.com/tutorials/tutorials/49

http://www.beastskills.com/tutorials/tutorials/50

Personally I've found that using chalk during training and a decent handcream before going to bed leave my hands in excellent condition.

[Custom Volusia]

I forgot about this thread.....

+1

Seriously though, I have since SWITCHED to not wearing gloves and have noticed that my grip is a lot stronger without having to do specific exercises now. Still no chalk, but now I'm training in Guantanamo...so just glad I have a gym to train at!!! lol

[harukoraharu]

I use a thick handcream with cotton gloves at bedtime but am starting to get little calluses. I've got used to lifting without gloves and prefer it. I wear cross trainers when some of the powerlifting guys prefer socks or ballet type shoes though.

[Frodocious]

+1

Seriously though, I have since SWITCHED to not wearing gloves and have noticed that my grip is a lot stronger without having to do specific exercises now. Still no chalk, but now I'm training in Guantanamo...so just glad I have a gym to train at!!! lol

I do believe I told you (on the first page of this thread) that you were a big girly wuss to be using gloves, see I was right - always listen to the woman! ;) :) Just kidding with you - it's good to see you round here, it has been a while! :D

I use a thick handcream with cotton gloves at bedtime but am starting to get little calluses. I've got used to lifting without gloves and prefer it. I wear cross trainers when some of the powerlifting guys prefer socks or ballet type shoes though.

I have some small calluses, but I think they are more from using my gymnastic rings than from weights. I lift in Nike Free trainers (low profile and very little padding) in the gym and barefoot at home.

[Custom Volusia]

I do believe I told you (on the first page of this thread) that you were a big girly wuss to be using gloves, see I was right - always listen to the woman! ;) :) Just kidding with you - it's good to see you round here, it has been a while! :D


lol!! You sure did!! :)

And yeah it has. Trying to not let that happen again!! Guantanamo sucks and I've picked up some bad habits that I'm trying to break. I've noticed that the more I check this site, the more I push myself to train on my own!

[Frodocious]

I've noticed that the more I check this site, the more I push myself to train on my own!

Well stop by regularly then. We can always help with motivation! :)

[Kuma]

Just ignore the gloves and find a lady who likes man-hands. Mine digs them.

If I was a lady, I would be weirded out by a guy with soft, velvety hands. The only guys I shake hands with whose hands feel like that are either the Jersey Shore types or the guys who like to dress up in woman's clothing. It's odd to me.

[icefield]

lol go lift outside when its -8 degrees or so, or in a gym when its -10 degrees because the windows are brocken and the heating doesnt work and you will see the reason for wearing gloves :)

[rain21]

I use them cause they help to protect palm and fingers... I think its good to use lifting gloves..

[Frodocious]

I use them cause they help to protect palm and fingers... I think its good to use lifting gloves..

No it's not. It slows your grip development and for palm and finger protection chalk is a better option.