Fashion/Beauty - January

What TO Wear...at the gym :)

--- Sarah Luo

     Working out is hard enough in itself, so what does it really matter what you wear? Well I’ve realized that specialized fitness apparel not only makes working out more comfortable, but when you look in the mirror and see yourself in your awesome workout outfit, you become motivated to make it look better than that old t-shirt and shorts number.  

     Guys, don’t worry about this, but ladies, pay attention. The most important piece of fitness apparel for women is the sports bra. The one thing that seems to worry women the most when it comes to exercise is their breasts. Sometimes, they are just too damn big and eventually become a hassle while running or doing high cardio workouts. The best sports bras can be found in Sports Authority or an athletic brand name store such as Nike or Adidas. Contrary to popular belief, Wal-Mart doesn’t actually have the best sports bras. They may hold temporarily, but in the long run, they just don’t hold. 

     Nike features some of the strongest sports bras made especially for running, sports, or high cardio workouts. They have a specific type of running bra called the “dri-fit” which actually absorbs all your sweat so that it isn’t wet after you work out, which some people prefer. I’m not particularly sure how much of a change the absorbance of the sweat really makes, but I guess wet clothes after a workout aren’t exactly attractive. 

     A workout outfit craze that hasn’t and probably will never go out of style is the yoga pant. Yoga pants are really good for any type of work out and not exclusively yoga, which is kind of the common misconception. There are yoga pants now that hold tighter on the waist so that they won’t slip off while you’re jumping or running. The tightness of the pant legs on yoga pants are especially comfortable and convenient when it comes to any kind of workout. 

     When men work out, their outfits don’t generally have to consist of much more than a t-shirt and shorts. The common alternative to this would be the cut off sleeves, or sleeveless shirt, you know how they’re made. You take that old t-shirt that probably already has the rip under the armpit, and all you really do is...well make the rip bigger, or rip off the sleeve. I’ve noticed that even girls are following suit. I have to admit, it’s a very efficient use of clothing, but sometimes a rip too huge can seem somewhat hobo-ish. Then again, a shirt showing off a little too much rippling muscle on a guy is not exactly a bad thing.

     Some good men’s fitness apparel stores are, of course, the brand name athletic stores like Puma or Reebok, but a good brand nowadays is Under Armor. Under Armor sticks tight to the body, absorbs sweat (especially for those guys that drip sweat every second), and is comfortable for any kind of working out from running to dead lifts.  

     Shoes are perhaps the most important part of all fitness apparel. The best running shoes are Asics or Nikes. Asics are the more professional type of running shoe made especially for track and cross country runners. The gel in the sole has a particularly good bounce so that your knees are protected and you get a good spring with each step. Nike Shox are really helpful with any kind of cardio, not limited to running solely. The newest type of Nike cardio shoe for ladies is called the Nike Air made especially for working out in gyms or for athletic training. Different from the Shox, Nike Air is light, has a soft sole, and is easy to lift when running or doing high jumps. Of course, there are always other choices, but if you want the best effect, I would definitely recommend Asics and Nike, they’re the way to go!

     So if you’re looking for something to buy with that Christmas gift card, go find yourself the perfect workout clothes. It’s the perfect start to following through with that most common New Year’s resolution of getting fit or losing weight!

Fitness Options

--- Christy Lin/Sarah Luo

     It’s here again, New Year’s, that time of year when you start making promises that really would be good for you if only you could keep them. Perhaps the most common New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight and get healthier. Now everyone knows that the likelihood of actually keeping to a New Year’s Resolution exponentially decreases about two weeks after the ball drop. Motivation is usually the biggest kicker, but it’s not as difficult to find as most people are led to believe. 

     We think that the most important thing about getting fit and healthy is to have fun with it. Find an activity that you enjoy and if possible, find a friend to participate with you. Something that we really like to do is Turbo Kickboxing. Turbo Kick is offered in almost all 24 Hour Fitness gyms and select gyms on the West Coast. 

Turbo Kick is a high energy, full body workout that features choreographed combinations of punches and kicks paired with the latest pop hits. First begun in 1994 by Chalene Johnson, Turbo Kick is one of the first choreographed cardio kickboxing classes offered in gyms. Turbo Kick’s production company, Powder Blue Productions, also offers unique workouts such as Hip Hop Hustle and PiYo also available in select gyms. 

The Turbo Kick classes offered at the gyms are incredibly popular and we find that when you walk into a room of 50 people ready to work out and sweat, you also get motivated to work harder. A lot of the motivation to keep your work out goal comes from the people you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with people that keep pushing back their goals because they’re too lazy, then odds are, you will probably never step foot in the gym. If you surround yourself with high energy people that are willing to work hard and keep at their goals until the very end, much like the participants in these classes, then you will probably work just as hard, if not harder, to finally accomplish that New Year’s Resolution.

For more intense workouts, spinoffs of Turbo Kick like Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire can be found online at www.beachbody.com. Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire are a series of high intensity workouts specialized for home exercise. Unlike Turbo Kick, they are a lot harder and not for the faint of heart. Keep in mind though, buying the sets of Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire will be more expensive than getting a membership at the gym in the short run, but either way you’ll get the results you’re looking for in the long run. 

Basically, what we’re saying is that there’s plenty of ways to get motivated to get healthy and in shape. Turbo Kick, Jam, and Fire are some options but it’s ultimately up to what makes you get up and get moving. Motivation isn’t everything, but it’s definitely the start of a long lasting work ethic to achieve your ultimate goal.