Desert Fox
New member
Do you use gloves when lifting free weights?
If so why?
What do you look for in a weight lifting glove?
If so why?
What do you look for in a weight lifting glove?
Question for you serious weight lifters
- Thread starter Desert Fox
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VoodooTitan
New member
Honestly it's personal preference and comfort. I used to use the FROG gloves issued to marine units, they're thin but durable.
One thing to keep in mind is when using a weight lifting glove, the thicker the palm padding, the wider the grip. The wider your grip, the more you're going to use your forearms for stability. You have to keep that in mind when free weight training. It could become difficult to isolate the muscle you're trying to target. If you're forearm is fatigued then you won't get a good set in resulting in fatiguing the forearm and using improper for to execute the movement.
My best advise would be to try out a few different types of gloves at a local store. Use the free weights there and see what is comfortable for you. So people just want to protect from calluses. Some people want some padding between the bar and their had, and some people want the whole package... wrist supports, thick padding, and durability.
You can also just try some standard wrists wraps for pulling exercises and wrist supports for pressing exercises.
As crazy as the grip strength thing sounds its so true. You can also check out something called "Fat Gripz". Not a glove but it'll provide grip while also "blowing out your arms" as the product claims.
Desert Fox
New member
Thanks, I am going to try on some at the sporting store
Quatre Coureur
New member
For me it comes down to the knurling on the bar. On my bench press bar the knurling is quite deep and tends to chew up my palms, especially with a lot of weight. On my curling bar the knurling is hardly noticeable. I tend not to wear any gloves then. Just my .02 
I don't wear gloves when i lift. Most of the guys i lift with do, and they say its mainly for protecting their hands from callouses and some say for better grip. I personally hate wearing gloves, i just deal with the callouses i get, and after a while you don't even notice them. As for grip i work on my grip strength during school, so gloves aren't necessary. I also use straps for dead lifts and such.
Id just suck it up for a while, just my .02
- J
Id just suck it up for a while, just my .02
- J
TNRunner99
New member
If you want to protect your delicate hands so you can give your boyfriend smooth handjobs then get some gloves. Haha JK
I never use gloves and like the buildup of callouses. It makes your hands tough. I can go dig holes with a shovel all day with no gloves and my hands won't be phased.
I never use gloves and like the buildup of callouses. It makes your hands tough. I can go dig holes with a shovel all day with no gloves and my hands won't be phased.
deverlow
New member
I echo what others have mentioned about making your hands tough. I don't use gloves and I'm routinely kipping from a pull-up bar and throwing a bar bell around. I do use chalk though as I'm a heavy sweater.
For me, the purpose of some skilled movements is to make you more physically prepared for real-world application. I don't want soft, weak hands when I'm out in the sticks or doing work on my truck.
I think there is a line between over protecting and over doing. Get some chalk and athletic tape and start from there.
For me, the purpose of some skilled movements is to make you more physically prepared for real-world application. I don't want soft, weak hands when I'm out in the sticks or doing work on my truck.
I think there is a line between over protecting and over doing. Get some chalk and athletic tape and start from there.
wnelax04sr5
New member
wear gloves if you don't want tough/rough hands. otherwise, get the callouses, they're manly. also heard that peeing on your hands makes them callous better/faster, haven't ever tried it but if you don't want to wait....
Desert Dawg
New member
I have used gloves ocassionally in the past but I find them to be a little annoying (not sure why) and my calluses are barely noticeable but well established so I am not bothered. I have used the wrist strips in the past but now too old and heavy to worry about lifitng my body that way anymore...lol.
Back when I was really into weight lifting, I used gloves for heavy lifts. Then after seeing serious injury after serious injury in those that were also lifting heavy, I decided it wasn't worth the risk of trying for a 'Maximum' in any particular lift, just for bragging rights.
So I only use moderate weight these days, or exercises that utilize my own body weight. I don't use gloves for that.
So I only use moderate weight these days, or exercises that utilize my own body weight. I don't use gloves for that.
VoodooTitan
New member
During a lift, injury only comes from 1 thing. Improper form or execution of movement.
There are tons of schools of thought on weight lifting. I can get into them if someone would like. One thing I would like to say is there is nothing wrong with lifting heavy, as long as you do it properly.
Every sunday I move 10,000 lbs as quickly and safely as I can utilizing 3 exercises. Bench Press. Deadlift. Squat.
These three movements are great full body workouts and multi-function movements. They stress almost every muscle in the body resulting in a increased resting metabolic rate for up to 2 days. When your RMR is increased you get better fat burning and muscle building hormone response from the training. Benefit of this is, provided your diet is in order, you're leaning out quicker.
The key to heavy lifting is in the execution and not listening to your body. The moment your form starts to change, you need to go lighter on the lift. There is nothing wrong with going light either.
As long as you have some type of consistency in your lift regiment, you can continue to lift your body weight, x2 your body weight, or whatever your cup of tea is without risk of injury. That's building muscle memory.
Or too much weight..
I used to, when I had a standard bar. I needed the gloves to keep from jacking up the nerves in my fingers/hands.
Now that I've moved to an olympic bar I use chalk, and lots of it.
I have considered using gloves again for farmer's carries with my hex bar. Gloves make the grip slightly more difficult, and protect from cutting off circulation so bad.
FWIW...the wife loves my calluses.
And she doesn't use gloves either.
Now that I've moved to an olympic bar I use chalk, and lots of it.
I have considered using gloves again for farmer's carries with my hex bar. Gloves make the grip slightly more difficult, and protect from cutting off circulation so bad.
FWIW...the wife loves my calluses.
And she doesn't use gloves either.
VoodooTitan
New member
Chances are if someone is lifting "too much" weight they don't really know what they're doing or don't have very much experience in the weight room. There's a difference in lifting too much weight and pushing toward your max. Inexperienced lifters tend to use too much and and/or improper form, resulting in injury.
If we really want to examine and define the amount of "too much" we'd have to do it on an individual basis. For someone like yourself, 375lbs on deadlift might be an easy lift, whereas for myself, 325lbs is upwards of my max. For me, 375lbs would be too much weight, especially on deadlift where a spotter isn't effective.
Now for bench press, 315lbs might be too much weight for you. But with a spotter helping you and proper execution, if your upward max is 285lbs, then you should be able to safely lift 315lbs for a max rep with a spotter.
Granted I'm not disagreeing with the overall point you're making, lifting heavy can result in an injury, but in a setting where no pre-existing injury exists and a lift is executed corrected, with proper spotting there is an extremely low rate of injury occurring.
My only purpose for :deadhorse: is I don't want people who read this thread to develop the idea that lifting heavy will result in injury.
