On Clothing During Workouts

What do you like to wear when you train? Do you have a specific shirt or pair of shorts/pants? Do you wear specific shoes or do you go barefoot? How about Spandex and headbands like in an 80's aerobics class? Some of the clothes I've seen may not always be appropriate to my taste but that's just me. Some people wear tight clothes that show off various muscles they want to display, others (especially women) wear crazy short shorts to show off their ass, again it's a preference and if it works for them and they want to flaunt it it's their choice. 

Some people are not only turned off by certain aspects of clothing, but find it "distracting" or they'll say something just to cause a scene. If you're distracted by what someone wears, in most cases that's on you man. In the gym, I've seen both men and women wear ridiculous outfits which some look so damn tight on them, I'm shocked they haven't developed a yeast infection but to me it's just clothes and I go about what I'm doing. Quite frankly, if you wear something that you feel that makes you stand out or just wear a t-shirt that says "fuck Satan" and acid jeans, that's your business and you do you.

A good 99% of the time, you'll see me in a t-shirt and basketball shorts with either shoes, flip flops or completely barefoot. That's just the way I' am. Being born and bred in California, it's quite common to wear beach clothes just about anywhere you go. Up here in Idaho, I do the same exact thing and no one seems to give a shit which is nice. The mere fact people bitch about certain types of clothing really just makes me laugh more than anything. 

Did you know there are people out there that hate men that wear flip flops? People have their quirks but seriously, how shallow and dumb do you have to be to hate on someone because of a damn beach shoe? I just don't get it. Saying it makes men look feminine and weak; do they not realize the flip flop/sandal has been around since ancient Egypt and have been worn by Royalty, Slaves, Soldiers, Hunters/Gatherers and Tribal Leaders. I would pay big money to see some douchecanoe tell a Roman-Greek Soldier or a Tribal Hunter how weak he is for wearing that kind of footwear; he probably wouldn't last 5 minutes before being stabbed to death or taken down and smashed by a rock or log. If you have the strength to handle heavy armor or carry a good amount of weight and be able to fight when you need to while wearing that, who the hell really cares?

In ancient times (and in some aspects today), men and women trained completely in their birthday suit and had great success. Some of the greatest athletes trained with very little to no clothing so if it works for them, that's awesome. Clothing is a construct and is an option more than anything else. Now many would frown upon going commando in a public area which is understandable because there are children present at times and there are things they don't need to see and get scarred for life or need some serious therapy. At times during my workouts, I trained in a garage or the living room just in my boxers (in the summer, it's almost vital) and blasted through sessions like the old timers. 

When clothing is required (public setting here), wear whatever makes you happy, hell I've seen people with pierced noses, nipple rings in a see-through shirt, cut off jeans, shit even a guy wearing a full on Spider-Man Outfit doing gymnastics and Barstarzz Calisthenic type training in the middle of a gym. When you're completely alone in your home or live in an area where no one within a mile can see you, go out in the nude or train with people who like to be naked. Training should be challenging, fun and exciting to do. Sometimes we have to push ourselves because we don't always have the motivation but what you wear in most cases is completely irrelevant. If you want to be stared at, that's your choice and better be prepared for any consequences that may or may not occur. If you wan to be colorful, go for it, you might encourage someone to do the same. If you want to just look plain (wife beater shirt, khakis, no color) that's great too. Clothing is just part of the process but it doesn't have to be a 100% priority (depending on where you are).

Last thing, I just want to point out that if you plan on using very little clothing out in the snow, you might want to learn a thing or two from Wim Hoff before you start going crazy and I highly recommend you DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES where 10 layers of clothing from head to toe while trying to run an ultra-marathon in 100 degree weather (dry heat or humid), chances are you will die and you're literally giving vultures a chance to snack on your corpse. Be strong, wear whatever works for you and be amazingly awesome.