Does anyone else get sore hands when they use resistance bands? I can’t be the only one. Yes, some of them come with handles, but some of the ones I like the most just don’t have them. This is particularly true when I’m bringing them with me. The ones without handles pack so small that I can bring the equivalent to a complete gym with me in a space smaller than what I need for my phone.
Getting a Grip When I Use Resistance Bands
Beyond travel benefits, I use resistance bands without handles because they’re just more versatile. You can use them to assist with dips and pull-ups, to add challenge to various moves, to replace barbells, in combination with barbells, or even to stretch across a rack. They can be incorporated into almost any workout (you know, a couple of years ago, I’d never have imagined myself saying any of this. I’m feeling a lot of growth right now!).
That said, when you use resistance bands that don’t have the handles, they can really hurt your hands, and it can start happening pretty fast. So I’ve come up with some tips to help to overcome that challenge and make it so that my attention is on my form and performance, not on how much my hands are hurting.
Tips to Stop Your Hands from Hurting When You Use Resistance Bands
Use these tips to use resistance bands much more comfortably even when they don’t have handles.
- Wear gloves – I do not war gloves at the gym. I like using my bare hands and building their strength and getting the benefits that way. In this instance, I make an exception. I don’t mean fingerless gym gloves though. When I use resistance bands, I wear a pair of gardening gloves I got at the dollar store. They’re all I need to protect my fingers, keep my grip, and not spend money on something I won’t be using for any other part of my workout. The cute pattern with strawberries doesn’t hurt, either!
- Wrap a small towel around the band – In a pinch, if I don’t have my cute strawberry-patterned gloves handy, a small towel can easily serve as a protective handle. It’s not as convenient as the gloves but works particularly well for two-handed exercises.
- Buy special handles – I’ve seen a few guys at the gym working with hook-style handles that they attach when they need them and then remove them when they’re done. I’ve never tried those. I really feel that the gloves do the trick and that way I don’t need to spend money, adjust the handles, add yet another item to my bag, etc. But if you like your equipment to be more specialized, maybe give these a try when you use resistance bands!