Anyone else have really small hands?

viglet

I am struggling with my rows and deadlifts because I have really small hands!

Today my hands are really sore and last time I did deadlifts, I felt like I struggled gripping the bar.

Does anyone else have this issue?

krokador

I don,t have either small or big hands so all the advice I can give is that, at my gym, there are thicker and thinner bars, so maybe you want to look at snatching the thinner bar for gripping exercises if you have access to one (I find the thinner bar on squats doesn't stay as well on my back, though!).

Also, doing some farmer's walk with heavy dumbbells and working on that grip strength will help in the long run! I have used straps on sets that I really didn't feel it, too. (A pair is like 10$ so it's not the investment of the century). There is no shame in that. Just as long as you do as much as you can without them.

And I've also given that advice on the wrist pain thread, but if you do grip work, a good idea is to balance it out with rubber band finger extensions

hazleyes81

I have very small childlike hands. Straps really help and so do grip strength exercises. Are you wearing any workout gloves? Not wearing gloves is usually what makes my hands sore, as you describe.

ks4e

I have small hands but long, thin fingers ("piano fingers" as people say). Wearing gloves helps me grip the bar better.

Fittreelol

Ideally you'd go as long as you can without using straps, and supplement with grip accessories. Grip strength can mean a lot as we age! You don't want to be the old lady that has to go in a home because she can't turn a door knob.

viglet

Thanks everyone! At the moment I don't use any gloves or straps. What's funny is that this Christmas someone gave me a grip weight for secret Santa. I never thought I'd use it, but now it seems like I should!

jennicole4

I have pretty tiny hands and wrists myself. I also recommend gloves. Also for OHP and rows, my gym has smaller bars preloaded with weights. I use those instead of the big bar when possible and that also helps. You can't add plates to them though so I'm stuck with the regular bar every other session. Increasing grip strength over time will probably help as well.