Training gloves: how to choose the right one, types and features

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For many, CrossFit, fitness and the gym are just a way to get into better shape. For this category of people, it is important not only to gain greater muscle volume and functional strength, but also to maintain the tenderness of the palms, for example, if their work is related to fine motor skills (music, writing, sorting something, working on a PC). This means that in this case you will have to work in such uniforms as training gloves.

What are they needed for?

Men's fingerless workout gloves are often considered bad manners when used in basement gyms. However, despite the disdainful attitude towards them, this is one of the useful accessories for an athlete:

Firstly, these gloves help avoid the appearance of calluses on your hands. This is a very important cosmetic factor. Although calluses are considered masculine, for women they are not necessary and, on the contrary, spoil the texture of the palm.
Secondly, gloves reduce the pressure of the barbell or dumbbells on your fingers. At the same time, the discomfort that can be caused by the pressure of the projectile on the bare hand is reduced or completely disappears.
Thirdly, perforations on the back of the glove, as well as a special coating on some models, reduce the possibility of slipping off the horizontal bar or other apparatus. This is useful primarily for workout athletes, but crossfit athletes who often have to perform exercises on the bar would also benefit from such a bonus.
Fourth, wrist protection.
Some gloves allow you to hold your hand in a natural position while performing exercises. This protects the wrist joint from injury.

Women most often use gloves only to protect against calluses. How to choose the right women's training gloves? According to absolutely the same principles as men's. The only difference will be in the size chart.

Conclusion

Sports gloves are a great way to protect yourself from injuries in the gym and improve the quality of your training process. The products reliably protect the skin of your hands, prevent sweaty palms from slipping off the uneven bars or barbell, and correctly distribute the load. To choose the right gloves for fitness, you need to take into account the specifics of your activity. Special accessories are designed for different sports. In addition to fitness features, when purchasing gloves, you should consider the material, quality of seams and the ability of the products to breathe. Your comfort, safety and effectiveness of training in the gym depend on these characteristics.

For crossfit

CrossFit gloves are different from regular sports gloves. They are produced mainly by sponsors of CrossFit competitions, namely Reebok. What is their main difference?

Availability of special fasteners. Such clamps are used in powerlifting and allow you not to worry about the position of the barbell, especially when working with an open grip.
Another important factor is ultimate strength. CrossFit training involves high-amplitude jerking exercises, which creates enormous friction and, as a result, easily wears down classic gym gloves.
Lining thickness. Since every muscle group is important during competitions and preparation for them, despite all their strength, the gloves have a reduced lining thickness. This allows you to better feel the projectile in your hands and partially relieve the load from the wrist muscles, allowing you to fully control the main muscle groups in the exercise.
Uncut fingers. As a rule, crossfit gloves are made with closed fingers for better protection.

©reebok.com

Fun fact: Many CrossFit athletes don't like to use gloves during training and competition. At the same time, champions of the CrossFit games and top 10 athletes always use them in competitions, as this allows them not to be distracted by additional pain. For example, Josh Bridges (famous CrossFit athlete and military man) used CrossFit gloves even during his race on the Chinese wall. In his message to fans, he mentions the importance of all equipment in training, as he believes that there is no need to expose your body to unnecessary injuries outside of competition.

Buying tips

The product should not be heavy so that your hands do not get tired too quickly. You should ask your consultant for gloves that are made of airtight fabric to allow your palms to “breathe.” If you train frequently, it is recommended to buy two or three pairs of gloves so that you can change them while one is in the wash.

Fitness gloves are not machine washable with powder. It is recommended to wash them by hand in water and soap. Do not dry the product in a radiator or in the sun. This worsens the thread density and the gloves may shrink. The washed equipment is hung up and allowed to dry without vigorous spinning.

Criterias of choice

How to choose the right gloves for training? To do this, you need to take into account some features of your strength sport. However, the selection criteria are approximately the same:

Size. It doesn’t matter what you do - bodybuilding, crossfit, workout - you need to take gloves that fit your size, not for your height and not smaller. They should fit your wrist tightly and not fall off or dangle. This will help avoid some injuries.
Lining thickness. Despite the fact that the thicker the lining, the less comfortable it is to perform the exercise, it is still worth choosing a thick one. It is a factor that allows you to passively increase your grip strength. In addition, a thick lining indirectly affects safety, as it allows you to safely throw a heavy projectile without fear of tearing your hands bloody.
Material. Traditionally, they are made from leather, faux leather, cotton or neoprene (synthetics). Leather gloves look impressive and allow you to clearly hold the projectile in your hands. Their disadvantage is that the hand can sweat a lot. Leatherette is a similar material, but less durable. Cotton gloves are the cheapest, but they are only suitable for light fitness, since they are of little use in strength exercises. Neoprene creates good grip on the barbell or dumbbells, and perforations prevent your hands from sweating.
Presence/absence of fingers. In the absence of fingers, the palms will be protected from overheating, sweat and, accordingly, unpleasant odor. If the fingers are perforated, this disadvantage can be avoided.

Which ones to choose?

Clothes say a lot about the wearer. And sportswear, especially fitness gloves, can also tell how you feel about exercise. Thus, hand protection is divided into several types.

The classification is based on the level of protection, quality of fabric, use of innovative developments, etc.

for amateurs;
for strength training;
for professionals.

This division will help when choosing gloves. For example, you need to get gloves for fitness or aerobics. In this case, it is better to choose an ordinary pair, for the amateur. For those who like to lift iron, it is better to choose an accessory with a note for power loads. For the manufacture of such gloves, genuine leather, soft lining, as well as a perspiration and ventilation system are used. Your hands will be dry and your workout will be full of comfort. Well, the pros choose a product that is made using innovative technologies: fixing the wrists, maintaining shape after washing, etc.

Determining the correct glove size

A standard grid is used to determine the size of gloves. Of course, it does not take into account the length of the athlete’s fingers, but if you choose gloves for fingerless sports, then they are not taken into account. It is enough to know exactly your palm size in girth. We present you a table of values that will help you choose the right gloves if you purchase them online:

Your palm size in width (cm)	Girth	Letter designation
7	18,5	S (small size)
7	19	S (small size)
7	19,5	S (small size)
7,5	20	S (small size)
7,5	20,5	S (small size)
8	21	M (medium size)
8	21,5	M (medium size)
8	22	M (medium size)
8	22,5	M (medium size)
8,5	23	M (medium size)
8,5	23,5	M (medium size)
9	24	L (large size)
10	26,5	XL (large size)
10	27	XL (large size)

Note: nevertheless, despite the table of sizes provided, if you want to really accurately select the size of a glove, you need to try them on in a store, since sometimes the sizes on the Internet are incorrectly indicated, or they use some other metric system. For example, Chinese, in the case of working with AliExpress, where you need to make an adjustment up one size.

Rating of the best manufacturers

Finally, let’s look at companies that are leaders in the production of sports equipment for fitness, in particular protective gloves.

The undoubted leader here is Nike , which almost every season presents new collections of gloves for fitness and weightlifting. The most popular among professionals today are Nike gloves from the Men's Elite and Destroyer models.

Under Armor has been specializing in the production of equipment for athletes for three decades. During this time, the company managed to take second place in terms of quantity and quality of products.

is engaged in the production of fitness accessories intended for both amateurs and professionals. Gloves from this manufacturer have a wide range of sizes and modifications, which allows you to choose the right option for almost any buyer.

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Floor

Men's - have a pad on the inside that securely fixes the neck. Men's gloves are wider than women's gloves.

Women's - they are distinguished by their smaller size, bright design and the absence of an overlay for reliable grip on the barbell and dumbbells. These gloves do not provide wrist support.

There are also unisex gloves that are designed for men and women. The versatility of these models results in worse performance compared to “special” gloves.

Try on or order from a virtual counter

A large number of online stores offer products at discounted prices with fast delivery. Very attractive multi-colored models that attract the attention of every woman. She selects an exquisite accessory, hoping to try it out at her first training session.

But the result of such a choice may be more disappointing than pleasing. Naturally, a computer monitor cannot provide fitting and thorough inspection of the product. The model may not fit your hand tightly, leaving free gaps. And this is fraught with serious consequences: injuries (they couldn’t hold the barbell due to the glove slipping), inconvenience and irritation that increases during training.

How to choose gloves for the gym to ensure you are satisfied with your purchase? Go to a sporting goods store that has a high degree of trust and try on as many models as you want.

Nuances of choice

Gloves should merge with the skin into a single whole; during training, it is important not to feel anything except the handle of the exercise machine. Poor cushioning should be a reason to change the pair to a more comfortable one that fits in size.

And if you decide to choose one of the models on the virtual counter, you should carefully study the photo of the product, compare the manufacturer and search the Internet for additional information. If the compliance is complete and the price is similar to the manufacturer’s offer, you can decide to purchase.