What I failed to realize when I first starting lifting was the power of the “gym fit” AKA the outfit that you decide to wear to the gym.

I went to the gym in the same pair of shoes, the same few leggings or shorts & same few tank tops every time. I didn’t look or feel great in them but it’s what I had at the time.

The reason we are here to discuss gym fits is because it is a very important aspect when it comes to boosting workout performance. This is for a few reasons –

1. Wearing clothes you’re comfortable in gives you a safety blanket per se when you are in an uncomfortable setting. Wearing clothes you’re unsure about will only make you feel more uncomfortable in a setting you’re already not comfortable in (*cough cough* gym newbies). Comfortability increases productivity.
2. Wearing clothes you look good in boosts your confidence and helps motivate you to get to the gym to show off your outfit. This may help you physically lift heavier weight due to the mental boost.
3. Wearing clothes/shoes that are suited to the type of workout you are doing can help with preventing injury, regulating body temperature and opening your range of motion.
4. Regularly buying good gym outfits can make you more likely to go to the gym and keep your routine going long term because you don’t want to waste your money on clothes you won’t use. Plus, buying new clothes is often exciting and you can’t wait to put them on and wear them.

How to put together the perfect gym fit

In order to pick out the perfect gym fit, you must know what kind of workout you will be doing. This is especially important when it comes to picking out shoes, but also the material you decide to wear. Here is a quick guide to follow by type of workout –

Strength training –

Tops – sports bras, t shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts. Light or baggy materials that allow for full range of motion.

Bottoms – leggings, joggers, sweatpants, athletic shorts, spandex/biker shorts. Light or baggy materials that allow for full range of motion.

Shoes – Running shoes or shoes with a completely flat bottom (a leg day must). To explain, on leg day because we require a lot of stability for most compound movements, we shouldn’t wear a running shoe. The foam bottom provides no stability compared to the flat bottom and you will be likely to lose balance easier. More stability = ability to lift heavier/reduces risk of injury. This is why a lot of people train with no shoes on leg days (I personally don’t think its very sanitary though). I prefer training with a flat bottomed shoe on back day as well due to exercises like barbell rows & deadlifts that require more stability.

Material/brand recommendations – Lifting heavy can be a lot of work so its best to stick to lighter or baggier materials. We want durable, lightweight & breathable material. Cotton tanks/shirts/sweatshirts can be super heavy and hot. Not the best for sweating. Recommended brands would be Gymshark, Alphalete, NVGTN, Nike, Amazon Dupes, etc.

Yoga/Pilates/Mobility/Stretching –

Tops – sports bras, zip up light weight jackets, tank tops, light long sleeves

Bottoms – really stretchy leggings for flexibility (we don’t want those ones that scrunch up your butt because they will rip when in flexible positions).

Shoes – no shoes needed generally

Material/brand recommendations – Usually a combo of spandex and nylon. Recommended brands are Lululemon, Athleta, Fabletics & ALO Yoga.

Cardio –

Tops – Anything light weight & preferably sweat repellant

Bottoms – Same as tops

Shoes – Running shoe with added comfort

Brand recommendations – In my brief experience previously working at a sporting goods store, the best running shoe brands (at the time) were Asics, Brooks & Saucony. More recent brands would be On Cloud & HOKA. Even though a lot of popular brands have running shoes such as Nike – they generally provide bare minimum support and comfort for cardio so I don’t recommend those. If you do get a pair or already have one, it might be a good idea to add a shoe insert for comfort. Shoes that are lightweight and breathable are best to air out your sweaty feet. I recommend investing in some odor eliminator as well if you do a lot of cardio or sweat a lot.

Popular Gym Brand Comparisons – Gymshark/NVGTN/Alphalete/Amazon Dupes

Gymshark (8/10) ($-$$) – Best for overall variety of training clothing. Very mixed reviews between good and bad. Some of their training joggers & sports bras are cute and the style seems to be evolving.

NVGTN (8.5/10) ($-$$) – Best for cute sports bras & leggings. Very flattering but personally I think their sizing is geared towards smaller females. Medium ain’t no medium for a thicc girl like me (upper body). Waist band so tight you may need to check your organs after but the booty be poppin’. Personally one of my favorite brands though! Regardless of the tight fit haha.

Alphalete (7/10) ($$-$$$) – Comfortable sports bras, leggings & shorts. Solid pump covers. Deduction because sizing varies a lot with new launches/colors and the butt scrunch is known to rip if you size down too much, which many do. Waist brands are generally pretty compressive. They seem to be making the material more stretchy over time to reduce ripping. Most of their stuff is reasonable quality & stylish.

Amazon Dupes (6/10)($) – such as Aurola – Not a fan, I think they rip easily but most cost effective and they look very similar to all the popular brands (you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from a distance).

General across all brands – none truly seem to be fully squat proof. Sizing depends on body type.

What’s Trending Right Now? (women)

1. Matching sets (sports bra + leggings or biker shorts)
2. Oversized graphic t shirt tucked into back of sports bra + biker shorts
3. Leggings so far up your butt it hurts
4. Crew socks
5. High top shoes

What’s Trending Right Now? (men)

1. Hoochie daddy shorts with compressions underneath – 5.5″. Show us them thighs, boys!
2. Oversized t shirts with tank top underneath
3. Oversized crew necks/hoodies
4. Strapback/snapback hats
5. Crew socks
6. High top shoes

Headphone Recommendations

1. AirPods Pros – I’ve only personally tried these out of the 4 but I love them. They stay in my ears fine, super light weight and can easily pause/play music and turn on/off noise cancelling. Some report that they fall out of their ears too much. I guess it depends on your ear shape.
2. Beats Studio Over Ear Headphones – Never tried these but I know they are liked by many.
3. Beats Powerbeats Pro
4. Beats Fit Pro

Popular Gym Shoe Recommendations/Reviews

1. Nike Blazers – Very stiff initially. Need time to be broken in but once they are broken in they would be a great leg day option. They look super fly. Can’t go wrong.

Women Link

Men Link

2. High Top Converse – Very flexible initially. Perfect for leg day. Not the best for people with really long feet because they are so skinny. Low key will look like you have clown feet. I personally avoid this option.

Unisex Link

3. High Top Vans – Very flexible initially. Perfect for leg day. Not too bulky or too skinny. My personal favorite.

Unisex Link

4. NoBull Trainer – I like the low cut trainer the best. Doesn’t need to be broken in much and goes good with any outfit (if you get a neutral color). They are fine to wear for cardio as well (short periods of time).

Website Link

Emily’s Brand Recommendations & Favorite Fit

Sports bras – Alphalete (fit me the best overall)

Leggings – First Health Apparel (super comfortable & stretchy, or tightly form fitting)

Biker shorts – Not a fan of any really lol

Joggers – Alphalete (more sweatpant material) & First Health Apparel (more Lululemon type material)

Sweatshirts – Alphalete (very thick and warm)

Shirts – Can’t lie, I don’t even wear shirts 99% of the time. Not a pump cover girl.

Shoes – High Top Vans (very comfortable)

My ideal gym fit is 1 of the 2:

1. a cute sports bra paired with joggers & my NoBulls or other training shoes.
2. a cute sports bra paired with leggings, crew socks & high top vans.

As you can see – very much an Alphalete girl but honestly am evolving out of their styles. I like a lot of their older collection stuff better. Currently on the hunt for my new favorite gym brand!

Affiliate codes/sites –

First Health Apparel – https://www.firsthealthapparel.com/ – Code EMILYR for 20% off

Segment for the ladies only… men feel free to breeze by this.

🐪 toe. We all know it. We all hate it.

How do we avoid it when wearing leggings/biker shorts?

Additionally, should we wear underwear with them or not?

Does it make a difference?

I find with the seamless leggings, which are the most popular nowadays, I don’t get camel toe because there’s no seam down the middle BUT basically the same thing is being able to see the entire outline of it.

It can be super uncomfortable to know people can see it.

I’m team commando all the way. I simply hate underwear. I can’t wear them. I haven’t been wearing them for YEARS.

The only time I will wear them is with jean material (not gym related) just because the material can be tough/uncomfortable.

I think feeling free down there makes a big difference ALTHOUGH wearing underwear may help reduce the outline of, you know 🐱.

It personally does not effect me that much unless i’m standing in super weird positions where my legs would be close together but I also don’t roll my leggings up or wear them super tight up my butt like a lot of people do.

I am here to help though so if it is effecting you regularly here are some tips I gathered –

1. If you’re not already, wear leggings that are seamless
2. Consider a larger size legging so its not so far up your coochie. I know y’all be sizing down, don’t lie to me
3. Choose a different brand that uses a thicker material
4. Wear seamless underwear/thongs – it’s an added layer
5. Darker colors & patterns will make it less noticeable
6. Camel toe guard – can’t say I’ve tried it but its an option. It is pretty much a sports bra pad cut in the shape of the front of the underwear.
7. Similarly you can try to makeshift a panty liner to fit like the guards above
8. Wear an oversized shirt that cover the front of your pants – similar to how people will wear an oversized T shirt tucked into the back of their sports bra so it covers the front side but not the back side. You can also wear a longer tank top
9. Take a page from my book and convert to joggers 🙂 no camel toe in sight, plus they have POCKETS. How convenient. Although I am wearing more leggings these days, I will never give up my joggers.

If you learned something or got value from this post, share it with a friend!

Until next time,

Coach Emily