Gym clothes for men: your ultimate guide
From GQ Magazine
Gym sessions are the time and place to focus on yourself, your body and forget the rest of the world. This might seem obvious, but if you are planning to or you actually do workout regularly, you’ll be in your workout kit a lot. So you should treat these clothes like the rest of your wardrobe: buy good quality and express your stylistic idiosyncrasies. At the very least, replace your thread worn, mud stained sports top you used through school with some purpose built, lean gym attire.
With ath-leisure being adopted into the mainstream and Nike and Adidas topping the biggest grossing names in the clothes business, there’s no better time to be dressing shipshape for the gym. We’ve sifted through the internet detritus to bring you GQ’s guide to the gems of the gym-wear world.
There are lots of different colours below, but, to make to make the whole process even easier, keep your gym kit to either black, white and grey or two colours of your choosing (say, navy blue and green). That way, everything will match with everything so whatever you pack will work. You’re welcome.
The “Freelift 360 gradient” offers comfort with a full range of motion and it stays down when using weights overhead; avoiding the awkward gravity sponsored striptease. It also features a sweat-wicking Climalite fabric, which helps keep you dry when the going gets really tough. A simple, technical t-shirt for all levels of gym goers.
£34.95. adidas.co.uk
Chances are you’ll be throwing back a few barbells during your workout, so while you’re at it, why not throwback your kit. Kappa are a brand dug up from the grave. They’re back and they are more retro cool than ever. Super, super comfortable and acceptable to be seen outside the gym in, it’s a win-win.
£45. endclothing.com
Who really cares they are tennis shorts. These lightweight shorts are a wonderful hark back to the vintage Lacoste that we know and love. Add some French fashion chic to your sportswear; it’s never a bad idea.
[note[£65. lacoste.com[/note]
These simple New Balance trainers are so aesthetically pleasing it almost seems a pity just to wear them for the gym. The Minimus 20v7 weighs an astonishing 198g thanks to the one-piece Vibram® outsole and the ultra-lightweight outer knit made of a nylon-infused yarn. Both these technologies aid foot protection, lateral support and increased ventilation, which produce the reliable traction necessary for weights training. Our advice? Wear them all the time, so that way you can always be ready for a session.
£80. newbalance.co.uk
Somewhere between joggers and tight lycra, these tapered training pants are the perfect regular use gym item. Aside from the perplexing marketing spiel of “energy knitted”, as I assume knitting does require some form of energy, the two hidden hip pockets, the dryCELL technology and simplicity of the pants make for a brilliant training accompaniment. The casual styling of the pants give you the ease of travelling to and from without changing at the gym for your workout.
£60. puma.com
Simple, no-nonsense and cool. You don’t need to overdo it with your gym wear. These shorts come with dryCELL technology, which helps with the all important moisture-wicking. They have a stretch waistband for ease of movement and at £22, they make for an inarguable investment.
£22. puma.com
These three-quarter length Reeboks are designed specifically with Crossfit training in mind. The MyoKnit material helps eliminate chafing and irritation, while you lunge, star-jump and burpie your way to Cristiano Ronaldo levels of ripped. They allow fabric stretch for a full range of motion and the compression fit means you can move without distraction.
£59.95. reebok.co.uk
This multi pack of three monochrome socks while suit your every gym outfit need in an understated, if not statement-less way. Let your workouts do the talking.
£5.95. reebok.co.uk
Train like The Rock. Failing that, you can train looking like The Rock. Failing that, train while wearing the Under Armour x Project Rock collaboration and hopefully channel some of his incredulous work ethic through your clothing choice. With the bull emblem plastered on your right peck, nothing will stop you from benching that Humvee.
£90. underarmour.co.uk
Who said the basketball shirt couldn’t be worn in the gym? This is a surefire way to bring some colour and some stylistic swagger back into your kit. Being a popular streetwear brand outside the gym, Champion adds bonus style points for bringing it into the gym’s mostly fashion-less confines.
£45. championstore.com
This tight top is actually a running top, but there’s nothing to stop you flaunting your muscular prowess in the gym, right? Or wear it with a t-shirt for a more relaxed vibe. If I had to guess, I’d say it stores some sort of extraterrestrial energy source, that tightens around the contours of your muscles and enhances them; think Black Panther of the gym. Back to the world of facts and we can safely say that it has differentiated compression zones, which are aimed at giving your body optimum results.
£55. diadora.com
Lightweight and water-repellant, this 100 per cent polyester tracksuit by Calvin Klein is suitable for both inside and out. What’s more, it’s machine washable and will dry incredibly quickly.
Top, £110. Trousers, £85. calvinklein.co.uk
Keep the sweat off your brow with this cotton headband. Chuck it in the washing machine after use to avoid getting spots on your forehead.
£12.45. champion.com
FlyteFoam Propel offers an improved level of bounce, while the shoe’s Ortholite X-40 sock-liner is another key feature that offers the twin benefits of performance and comfort. Created with the needs of athletes in mind, these really are the perfect running trainers.
£150. asics.com
If you gym in the morning, you’re going to want to change your socks post-gym and pre-work.
£28. lululemon.com
These shorts are constructed in breathable, quick-dry polyester and feature Climacool ventilation. They also come in a regular fit and sit snugly on the waist, meaning there will be no fear of them slipping down when you’re on the treadmill.
£24.95. adidas.co.uk
If you are sticking to a monochrome colour palette with your gym kit, try some bold socks for some panache. These Diadora running socks come with cushioning zones and elastic support in the arch, so they perform in the ergonomics department too.
£24. diadora.com
While this shoe boasts the most durable form of Metcon (a reinforcement that spans the shoe) and a more firm mid-sole and softer forefoot which provides stability for weight lifting and cushioning for sprints, the sell is definitely the customisation. Like most Nike customisations there are a lot of options, meaning you can create extremely, let’s say, “individual” looking shoes.
£129.95. nike.com
