For most people, the clothes worn to the gym or during their workouts doesn’t get much thought at first. However, once they head to the gym in their basement clothes and find out that their baggy shirts are getting in the way of most of their exercises, and the hole in the back of their shorts is visible when squatting, their attitude tends to change pretty quickly. Even if you’re a complete newbie with the ‘I’m going to sweat through these clothes anyway’ mentality, finding the right set of apparel for the gym not only gives you a boost of confidence during your workout, but also can help you better perform some exercises.

Ease of Body Movement

Not all types of workouts can be done in any type of clothes. The body part you are working on needs to have just the right working space so that the exercise can have its desired effect on it. Restricting the movement of body parts in certain angles not only creates the chance of pulled and damaged muscles, but also lessens the impact of the workout you are doing. Think about it, if your shorts are too tight (or too loose) and you can’t get the full range of motion on a squat, deadlift or clean and jerk, you’re putting yourself in harms way.

Just the Right Materials

If you’re someone who sweats a lot during their workouts, then its important the fabric you choose either helps absorb the sweat and has some sort of moisture wicking technology. You also want to feel comfortable when wearing them –there’s nothing worse that having your mind think about how uncomfortable your top is instead of focusing on extracting that peak contraction for a particular set.

Pick the Size That Fits Your Body

Getting gym clothes in the perfect size is important; if your goal is to get bigger, then you need apparel that will stretch and still feel comfortable. Conversely, if your goal is to lose weight, make sure the workout clothes you pick won’t become so baggy as to interrupt your wrkouts.

Choosing Comfortable Combinations

There are a lot of designs in which gym wear is available. Not all of them are suited for everyone. Most people are comfortable working out in shorts and a sports bra but others prefer sweatshirts and leggings. This is not just related to the type of workout being done but is mostly concerned with personal preferences and what clothes make one feel confident in working out.

Form and Looks

As you become more of a gym pro, you’ll undoubtedly start looking at material as the last frontier. Now, we’re not saying go in a full body suit like Serena Williams, but maybe avoid pure cotton-based gear to avoid having any of your clothing shrink in the wash! As a rule of thumb, gym wear is the most suitable ones in this case as compared to cotton.