Using lifting gloves, yeay or nay.

andreascjonsson
andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
edited December 25 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'll start of with saying that i got really small hands for a guy. I have been doing exercises to improve my grip strenght but during my back routine my grip always give out long before my back. This is especially irritating when doing deadlifts as i feel my grip slipping and mess up my form. Should i start using gloves for a better grip or just keep training my grip strenght untill it catches up?

Replies

  • yukfoo
    yukfoo Posts: 871 Member
    Try lifting straps. Conversely.. they make smaller unisex lifting gloves as well. Just keep lifting..Good luck!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yay for me.
    Fairly small hands and I also have Raynaud's which means a cold bar can turn my hand circulation off. My current gloves also incorporate wrist supports which are helpful on some lifts as my wrists got damaged when I was knocked off my bike - I fly better than I land.....

    Suggest you experiment but wearing gloves doesn't stop you from keeping working on your grip strength and you can revert later if you choose. I don't see why you wouldn't try gloves, straps or chalk if you think it might help you. Hopefully in 2020 we have got past the gloves are for girls thing!

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,656 Member
    I second what @Chieflrg said - have you tried hook grip? Kills to start with but can really help. I also spent a fair amount of time doing deadhangs to build strength in my arms and hands for my Olympic lifts, in addition to hook gripping everything in sight.

    I haven’t used gloves as you generally don’t in my sport - but I’ve always wondered if they would add bulk and make it harder to grip? I do use straps when I’m doing volume snatch grip RDLs or DLs and it’s made a big difference. But I personally need to be careful as I think I could get to rely on them too much.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    I think you just have to try the various suggestions given above. It's not clear to me whether the issue is grip strength or grip slippage. Maybe it's a bit of both. For grip strength a few bottoms up kettlebell exercises with a fairly light bell might be worth trying.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    If your goal is grip strength as you stated, then no I wouldn't advice the use of gloves.

    The best way to improve grip strength for a specific lift is to do reps specific to that lift.

    So in your case deadlifts. Practice grip strength with more deadlifts or variations that has specificity to deadlifts.

    Agreed. As a female with small hands, I have pulled a 385-pound deadlift without my grip giving out. Other than very briefly when I had a cut on my hand that I needed to protect so it wouldn't get ripped open or get chalk in it or anything, I've never worn gloves in the gym. Straps, on the other hand, if I'm doing high-ish rep rows or something, I'll use straps sometimes just because that way I can focus more on my lats etc doing the work and not really even have to pay attention to my hands at all.

  • Italiana_xx79
    Italiana_xx79 Posts: 594 Member
    I wear gloves... if I don't, I get really bad calluses on my palms. I still get them with gloves but it's just not as bad.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
    JBanx256 wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    If your goal is grip strength as you stated, then no I wouldn't advice the use of gloves.

    The best way to improve grip strength for a specific lift is to do reps specific to that lift.

    So in your case deadlifts. Practice grip strength with more deadlifts or variations that has specificity to deadlifts.

    Agreed. As a female with small hands, I have pulled a 385-pound deadlift without my grip giving out. Other than very briefly when I had a cut on my hand that I needed to protect so it wouldn't get ripped open or get chalk in it or anything, I've never worn gloves in the gym. Straps, on the other hand, if I'm doing high-ish rep rows or something, I'll use straps sometimes just because that way I can focus more on my lats etc doing the work and not really even have to pay attention to my hands at all.

    If you think your hands are small mine are miniscule. I tried using gloves (got the smallest they had) today and upped my lift with 10 kg (about 22 pounds) and kept good form throughout. I will keep using Gloves for the moment and also keep doing my grip exercises untill my grip strenght catches up abit atleast. I will also try the hook grip(hadnt seen those comments before i whent) and see if that is something that works well for me.

    Thanks for all the advice! Always appriciated.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    edited August 2020
    I wear callous guard gloves, they are just little 4 finger thin leather gloves. They protect me from callouses from ripping and keep them from getting super calloused. Didn't increase my lifts.

    If your grip is slipping, it isn't due to your hands unless they are just sweaty. Chaulk will help with that. If your grip is giving out because the bar is rolling, it's just your grip.

    I'm a petite woman. My grip used to hold until about 165, I'm getting back there but since I got back in the gym I think it weakened on me the most! I'm back up close to the same on my lifts but I'm having to go mixed/use straps after my first set at 135. I can make it through a set, but start to lose it on later sets. I'm working on it.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    Italiana_xx79 wrote: »
    I wear gloves... if I don't, I get really bad calluses on my palms. I still get them with gloves but it's just not as bad.

    Same here, so I also wear gloves.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Get some lifting chalk. If your hands are giving out on deadlifts then start incorporating hook grip.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    Get some lifting chalk. If your hands are giving out on deadlifts then start incorporating hook grip.

    Tried it, it's painful. Why recommend hook grip over mixed grip?
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    ExistingFish wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    Get some lifting chalk. If your hands are giving out on deadlifts then start incorporating hook grip.

    Tried it, it's painful. Why recommend hook grip over mixed grip?

    Because you can cause bicep damage with an underhand grip if you arent constantly aware of arm position. Along with it keeps everything equal.

    Personally I'd rather my whole body in line when performing a major compound lift in order to maintain greater stability.

    Sure it stings for a bit but do it for a few weeks and it's like playing guitar. You build calluses and you csnt feel anything.

    I've ulled upwards of 500lbs with hook. Personally I'd prefer some minor thumb pain over a crippling bicep injury
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    I wear straps - not the ones that go around and around, but the "grips" like Vantage grips. That way I can pull a lot more weight that I normally would with my teeny hands and wrists.

    I only use them for pull though, don't bother with it for the not getting callouses thing, those are fine and after you build them up they don't hurt anymore.

  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    If you aren't competing, just use straps.
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