Gripping technique?

[Baig]

Do you guys use gloves when lifting? I have come across two opinions on this:

1) use gloves
2) stop being a woman and take the pain.

I dont have a problem with like 30 or 35lb DBs its when it gets to like 40 or 45 that the calluses on my hand start to hurt, its probably the steel rivets on the db itself, ironically the calluses help me gripping the weight also =/ . The hammer curl which I like really does a number on the hands. Dont get me wrong theres no disfigurement, just looking if theres a better way.

I guess what Im asking is glove or no glove?

[hoser813]

every now and then I will use gloves, but sometimes they get in the way and I actually lose grip on certain lifts.

[Progress]

I love calluses and when the weight gets too high I use chalk.

[brewski053]

i like not wearing gloves when I lift but sometimes when I bench my hands sweat and it makes my grip real shiatty. So thats usually the only time i will wear them unless the calluses on my hands are all fvcked up

[Baig]

thanks, is there a special kind of chalk or like chalkboard chalk? I too love my calluses but they get irritated after a while.

[Progress]

thanks, is there a special kind of chalk or like chalkboard chalk? I too love my calluses but they get irritated after a while.

You want to look for climbing chalk that is composed of Magnesium Carbonate. I bought a chalk ball from an outdoor store, it is powdered chalk in a little sack and comes in a ziploc bag for like $4.

[Griffin98]

I'm pretty sure chalk is chalk. It's just a big block of it.

[MixmasterNash]

Calluses are bad, mkay?

The key to gripping happiness is to maintain your hand health. Calluses will rip off at the most inopportune times. Either shave or clip them, and moisturize your hands to keep the from drying out. Calluses can cause pain because they can be pressure points. If this isn't what is causing the pain, it may be tendon or muscle related. But in general, you should have "pain" from gripping.

The chalk you want is magnesium carbonate , aka gym or climbing chalk.

[hoser813]

I'm pretty sure chalk is chalk. It's just a big block of it.

I think there might be a small difference between sidewalk chalk and the lifting chalk.

[ilankaplan1]

**** i gotta where gloves when i lift. i got really dry hands and in the winter theyre always bleeding

[MixmasterNash]

**** i gotta where gloves when i lift. i got really dry hands and in the winter theyre always bleeding

How freaking hard is it to buy a $5 bottle of hand moisturizer that will last 2 months?

[Bruise Brubaker]

I'm pretty sure schoolboard chalk is calcium carbonate.

[Progress]

How freaking hard is it to buy a $5 bottle of hand moisturizer that will last 2 months?

Aveeno is amazing. But I don't care to have moist hands when lifting. I've never had a problem with calluses. Yes the build up and fall off but the tender skin underneath is just as ready and willing as before. Chalk keeps my hands dry and probably makes the calluses come faster.

[DNL]

i don't see a reason why you shouldn't use gloves. Don't just stop using it because you saw other big guys not using it.. and may be this is what big men do. They are there for your protection and not to make you a girly man or what not. Gloves are like shoes, you wouldn't play sports or run on the tread mill with your bare feet. Lifting without gloves won't make you "the man" either. You're just another lifter with more calluses who prefers not to use gloves.

[shootermcgavin7]

I use them for deads. I'm not a competitive powerlifter so I'm not worried about rule violations, and it helps me to pull more weight without sacrificing form.

Not to say I have a problem with callouses, I have one apiece on the index and middle finger of my throwing hand that I doubt will ever go away. I just don't see a reason not to wear gloves.

[TwiloMike]

I don't like gloves- have yet to find a pair that's comfortable. I lift w/out them and have calluses and try to remember to moisturize so they don't get too bad. The only downside to calluses (mine don't hurt) is that they're quire rough if left untreated which makes for painful self-sex despite lube.

[thetopdog]

There's nothing wrong with using gloves on most of your lifts, if anything, they'll help you by letting you focus more on the weight you're lifting, and less on the pain in your hands

The exception to this rule I would say would be deads and heavy shrugs, those are 2 exercises where your grip can be the limiting factor, so I would suggest using chalk for those, since you'll have a much stronger grip with bare hands and chalk, than with gloves and no chalk. But for everything besides deads and shrugs, I would highly recommend gloves