GRIPAD ® Blog

Finding the Right Hand Protection for your High Intensity Workout

You’ve been making the most of your cardio routine for a while now, and you’ve recently added a session of weight training a few times a week. You’ve seen how even short weight training sets can have a noticeable impact on your muscle tone, your strength, and your overall motivation. You’re ready to take your workout to the next level.

Awesome! And congratulations. Your determination and willingness to push the limits of your comfort zone will definitely pay off. But bear a few things in mind before you take your resistance training routine up a notch. First, make sure you have enough supervision and guidance to keep your technique on track and help you avoid injuries. If you’re lifting weights without the benefit of a machine, keep safety in mind and always lift with a spotter.

And second, you’ll need to protect your hands. Sessions of just a few reps a few times a week won’t cause problems, but if you plan to lift with intensity, you’ll need to place a layer of protection between your palms and the rough surfaces of bars, ropes and equipment. Otherwise you’ll end up with blisters and abrasions that can really hurt and will certainly drain your motivation.

Gloves are fine, but gloves can restrict your natural movement and can prevent your skin from breathing properly. Gripads make a great alternative to gloves, since they only cover the surface of your palm, allowing the rest of your hand to breathe and move naturally. Gripads place a soft, super-tough neoprene layer between your palms and rough surfaces. And while you focus on your goals and technique, your Gripads work just as hard as you do, wicking away moisture and protecting your skin from abrasions, blisters, and bacteria. Gear up, slide on a pair of Gripads, and get moving!

Partner Up: Weight Training and the Buddy System

Any exercise routine can benefit from a social aspect, but weight training and cross training are two areas where the advantages of teaming up can be especially dramatic. Working out with a partner can

improve your overall experience and can also lead to faster, more sustained progress. Partnering can also decrease the chances that you’ll let your enthusiasm slide and fall out of the exercise habit.

When you build your workout plans around a partner and the two of you schedule your gym time simultaneously, it makes it harder for either of you to back out at the last minute. Busy people know that time is valuable, and as difficult as it is to break your own engagements, an element of social pressure can make it even harder to break someone else’s.

A partner can provide feedback and offer pointers about things you may not be able to see on your own. If your technique can use some fine tuning, a partner can help your adjust your movements. She can provide perspective and encouragement if you think your progress is too slow, and an honest companion can also keep you on track if you’re getting lazy or think you’re leaping ahead faster than you actually are.

In addition to motivation, partners can provide objective advice and help. If you try to lift too much and get in over your head, your gym buddy can bail you out. And there’s much to be said for sharing the wisdom of experience.

Finally, and maybe most beneficial of all, partners attract more partners. It’s easier to approach strangers, build a support network, or establish a team if you go into the process together. What begins as a simple back and forth can build quickly into a chorus of encouragement.

I’m Tough as Nails! Why Shouldn’t I Lift With My Bare Hands?

There are several reasons why you need hand protection while lifting, no matter how tough you are. And chances are, you don’t just need just any hand protection; you need the strong, lightweight, moisture-wicking protection of a Gripad standing between you and the rough bars and surfaces of the gym.

If a few intense barehanded workouts haven’t convinced you that you need to protect those paws, or if you aren’t ready to give up your sweaty, musty, bacteria laden gloves, here are few reasons you might consider making the switch.

1.) First: Safety. Sweaty hands lead to slippery bars, and slippery, heavy bars can easily slide out of control. Chalk can help a little bit, but chalk is messy and wears off fast. Besides, chalk may protect your noggin or your foot from workout gear that slides out of your control, but it can’t protect your hands from abrasions, blisters and calluses. Read on.

2.) Second: Abrasions, blisters and calluses. Every injury to the skin leaves us vulnerable to infection, and as all athletes know, small injuries can lead to big ones. Not only are damaged hands painful, they can compromise performance. And of course, when your hands hurt, your motivation levels aren’t where they should be.

3.) Third: Style. Girls like men with rough, calloused hands, right? Wrong. Girls find them gross. Everybody does. A proper gentleman has a chiseled body and is ready for action, but his suit looks sharp and his hands are pleasant to touch. And the rules are the same for women– There’s no classier impression than that of a shapely, muscular body combined with an elegant handshake.

4.) Finally: Gloves are out. Strip off those musty, clammy gloves and slip on a fun, flexible Gripad. Your hands will thank you!