Hand Protection for CrossFitters
by Teresa Trojanowski
If you regularly perform bar hanging gymnastics movements like pull-ups, bar muscle-ups and toes to bar, you’ve likely considered some sort of hand protection…but with so many different options, how do you know what to choose?
The right hand protection can help prevent rips and hand tears, as well as improve your grip on the bar.
So what are your options?
GRIPS VS GLOVES
Gymnastics grips are absolutely the only way to go for CrossFit. While gloves (whether they’re full on gloves or fingerless ones) offer some protection, they often make it MORE difficult to hang on to the bar. Your hands still shift and slide inside the gloves, meaning that you have to squeeze the bar even harder to keep from falling off. Think about it: have you ever seen a single competitive CrossFit athlete wear gloves while on the pull-up bar? The answer is NO. It’s worth considering what the athletes who have access to the best equipment, and who are doing the most reps are choosing to use!
“But I like that my gloves protect my thumbs, too!” No problem. Some athletic tape, or even some specialty weightlifting tape, wrapped around your thumb will do just the trick.
TWO OR THREE HOLE GRIPS?
This is a matter of preference. Two finger grips are smaller and less bulky. If you have smaller hands, this could be the way to go. They also allow for more wrist flexibility so that if you’re doing something like cleans or front squats in your workout, your front rack position may not be as restricted. The obvious advantage to three finger grips is that they offer more surface area for protection of your hand.
WHAT BRAND SHOULD I BUY?
At the top of most lists, and my grips of choice (also Rich Froning’s), are the Bear Komplex grips. The wrist straps are comfortable, and the grip on the bar is solid. I’d recommend the Carbon (synthetic) material over the leather because I find that they take less time to break in and dry quickly, however leather is extremely durable. It’s really a matter of preference. If you’re interested in trying these on before you order them online, our friends at Below Parallel in the Heights sell this brand!
OTHER POPULAR BRANDS:
Victory Grips: these grips have extra protection in the wrist area for use when you’re in the false grip. They have both leather and synthetic options, as well as two, three and FOUR finger grips.
Picsil Grips: this is a newer brand to the US but is already gaining popularity amongst CrossFit Games athletes. They come with the standard options of other grips, but you can also choose your thickness preference.
Rogue Fitness Grips: pretty simple, and a bit more economical.
If you really want to get serious, check out CrossFit Games athlete Jacob Heppner’s super intense (and arguably unnecessary) testing and review of 25 different pairs of grips.
**BONUS**
Did you know that actual gymnasts’ gymnastics grips have a wooden dowel build into them that allows for more grip strength, and takes some pressure off of the callouses and fingers? These types of grips are not allowed in CrossFit, but you can achieve a similar effect through sizing up and folding your grips (see right side picture) over the bar. It takes some practice, so if you’re new to grips, this may be something you want to hold off on, however, if you already feel comfortable wearing hand protection, this technique is worth a try!
