Compression shirts

Three years ago, there is no way I would have been caught wearing specialized gym clothing. I was sure that it was much cooler and just as effective to wear and old cotton t-shirt and some basketball shorts to the gym. Well every once in a while, I make a complete 180 degree turn. My stance on workout clothing was such an occasion.

When I started boxing I realized that I was working harder in the gym than I had ever worked before. One of the consequences was that I was sweating a profuse amount. It was distracting, and probably smelly, having a heavy, wet cotton t-shirt on. I decided to bite and I purchased a sleeveless Nike Pro compression shirt. It took some getting used to but it's to the point now where I consider not going to the gym without one (of course that could just be me looking for excuses to avoid the gym).

There are several benefits to wearing a compression shirt during a workout. The main purpose of these revealing garments is not aesthetic, but to reduce muscle vibration so that you're workout is more effective. They also keep moisture away from your body and reduce chafing. Since they're so tight, they keep your body warm as well. I have quite a few friends that play rugby and they say that the shirts are really beneficial if you're playing contact sports.

The whole fad was started by Under Armour and has since been copied by Nike, Adidas and others. Any of the brands will do since Under Armour had no patent on the material they first used to manufacture these things and there is little distinction between brands. Two things that I should mention:

1) Under no circumstances is it okay for any man wear a compression shirt without another, looser shirt, over top of it.
2) They're not inexpensive. They usually run around $40 in Canada and rarely go on sale. I find the best place to buy them is at Winners (in the States, that would be TJ Maxx). You can usually find them on the athletic racks for about $15-20. If they don't have any in stock, try Sportcheck or eBay.

Now get your fat ass back into the gym. You know you put on weight over the holidays.