Martial Arts

Unless you're a Longshoreman trying to impress the boss, rough hands are a real no-no; and those who exercise regularly using strength equipment, know just how tough a few hours a week in the gym can be on the hands. Calluses develop over time on the palms and at the base of the fingers from rigorous repetitive griping like that done on a free weight bar, a dumbbell, or the handle bar on a piece of gym equipment. Thus, a good pair of workout gloves can make the difference in creating a nice firm handshake you can be proud of, versus a swipe from a claw that could slice vegetables!

The function of a workout glove is to provide adequate protection and maximum grip, yet allow movement and flexibility for those exercises that require extension and/or flexion in the hand to be done properly. Most of the gloves on the market today are a fingerless design, that protects the palms yet allows the fingertips to move freely. There are also a few unique designs and lifting straps that fall under this category, and I've tossed those into the “Best of the Rest” for convenience.

The questions to ask about a workout glove are simple:

1. Does a glove protect the parts of the hand that need protecting?

2. Does a glove provide proper flexibility and grip that allow an exercise to be done properly?

3. Does it last and is it washable? Because a glove can start “barking” fairly quickly, if you know what I mean!