Small hands and gripping weights

[BogRollBOGOF]

Anyone with similar issues/ advice?

I'm 5'2" with disproportionately small hands so I struggle to actually get my hands around bars to grip. I certainly can't close my fingers around them which makes my grip very inefficient, and weak compared to the rest of my body's strength potential.

For example I usually use the assisted chin up machine on the main gym floor, but recently used the one in the women's area on a busy night and the grips were bigger, so I ended up with my little finger totally redundant and hanging off mainly by 3 finger tips with a good inch gap between my thumb. It took me a while to work out why it felt so much harder than usual at the usual level of weight!

At a circuits class, I have to make sure I swap to certain metal kettlebells that I can hold, because some chunkier ones are too chunky to confidently hold on to. Even 8kg dumbbells are often too thick to hold on to- annoying when I'm doing exercises on the larger leg muscle groups that can take much more.

I do use squeezy grip trainers, but that doesn't work towards the issue of actually holding on to chunky, heavy objects (and my little finger still doesn't get to play with its bigger companions!)

(Jars, petrol pumps and piano keyboards are the bane of my life, and I can't reach to touch type P or ; )

Only to say I have the same issue. Same height. Small hands. Often need to drop the bar just because of hand pain and cramps.

Yes, I have the same issue and it really, really annoys me that most things don't take into account that women have smaller hands! Kettlebells with huge thick handles are bloody annoying. Weights are usually fine, as the middle bit that you grip is usually thin enough.

To improve my grip I carry around two squares of non slip matting that I place over whatever I'm about to use and that at least provides a better grip, even if I still can't grip the entire bar - and example is the pull up machine at Puregym - can't use my thumb but can at least do some pull ups and feel it in my back.

Clearly, women are not supposed to weight train!!!

Lifting gloves? they're a bit like riding gloves I used to wear on a particularly toey horse who was hard to hold - they only cover half your fingers but there's a leather palm which gives you a bit more of a grip.

For barbell lifting, straps could be useful.

And overall, train your grip strength by using kettlebells or dumbbells in a farmer's carry - yes, your grip will go, but as you get stronger and work your way up to carrying the equivalent of your body weight (my aim), you'll find that grip strength increases and makes up for small hands. I train with 2 x 32 kilo kettlebells, and try to carry them for a minute. Even my normal to big hands start to let go at about 45 seconds, but it's a matter of grind and practice.

Maybe start with 2 x 6 kilo KBs and work your way up over 6 months. And in circuit classes, take the weight down, until you can comfortably hold it, then go back up to the 8k KBs.

It's always a work in progress - I can just about do a farmer's carry for 45 seconds of 2 x32 k kettlebells, but can hardly lift the 37.5 dumbbells at all. Go figure.

Of course, Caroline Criado-Perez would probably be interested in this - again, the "invisible woman" and the male body as the default human body!

Oh also for barbells - the "women's bar is lighter at 15 k rather than 20, and smaller in diameter, so if you lift weights, use that bar, rather than the 20k one. You'll have to load the bar differently and the gym maths is harder though!

I also have teeny tiny hands.

Look at Velite (or similar) grips. They take some of the emphasis away from your hand and transfer some of it to your wrist too. The rubberised surface will "grip" onto the barbell/kettlebell/dumbbell/rig and makes like SO much easier!

Also, as mentioned about, 15kg barbells are smaller diameter specifically for women, so may help if you have access to them. Work on "gripping" with your fingers rather than your whole hand too, as it actually makes it easier to "keep hold" of dumbbells etc with downward movement!

Lifting straps are usually indeed very helpful! Just make sure to watch some videos on how to use them properly, specially if you will use them to help with holding dumbbells for overhead exercises!
I got mine from Etsy.

Also, 5 foot 2 here too! When my grip starts to go in the gym, I bring out the lifting straps... they're brilliant. I have the 'long strap hanging off velcro wrist cuff' type ones and the '8' ones. The strap ones are far superior for small hands!!

What has definitely helped though is using dumbbells at home rather than only ever using the barbel in the gym and thus not developing grip strength as much.

Oh yes, my gym refurbed and no longer has any good pull up bars anywhere... very sad! They're either too wide apart or too thick - or (yuk) both!

Liquid chalk. Next day delivery on Amazon.

Ergonomics again. The world is built for men and you have not been considered.

I'm the same height as you and find this happens a lot. From chairs being too high, mirrors I can't reach to see in, glasses too big to hold, etc

It's a man's world sadly.

Thanks all for the solidarity

Is there much practical difference between the longer wrist wraps/ more shaped wrist straps?

I found a new outdoor gym this week. It looks really good fun to play with... for men of 6ft 🙄 It's that additional 18" drop from the monkey bars that's a bit too terrifying to contemplate!

Women want to play at Gladiators too (I can but dream 😂)

These are the ones that I have: linky I have tried others and these have suited me the best. Makes a big difference when your grip's starting to fail!

These aren't suitable to use all the time - definitely not in classes when you need to transition quickly or doing things like kettlebell swings as it's actually holding the handle in place.

I've never found any gloves to help as they make the circumference of the bar feel even bigger.

Personally, I would also carry on working on your grip strength alongside. It feels to me like it's important!

Also, for movements like squats, using the barbell rather than dumbbells might work better for you, as it's not reliant on grip strength.

Hope you find a solution!

Has the gym got a seated row machine with the metal handles you can unclip? Put that over one of the pullup bars and then you have a closer grip to use...

The bars are not even bars, they're handles on the top of different cable machines. So, they're quite wide, padded and angled - rubbish. I'm not working on pull ups, as just throw in a few sets every week on the rubbish ones. I do half my workouts at home (and do have pull up bar at home) so it's not the end of the world. Just nice to have the option.

@GardenDeLuxe - do you mind me asking which type of pull up bar you have at home? I've been thinking of getting one but unsure.

I have an over the door type one... it's similar to this one (although I don't have this exact one). It's quite comfortable to use, although you do need sturdy door frames, I guess. My DH also installed a bigger, permanent one outside 🙄 that is attached to the outside of the house - this one's too high for me though - plus, I don't want to be outside next to the bins doing exercises.

Thanks, @GardenDeLuxe , I had one of the over door type a while back, but yes, I noticed that it wasn't having a great effect on my door frames! Have been considering one of the freestanding ones for a while, wondering how to shoehorn it into my spare room.

I've seen the freestanding ones from Gravity which look quite good, but I think I'd probably prefer to have a small squat rack, rather than have to assemble it every time!

Anyone have experience with SlimGrip Dumbbells for small hands? https://slim-grips.com