Lifting - gloves, straps, or bare hands?

micheleb15

I have only been lifting for about 3 months, but my grip is an issue. If I do any type of deadlifts or RDLs, my forearms start to burn because my grip is off with my gloves. The beginning of the set is fine, but toward the end my grip slips and I feel like my fingers are doing most of the work or I have to reset my hands.

Is this purely an issue with my grip and I need to find another grip or are my forearms too weak, grip too weak? My hands are already calloused, so that doesn't bother me, it's more of the tearing and waiting a day or two for it to heal that 's a pain. Chalk isn't an option - thoughts?

stroutman81

Booooo on no chalk. I don't pick a bar up off the floor without it.

With conventional deadlifts, I would suggest resetting your grip each rep.

With RDLs, I would try to use a mixed grip (over/under) before defaulting to straps. Straps take a lot of the training effect away, so your grip is less likely to improve over time.

In an attempt to drive improvements, I'd likely start out by using a regular overhand grip for the warmup sets and maybe even the first set. I wouldn't move to the switch grip until it was necessary... again to drive as big a training effect as possible.

Elegra2006

Using straps are fine for doing deadlifts, rows etc. You aren't do those exercise to increase strength in your forearms/hands, you're doing them to focus on other body parts entirely.

If you specifically want to increase grip strength then you can use equipment like Fat Gripz but using lower weights (effectively makes the bar wider so you need to grip harder).

It depends what you want to achieve but I'd suggest that if you're wanting to build overall strength then use them straps!

DatMurse

depends if you are a competitor or not. I think you should try to do deadlifts without straps and resort to it when your forearms start to give out.

If you are competing, I wouldnt, but then again... I have never competed. Reason why is because you need to complete the lift without straps.

I used to wear gloves, but I cant even deadlift high weight anymore due to the onset of my degenerative disc disease. So I can only rep 225-350.

Stroutman has a good reccomendation of using overhand grip.

Do you use a hook grip OP?

ElliottTN

I'd go bare hands as to not conpromise your grip but honestly it just sounds like your grip strength is just lacking. Personally I have to switch over to a mixed grip at a certain weight for DL or else mine fails as well.

Do a bit of research on a thing called a hook grip, if that's way too uncomfortable for you then try a mixed grip. Once you exhaust those options and since chalk isn't allowed there is a product that is basically a liquid grip you can apply to your hands. I've glanced over it a couple times but sadly can't remember the name of the product bc I haven't needed it just yet. Personally I think straps should be your last option as they kinda hinder your progressing your grip strength which at some point with heavy heavy weights, its most likely inevitable unless you are a select few.

Don't forget to start shaving those callouses down as well every few weeks. When they get too high then there is a chance of ripping one off. It might look cool but that **** hurts and can screw up your lifting schedule for a bit whike it heals.

stroutman81

For what it's worth, I don't rely on specialized grip training devices as the primary means of increasing grip strength. I mean I have all that stuff in my gym... and I do love my fat gripz. But I prefer to use the big pulling exercises for increasing grip strength. I can appreciate what the above poster is saying... why reduce an exercise that has a primary purpose for building your posterior chain down to it's weakest link (your grip)?

But my point is, I've concluded that you can train in the appropriate intensities for developing the posterior chain with these exercises and grip concomitantly.... at least in general. There have been one-off where I resort to straps, but it's an exception to the norm.

Many ways to skin the cat... but this is my preferred approach.

FrnkLft

This is simple, use gloves if your callouses are hindering your lifts. I used to lift w/o gloves, but we have no chalk, and the callouses were getting in my way by pinching like a mother ****er. I couldn't even touch the bar.

I still have callouses by the way, but now my gloves keep them from getting caught.

As for straps, use them only when your grip is starting to fail on the heavy lifts. The reasons are three fold.

1) If you use straps for everything, your grip will never improve. So use your grip whenever possible.

2) If your grip is getting weak, it will throw off your focus from the primary muscle groups you're looking to hit. It makes the lift more tenuous/less clean than it should be.

3) It is a healthier alternative to the switch grip on deadlifts. The switch grip puts undue strain on the bicep tendons at the elbow on the supponated arm, which could lead to injury (this is actually the most common injury on deadlifts, not lower back problems)

jacksonpt

IMO, it's largely about personal preference.

I use straps when my DLs get heavy. People give me **** for it but I don't care. Grip strength is not high on the list of reasons why I lift.

cwolfman13

http://stronglifts.com/7-ways-increase-deadlift-grip-strength/

whierd

I do not use gloves at all and I only use straps when I am doing barbell shrugs and straight-legged deadlifts.

_firecracker_

I use gloves...I was using a pair of old cycling gloves but recently switched to lifting gloves. Ironically the lifting gloves have more padding and I find I now have to reset my grip after each dead. I probably would prefer to go without but I like keeping my hands callous free. :P

KCoolBeanz

Bare hands and lots of chalk :flowerforyou:

redheaddee

I have to switch to a mixed grip on deads at around 185. I also use straps on the heavy lifts & using dumbbells, primarily because they tear up my hands. Plus I don't want "man hands" (which my husband appreciates :laugh:). My gym does not allow chalk, but I have no intention of competing to I don't mind. I have the Vresa-Grip Pros and I LOVE them, especially since you can turn them out of your way when you don't need them. Plus they come in hot pink.

KCoolBeanz

I have to switch to a mixed grip on deads at around 185. I also use straps on the heavy lifts & using dumbbells, primarily because they tear up my hands. Plus I don't want "man hands" (which my husband appreciates :laugh:). My gym does not allow chalk, but I have no intention of competing to I don't mind. I have the Vresa-Grip Pros and I LOVE them, especially since you can turn them out of your way when you don't need them. Plus they come in hot pink.

I've grown to love my man hands - they're my badge of honor. The last time I went for a manicure, the chick was like "oh, i'll buff these out for you" and I was like "DON'T FREAKIN' TOUCH THEM!" :laugh:

Pinkranger626

I used to use gloves and found that they just got stinky and in the way... I chucked them and haven't looked back. For lifts that you're using really heavy weight with i.e. deadlifts or barbell dead rows I find the straps to be helpful in taking some of the strain off my hands. I would also recommend grip strengthening exercises!

Grab a stress ball or gel egg (they sell them specifically for this type of use) and do 15-20 reps of squeezes on each hadn 2-3 sets

Take a rubber band and place it around your fingers and thumbs- touch all fingertips and thumb pad together and then slowly open the hand out stretching the rubber band. return to start. Complete 15-20 per hand 2-3 sets

I do these as well as stretches and I've found that my hands are a lot stronger than they used to be. Made it all the way across the monkey bars in the Tough Mudder this year!! Plus this helps with my next career add on (massage therapy)

Fittreelol

I barely have callouses from lifting- none on my right hand. On my left a tiny one by my pinky, and an almost one near my ring finger. I don't wear gloves, and I only use straps for strongman training. I dead in the high 200's. I've heard it depends on your grip. I would actually like callouses, and I whine about how much my hands hurt every deadlift day.

trojanbb

never gloves. they don't even improve grip strength much. only reduction in calluses. in a number of cases, gloves actually make grip worse. chalk and bare hands is always better.


straps are great for heavy or high rep back lifts. I don't deadlift for grip strength, I deadlift for back size. straps WILL increase back size. if you powerlift competitively then don't use straps.

also, if you do high volume back days with heavy lifts, odds are that you'll get such a forearm pump that you can't even make a fist or grip a bar with any strength. straps are key

if callouses get in the way, ask your gf or mom for a demo on pummus stone use. Lol, but seriously, keep them small and semi soft. ripping a callous HURTS and leaves a bleeding hole in your hand

Jonesingmucho

gloves

...pink gloves...

JNick77

For Deadlifts, Rowing, or 98% of exercises that require you to grip and hold; don't use straps. One of the best quotes I've seen regarding straps came from Chad Wesley Smith "if you can't hold it without straps, then you're body just isn't ready to lift it yet." Building grip strength is part of getting stronger. With deadlifts, just use a mixed grip. You'll notice a difference fairly quickly in how much you can hold.

Jess1caLe

No gloves, no straps, lots of chalk.

Showcase_Brodown

Bare hands.

I try to use the overhand grip as much as I can, but I switch my grip to mixed when it starts to give.

I have yet to try the hook grip or using chalk. That may come along someday.

I am starting to reach a point in my DL where I'm realizing grip strength is a factor limiting me. So I may have to slow down and allow my grip strength to develop alongside my DL. I know that I definitely would not have the grip strength I have now if I hadn't been doing DL.