Strength training is a great way to boost your muscle mass and strength. However, if you’ve spent any time at all in the gym, then you may have noticed that some body builders use weight lifting straps while others wear gloves. Each option has its own advantages, so let’s go over them now, enabling you to choose the one that will work best for you.
Weight Lifting Straps
When you use weight lifting straps during your strength training workouts, the major advantage is that you can lift heavier weights (like power lifters do) without worrying about them slipping out of your hands or your fingers not being strong enough to hold them.
You simply wrap the strap around your wrist and attach the other end to the weight, giving you added support and grip while lifting it. Essentially, it locks your hands to the weight, lowering the risk that it will slip out of your grasp and land anywhere on your body, which could potentially cause a lot of physical harm.
Weight Lifting Gloves
Weight lifting gloves are the other alternative and one worth considering if you’re not real concerned with dropping the weight, but just want to have a better grasp on it so you feel more comfortable with the movement. These are probably best suited for people who are lifting lighter weights.
One thing to keep in mind with gloves though is that they are going to make your grip wider due to the fabric and material that exists between your hands and the bar. Ultimately, this could end up hurting your grip strength, so you might want to stick with straps if this is important to you.
Do you work out with weight lifting straps or gloves? Which one do you prefer and why?