words Alan Woods

Crawling out of bed at 6am ready for your pre-work gym session, you probably pay little attention to the clothes your throwing on. However, gym etiquette is changing — and far from throwing on a freebie t-shirt and old shorts, gym wear for men has become a fashion trend in itself.

Here, Sik Silk retailer Statement Clothing explains what you should and shouldn’t be wearing for your next workout:

DO fitted clothing

Whether you’re squatting or deadlifting, you’ll want clothing that allows plenty of room for movement — but that doesn’t mean you have to wear baggy t-shirts and even bigger shorts. Not only is it a fashion faux pas, it could also be a hazard if the excess material gets caught in a machine or interferes with your lifts.

Instead, wear fitted clothing that is loose enough yet doesn’t swamp your frame. Don’t wear clothing that’s too tight — you don’t want to end up being that guy.

DON’T wear short shorts

We know you’re proud of your newly honed physique, but are those teeny tiny shorts really necessary? Yes your thighs look great but you risk showing a LOT more than you bargained for every time you reach for a weight, let alone squat!

Choose your bottoms based on the kind of workout you’ll be doing. Shorts are better for cardio as they’ll keep you cooler, while sweat pants are great for winter weightlifting, keeping you warm en route to the gym. If you are wearing sweat pants, choose a pair that are lightly tapered and cuffed — again, this will help prevent loose fabric causing injury.

DO get your underwear right

If you’re heading to the gym straight from work, you may have neglected to think about your underwear. However, your everyday boxers are not designed to withstand physically demanding workouts — so they’ll likely bunch up, lose their shape or even tear.

Wear specially designed athletic boxers instead. Crafted from stretchy, sweat-wicking materials, they won’t restrict your movement or cause discomfort.

DON’T wear a stringer

Okay, this ‘don’t’ is a little misleading; we’re not saying don’t wear stringer vests at all— you just need to get your timing right. If it’s your first workout and you have very little existing muscle mass, turning up in a stringer vest isn’t a good idea.

Stringer vests are very revealing, so you have to have something to show off before you wear them. They’re favourites with the biggest guys, so give it a few months before you don yours to make sure you look your best and can properly show off your gains.