Weightlifting Gym Gloves

Weight lifting gloves can not only be used for lifting weights but any activity where you may have a fair bit of friction whilst gripping with your hands. Other activities that people use weightlifting gloves are bike riding, rowing, battle rope training, rope climbing, swinging a sledgehammer, chin ups, fitness gym rings, suspension units and other functional fitness rope exercises.
You can even use weightlifting gloves for punching lightweight inflated boxing balls as you don’t want much padding, as it is better to have just a light pair of open finger gloves to protect the skin on your knuckles.
The main benefit of wearing weight lifting gloves is so you don’t end up with blisters or thick callouses developed over time. Most people don’t like the feel and look of callouses and find them uncomfortable and unsightly.
Many people will start a workout forgetting to wear protective gloves or they don’t wear them because they think they won’t need them and end up truly regretting it when its too late as blisters can start suddenly whenever there is the smallest amount of friction in the grip.
Not only do they regret not wearing protective gloves when they have to cut their workout short but also the next day when it's too painful to maintain a grip and workout properly.
Weightlifting gloves and gym gloves also have the added benefit of helping to maintain a better grip by taking the friction away.
Many of the weightlifting gloves at Universal Self Defence also have an extra long wide wrist strap that you can pull tight for added wrist support to prevent joint strain and injury.

Types of Weightlifting Gloves
Most weightlifting gloves are made of leather and maybe combined with Neoprene rubber, Spandex, Lycra and/or breathable mesh material for a more comfortable fit and better airflow ventilation.
Some weight lifting gloves just concentrate on providing protection in the areas where you are most likely to get blisters and callouses. Other gloves also give extra wrist support with long wide Velcro strapping.
The most popular brand of weightlifting gloves and gym gloves at Universal Self Defence are the Morgan weight lifting gloves as they are easier to keep clean and dry off faster and provide a very good grip.

Cleaning Weightlifting Gloves
You need to properly clean and wash your weightlifting gloves and dry them out after every workout so they don’t harbour bacteria and smell. If they are leather gloves they will also go mouldy if you don’t keep them clean and dry.
The best way to wash your weightlifting gloves is to hand wash with warm water and soap or detergent to remove all sweat and greasy grime. Wearing the gloves is the easiest way to hold them whilst you wash the outside of the gloves and rub them with a firm sponge or soft brush.
Also open the gloves and wash the inside with a sponge or cleaning cloth. Once your gloves are all nice and clean you need to rinse them and dry them out thoroughly.
If your gloves are drying out too slowly you can finish the drying off with a hair dryer on a low heat setting. Avoid washing machines and clothes dryers as they may damage the gloves particularly if you have a long wrist strap and it tangles and gets caught in the wash it can easily tear.
Neoprene and leather gloves do not like spending a lot of time in the hot summer sun. Always store your gloves in a dry well ventilated area. Leaving your weight lifting gloves in your damp and dark gym bag for any length of time is never a good idea as it only encourages the growth of bacteria and mould.
So you can keep training whilst one pair of weight gloves are drying out you should have an extra backup pair so you are never out of action. It is also a good idea to use leather oil lotion to preserve your leather weightlifting gloves and use an anti-bacteria spray so your gloves and other gear stay hygienically clean and smell nice so you are happy to use them again.