How to choose fitness gloves?

January 30, 2022 Admin Home page » Tips and tricks

How to choose the right gloves for fitness. Benefits of use and criteria for selection. Types of gloves. How to choose the right size. Educational video.

Nowadays, fitness gloves are often used by girls, because calluses on the hands and other abrasions do not at all beautify delicate women’s hands. Although when performing heavy approaches with large weights, guys also wear gloves, otherwise the calluses may break off, forming the so-called “shells”.

In general, training gloves can prevent hand pain and improve athletic performance.

Pros of use

The old generation often uses magnesium, which degreases the palms well, allowing you to hold the barbell firmly in your hands, preventing it from slipping. In addition, chalk is an indispensable attribute for powerlifters at competitions, but for training in the gym, you don’t really want to be smeared in white powder, let alone girls in beautiful sports leggings or suits.

Recently, preference is still beginning to be given to gloves, and buying gloves for fitness is now not difficult.

The advantages are:

♦ HYGIENE. You are not training alone in the gym, completely different people can visit it, they take the same sports equipment and it is not known what germs you will pick up next time.

♦ ANTI-SLIP PROTECTION . Whatever one may say, intense training increases sweating; a wet layer forms between the palms and the barbell, which reduces adhesion to the iron and can lead to slipping. It’s good if there are no consequences, but you can also injure yourself and others.

♦ LESS INJURIES. As mentioned above, they protect against calluses, which is why women's fitness gloves are so popular among the fair half of humanity. What kind of lady wants rough hands with scuffs.

♦ STRENGTHENING YOUR GRIP. The muscles of the forearm are small in volume and less durable than the muscles of the back. Therefore, during pulling exercises with a decent weight, you just want to lower the bar ahead of time, although the back muscles are still ready to work. Therefore, men's fitness gloves along with wrist straps will come in handy.

What are the benefits of fitness gloves?

Some people involved in fitness and crossfit consider it unnecessary to wear gloves during training.

This especially applies to newbie men, who thereby seek to show their disdain for calluses. However, such an attitude towards fitness gloves, like any other piece of sports equipment, is unacceptable.

They are specially designed not only for the convenience of the exerciser, but also to reduce the risk of injury during exercise. In this situation, refusing to wear gloves is, in its frivolity, similar to refusing to wear a seat belt in a car. To many they seem like an unnecessary accessory, but in fact they allow you to avoid many troubles.

The relief of the palms of the glove, as well as a special anti-slip coating, will prevent the projectile from slipping out of the athlete’s hands . During training on the horizontal bar, the athlete does not have to make additional efforts to squeeze the crossbar with his fingers. Gloves with a non-slip surface enhance your finger grip.
The perforated surface and special design make it possible to remove sweat from the surface of the palms.
The fabric creates a shock-absorbing layer between the athlete's hand and the steel surface of the sports equipment. Reducing the pressure that the barbell or horizontal bar exerts on your fingers allows you to preserve their motor skills and sensitivity . This is especially important for people who, by profession, perform delicate work - working at a computer, playing musical instruments, assembling and repairing radio electronics.
Protects fingers and palms from the appearance of calluses. For men, this factor is not so important, but the fair sex pays considerable attention to the beauty of their hands. Also, in the initial stages of the appearance of calluses, they cause a lot of discomfort and pain, sometimes causing the cancellation of training.

Types of gloves

In addition to the division into male and female, there is a clearer gradation.

♦ AMATEUR. Recommended for training with light weights, the main goal is to prevent weight slipping and protection from mechanical damage.

♦ PROFESSIONAL. It is used for active bodybuilding and crossfit training, where weights and intensity begin to go off scale, therefore the strength of the fabrics used must be appropriate.

Typically the gloves come in a fingerless form, but for Workout style training, they are a full glove to protect the entire surface of the hand.

Varieties

First of all, fitness gloves are grouped into women's and men's. Their design is similar, the only difference is in size and color.

There is also a division according to the purpose of application:

Amateur . This includes gloves for pull-ups and training with light equipment. Such models are made of thin materials and are used as a means of protection against scratches, for hygienic purposes, and also to prevent slipping.
Professional . This category includes gloves for crossfit and bodybuilding. This equipment is made from durable fabrics, most often leather, and has additional padding for safety when working with heavy projectiles.

Amateur and professional models, as a rule, are made “without fingers”. Although some gloves for the horizontal bar have full protection for the hands.

Such accessories are coated on the inside with a special material that prevents slipping on the crossbar. Similar gloves are used in workout.

What to look for when choosing

The choice of gloves is huge, monochromatic, multi-colored, in one word your eyes run wild, so as not to drown in this variety, you need to remember the main points:

♦ DEGREE OF PROTECTION AGAINST DAMAGE. The gloves are of high quality and additionally have rubber linings that protect against damage during strong compression and enhance grip on the surface.

♦ MATERIAL OF MANUFACTURE. The most common ones are synthetic, but if irritation of the palms makes itself felt, you need to buy a leather version. Leather is expensive and the surface is not as durable as synthetics.

♦ VENTILATION. An important moment during the training process is when the body temperature rises and sweat begins to be released twice as much. The choice must be made on a mesh on the outside of the palm or with a sufficient number of ventilated holes.

♦ WRIST MOUNT. Professionals use an elastic bandage that extends beyond the gloves and holds the wrist well during heavy approaches. In other cases, it is necessary to opt for wide Velcro so that the fastener does not bounce off at the most inopportune moment.

♦ ADDITIONAL CHIPS. For Workout enthusiasts or gymnasts, gloves with metal hooks are a good option. This will reduce the load on the brachioradialis muscles (forearms), prevent you from releasing your grip prematurely and conducting a full workout without the fear of breaking off and collapsing to the floor.

Criterias of choice

There is a large assortment of fitness leggings in sports stores. Externally they are almost identical. But in order to choose a truly suitable model and not waste money, we recommend paying attention to the features:

Material . On the shelves you mainly find gloves made of synthetic fabrics. They are cheap and durable. But if you have skin that is sensitive to irritation, it is best to stick to cotton models. To strengthen your grip, leather gloves are considered the most suitable. But they have the following disadvantages: high cost, rapid abrasion of the inner surface.
Perforation . Pay attention to the location and number of holes. If they are not there, it is better to refuse the purchase. Such equipment will constantly create increased sweating of the hands and cause irritation. As a rule, the problem of beautiful hand skin is relevant for girls, so we recommend that they purchase gloves with a fully mesh top.
Fastening . Almost all gaiters are made with Velcro on the wrist. It is desirable that the “tongue” of the fastening be wide. This will improve the fit on your hand. We recommend that bodybuilders pay attention to gaiters with an elastic “bandage” for the wrist. Such equipment will help to fix the hand when performing power presses with heavy equipment.
Additional accessories . If you are new to workout and cannot hold on to the bar for a long time, purchase gloves with special metal hooks. The equipment will help relieve the muscles of the forearms and allow you to perform pull-ups without the risk of falling off the horizontal bar.
Protection from mechanical impact . More expensive leggings are equipped with special rubber inserts that reduce the likelihood of getting a bruise or scratch. In addition, the rubber “notch” on the inside helps to better hold the projectile or hang on the bar longer.

Popular models of different brands with approximate prices:

for bodybuilding - “Mad Max Professional” (800-900 rubles);
for crossfit and fitness - “Nike Legendary Training Gloves” (RUR 1,900-RUR 2,100);
for girls - “LabellaMafia LV 40” (1300-1500 rubles);
for workout - “Workout F3 PRO” (1,700 rubles).

What are there

If you go to the most famous sports stores, for example, the same Sportmaster, then on the product shelves you can see the following types of gloves:

women's - different sizes, cheerful colors. Often these gloves are not equipped with pads for fixing the bar;
men's - a high-quality option should have perforation or a special mesh for air circulation;
children's;
no fingers. Today you can find a large number of high-quality gloves from the best brands: Reebok, Adidas, Puma, Nike and others.

Why are they needed?

The way you look in the gym is also of no small importance on the path to self-improvement. A kind of motivation, if you like. So, modern, high-quality fitness gloves today play the role of an indicator of a professional athlete. Well, or, at least, a successful, reasonable and thorough person.

The main function of fitness gloves is to protect human health. It would seem what kind of health these small scraps of tissue on the hands can help maintain. But no, they have enough advantages to think about purchasing them.

Features of the models

Retainer

This additional feature helps keep your wrists in a natural position, especially during close-grip exercises. There are models with a bar or dumbbell lock, which is very important when working with heavy weights. For convenience, the clamps are made tensile or rigid. In the latter case, fixation occurs in the only possible position. In the second, its degree can be adjusted depending on the exercise or goals.

Weighting material

Adidas, unlike Nike, offers gloves with weights. Additional weights are sewn directly into the glove, and on some models they are easy to remove and add others. On average, you can weigh about half a kilogram.

Dimensions

Any sportswear store, such as Sportmaster, advises you to buy gloves exclusively in your size. How to determine it? To do this, measure the circumference of the palm, wrapping it with a centimeter at the base of the fingers, excluding the thumb. The average size for women is 15-25 cm, for men – 20-30.

The European standard size chart looks like this:

for women: S – 16 cm, M – 17-19 cm, L – 20-22 cm, XL – 23-24 cm;
for men: M – 22-23 cm, L – 24 cm, XL – 26 cm, XXL – 28-30 cm.

Since gloves for sports are mostly fingerless, their length does not matter here. If we are talking about a model with long fingers, the middle one, the longest one, is measured.

As you can see, the size values are fixed. But what to buy if your palm circumference is at borderline levels? In this case, it is necessary to take into account the material of the gloves and their purpose. Thus, thin single-layer leather ones will quickly stretch, especially on wet palms, so it is better to take a smaller size. Synthetic fabrics and leatherette do not stretch, so you should give preference to a slightly larger size.

Models with clamps should be taken strictly according to the hand, since they do not change size, and accuracy in this case is very important. Manufacturers such as Adidas and Nike make gloves of complex designs with the widest possible sizing grid.