Why You Shouldn't Waste Your Money Buying Weightlifting Gloves

Why You Shouldn’t Waste Your Money Buying Weightlifting Gloves : So maybe you’ve just started a new exercise program, or maybe you’ve been lifting weights for an appreciable amount of time. Either way, you’ve taken a look at your hands recently, and you’ve noticed something.

You’re starting to get calluses.

The reason is obvious. Friction from lifting heavy weights abrades the skin of your hands, and calluses form. You don’t really want them, so the first thing you do is go looking for answers, and you quickly hear about weightlifting gloves.

But in all honesty, weightlifting gloves are probably the worst thing you can do right now. Here’s why.

Weightlifting gloves don’t actually stop you getting calluses

At face value, this sounds ridiculous, but when you stop and think about it, it really isn’t.

Calluses form when your hands experience friction, right? And we’ll make the assumption that you’re not going to wear absolutely skin tight, latex gloves to lift in. Like some sort of maniac.

If your gloves have any give in them at all, and they will, they’re going to flex and move about when you lift. That means they’re transferring some of the force through into your hands anyway.

On top if this, the fact that gloves shift and slip around, rather than sitting in one place like a bar would, can actually cause you to get worse calluses, or at the very least a different type.

Weightlifting gloves affect your lifting technique

Specific exercises like bench presses need the bar in a certain place, generally in your palm, as close to your wrists as you can.

But gloves, with the increased thickness and shape, can push the bar upwards.

Not only will this affect how you’re lifting, it can have a far worse effect. That shifting of position puts more pressure on your wrists than might otherwise be normal, hugely increasing risks of short and long term injuries.

Weightlifting gloves can actually affect your grip, in a bad way

When it comes to gripping a bar, there’s a surprising amount of physics that goes into it, and gloves can significantly impact your ability to grip, and so slow down your progress.

First off, the simple fact is that the thicker a bar is, the harder it is to lift as you can’t close your hand around it so tightly, which is why things like Fat Gripz exist, to make your workouts harder.

Even though gloves aren’t that thick, the difference is significant enough to be noticeable. So that’s strike one.

Secondly, gloves can have an artificial aid to grip built into them, with areas on the palms and fingers build to add friction and make holding the bar easier. Whilst this might compensate for the above problem, it takes away a lot of the work you’re doing, and stops your hands getting stronger in the future.

Lastly, gloves can get sweaty, and most don’t take to chalk very well. If it’s hot, you’re lifting heavy, or you’re doing a long set, gloves increase your chances of an accidental slip or drop.

Weightlifting gloves are surprisingly easy to damage

A decent set of weightlifting gloves aren’t cheap, and all the strain that would otherwise be transferred to your hands is obviously going through them.

But unlike your hands, gloves don’t self repair. So if you’re serious about your exercise, you can expect your gloves to last a deceptively short amount of time.

Honestly, the fact that gloves cost money and affect your progress? Reason enough not to use them. But there’s more.

Weightlifting gloves smell real bad

No one likes the smell of an old gym bag. The slightly sickly, slightly mouldy smell of old sweat, spilled protein powder and the men’s locker room just isn’t pleasant.

Now consider that these gloves are going to be on your hands, drinking in your sweat, several times a week.

But I’ll just wash them, you think to yourself.

Well, problem is once you’ve washed a set of lifting gloves, they’re never the same. It affects the material, reducing the amount of lifting power they’re going to give you, basically defeating the objective of wearing them in the first place.

So there’s the choice. Wear substandard gloves, or walk around the gym smelling faintly of sweat.

What you should do instead

So if gloves aren’t going to protect your hands from developing calluses over time, what’s the best thing to do instead?

Simple. Develop a proper hand care routine. Calluses are a part of life, especially if you’re doing touch exercise like Lifting, gripping, pulling, pushing, punching, snatching, jerking, climbing, paddling etc.

See, those calluses protect your hands, and actually make it much easier for you to exercise, in the long run.

Look after your hands properly

A simple hand care routine will make sure that your hands stay in tip top condition. It’s not difficult, and only takes a few minutes of your time when you exercise.

A good hand care routine is simple, and really only takes three things.

Start by washing your hands, to make sure they’re clean, sweat free and have no chalk or other residue
A good hand cream is the backbone of your hand care. Something highly moisturising, that brings your hands back to life is what’s needed. Make sure to rub it into every part of your hands, including the difficult areas around the fingers and joints.
When you inevitably start developing calluses, use a dedicated callus care product, which will regenerate your skin, rapidly repairing damage and getting you back in the game that much faster.

For athletes, using natural products are very helpful to prevent and treat the wear-and-tear of your hands. Natural products are easily available from local market or from online store like wodwelder.com has full range of affordable products which are natural handcare for athletes and peoples doing crossfit workouts daily.

Understand that calluses are important

Honestly, if we were in your position, we’d be happy. You should wear your calluses with pride. They’re a sign that you’re willing to put in the hours, and the hard work, necessary to reach your goals.

You should also realise that calluses will actually protect your hands, if you look after them as we’ve described. In time, they’ll make your exercise that much simpler and smoother, so make sure you treat yourself properly. Aftercare is almost as important as the workout.

Once you do have calluses, it’s also important to learn how to maintain them correctly. By keeping them uniform and at the correct height, which is the same height or a fraction higher than the surrounding skin, you minimise your chances of damage, for example skin tearing, and also minimise the pain you might feel when exercising, and any possible discomfort from your day to day life.

Do you have any tales of your time using lifting gloves? Any aftercare recommendations? Let us know in the comments!