Today, Training Gloves, also known as gym gloves, are a standard accessory. Walk into any gym, and you are bound to see at least a few people wearing them for their training. The most obvious reason for using gym gloves would be to protect your hands from the equipment and prevent calluses from developing.
The question is, should you even use training gloves, or would it be better to train with bare hands? Let's discuss.
What are Training Gloves?
Gym gloves are an accessory item designed to protect your hands from calluses or injuries. To allow flexibility and to ensure fingers grip the bar or dumbbell properly, Training Gloves are designed without fingers.
Three main parts define the use case of your potential next pair of Training Gloves:
- Palm: the padded area provides cushioning and a secure grip on the handles.
- Wrist: to protect the joints while training with additional stability and wrist support.
- Pad: to improve the grip and get help to lift more and more often.
Depending on your need, a different type of Training Glove is better for you. Check out the table below to get a quick overview of the two most common types of training gloves.
What are the Benefits of wearing Training Gloves?
The primary purpose or benefit of wearing Training Gloves in the gym is to achieve the following:
- Better cushioning and secure grip
- Protect the palm
- Provide wrist support
- Provide comfort
For example, traditional barbells come with knurling that offers grip support. The issue is the knurling can also tear your skin, leading to pain, especially if you start using heavier weights. By wearing gloves, you eliminate that possibility.
Training Gloves can also offer grip support, allowing you to hold onto heavyweights. If you are trying to gain muscle, then wearing Training Gloves with wrist support or a wristband is a mandate for you to lift more weight. And if you are not able to lift the heavyweight, then the wrist support can help you find your stride too.
Another add-on would be the grip pad. This is another glove concept that could benefit those learning to lift heavy weights. The producer of Versa Gripps created helpful instructions on the various techniques of how to use these kind of grips.
Should you use Training Gloves?
While beneficial, training gloves can be limiting, especially for people who are not used to wearing them. A disadvantage of training gloves is that the skin inside your hands does not get resilient. If you ever have to train without your gloves, your hands will be more prone to tearing. If you travel a lot, you always need to bring your pair of Training Gloves with you. Competitive athletes might also want to avoid training with gloves. For example, if you are a competitive powerlifter, you should avoid using such training gloves. These kinds of accessories are prohibited during meets, and you might set yourself up for failure if you get too used to gripping the barbell with training gloves.
On the contrary, probably most people do not work out to become professionals. With that said, most folks can still benefit from gloves. For example, if your skin is too prone to calluses that can tear even after months of consistent training, consider training gloves. Also, if you have old hand injuries and find that gym gloves offer comfort, by all means, do not stop using them. And when your wrist bone and muscles get proper support from the gloves, you tend to have a better grip on barbells and dumbbells.
Good Training Gloves to try
Just to give some ideas on some Training Gloves options, you could find them on Amazon.
Harbinger Pro Gym Gloves
The Harbinger Pro is a good fit and ensures control and a tight grip. These Training Gloves also come with wrist support designed to prevent slippage during weightlifting. They are made with double-stitches and a leather palm which is a positive. Unlike many gloves on the market, those by Harbinger have a unique feature that allows them to envelop the object you are holding. As a result, your grip strength improves, preventing you from ever dropping the weight you are carrying. On the contrary, this makes the grip thicker, and some reported not breathable.
- Design: Half-Fingers
- Sport Type: Weightlifting
- Wrist Support: Yes
- Lifting Pads: No
- Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.300 reviews)
- Where to Buy: Amazon ($$)
Trideer Weightlifting Gloves with Wrist Straps
The Trideer gloves are made of high-quality materials that make for excellent durability. These gloves offer excellent palm protection and wrist support, whether you are a weightlifter or a regular gym-goer. In addition, they ensure a firm grip and overall comfort. Plus, there is some protection for your fingers, which can prevent blisters when training with barbells and dumbbells. However, they might get slippery if you start to sweat as they are not fully breathable. Trideer adds 1-year of warranty.
- Design: Half-Fingers
- Sport Type: Multi-purpose
- Wrist Support: Yes
- Lifting Pads: No
- Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (5.200 reviews)
- Where to buy: Amazon ($)
Versa Gripps PRO Authentic
The manufacturer of these Training Gloves promotes their product as "the World's best Training Accessories made in the USA.". Looking at the reviews, with 4.8 on Amazon, this statement is probably not too far off. Versa Gripps are used for all pushing (as in bench press) and pulling (as in deadlift) movements in strength training. The extended grip length is designed for superior strength, durability, and double reinforced strength. Unfortunately, these grips are also coming with a higher price tag. Read this full review to learn more about the Versa Gripps.
- Design: Grip-Pads with Wrist Wrap
- Sport Type: Weightlifting
- Wrist Support: Yes
- Lifting Pads: Yes
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (4.100 reviews)
- Where to buy: Amazon ($$$)
Some final thoughts
Training Gloves are certainly great accessories for your workout. But with your fitness clothing or shoes, you need to maintain them well. If not washed regularly, they can smell bad due to the accumulated sweat. Check the tags to see the manufacturer's recommendations on how best to clean their fitness product. Also, ensure that they are dried before storing them away or wearing them again.
