How to dress for the gym

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

How to dress for the gym

Anyone who frequents the gym knows that a vast number of guys fail to
wear the proper attire. How often have you seen some guy on the bench
press wearing jeans or cargo pants? Worse yet, have you ever had the
displeasure of witnessing a man doing squats in spandex shorts?

The gym is perhaps the most important setting to wear the proper
clothing because sporting baggy clothes, too-long track pants, or illfitting
shoes may result in injury. And since you're trying to dress well to
avoid getting hurt, you might as well be fashionable too. Many men take
their gym clothing for granted, throwing on an old shirt and some
sweatpants. They figure that they'll just sweat all over it anyway, so why
wear something nice?

This attitude, however, will get you nowhere; the gym is just like any
other setting in your life where it is important to be fashionable. You are
as likely to meet a potential girlfriend or boss at the gym as you are at the
mall. Why look good in one setting and not in another?

T-shirt, for three reasons: White does not radiate heat as well as
darker colors, making it harder to stay cool; it picks up dirt and stains
easily; and we all know what happens to white T-shirts when they get
wet. If you sweat through it, everyone will know about your third
nipple.

You should also avoid A-shirts, those thin white tank tops often associated
with domestic abuse. If you are adamant about having your
"guns" show, just wear a sleeveless shirt instead of a tank top. And
please, for everybody's sake, even if you can bench press 350 pounds,
don't wear one of those ridiculous tank tops with spaghetti strap-like
pieces of fabric that hold it together and leave your pecs exposed.

Bottoms

A wise woman once said: "Wearing spandex is a privilege, not a right."
For women, that's probably true. For men, it's neither a privilege nor a
right; it's a very, very bad mistake. If you have some medical or athletic
reason to wear form-fitting spandex shorts, wear longer shorts to cover
them up.

Your best bet here are simple cotton or mesh gym shorts that don't
extend more than an inch or two below the knees. These shorts should
be worn at or slightly below your waist, not hanging off your butt—you
aren't in a rap video.

Don't: Sweatpants are fine, but probably not the most fashionable
choice. There really isn't any reason to be wearing long pants at the gym,
unless you are self-conscious about your legs. In this case, there are
more stylish exercise pants sold by Adidas and Nike.

Shoes and socks

With so many versatile and stylish athletic shoes on the market, it
shouldn't be hard to find a pair that is functional and that also appeals to
your personal taste.

Never wear any kind of shoe other than a sneaker because you won't
get the arch support you need during a rigorous workout.
Stick to white, cushiony socks, or a variation on white. Colored and
patterned socks do not mix with the gym.

Don't: Don't wear socks that come up much past your ankle.

Head

Hats are generally a bad idea. They can get in the way of your weightlifting.
They also trap heat coming off your head, making it harder for you
to stay cool. Also, most people do not wash their hats as often as they
wash their other clothes, so they can develop a less-than-savory odor
rather quickly.

Don't: Headbands are generally ridiculous—unless you're playing
basketball or tennis, and even then, proceed with caution.

General tips

Go with gloves

Weight gloves are a good idea if you do a fair amount of weight training
because callused hands aren't attractive. Find a very breathable pair or
they will start to smell like your hat.

Ditch the jewelry

Only wear a watch if you must. In that case, make sure it is a plastic,
lightweight sports watch. Other than the watch, you should leave your
jewelry at home, as it will only get in your way.

Towels aren't terrible

If your gym provides a towel, use it. If it doesn't, bring one. There are few
things grosser than sitting on a bench and realizing you are in a puddle
of the last guy's sweat. Don't be that guy.

Bring extra clothes

If you do intense cardio before weights, you will sweat all over the gym.
To avoid this problem, you might want to consider bringing a change of
jewelry at home, as it will only get in your way.

Towels aren't terrible

If your gym provides a towel, use it. If it doesn't, bring one. There are few
things grosser than sitting on a bench and realizing you are in a puddle
of the last guy's sweat. Don't be that guy.

Bring extra clothes

If you do intense cardio before weights, you will sweat all over the gym.
To avoid this problem, you might want to consider bringing a change of
clothes for the rest of your workout, as you will likely sweat through
your first set of clothes.

Wear matching colors

Many guys who manage to wear functional clothing still don't look as
fashionable as they could at the gym. You would never wear a maroon
shirt with orange pants on a date, so why would you wear it at the gym?
It isn't necessary to purchase ready-to-wear exercise ensembles—that's
going a little far. But if you are wearing a gray shirt with a black logo,
why not wear black shorts with it? It's not hard to put in that extra effort
to match, and you never know when that cute girl on the elliptical
trainer might be looking your way.

Pumping iron in style

Wearing functional clothing at the gym is important for practical reasons,
but keeping fashion in mind is also a good idea. So even if your
clothes are still relatively functional, but are beginning to look a little
dingy and/or worn out, it's time to purchase some replacements. With
your gym attire in control, you can now focus on more important things
at the gym—like watching your form or getting Elliptical Girl's number.