Hand Grips: Types, Benefits, and How to Properly Wear Them

How Do You Put On Hand Grips?

Properly donning hand grips involves selecting the correct type for your activity, orienting them correctly on your hand, and securely fastening them to ensure optimal protection, enhanced grip, and injury prevention during various exercises.

Understanding Hand Grips: A Foundation

Hand grips are specialized accessories designed to protect the hands, enhance grip strength, or improve comfort during a wide range of physical activities, from gymnastics and weightlifting to general fitness. They serve as a crucial interface between your hands and the equipment, mitigating friction, distributing pressure, and sometimes even augmenting your hold.

Types of Hand Grips:

• Gymnastic Grips (Dowel Grips): Often made of leather or synthetic material with finger holes and a wrist strap, featuring a dowel or ridge that sits over the bar. Used for pull-ups, toes-to-bar, muscle-ups, and other high-volume bar work to prevent tearing and improve grip on the apparatus.
• Weightlifting Straps (Lifting Straps): Typically made of cotton, nylon, or leather, these wrap around the wrist and then around the barbell or dumbbell to secure the lifter's hand to the weight. Primarily used for heavy deadlifts, rows, shrugs, and other pulling movements where grip strength might be a limiting factor.
• Padded Grips/Gloves: Full or partial gloves, often with gel or foam padding in the palm area, secured with a wrist strap. Designed for general weight training to prevent calluses, reduce discomfort, and improve grip on various gym equipment.
• Callus Protection Pads: Smaller, often silicone or fabric pads that cover specific areas of the palm prone to calluses or blisters.
• Figure-8 Straps: A specific type of lifting strap that forms two loops, one for the hand and one for the bar, creating an extremely secure, almost locked-in grip.

Why Use Hand Grips? Benefits for Performance and Protection

Utilizing hand grips judiciously can offer several significant advantages for athletes and fitness enthusiasts:

• Enhanced Grip Strength and Endurance: By offloading some of the direct grip requirement from your forearms, grips allow you to hold onto a bar or handle for longer, or lift heavier loads than your natural grip might otherwise permit. This is particularly beneficial for high-rep sets or maximal lifts.
• Preventing Calluses and Blisters: Direct friction between the skin and rough surfaces (like barbells, pull-up bars, or kettlebells) can lead to painful calluses and blisters. Grips create a protective barrier, preserving skin integrity.
• Reducing Forearm Fatigue: When performing exercises that heavily tax the forearms and grip (e.g., deadlifts, pull-ups), grips can delay the onset of forearm fatigue, allowing you to focus on the target muscles and complete more repetitions or sets.
• Improving Lifting Performance: For movements where the primary goal is to train large muscle groups (e.g., back muscles during rows or deadlifts), grip strength can often be the limiting factor. Grips allow you to lift heavier, thereby stimulating greater muscle growth and strength gains in the intended target muscles, without being prematurely limited by grip failure.
• Support and Stability: Some grips, particularly those with wrist wraps, offer additional wrist support, which can be beneficial for stability during heavy lifts.

When to Utilize Hand Grips

While beneficial, hand grips should be used strategically to avoid over-reliance, which could hinder the development of natural grip strength.

• High-Volume Training: When performing numerous repetitions of exercises like pull-ups, toes-to-bar, or kettlebell swings, grips can protect your hands and allow you to complete the intended volume.
• Grip-Challenging Movements: For exercises where your grip is likely to fail before your target muscles, such as heavy deadlifts, shrugs, or rows, grips allow you to maximize the load on the primary movers.
• Callus Prevention: If you are prone to severe calluses or blisters and wish to maintain smoother hands, using grips for most pulling and pushing movements can be helpful.
• Rehabilitation or Injury Prevention: In cases of minor hand or wrist injuries, or to prevent exacerbating existing calluses, grips can provide necessary protection and support.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Properly Don Hand Grips

The method for putting on hand grips varies significantly depending on the type.

I. Gymnastic Grips (e.g., Dowel Grips, Fingerless Grips)

1. Preparation: Ensure the wrist strap is unfastened. If there are finger holes, identify the correct left and right grip (they are often mirrored).
2. Positioning Fingers: Insert your middle and ring fingers (or indices, depending on the grip's design) into the designated finger holes. For two-finger grips, these are usually the middle and ring fingers. For three-finger grips, it's typically index, middle, and ring. The base of the finger holes should sit comfortably at the base of your fingers, not too tight or loose.
3. Aligning the Dowel/Pad: Pull the grip down over your palm. For dowel grips, the leather flap with the dowel should extend beyond your fingertips, allowing the dowel to sit just below your first knuckle when wrapped around a bar. For fingerless or padded grips, the main body of the grip should cover the central part of your palm, particularly the areas prone to calluses.
4. Securing the Wrist Strap: Wrap the wrist strap around your wrist and fasten it securely, usually with Velcro or a buckle. It should be snug enough to hold the grip in place without restricting blood flow or movement. The grip should feel like an extension of your hand.
5. Testing: Lightly grip a bar or simulate the movement to ensure the grip sits correctly and doesn't pinch or slide excessively. Adjust the wrist strap tension as needed.

II. Weightlifting Straps (Loop or Lasso Style)

1. Thread the Strap: Take one strap. If it has a loop at one end, thread the other end of the strap through this loop. This creates a main loop for your hand. If it's a "lasso" style without a pre-made loop, simply form a loop by folding one end over.
2. Position on Wrist: Slide your hand through the loop you just created. The excess strap should hang down the inside of your palm, towards your thumb. For most straps, the strap should come from between your thumb and index finger, then run across your palm.
3. Wrap Around the Bar: With the strap hanging down, place your hand over the barbell or dumbbell. Wrap the excess strap underneath the bar and then over the top. You want to wrap it in the direction away from your body. For example, if you're holding the bar with your palm facing down, wrap the strap towards your fingers, then around the bar back towards your wrist.
4. Tightening the Grip: Once wrapped, grab the excess strap with your thumb and fingers and pull it tight. Rotate your hand around the bar to further cinch the strap, ensuring a secure, almost "locked-in" feel. Your hand should be able to relax slightly while maintaining a strong connection to the bar.
5. Repeat for Other Hand: Follow the same steps for the other hand. Ensure both straps are wrapped similarly and are equally tight.
   • Note on Figure-8 Straps: These are simpler to put on. You slide one hand through one loop, then wrap the second loop around the bar, and finally slide your other hand through the remaining loop. This creates an extremely secure, non-releasable connection.

III. Callus Protection Grips/Pads

1. Identify Target Area: Determine which part of your palm or fingers requires protection (usually the areas where calluses form).
2. Position the Pad: Place the pad directly over the callus or high-friction area.
3. Secure (if applicable): Some pads have adhesive backing, finger loops, or elastic bands to keep them in place. Ensure it's smooth and doesn't bunch up.

IV. Neoprene/Gel Padded Grips (often glove-like)

1. Orient Correctly: Ensure the grip is right-side up and for the correct hand. Most have distinct palm and back-of-hand sections.
2. Slide Hand In: Slide your hand into the grip, ensuring your fingers go through any designated holes or sleeves.
3. Adjust Padding: Make sure the padding sits flush against your palm and fingers without wrinkles.
4. Secure Wrist Strap: If present, fasten the Velcro or elastic wrist strap for a snug fit.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Over-Reliance: Using grips for every exercise can hinder the natural development of your grip strength. Use them for heavy lifts, high volume, or when specifically targeting muscles where grip is a limiting factor.
• Incorrect Sizing: Grips that are too large will bunch up and be ineffective; too small, and they will be uncomfortable and restrictive. Always check sizing guides.
• Improper Placement: If gymnastic grips aren't positioned correctly on your fingers or the dowel is too high/low, they won't provide the intended protection. If lifting straps are wrapped incorrectly, they won't secure the bar effectively.
• Neglecting Grip Strength Development: Even with grips, continue to incorporate exercises that directly challenge your natural grip strength (e.g., farmer's carries, plate pinches, dead hangs without grips) to build a robust foundation.

Choosing the Right Grips and Maintenance

Factors to Consider When Choosing:

• Activity: Match the grip type to your primary activity (gymnastics, powerlifting, general fitness).
• Material: Leather offers durability and molds to the hand; synthetic materials can be lighter and more flexible. Cotton/nylon are common for lifting straps.
• Fit: A proper fit is crucial for comfort and effectiveness. Refer to sizing charts and consider trying them on if possible.
• Purpose: Are you prioritizing callus prevention, enhanced grip for heavy lifts, or protection for high-volume bar work?

Care and Longevity:

• Cleaning: Most grips can be wiped down with a damp cloth. Leather grips may require special leather cleaner. Allow them to air dry completely to prevent odor and mildew.
• Storage: Store grips in a cool, dry place, ideally laid flat or hung, to maintain their shape and material integrity.
• Inspection: Regularly inspect your grips for signs of wear and tear, such as fraying straps, cracked leather, or worn padding. Replace them when they show significant damage to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Conclusion: Optimizing Your Training with Proper Grip Usage

Hand grips are valuable tools in your fitness arsenal, offering tangible benefits for performance, comfort, and injury prevention. Understanding the various types, their specific applications, and the correct method for donning them is essential for maximizing their utility. By integrating them strategically and maintaining a balanced approach to grip strength development, you can effectively enhance your training, push past previous limitations, and ensure the longevity of your hands throughout your fitness journey.