14 Days of Love: Workout Clothes

I love workout clothes. Anyone who knows me at all would tell you I would wear nothing but workout clothes if my lifestyle permitted. So today, rather than talk about an exercise I love or equipment I love, we're going to shift gears a little and talk about what I'm most comfortable wearing when I workout because let's face it, if you're not comfortable in what you have on, chances are it's going to negatively affect your workout at least a little.

I'm actually pretty picky when it comes to workout gear. I hate squatting and deadlifting in shorts or full length pants; I have to have capri pants for those two lifts. My very favorite are Under Armour capri length compression pants. These are a bit on the pricey side for my liking but I've found a lot of times with workout clothes you really do get what you pay for. These come in a lot of different colors and styles. I really like them because they stay in place really well and they don't slip down on my waist like a lot of brands I've tried.


Under Armour Capri Length Compression Pants

While I don't like to squat or deadlift in sweatpants, I do still like to wear sweats when I workout if I'm doing upper body or if I'm doing an outdoor workout on a cold day. I have two pairs of sweats that are my favorite for those activities. My first favorite are my beloved black Jansport Purdue sweatpants that I got about 4 years ago while I was in school there. They've certainly seen better days but are by far the most wonderful pair of pants I have ever owned. The second favorite are my Under Armour warm up pants that I just got this past Christmas. Finding sweatpants is difficult because I have pretty long legs and most sweats I find make me look like I'm expecting a flood.

                        

Under Armour Warm-Up Pants                                                                     Purdue Zebra Sweats

I rarely wear shorts when I workout unless it's summertime and I'm doing outdoor activities. I have a lot of trouble with shorts not staying in place and I hate having to fix them every two seconds while I'm exercising. I do like Nike running shorts and Champion makes some really nice mesh shorts that I wear from time to time.

The gym where I work/workout is always super cold so recently I've had to wear sweatshirts or a jacket of some type at least until I get warmed up. I have a couple of Old Navy fleece quarter zips that I really like to wear. The best part about these jackets are they're really inexpensive. I got mine on sale for $8. I've definitely gotten my money's worth and then some!


Old Navy Fleece Pullover

In terms of t-shirts, I'm not very picky at all. I'm perfectly happy going to Goodwill and buying some $1.00 shirts and calling it a day. But of course every time I walk into Finish Line or Dick's I'm captivated by all the awesome workout tops they have and just can't resist to buy one every now and then. I love the Nike Dri Fit line. They fit me really well and are very breathable. Under Armour also makes a very basic workout top that I have in a variety of colors. I've also found if you go to Kohl's or TJ Maxx they have really great lines as well. I've gotten tons of stuff from those stores and saved so much money. TJ Maxx typically even carries Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour for just a fraction of the price that you would pay elsewhere.

                                                
                                                                                                        Nike Dri Fit
Under Armour Basic Workout T

If you have never checked out elitefts.com or girlsgonestrong.com then you're missing out! Elite has clothes for both males and females while girls gone strong caters strictly to girls. I have clothes from both these sites and love them! They have unique clothes that you wouldn't be able to find in any store.


Elite FTS Shirt



Girls Gone Strong Shirt

You all probably think I'm obsessed with workout clothes by now. If that's the case then we won't even discuss shoes!! (haha). I'm also a huge fan of headbands. I get those silly little fly aways really bad so I always keep headbands in my bag to tame those things. I have a variety of headbands I really like. WalMart sells a three pack of the thick bands if that's what you prefer. I also have really thin Adidas headbands that work really well and some medium thickness Under Armour ones that are great. Some people say they have problems with them slipping on their heads but I've never had that issue with any of those three listed above.

If you like the stuff I've talked about but are worried about cost, don't be! Trust me, I'm one of the cheapest people ever (yes, I'm slightly proud of this fact). I'm very careful with what I spend my money on but there are ways to get these clothes at a cheaper price. Goodwill is one of my favorite stores and every Sunday they have "99 cent Sunday" this is where they feature a tag color and everything with that tag is 99 cents. I know most Goodwill's in the Indianapolis area do this but I'm unsure of elsewhere. I've gotten some real steals on 99 cent day, that's for sure. Also, check to see if there is an outlet mall near you. There's one about an hour from where I live that has Nike, Reebok, Champion, Adidas, and Under Armour outlet stores. Their clearance section is usually amazing. It's hard for me to keep my composure at those places. (kidding...sort of).

Let's not forget, the most important part of a workout is the actual exercises you're doing, but who doesn't like to have fun clothes to complement an awesome lifting session? Thanks for reading and join me tomorrow for day 3 of the 14 days of things I love!