What to wear for the gym or weight training?
Weight training, whether done at the gym or anywhere else, is quite specific in its nature and demanding when it comes to proper attire. I often see people completely unprepared for the situation they find themselves in. And it's not at all that they don't want to, but they just don't know that something can be done better. They walk out of Pilates or yoga classrooms, look at the beautiful outfits and advertisements on tic-tac-toe, and then work out in what they bought stating sadly after the fact that strength training is not for them. How about just changing the clothes and the experience will be completely different? A fashionable crop top exposing the belly or a loose, oversized cotton sweatshirt? Tight leggings or sweatpants? What to wear to increase the effects of exercise and to exercise, above all, safely and pleasantly?
As always, the answer is, it depends. But don't worry, fortunately it doesn't depend on many things. The main guideline here is what gender you are and what you intend to exercise. Because it is known that when you have a large bust, a bra can come in handy. Also, when you exercise your legs, your clothes should be different from the day you exercise your upper body. But just a little different, no worries, you don't have to replace your closet. I invite you to a subjective list of what you should necessarily consider when completing an outfit both for the gym and for any strength training. The principle is the same. Draw on this knowledge, because it is the knowledge of hundreds of clothes carried and many hectoliters of sweat soaked into various materials ;)
Headgear
NONE. Caps worn by people who want to look fashionable and interesting may attract attention, but acutely my negative attention. Caps during intense exercise cause overheating of the head, raising the temperature or the proliferation of bacteria on the scalp, increased production of sebum and - dandruff. Definitely not very cool. If your hair is oily and you don't want to look scruffy, well, either wash your hair or think logically - this workout is to get sweaty, so you'd better tie it up and wash it later.
Top
A close-fitting but not too tight bra in a situation where you have a bust whose size may bother you. Owners of small or firmly held breasts can safely exercise without additional support. If you wear a bra, it's best that it's seamless and has wide straps that won't dig into your shoulders in a muscle-tension situation.
T-shirt, t-shirt, top, crop-top
Slightly loose or loose material will be fine, rather not oversife, because it can bother us - bend, pinch, when we lie on our back and squeeze the barbell, for example. Here it is necessary to pay attention to make sure that, once again, nothing will not pinch us while we are wearing it, it will not fold or roll up, it will simply be stable and will not get caught in either our biceps, stomach or neck.
Bottoms
Full, fitted, preferably seamless and non-transparent leggings that are neither too low nor too high are an ideal choice. First of all, because a) they don't get pinched during exercise b) they provide full freedom, comfort and range of motion. I myself also often wear a tennis skirt for training, but I recommend this solution when it's hot and you're exercising your upper body. The analogy is with shorts. When you exercise the lower parts of the body (legs, buttocks), then short shorts or skirt are not only uncomfortable, but also sweaty_a you start to stick to the mat and equipment. You can admire your legs in the mirror later, not necessarily at the gym. And yes, I'm also speaking to gentlemen. I'm not interested in how "unmanly" it is to wear leggings. Besides, we live in the 21st century and such arguments should not come from any mouths anymore. Fitted pants are simply comfortable, give maximum comfort and security. Well, and they will speed up your results, and there is no greater benefit when, for example, you are fighting with stork legs;)
Underwear
Comfortable, airy, cotton and - I beg - not thongs. Abandon also the idea of exercising without underwear, it will seduce, it's uncomfortable, I've been there and it's not a good place;) Thongs, on the other hand, may look good, after all, they do not stand out under pants, but frankly, poking into an intimate place is neither pleasant nor healthy. Also, wearing boxer shorts is not the best option due to overheating and sweat, but out of two evils, I would already choose boxers.
Socks and shoes
Socks are useful only for hygienic reasons. The shorter (in the sense of not reaching half calves), the better. Again, it's all about safety, overheating and not causing pressure (i.e., hypoxia) anywhere on the body. Shoes are a contentious issue. I see only two situations where shoes are really useful:
1) site hygiene and safety - when you move between free weights, it can be easy for something to fall on your foot. If there is such a risk, of tripping or just having an accident with heavy objects, it is better to wear shoes
2) Power exercises with powerful weights. If you're doing deadlifts with 200 kg, then here special weight training shoes will already come in handy, not ordinary "sneakers"
In any other situation, or if, for example, you are exercising in a safe place, at home, shoes or socks are not needed at all, and are even discouraged.
Accessories of all kinds
Only in-ear or external headphones, and well-fitting ones at that. There are headphones dedicated to sports, it is worth looking around for such if you like to exercise with music. Other than that, when it comes to accessories, I don't recommend any. Don't wear any arm bands or other inventions that will restrict your range of motion and blood flow. Also, forget about abdominal compression belts or anything else. That can't work. Unless you have a doctor's recommendation and need to exercise in, say, a wrist or knee brace.
With all of the above in mind, keep in mind that there are three things that should be most important to you in choosing your gym attire:
Comfort - if you nevertheless like to exercise in crop tops, you feel comfortable in them, they do not get caught, you have crop tops not of this earth, then nothing prevents you from exercising_a in them. However, you are the one who has to define what comfort and confidence is for you. You are supposed to feel better while doing sports, not worse. This will provide you with unrelenting motivation and get you to your goal faster than the nicest clothes.
Health - the fabric of the garment should be breathable and quite light. And here we come to the eternal conflict of cotton vs. synthetic. Personally, after decades of experience, I am in favor of cotton underwear (bra, panties) and synthetic outerwear like top, leggings. Synthetic lasts longer, does not get sweat stains on it, has less absorption, making it lighter, but - beware - you also have to throw it away quickly, unfortunately. In my practice, a synthetic T-shirt lasts a year at most, after a year it already starts to smell bad and you can't wash it. Washing it after each exercise does not help. Her simply can not be washed well from bacteria, because we wash at low temperature, and this does not kill as effectively as boiling. Leggings, on the other hand, last much longer. However, in your case, the duration of use of a particular piece will depend on many factors, such as how hard and where you sweat the most during exercise.
Safety - the garment simply can't snag on passing barbells, you can't have shoes that are too big or too tight, or pieces that will cut into you anywhere. Seemingly a cliché, but believe me, on a daily basis I observe that, however, this is a sad reality and the norm.
As you can see, the list of things to analyze is specific, but if you think longer about your "gym outfit" and what will work well for you, you will certainly start to notice changes quickly. This is because you will not only notice a difference in how you feel when you go to work out or after your workout, but also in the effects of your workouts. You'll stop getting distracted by correcting your rolled-up leggings or seeing everything in sight without covering your eyes with a baseball cap. You will feel confident, safe and comfortable. What not to say, like at home. And best of all, these are changes you can make right here, right now, today, right at your next workout.
Have an active day,
Justyna.
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I invite you to join me for training and consultations,
JUSTYNA WENECKA | personal trainer
wenecka.com