why i have 3 types of lifting gloves/straps

I started out like every other woman at the gym... bare handed.  I quickly decided that was NOT for me, because calluses are just NOT my look.  My first ever pair of lifting gloves was from Target and they did exactly what I needed at that time: prevent calluses.  After that first pair wore out, I got a second pair from Target again, even though they were a bit too big (I have REALLY tiny hands), and my hands couldn't really breathe well.

As my lifting experience grew, and as weights got heavier...  I felt I needed some extra help, and my collection of gloves grew...  A lot.  I went from one type of glove to three in about a month! 

Each type of glove/strap has a different benefit, and I will explain it all below! 

Note: Gloves are NOT CHEATING.  As you will see, gloves and straps can really benefit a lifting session because they help to eliminate pain and give you extra support so you can fatigue your legs before your grip!

Some terminology to note before reading:
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PULLING - any movement that pulls a weight towards your body (deadlift, row, etc)
​PUSHING - any movement that pushes a weight away from your body (bench, squat, etc)

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1. "micro" gloves

My first purchase after the Target gloves were these Contraband Womens Micro gloves.  At this point, I was just trying to find something small enough to fit my hands, and Contraband fit the bill with a size XS!!!  I also loved the fact that they were only half gloves, because my hands could breathe more and I wouldn't get so sweaty!

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2. straps

My next purchase was a pair of wrist straps from Bear Grips.  The objective here was to give my dinky hands (and dinky wrists) some extra support when doing pushing and pulling movements.  Although these worked great for pushing, they didn't offer me any extra help when pulling.  What I love about these straps too is that they fit so well with the above "micro" glove, letting me use the straps only when really needed (more on that later).

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3. extra pulling grip

I was stuck for a LONG TIME with just the above two straps until finally, the owner of my gym blew my mind and showed me Versa Gripps for the first time.  I happened to be coaching a client on a deadlift when he walked by and heard us talking about grip strength and how unfortunately, it just takes a long time to develop.  Although he agreed that is true, he brought us his (too big for me) Versa Gripps and demonstrated how they help with grip.  What you do is close the strap around your wrist and wrap the leather around the bar or dumbbell.  This friction helps to keep your hand on the bar and takes a lot of pressure off your fingers!  I can definitely say that Versas give me an extra 2-4 reps on a barbell deadlift without needing a mixed grip (one overhand and one underhand grip on the bar) 

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2 things to note:

1. ​Although you DO NOT need all these types of gloves and straps, they can definitely help you feel hard exercises in the correct places, rather than only in your wrists/hands.
2. You should not ALWAYS use this much support.  Developing true grip strength is always a good choice.

how to use these in YOUR workout routine

My general guidelines are:

• I use the micro gloves all the time because they don't offer me any support, all they do is protect my skin from rough bars and developing calluses.
• I use the wrist straps only when I am pushing something HEAVY.  This means I am in the 3-8 rep range on a pushing exercise like benching, pressing, even back squatting (they help my wrists keep the bar stable on my back).
• ​I use the grips when I am pulling something HEAVY or I am purposely trying to get as many reps as possible.  For me, this means that the grips come out only when I deadlift (most pulling exercises for my upper body are no where near my deadlift weight and therefore do not tire my hands out like deadlifts).

Even though I give these guidelines, EVERYONE is different.  What might feel good to one person might feel bad for the next.  I happen to have a client who has tried a mixed grip and Versa Gripps on her heavy deadlifts and doesn't like either!  Do whatever feels best for you, these are just tips to help you find that!

​What types of gloves/straps do you like?  Let me know by leaving a comment!

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