The Gym … A playground of Fashion, Fun and Fit

Uncategorized

You go to the gym to look good out of the gym. Or at least, you did. What was once a private relationship with your own pain has become a social space, where your efforts beneath a barbell are now the background to someone else’s mirror selfies. It’s time to rethink that stained butcher tee or old torn-up clothes.

Keep Things Subdued

Sports brands have a fondness for the rave color palettes. But what looks good on the rail is bad news in your gym bag – turns out, neon and bright colors are tough to pair.

Instead, take a lesson from your wardrobe by sticking to neutrals. If all your kit is white, black or grey, it all matches. Which is one less excuse not to hit the weights.

For those who tend to not make as much use their gym membership, the darker you should steer. “Black is your friend,” most styler’s editor will agree. It hides sweat patches and looks good on anyone: slimming if you’re not yet in the shape you want to be; flattering if you are. A friend of mind reflected on, demographics playing a role in this mind set. I tend to agree as people who tend to more “Big City” member are prone to wear more black and couture clothes, whereas country and suburbia tends to be more on the bright and laid back color palate attire. But… let’s face it, we city people are much more driven in the fashion market and always attempting to make some type of STATEMENT !

Don’t Look in The Mirrors

Our gym’s mirrors are counterintuitive. Seemingly there to help you check your form (and, yes, your guns) . They are  bad for your performance say’s a Canadian research article;  watching yourself exercise has a negative impact on body image even if you’re confident in how you look; and a recent US study found using a mirror while squatting distorts your perception of body position, which wrecks your form. But, I found checking your form helps you maintain proper alignment. My trainer constantly has me checking my posture and form in the mirror. I tend to shy away from looking in the mirror, but, I constantly hear, “Jo…  look in the mirror keep your left shoulder in-line with your right”, Dare “Dare-Master” Adesoji – Equinox Boston, MA.

If you want to monitor your form, I believe it is important to be cognizant of what you are doing. If you want to monitor your other ‘form’, wait till later. “Too much checking yourself out cuts into valuable training time There’s mirrors in the changing rooms too, you know.

Keep Fits Trim

It’s a lesson that applies equally to your in- and – out-of-the-gym wardrobe: baggy fits don’t mask a baggy body. Clothes should fit right so that they don’t flap around when you’re running or get caught on dumbbells when you’re lifting. Loose or baggy pants also hides your limbs, so you can’t keep an eye on how deep you’re squatting, or if your knees are tracking over your toes properly, as I am so constantly hearing.  “Wear leggings. It sounds weird, but nobody wants to see your pasty/knobbly/bruised legs/ cellulite bearing. No matter what shape you’re in, shorts over the top can be optional to make you feel more comfortable.

Get A Bag That Works In & Out Of The Gym

It was very kind of your gym to give you that free bag when you joined. But it’s time it went the same way as your enthusiasm for the least liked gym activity class.

If you use the gym at work, your gym bag needs to go with your office wear. If you’re a weekend trooper, it should match your off-duty looks. Please, never place grubby gear in the same backpack you take to the office. “You want to avoid your knapsack smelling like a locker room.

As with their apparel, sports brands’ accessories tend towards neon. Stick to muted shades instead – they go with everything in your wardrobe.

Stick with a bags that have wipe clean linings, you will appreciate it the weekend you leave your bag in the truck of your car on a hot day.  Wash Your Gym Bag regularly. Invest in the best gym bag you can afford and treat it like you would regular clothes. Anything that sits right next to your skin – underwear, shirts, socks – needs washing after every wear. That goes doubly unsaid if you’ve sweated through it. Wash it after each use and don’t leave it in your bag all weekend.

Form Is Everything

The only person who appreciates you lifting more than you can handle is your chiropractor. You might have stacked the bench press bar with all the weight in the gym, but over lifting or straining your hips until they’re almost touching the ceiling or your about to pop a vein in your head, means it’s too heavy for you.

If your form’s off, lighten the load. Lifting less weight correctly means bigger gains. “When doing chest presses make sure you lie flat on your back with a bit of an arch in your lower back, keep your shoulders aligned properly you’ll get much more chest / arm activation. Then one day, you’ll be able to lift that heavier weight properly. All from my trainer The Dare-Master, Equinox Boston. 😊

 Don’t Just Sit There

If you take a long 5 to 6-minute rest between each set, then most of your session is spent sat down. So, work smarter by training opposing muscles in maximized sets– pair a chest exercise with a back move, then perform one set of each before resting. You give your muscles time to recover and use your time more effectively.

If you struggle with flexibility, like I do because I do some much quad dominated exercises, try to switch to ‘active’ rest periods. Instead of checking Instagram, stretch out tight hamstrings or hip flexors. You’ll knock off that 20-minute flexibility session you always ignore – and look like a pro who doesn’t waste time, like the guru of CrossCycle®, Chris Gagnon – CrossCycleFitness /Equinox Boston, MA. He is always stretching and masters that foam roller. That’s a good indicator of why, by foam rolling and dynamically stretching help prevent injury. Static stretching should be done after a workout, not before states Chris !!

Wear Enough Clothes

On the list of why people come to the gym, “To see your rippling muscles,” sits somewhere between, “To catch a fungus in the shower,” and “To taste other people’s sweat.” Simply stated, people come to the gym to maintain a healthy lifestyle and become a better version of themselves.

Slim-fit clothes leave little enough to the imagination, but keep you decent. You don’t need to have your nipples protruding out. That’s tacky and disruptive to others.  “Military style vests, tiny shorts and low-cut tops and swimwear are unacceptable. Unless you’re actively looking to become a gym model.

Stand To Attention

Stand up. If you spend your day sat down, odds are your desk has wrecked your posture. Oh … and in my case, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Valentino and countless others.  Ditto if you work your chest harder than your back or glutes. Focus on standing upright, with your shoulder blades pushed together and chest up.

You will elongate your torso; slimming your belly, add inches to your upper body and look, well, like someone who knows what they’re doing. The fact you’ll eradicate all that back pain is just a bonus.

Get The Right Shoes

Your running shoes are designed for precisely that, Running!! Cannot say enough for the New Balance Running line. They have actually improved my PR.  HMMM… what is PR you ask? Precision Running is the Amazing New Lab at Equinox, my happy place!!  Angela Rubin Moore, Studio Manager, has hooked me on this wonderful invention designed by run master himself, Dave Siik. Precision Running has redefined indoor treadmill training. Check out their NEW FABULOUS FACILITY !!. Precision Running/ Chestnut Hill. Run Smart, hurt less and burn more through designed runs that switch up speed, time and incline to keep you in the zone.

If you are an enthusiast like myself, of Barre, Muse and Yoga. if you’re just getting started with Barre, Pilates and or Yoga it’s perfectly acceptable to show up in whatever feels most comfortable, whether that’s shorts and a t-shirt or tights and a tank. In Barre workouts, yoga pants and close-fitting cropped pants are the most common staples because classes focus on making small changes to leg and body position. When you wear tighter pants, you can see and correct mistakes more easily than if you were wearing baggy bottoms.  It’s also important to realize that these classes are typically performed barefoot. If you’re self-conscious about your feet, consider picking up a pair of studio socks with slip-resistant grips on the bottom. Once you’ve attended a few classes and you’re confident you’ll continue, have fun with your wardrobe selections! Melissa, I actually call her my little sis, a barre fitness instructor at Equinox locations in Boston, MA always graces the stage with awesome wear.  “If there’s ever a time to wear a sexier top or express yourself with fun colors, barre class is the place to do it.” Luckily, there are lots of cute barre workout tights and tanks that look every bit as good in the studio as they do on the street. Melissa Jalali and Paula Fonseca , instructors at Equinox always watch  to see body alignment to properly adjust positions for the most effective and safe workout.  Build your barre workout wardrobe by selecting pants in basic blacks and greys that you can mix-and-match with a variety of workout tops.

But don’t go too basic. Look for fun features, like the vertically-ribbed mesh, or opt for the twisted, Leggings. Both work great during barre class and can transition to after-workout wear with the right top or tunic.  Top your favorite leggings with a comfortable tank, which offers extra breathability. And don’t forget to select a beautiful, but supportive, sports bra.

Last, but not least, don’t forget those slip-resistant socks! The Bar Method offers a variety of styles, but the Open Top Socks are especially cute, offering a ballet slipper-like appearance. Ladies .. if you are into fashion and style like me … this is were to do it with grace and style.

For weightlifting and any strength work, you need a flat, stable base, is recommended cushioned trainers compress when you load up, which puts you off balance and means you can’t generate as much power.  Most Trainers, Strongmen and extreme heavy lifters say, your best bet is to take them off altogether. Just wear socks, clean socks with no holes for god’s sake.

If your gym bans bare feet – and frankly, that’s no bad thing – you need shoes with firm soles. Converse have long been the weightlifter’s go-to, but the rise of CrossFit has popularized a new, hybrid trainer, with a flat sole for heavy metal but which also offers support when you’re sprinting.

Cycling shoes are a must for any type of cycling class, in my opinion. And, of course the right size. Not like me with this one pair that I hold dearly because my little cousin in Italy picked out for me but are one and half sizes too big. Therefore, when doing CrossCycle®(another awesome favorite class at Equinox – Boston location Only) becomes a problem. CrossCycle® and Cross Cycle® “Stripped” (ok not what you’re thinking) Strip meaning no weights, you utilize your own body weight to perform the exercises vs. CrossCycle® which is a complete endurance, strength and conditioning program that takes you on and off the bike with weights and without.  This decorated cyclist will challenge you to soar in class and to quote Chris Gagnon, “it is a love-hate relationship”!! Chris is the BEST of the BEST in Cycling, well, most anything he does. Chris has redefined Fitness/Endurance and Strength in an entire circuit. To call it amazing, well that’s an understatement. Check him out at CrossCycle®Fitness To think, I used to be intimidated by him, mmm… I am honored to say, he is one of my dearest friends today.

Monitor & Progress

You have no idea how hard you work, if you work out solo without a trainer.  My friend Dr. Elsie Levin, invested in a fitness tracker without one. A fitness monitor tracks your work for you, so you can’t lie. And so, you can see when you need to switch things up.

If your regime doesn’t change, your body learns to do one thing very well. It is like we master one exercise and only perform that exercise.  When the weights get too easy, or your run feels manageable, tweak: lift more, run faster, or shift to higher-intensity training.

Look for a monitor one with GPS and, ideally, water resistance, so you’ve got more flexibility with your training options. By monitoring your heart rate and calorie burn in real time, you guarantee you’re working hard enough. And you’ll find out that 20 minutes on the cross trainer doesn’t buy you that chocolate chip cookie.

Don’t Stink

Stale sweat is an unpleasant cologne. But an unpleasant cologne is worse. When your skin heats up, your fragrance evaporates faster. No one wants to work out in a cloud of and tobacco.  Be cognizant of the members, when at the gym switch to a sportier fragrance.

Citrus notes are fresh, light and less overpowering, so you won’t fumigate the gym. And because your body stays warm for hours after your session (if you’ve worked hard enough, that is or you take Cross Cycle®) you won’t fumigate the environment out of the gym, either.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to believe how much the fitness scene has changed over the past few years. There’s been a complete 360, back in the day there was only a few local race’s were available over the year. If you joined a gym the class choices would be limited to spinning, aerobics, pilates and yoga. Now we have a whole variety of gym’s, classes and events to meet our needs and ever increasing expectations. Equinox has raised the bar for me. I love this place 😊

To me, Equinox and its people are more than the motivational quotes and fancy new trainers, it’s feeling out of breath but knowing I still have enough in the tank to push on. Taking a line from Angela Moore Rubin, “ Come On .. You Can do anything”.

It’s adding an extra plate to the barbell, but accepting the moves when simply the bar is enough.

It’s running through the mud, turning to my friend and laughing at our rosy red cheeks and sweat covered trainers.

I feel blessed that I have the freedom to lace up my sneakers and run, I might not always run long or far, but it sets my soul free.

There was a time when I felt apprehensive about doing something other than an elipitical , when I felt as if I wasn’t ‘good enough’ and that’s such a terrible waste of energy and emotion. Being surrounded by such positive coaches, member’s and instructors at Equinox has massively increases my confidence, it allows me to find common ground with a whole range of people. If I feel good in my own skin, I can feel more confident in my mind and pushing my abilities. I’m sure that I’m not alone when I say that at times my mind is a circus. If I can hit the gym or escape the office for classes or training sometimes it’s all I need for improved clarity.

Can you remember the last time you felt proud of your body, not for what it looks like but how it performs? Yesterday I took two Cycling classes with Chris and I pushed through some of the limits I’d previously set myself and I feel nothing but pride. We need to respect our bodies and listen to what it’s trying to tell us, it’s okay to resist going hard and just go home somedays.

The beauty of fitness increasing in popularity means more people than ever are taking part. From a personal point of view, this has led me to new friendships and a special sister, Melissa. A running buddy or a weight lifting partner who’ll encourage you to push limits can make all the difference, such as Angela. Before I met her, I never ran for anything, unless it was a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.

I see it as a place where you can practice, over and over again, the habit of setting a goal for yourself and then reaching it, of doing what you set out to do. I go to the gym to build my body, sure, but I also go to build my mind. I go to test my discipline and refine my focus. And no matter how busy I get, I always keep one foot in the gym, because it’s those fundamental qualities that have ultimately made me successful in every other area of my life.

Focus takes practice. Discipline takes practice. Persistence takes practice. Consistency takes practice. Equinox is a great place to practice these things.

 https://crosscyclefitness.com

 https:// www.equinox.com/groupfitness/instructor/6655

  • David Siik – Precision Running

 https:// www. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SWWxhhJDWU

The Precision Running Lab

https://www.equinox.com/precisionrunninglab/chestnuthill

 

Leave a reply