Weight Lifting Gloves: Pros and Cons for Weight Lifting Routines

Weight lifting gloves are a common site among fitness enthusiasts who do weight lifting workouts. Men, along with women, wear weight lifting gloves; but most users of weight lifting gloves are women, by far. Two reasons why women often wear weight lifting gloves come to mind.

Weight lifting gloves prevent calluses from forming on the palms from weight training routines, especially exercise routines for back muscles. Secondly, weight lifting gloves allow for a more secure grip during certain exercise routines, particularly pulling and hanging routines.

It’s not likely that men wear weight lifting gloves to prevent calluses, but it seems like the overwhelming reason why men use weight lifting gloves is to get that firmer, better grip on the lat pull-over bar, rowing bar, or overhead bar with which to do hanging ab routines. Men also wear weight lifting gloves to perform deadlift routines.

So the pros of wearing the gloves are obvious:

1) To get a better grip for certain weight lifting routines

2) To prevent calluses

However, women also wear the gloves during weight lifting routines in which a tight grip is not necessary, nor will the grip for these particular muscle workouts cause calluses. Maybe it’s a hassle to keep taking the gloves off and putting them back on; so women simply just leave them on.

Chest exercises routines do not require a firm grip, nor will they build calluses. This includes workouts in which the woman is pushing against handles of exercise equipment. I take it that women simply leave the gloves on the whole time, rather than bothering with switching on and off with them.

I’m also inclined to believe that there’s a little bit of a fashion statement going on here, because some weight lifting gloves have a slight stylish flare to them.

But weight lifting gloves offer a huge disadvantage.

On one hand, they give you a better grip for pulling routines, and this includes shoulder shrugs with a barbell or shoulder shrug exercise equipment, not to mention pull-ups and deadlifts.

However, in a real life situation, in which you must grip something with all your might and pull, or just simply hang on with fury…if your hands are used to weight lifting gloves, then you will not be prepared in a real life situation in which you will not have handy weight lifting gloves to slip on.

Intense gripping in a real life situation may be needed while changing a flat tire, fighting off an assailant, holding onto someone who’s about to fall off a cliff, or who the heck knows what. The point is, the gloves prevent you from developing a TRUE strong, efficient grip.

Weight lifting gloves provide a false sense of accomplishment. They deprive even the forearm muscles from getting their best workout, since the glove traction makes it much easier to grip and maintain the grip.

Finally, am I the only one who thinks that the smell of sweat mixed with leather is just awful? Ever smell the disgusting odor of used boxing gloves? This is what weight lifting gloves that have been used quite a bit no doubt stink like.

I have noticeable calluses on my palms, and they are my badge of honor. I can grip things without any problem. And if I ever shake the hands of a man who’s thinking of getting fresh with me, well, he’ll immediately realize that a man is wise not to mess with a woman who has callused hands!