A pull up is a pull up.  Sure there’s lots of variations you can do to help focus the movement on different body parts but when it comes down to it the core movement is the same.  While pull ups are a powerhouse compound exercises, they can tear up your hands.  With the popularity of Crossfit #wod and bookcamp workouts more and more people are looking for the best gloves for crossfit pull ups.  Here’s what we have to say about that… First of all, let’s quickly some tips for performing those pull ups or that you might have to pound out in your crossfit workout and the main body parts that are worked.  As you know from reading our previous post, the best gloves for crossfit pull ups depends on how you’re going to use them and for what goal.

Pull Ups Tips

• Stretch first.  Bet you didn’t see that one coming!  It’s well known that a muscle or muscle group performs better after it’s been “pre stretched.”  You don’t see athletes get our of their car and sprint down the track!  Warm up your upper body and arms with some stretching.
• Focus on form versus reps.  Lots of bootcamp style classes are all about circuit training and exhausting the muscle group (and you) as quickly as possible.  This certainly can get you ripped up fast, but if you’re not careful it can lead to injury.  If you’re new to pull ups, try them out by standing on a box or bench first.  Instead of grabbing the bar from a dead hang position, you’re beginning the movement at the top of the exercise and lowering yourself down and back up again.  You can also try using a weight assisted pull up machine to practice.
• Grip.  Yup, this is where the best gloves for crossfit pull ups comes in!  Think about it… when you’re hanging from a bar the only things in contact with that bar are you hands.  Don’t confuse grip strength with grip as it relates to friction. Of course to perform a pull up you need to have great grip strength.  It begins with your hands and forearms to your biceps and back.

Assuming you’re conditioned pretty well, the only thing left to improve is your physical grip.

You don’t want a product that “sticks” to the bar like those spongy lifting grips that are out there.  Your hand needs to naturally rotate around the bar as you perform the movement.

The best gloves for crossfit pull ups are those that protect your hands from the friction the bar creates against your skin.  Full hand workout gloves can actually inhibit your movement.

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