Lifting glove advice

JessiBelleW
JessiBelleW Posts: 802 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi team,
Today I managed to deadlift 60kgs / 130lbs, but couldn’t manage more due to grip. Gym suggested buying gloves.
Does anyone have any tips about what I am looking for? What makes a good glove?
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Replies

  • wiigelec
    wiigelec Posts: 503 Member
    gloves will, in essence, make the bar larger and likely more difficult to grip, not easier.

    are you using chalk (like a gymnast)? that would be the first suggestion.

    second suggestion would be a hook or alternating grip.

    last would be straps.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,813 Member
    My personal shopping requirements:
    Good fit (no bunching), tacky grip textile material and not leather (they can stink like dead fish after a while!), good hand/finger wrist coverage as cold bars can trigger my Raynaud's and my blood supply switches off.

    Current ones have wrist straps too which is useful for me for big pressing movements as I mashed up my wrists a few years ago.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CN8RZPZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Alternatives to gloves are chalk, weight lifting straps, working on your grip strength and experimenting with different grip techniques. Guess patience is also an option but who has the time for that? :smiley:

    (Of course you can wear gloves and still keeping working on improving your grip, they aren't mutually exclusive.....)
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    Were your hands slipping off of the bar, or was your grip just too weak?
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 802 Member
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Were your hands slipping off of the bar, or was your grip just too weak?

    Slipping! My hands were very sweaty.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    JessiBelleW wrote: »
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Were your hands slipping off of the bar, or was your grip just too weak?

    Slipping! My hands were very sweaty.

    Get some liquid chalk. I personally wouldn't wear gloves unless your hands are getting torn up.
  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    Chalk, not gloves but it's really your grip strength you should work on. I'd suggest doing farmers carry's to build grip strength.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,813 Member
    JessiBelleW wrote: »
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Were your hands slipping off of the bar, or was your grip just too weak?

    Slipping! My hands were very sweaty.

    Chalk if your gym allows it, anti perspirant if they don't.....
  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    Chalk, not gloves but it's really your grip strength you should work on. I'd suggest doing farmers carry's to build grip strength.

    Lmao, I get my fair share of disagree's but I'd love this one to defend it
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,593 Member
    I use some called "tacky gloves" from Walmart. They can be for cycling or lifting. Using an alternate grip really helps. Chalk is also good if your gym allows it. I started wearing gloves when my hands were getting pinched and calloused from deadlifts and pullups.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    I use straps. You can get them at any sporting good store.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,973 Member
    Nothing "wrong" w/using gloves if they work for you.Use them if they do don't if they don't

    I use them to keep calluses from forming. They work for that. Use them w/straps on deadlifts. Don't lift any less when I wear them
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,284 Member
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    Chalk, not gloves but it's really your grip strength you should work on. I'd suggest doing farmers carry's to build grip strength.

    Good call.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,069 Member
    I use versa grips. I’m not bothered about increasing my grip strength. Versa grips aren’t cheap but they work well.
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 802 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Nothing "wrong" w/using gloves if they work for you.Use them if they do don't if they don't

    I use them to keep calluses from forming. They work for that. Use them w/straps on deadlifts. Don't lift any less when I wear them

    Yes I’ve got the beginnings of calluses too - I assume if I lift more they’ll get bigger/ more prominent
  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Nothing "wrong" w/using gloves if they work for you.Use them if they do don't if they don't

    I use them to keep calluses from forming. They work for that. Use them w/straps on deadlifts. Don't lift any less when I wear them

    Unless you're chasing lifting numbers. I deadlift 585 with no straps or gloves but if I put gloves on, that added diameter and the movement of the material between my hands and the bar would actually reduce my grip and I wouldn't be able to pull the same amount. There's a reason powerlifters don't use gloves. But, if you're just trying to have a quick easy way to protect your hands and get past sweat, they're fine.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    JessiBelleW wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Nothing "wrong" w/using gloves if they work for you.Use them if they do don't if they don't

    I use them to keep calluses from forming. They work for that. Use them w/straps on deadlifts. Don't lift any less when I wear them

    Yes I’ve got the beginnings of calluses too - I assume if I lift more they’ll get bigger/ more prominent

    My trainer says if you don't have calluses then you aren't really lifting!! LOL

    I'm quite the diva :D and I do not like calluses my grip strength sucks so I wear gloves and use straps for DLs. I lift 225 lbs.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    Chalk will help grip; when you can't do double-overhand, switch to mixed grip. When mixed grip starts to fail, it's time for straps.

    Gloves are only useful to over an injury.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited October 2020
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    Chalk, not gloves but it's really your grip strength you should work on. I'd suggest doing farmers carry's to build grip strength.

    Lmao, I get my fair share of disagree's but I'd love this one to defend it

    Essentially doing farmer's carries makes you better at farmer carries, not deadlift grip compared to actually performing the deadlift grip.

    The specificity isn't very close at all because of how, where, and the movement itself is performed.

    Doing more deadlifts with more reps and eventually higher intensity over time will improve your deadlift grip because of the specificity of the movement, hold angle, leverage, etc...

    If you are adding farmer carries to your programming for "grip work" only. then I'd argue its a poor choice on exercise selection.

    There is nothing wrong with farmers carries especially of you are or have aspirations to be a strongman competitor. The grip simply doesn't carry over well to deadlifts in place of performing a deadlift.

    So yeah specificity is why I don't find farmer's carries a great option for what the OP posted with what we know of his/her training.


  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    edited October 2020
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »
    Chalk, not gloves but it's really your grip strength you should work on. I'd suggest doing farmers carry's to build grip strength.

    Lmao, I get my fair share of disagree's but I'd love this one to defend it

    Essentially doing farmer's carries makes you better at farmer carries, not deadlift grip compared to actually performing the deadlift grip.

    The specificity isn't very close at all because of how, where, and the movement itself is performed.

    Doing more deadlifts with more reps and eventually higher intensity over time will improve your deadlift grip because of the specificity of the movement, hold angle, leverage, etc...

    If you are adding farmer carries to your programming for "grip work" only. then I'd argue its a poor choice on exercise selection.

    There is nothing wrong with farmers carries especially of you are or have aspirations to be a strongman competitor. The grip simply doesn't carry over well to deadlifts in place of performing a deadlift.

    So yeah specificity is why I don't find farmer's carries a great option for what the OP posted with what we know of his/her training.


    I disagree. Farmers carry's are BOTH a good standalone exercise AND very often recommended to help with grip. Yes, the best way to improve a lift is to train the lift itself, but the specificity lies in the issue at hand, which is grip strength and I stand by the farmers carry as a great way to train grip.

    https://origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk/blog/farmers-walk-benefits#:~:text=The farmer's walk strengthens your,when they are properly trained.

    https://barbend.com/benefits-of-farmers-walk/

    https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-a-farmer-carry-techniques-benefits-variations-4796615

    https://www.theptdc.com/how-to-improve-grip-strength-with-these-top-exercises-for-hands

    https://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/farmer-carries-super-beneficial-yet-widely-underused/

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/farmer-s-walk-cure
  • wiigelec
    wiigelec Posts: 503 Member
    edited October 2020
    Chieflrg wrote: »

    The specificity isn't very close at all because of how, where, and the movement itself is performed.

    ...because of the specificity of the movement, hold angle, leverage, etc...
    so improving grip strength while holding something perpendicular to the shoulder does not translate to improved grip strength while holding something parallel to the shoulder?

    interesting...

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