When you weight train do you grab dumbbells and barbells with your bare hands or do you wear weight lifting gloves? There are a number of ways wearing gloves can enhance your workout and make it safer and more pleasant, especially if you lift heavy weights. What are the benefits of wearing weight lifting gloves when you train?
Weight Lifting Gloves Can Improve Your Grip on the Weight
When you’re lifting a heavy weight, you don’t want the weight to slip out of your hand. Weight lifting gloves help you grip the weight better. This helps reduce the risk of injury. Plus, when you have a better grip on the weight, you may be able to eke out a rep or two more than you normally could holding the weight with your bare hands. During a tough workout do your hands become sweaty? This increases the risk of the weight slipping out of your hands. Gloves give you greater traction and better control. This makes you feel more confident lifting heavy weights.
Greater Comfort
Let’s face it. It doesn’t feel good holding heavy weights in your bare hands. Weight lifting gloves are padded enough to make gripping the weight more comfortable. It won’t take the discomfort out of working your muscles to near failure but it will take some of the stress off of your hands. Weight lifting gloves can make a tough workout a bit more pleasant – like a cold bottle of water after a tough weight training set. Little things make a difference when you’re working hard.
They Help to Prevent Bruises and Calluses
The repetitive pressure of holding weights in your hands, especially heavy ones, can lead to ugly calluses and painful blisters. Ever tried to lift a weight with a big blister on your hand? It’s not fun. Blisters come from excessive pressure and friction on the hands from holding the weight. Weight lifting gloves create a barrier between your skin and the weight. This reduces pressure and friction. Calluses may be a “badge of honor,” but they certainly don’t enhance the appearance of your hands. Give your hands some protection with a pair of weight lifting gloves.
Weight lifting gloves add a layer of protection for the rings you wear on your hands while lifting. Yes, you really should take them off but how many people really do? Gloves are the next best thing. Keep in mind that rings can catch on things and sometimes be a cause of serious hand injury. Best to keep them covered.
Choosing Weight Lifting Gloves
Look for a pair with ample palm padding for added comfort and support. The padding in the rest of the glove shouldn’t be so thick that it makes it harder to grip the weight. Many people find half-fingered weight lifting gloves where the top half of their fingers are exposed to be more comfortable, yet they still offer the advantage of hand protection and a better grip. Open-fingered gloves also allow better air circulation to your hands, keeping them from becoming hot and sweaty. Look for gloves made of moisture-wicking fabric so your hands stay drier. Needless to say, they should fit and feel comfortable on your hands.
The Bottom Line?
A small investment in a pair of weight lifting gloves can pay off with greater comfort, more control and a better grip on the weight. Plus, it reduces your risk for ugly calluses and painful blisters by reducing pressure and friction. Most of us forget about the importance of taking care of our hands when weight training but with hand injuries or painful blisters, weight lifting can become challenging or impossible. Keep your hands protected with a pair of weight lifting gloves.
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