Oh, you’ve decided to join the gym club! That’s amazing! You are doing a perfect thing! But it’s sometimes hard to find what to wear when working out at the gym.
Some people even think “gym fashion” is another world for outfits because they are quite expensive but also very important pieces of the workout process.
That’s why I decided to write this article. I am gonna at least try to help you to pick the best workout clothes from the best brands.
Also giving you some tips and tricks to feel very confident during your exercise session.
Actually, confidence and patience are pretty important things to have, while you are doing exercises.
What to wear when working out at the gym
What type of fabric should you wear while working out at the gym
If you check the mark on the Forever 21’s workout clothes, you will discover that almost all of them are made of polyester fabric.
Why? Because polyester is a very lightweight, breathable, and non-absorbent fabric. It seems to be the best fabric for workout outfits.
It’s obvious that everyone sweating during a workout, right? You need to wear the fabric that helps to pull away all of these moisturize from your skin.
If you wear fabric like cotton, your skin quickly absorbs sweat and gets wet very quickly. There is a big chance that it will make you cold, which is not a good thing at all.
So, yeah AVOID COTTON when workout.
Another fabric material that you can wear at the gym is elastane (also known as Lycra). It is made of natural and synthetic fibers that provide stretch and recovery of the cloth.
That’s why it is good for sportswear because it actually moves with your body and also keeps its shape well.
There is another fabric used in activewear and that’s nylon. Unlike polyester, it dries much faster and it’s very lightweight as well. The most important thing about nylon is that it has a high elasticity which is very good for a workout.
In general, workout clothes are very expensive (if the quality matters to you), but you can buy some cheap ones as well.
The best activewear brands
I think you already know about Nike and Adidas. They are really amazing brands where you can and actually should shop for your activewear.
But the thing is, they are way too expensive. It’s the truth, their quality is just impressive but not everyone can afford them.
Fortunately, there are other clothing brands where you can also get good quality gym clothes but at more affordable prices.
Shein is the one brand where you can shop for workout clothes even from your comfy chair. They have worldwide shipping and they are more affordable than Nike or Adidas, but the quality is still good.
The best thing about Shein is that they have all of these tights, sports bras, and biker shorts available in large sizes. That’s pretty unusual for workout clothes because in general, they are only in Small, Medium, and Large sizes.
Don’t forget the most important thing, they have things at very affordable prices.
But still, there is one thing, sometimes I get a product that I didn’t like from Shein, so it’s better to check reviews on the product before you purchase anything from them.
Forever 21 is another fashion brand where you can find very cute and comfy activewear, which is also very good quality.
You can find sizes from 0x-4x on Forever 21 too. So their price and size range is pretty fair. You can find everything starting from sports bras to biker shorts in various styles (colors) and designs.
Talking about affordable fashion brands, I can’t miss Missguided. If you are looking for good quality, cheap, and unique clothes for your workout, you need to check it out.
Another brand where you should get workout clothes is Reebok.
The thing is it’s not as affordable as the previous ones.
I haven’t tried their clothing, but after researching I found that their clothes are very well-fitted. That is very important, especially while you do all these workout movements.
You don’t need any of your body parts to look weird. They all need to be in their place. Don’t you agree?
Lululemon is another brand where you can find amazing leggings and other things for the gym.
By the way, they are even more expensive than Reebok. They are a luxury brand.
But I think it’s better to have one or two leggings that you like the most and last for a long time than buying a bunch of stuff that will become loose after a few days. That will be a waste of time and money.
So, keep that in mind!
So these are some places where you can shop for workout clothes. But you can also find some good ones on Amazon as well. They have pretty good leggings at very affordable prices.
Having a list of trusted online stores during this pandemic should be a good thing, right? Not only for workout clothes but also any other pieces that you will ever need for your wardrobe upgrade.
I have good news for you, I’ve created a list that you can get directly to your inbox for free (of course).
There are both luxury and affordable fashion brands gathered in the list, and all of them have online stores to shop directly from your home. Put your email here and you will get your freebie in a few seconds.
Now let’s talk about other things you should know about workout clothes.
Pieces you need to wear when workout at the gym
Whether you work out hard or not, you need to feel flexible, confident, and cool in your outfit. Along with the fabrics I shared above, you need also to consider some other things.
Like sleeves (actually, never ever wear sleeved clothes at the gym), like how perfectly do your clothes fit while you are doing exercises, and so on and so forth.
I mentioned the sleeves above and I need you to remember that you shouldn’t wear long sleeves while you are at the gym.
The weather doesn’t matter, if you don’t know, I can tell, you are getting too hot when you are doing all these movements. So, long sleeves = out of your plan.
Now, let’s find out what are the pieces that you are gonna actually need for the gym.
Sports bra
Sports bras are specially made so that they protect your chest from pressure and damage while you work out.
That’s why you MUST wear a sports bra while you work out whether at the gym or at home. If you feel uncomfortable wearing a sports bra, you can add a basic, loose T-shirt above it.
Well-fitted leggings or biker shorts
You can try both of them, it’s up to you. The most important thing is to find the one that fits perfectly on your body.
There are some with asymmetrical lines that will make your body look even better. Because those lines contour your shape so that it looks like the most wished hourglass shape.
If you don’t know much about different body shapes you can read more about them here. You will discover just a few steps to find out what type of body you have.
High-waisted leggings or shorts are great for a workout. So, if you are looking for a new one, be sure to buy one with at least a mid-rise.
Because it’s very comfy and also it makes you feel more confident while you work. Most importantly, it can help you to hide a tummy if you have one.
Sneakers
No one is doing a workout with sandals or flip-flops, right? Yeah, definitely no one.
I know Adidas is quite expensive but I recommend you get a good pair of sneakers (or trainers) from them. They are just worth what they have.
Choose the sneakers that are most comfortable for you. But there are other factors that you should think about before you buy one.
I mean, choosing a good sneaker for a workout depends on what exercises you are doing.
They are made differently for lifting, walking, running, and all of the other movements. For example, for lifting, your shoes need to have good ankle support while running shoes need to have more flexibility.
Sport watch
Managing time and your heart pulse is very important while you work out. Many watches are very expensive but there are also other cheaper ones.
So, choose the one depending on your lifestyle and pocket capacity 🙂
Well, you probably know Samsung and Apple sports watches are the best ones to have.
You can check them out because they are worthy of your money because they have so many features and most importantly they are very long-lasting.
Other accessories you may need to have at the gym
Due to a very small amount of time, I personally don’t go to the gym but I can’t do anything without music, even at home.
But I know from others who do a workout that the music is very useful during the process. So, you probably need earphones to feel the comfiest at the gym.
Another gym MUST-HAVE thing is a hairband.
You need to have your hair tied up while you are doing the workout. Exercising without tied hair seems very weird and is also very bad for you because it makes you feel very hot.
So, don’t forget to put the one in your gym bag.
Oh, I almost forgot the main one. You need a gym bag, where you can place all of these things in. By the way, you can keep it always organized if you put all the necessary things in advance.
Since many people are using a gym, it’s better to take baby wipes with you. You can use it to clean your hands before touching your things, like a phone, water bottle (yeah, you need it too), or whatever.
Keep yourself clean as much as possible.
Why is wearing baggy clothes to the gym a very bad idea
Baggy clothes will sweat and get wet very easily. This can become a huge factor in your skin problems. Because it irritates the skin and can even cause acne on your face.
There are some reasons why people wear loose clothes at the gym and the most common one is that they think people are gonna stare at them.
I can’t understand why you should limit yourself because someone is watching you?!
I really can’t, and also another thing is everyone at the gym is for workouts not because they want to watch you all the time.
So, forget that and just find the pieces that fit perfectly on your body.
There is another category of women and also men, who are trying to wear clothes with an extra small size to get attention to their muscles and other body parts.
Don’t be like them, just be natural and enjoy your body. And then enjoy your workout, and again, forget baggy clothes.
C o n c l u s i o n:
A sports bra, leggings, and the right pair of sneakers will be a good combination to wear when working out at the gym. Finding them is pretty easy if you are looking for them in the right place.
I hope you find my post helpful and that you discovered what you wanted to know. If you wanna share your thoughts DM me on Instagram. I’d love to get in touch with my readers. <3
Thanks for being here!