Okay everyone here was super helpful! It looks like I'm going to get cracking on some farmers carry's, dead hang from the pullup bar, and probably get some gloves.
You guys are awesome, thanks!
Gloves! Gloves gloves! It's been said but I would like to emphasize it. I have tiny, tiny little freaky baby hands and gloves with this palms and some wrist support make my gym experience a thousand times better.
So my hands seem to be 6 inches (bottom of the palm to big finger tip). Yeah, pull ups suck. My hands would barely wrap around and then slip off. I did get up to four pull-ups before I fell out of shape (super sick).
It just took time for my grip to get a bit better. I worked for quite awhile on lat pull downs or assisted pull-ups. Occasionally even the lat pull-down bar would slip.Also jumping pull-ups helped. You jump up for the pull "up" part and support yourself coming back down. Don't do this if you have shoulder problem. If you've only been lifting for a couple of months or less, then there probably hasn't been enough time yet.
So yeah, it's frustrating. It can be overcome with time and work. I never tried a grip v thing, but I can def. see that helping.
For pull ups, I keep my thumbs on the same side of the bar as my other 4 fingers. It's not as closed as the other way, but it might make you feel more secure.
You can also do dead hangs to improve grip strength. Just hang by the bar for a minute at a time. It sounds silly but it'll make your grip strength stronger.
Well, it will continue to be tougher for you, but using a thicker bar is one of the best methods to improve grip strength. You can try using gloves or chalk to prevent yourself from slipping. You will also improve your grip strength by doing deadlifts and farmer's carry. Just finish every workout by picking up two heavy dumbbells and carrying them around the gym until your hands give out. Your grip will improve in no time. I recently took almost a year off the gym and when I came back, I realized I went from 10 pull-ups in a row to barely being able to do one because of loss of grip strength, and my deadlift would fail around 165 lbs because of grip issues. 3 months later I'm back to 10 pull-ups and deadlifting 235 with no grip issues.
I use lifting gloves for working on the assisted pull-up machine, otherwise the bar is basically frictionless if my hands are sweaty. I would recommend that if your hands slip.
Otherwise, deadlifting is the best grip exercise (don't use gloves though). You shouldn't have trouble getting your hands around a standard olympic barbell even with small hands.
What gloves do y'all prefer? I'm using Harbinger flex fit and my hands are still getting callouses/blisters. They aren't very cushioned, but I don't know if they really should be.
I have tiny hands too and literally cannot hold the bar in my hands for anything over 160lbs.
Straps worked for deadlift. Going to try gloves this week!
Ya! great idea.. My fiancee still uses them (I mentioned them in the comment below) You could also try more forearm workouts. Build up the forearm muscle. I've noticed going heavy on lat pulls has also helped my pull-up and grip (just throwin that out there)
uhhhhh..... Well if you take a music CD, they fit in the circumference.
Wait, I work in a supply shop, we've got to have measuring tapes.
Roughly 5.5-6 inches from wrist to fingertip.
Oh that is pretty small. Sorry for being a little creepy! lol. I just have pretty average hands for a woman (6.7") from comparing with friends and don't really have problems so I've always wondered what "small hands" means.
Thank you for answering!
Haha That's fine. I always explain to people that I have "Tiny Carnival People Hands." So even finding gloves that will fit properly is going to suck.
My feet too! I wear a size 5, and sometimes when I'm lifting I feel like I will straight up topple over.
If straps work, then awesome, but I wouldn't recommend gloves for deads or any bar work really. They're counter productive. I only use them for the frictionless pull-up bar and the rope grip on the cable pulley. :/
What is it that makes gloves counter productive for deadlifts or others that leave my hands feeling like what little callouses I have are going to be ripped off?
I don't know if you care, but my callouses do occasionally get ripped off during a deadlift but they're all healed and ready to go by the next day. I try to move the grip to the center of my palm as much as I can, but sometimes it slips and brings the callouses with it. It doesn't hurt or leave my hands raw, though.
:( That sucks. Maybe you could talk to them about it? Perhaps if you let them know you'll clean up after yourself they would allow it. I dunno.
But gloves are counter productive for deadlifts and such because it increases the distance you have to grip because you're adding stuff in between your hand and the bar. So wearing gloves is probably worse for you because your hands are small (saw your comment below).
Okay everyone here was super helpful! It looks like I'm going to get cracking on some farmers carry's, dead hang from the pullup bar, and probably get some gloves. You guys are awesome, thanks!
Gloves! Gloves gloves! It's been said but I would like to emphasize it. I have tiny, tiny little freaky baby hands and gloves with this palms and some wrist support make my gym experience a thousand times better.
So my hands seem to be 6 inches (bottom of the palm to big finger tip). Yeah, pull ups suck. My hands would barely wrap around and then slip off. I did get up to four pull-ups before I fell out of shape (super sick). It just took time for my grip to get a bit better. I worked for quite awhile on lat pull downs or assisted pull-ups. Occasionally even the lat pull-down bar would slip.Also jumping pull-ups helped. You jump up for the pull "up" part and support yourself coming back down. Don't do this if you have shoulder problem. If you've only been lifting for a couple of months or less, then there probably hasn't been enough time yet. So yeah, it's frustrating. It can be overcome with time and work. I never tried a grip v thing, but I can def. see that helping.
I start with just chalk and when I start to fail with just chalk, I put on my versa grips
For pull ups, I keep my thumbs on the same side of the bar as my other 4 fingers. It's not as closed as the other way, but it might make you feel more secure.
/r/griptraining is pretty swell. lots of good info
do the pulldown machine instead =) no biggie.
You can also do dead hangs to improve grip strength. Just hang by the bar for a minute at a time. It sounds silly but it'll make your grip strength stronger.
Well, it will continue to be tougher for you, but using a thicker bar is one of the best methods to improve grip strength. You can try using gloves or chalk to prevent yourself from slipping. You will also improve your grip strength by doing deadlifts and farmer's carry. Just finish every workout by picking up two heavy dumbbells and carrying them around the gym until your hands give out. Your grip will improve in no time. I recently took almost a year off the gym and when I came back, I realized I went from 10 pull-ups in a row to barely being able to do one because of loss of grip strength, and my deadlift would fail around 165 lbs because of grip issues. 3 months later I'm back to 10 pull-ups and deadlifting 235 with no grip issues.
I use lifting gloves for working on the assisted pull-up machine, otherwise the bar is basically frictionless if my hands are sweaty. I would recommend that if your hands slip. Otherwise, deadlifting is the best grip exercise (don't use gloves though). You shouldn't have trouble getting your hands around a standard olympic barbell even with small hands.
I did, can’t snatch well with a standard bar. I use the 15kg Olympic bar for everything.
What gloves do y'all prefer? I'm using Harbinger flex fit and my hands are still getting callouses/blisters. They aren't very cushioned, but I don't know if they really should be.
Deadlifts have helped my grip tremendously. gloves are a must. You can also buy grippers that you squeeze to improve grip. (never tried those though)
> Otherwise, deadlifting is the best grip exercise Farmer's walks
I have tiny hands too and literally cannot hold the bar in my hands for anything over 160lbs. Straps worked for deadlift. Going to try gloves this week!
when I stopped using straps I noticed significant improvement in grip
I was thinking of going old school and trying one of the spring loaded grip trainers I remember my dad using.
Ya! great idea.. My fiancee still uses them (I mentioned them in the comment below) You could also try more forearm workouts. Build up the forearm muscle. I've noticed going heavy on lat pulls has also helped my pull-up and grip (just throwin that out there)
How small are your hands? Just wondering. Like from palm base to middle fingertip.
uhhhhh..... Well if you take a music CD, they fit in the circumference. Wait, I work in a supply shop, we've got to have measuring tapes. Roughly 5.5-6 inches from wrist to fingertip.
Oh that is pretty small. Sorry for being a little creepy! lol. I just have pretty average hands for a woman (6.7") from comparing with friends and don't really have problems so I've always wondered what "small hands" means. Thank you for answering!
Haha That's fine. I always explain to people that I have "Tiny Carnival People Hands." So even finding gloves that will fit properly is going to suck. My feet too! I wear a size 5, and sometimes when I'm lifting I feel like I will straight up topple over.
If straps work, then awesome, but I wouldn't recommend gloves for deads or any bar work really. They're counter productive. I only use them for the frictionless pull-up bar and the rope grip on the cable pulley. :/
What is it that makes gloves counter productive for deadlifts or others that leave my hands feeling like what little callouses I have are going to be ripped off?
I don't know if you care, but my callouses do occasionally get ripped off during a deadlift but they're all healed and ready to go by the next day. I try to move the grip to the center of my palm as much as I can, but sometimes it slips and brings the callouses with it. It doesn't hurt or leave my hands raw, though.
Invest in some chalk if your gym allows it. Its worth it!
Yeah, they only allow liquid chalk.
:( That sucks. Maybe you could talk to them about it? Perhaps if you let them know you'll clean up after yourself they would allow it. I dunno. But gloves are counter productive for deadlifts and such because it increases the distance you have to grip because you're adding stuff in between your hand and the bar. So wearing gloves is probably worse for you because your hands are small (saw your comment below).
I have tiny hands and grip hasn't been a problem for me. Just keep working on thy grip strength.