Incidentals: Do I Get Gloves or Not?

Ah the mental anguish when the skin on my palm rips open on my crappy knurled bar just 3 reps short of a PR on week three of this cycle.

Do I get gloves or just toughen up?

On certain exercises they may cause a minor decrease in performance. The dead lift being a good example here… But by wearing gloves and/or straps on most other exercises you simply wont have the calluses to rip off come time to dead lift I have found.

There is no trophy for having the biggest callus torn from your palm, trust me I looked. If there is an issue that is causing problems in your lifting (or your life, as the case may be here with skin ripping off your hand) and there is an easy solution, I say go for it.

I understand the mind set that would not allow one to use gloves (I can hardly believe it myself but I used to live it, the whole macho tough guy bullshit attitude. Not saying this is you, but many who don’t wear gloves are of the “gloves are for pussies” mind set) but I now understand the mind set that allows one TO use them, because that is my life now… My lifting hasn’t gotten worse because of it, and my life is a teeny tiny but easier.

Just let your skin thicken on its own. When your calluses become so that they are not flush with the surrounding skin, buy a quality pumice stone and rub the calluses down in the shower so they are flush with the rest of you skin. Use a good moisturizer or salve. Done.

Over time, it shouldn’t be an issue for you. Just take care of your skin and it will do it’s job.

[quote]Evolv wrote:
Just let your skin thicken on its own. When your calluses become so that they are not flush with the surrounding skin, buy a quality pumice stone and rub the calluses down in the shower so they are flush with the rest of you skin. Use a good moisturizer or salve. Done.

Over time, it shouldn’t be an issue for you. Just take care of your skin and it will do it’s job.[/quote]

Whilst I agree, some bars have knurling you can file rocks down with and in that instance, I’d do whatever needs to be done (ie. Protect my hands until a replacement bar is found)

I have not used gloves in over two decades - however when I did I found that they took away from my grip strength. If it were me, I would do what I do when I travel and use gyms that do not allow chalk. I rip two thin pieces of those brown paper towels every gym has - wet them slightly - wrap them around the bar and pull.
Or, get a pair of those thin suede wrist raps and cut a strip from each and wrap it and start tugging. Amazon has them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/4bn2YRLrW5/?taken-by=testosteronenation

Nuff said.