Fitness Apparel for Beginners
Ok so you’re ready to start going to the gym. It’s about to be a new year and that means it’s about to be a new you, right? If you’re ready to go to the gym you have to look the part! You can probably get by with some old sweats or athletic shorts you have deep in your dresser drawers but let’s get real, you want to be all in. Now I’m not saying you need $120 Lululemon pants with an $80 Lululemon shirt and a $200 fitbit. But let’s just go over some basics.
Some of these items are going to depend on what kind of gym you decide to go to. Someone going to a CrossFit gym might need some things that people going to a personal training studio might not need. Let’s get started with the basics.
Athletic wear. Just get some good clothes to workout in. For guys it might just be some basketball (or some kind of other sport) shorts and a cotton t-shirt. For ladies, it seems as though they are keen to tights or yoga pants/capris but if basketball shorts are your jam then go with that. This will also include some good shoes. If you’re going to be doing a lot of running then get some shoes that are comfortable to run in; if you’re going to be doing nothing but lifting, get some shoes with a more stable sole that are more suitable for exercises that require a stable base like Squats and Deadlifts. If you’re going to be doing both then I would just try to find something good for in between. I hear good things about Reebok Nanos and Nike Metcons.
Water bottle. It’s almost the last thing people think of but it is very important when you’re in the middle of a workout in desperate need of H2O! The more intense the workout (especially in the heat of the summer), the better that water is going to taste. You can find these cheap pretty much anywhere these days.
Training Journal. This is good for anybody! Especially if you’re also trying to keep yourself on a decent diet, you can track everything that you do in the gym and everything you eat. You might not think it’s helpful (I didn’t at first) but, trust me, it is! This is something that you can refer to down the line to keep track of your PRs (personal records) for lifting, or you can at least see how long it’s been since you last worked out so you can keep yourself accountable!
Gym Bag. This is an important one. If you’re working a 9-5 job with kids and whatnot going on it’s really easy to forget your gym stuff. Workout clothes, workout shoes, water bottle, journal and whatever else you like to have at the gym (jump rope, gloves, knee sleeves, etc). This is something you can just keep in your vehicle or your garage (probably not inside if it’s going to contain some items like knee sleeves that get to stinking) and it’s with you all the time! All you would have to do is throw new clothes to train in for the day and you’re good to go.
Once you get the basic stuff to get you started, you can figure out what other accessories you’d like to try. For example, you might want to get a weight belt when you start to get stronger or a jump rope if you are working on our double unders. These are some questions you should have for your coach assuming you’ll be going to a gym with coaches and not just your corner commercial gym — in which case you’ll have to rely on the expert advise of the Bros that do bench press everyday...so good luck with that!
I hope this will give you New Year’s resolutioners a starting point and I hope very much that you will stay committed to reaching your goals. If you need some help on that please read my blog: 4 Tips to help you keep your New Year’s Resolution.
