The Thursday night bar scene in College Station is not the only place for fashion faux pas. The Student Recreation Center, a highly popular place between post-Christmas break and spring break, is home to many a man clad in white T-shirts with yellow arm pit stains or the woman in the classic “T & T,” also known as tunic and tights. Even though there are the dedicated few on campus whose workouts are consistent, year-round plans, who, rather than loathe the inevitable swimsuit season, look forward to it, a great deal of the people in the weight room are more interested in checking out every person in view. Let’s face it, guys are looking out of the corner of their eyes at the amount of weight the guy next to him is lifting. Meanwhile, the girls on the treadmills are staring at the girls on the machines in front of them in jealousy lusting after a body they once had -last clearly seen on high school graduation day.
Make-up or teased hair in the weight room are something I would never endorse, but dressing can be psychological as it seems to affect my mood and the outcome of what I am doing. Having a truly effective workout is difficult enough to accomplish, so clothes that tug in the wrong place or make you feel insecure are just an extra stress that is not needed. Many women love shoes, so finding a fun pair of running or cross-training shoes can motivate you to hit the pavement to get some use out of them.
Nike just came out with the Shox Turbo, which not only comes in bright colors, but you actually feel like you are walking on air all the time. Though beauty is often equated with pain, these shoes defy the stereotypes. Comfort and attractiveness is a killer combination.
The simple rule of style in the gym is know when to be tight and when to hang loose. Highly aerobic activity, such as running, calls for America’s favorite, 100 percent cotton in a loose-fitting form, while the snug should be reserved for activities such as pilates, yoga and other forms of resistance training. This rule goes for the cut-off T-shirts that college men seem to cherish from their glory days on the high school football team, where they were all -of course – the best player on the team. Tighter is not better, and as for the non-makeshift tank tops, the ones that males actually go out and buy, burning them may be the best option. Just as a fannypack is never acceptable, neither is a male in a tank top.
A better option would be the dri-fit clothing that many companies focused on athletic apparel are carrying. With dri-fit, the ladies will still see just enough of your physique, and you will be able to see your muscles in order to properly execute your training movements. If you cannot part with your skimpy, tight tank top and must have a clear view of your muscles at all times, please have the decency to wait until you are behind the closed doors of your home.
Ultimately, fashion – even Rec fashion – is in the eye of the beholder. Taking that little bit of extra time to put energy into what you wear while working out will affect how you feel, thus impacting the success of your workout plan. What one sows, he will reap, so enjoy the benefits of hard work in the weight room. Just do it in ankle socks, and leave their mid-calf length brothers in the drawer.