Muscle mechanics

Working out at the gym can be hazardous...

__________________________________________________________________________

Heading to the gym for a work out? Then you should put some thought into what you wear, unless you want to be the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons.

I ALWAYS felt that I could put on just about anything and head off to the gym to exercise. It is my hour of shutting off from the world and all it's stresses, and just sweating it out.

However, recently I started paying more attention to what I wore and this was prompted by how inappropriately some men dress at my gym.

The mornings are pretty deserted at this particular gym I go to in Petaling Jaya, except for a few middle-aged housewives and a few older "uncles''. These men in their sixties are obviously retired and can spend copious amounts of time in the café reading newspapers, followed by a leisurely walk on a treadmill, still reading the newspaper.
Dressing decently for the gym will make the experience a more pleasant one for all. Heading to

These older gentlemen fall into two categories – some who dress their age, and some who dress a bit too young.

One morning, one man from the latter category was in a get-up that could best be described as a cross between Rambo and The Village People. He was wearing a khaki see-through wide mesh singlet and a pair of very loose black shorts. He topped this off with a white sweatband on his head.

This might seem acceptable if worn by someone in his teens or early 20s who had a toned and fit body. Unfortunately, Uncle Rambo was neither taut nor terrific, with his potbelly and sagging shoulders. The sweatband, however, did do him justice by hiding a good portion of his comb-over.

There is another particular group of 30 and 40-something men who are just entering middle age. Gym work is a good thing to rebuild their sagging muscle tone. They exercise after office hours and arrive at the gym in their corporate work wear and then get changed.

More often than not, they don a branded sports T-shirt or singlet (because they can afford it) and to my dismay, a skin-tight pair of biker shorts. This is what they might have worn about 20 years ago when biker shorts were all the rage.

With the 1980s revival, this garment rears it's ugly head again. Very unforgiving, especially if there is excess fat around the mid-section. I feel biker shorts should only be worn on the Tour de France or in a "Spin Class", and nowhere else.

There is one particular character at my gym who takes this skin-tight look a step too far. This man actually exercises in a singlet and his underwear! Yes, his underwear. He wears square cut cotton spandex underwear and when he sweats, there is no hiding where his perspiration trickles to. It is also an especially scary sight when that tiny bit of spandex rides up his glutes as he's on the step machine.

Lucky there are no impressionable young children or faint-hearted matronly ladies at the gym on those evenings. I have to take my hat off to him though. He started to dress down like a recessionista even before the recession hit us here in Malaysia.

The younger, better built men in their 20s, who have spent many hours sculpting their bodies, are not embarrassed to show off the results of their labour. More often, they are attired in T-shirts or singlets that range from tight to very loose. Sometimes their loose tops are very scooped in the front and leave nothing to the imagination. So bulging are their cleavages and chests, a sports bra might sometimes be more appropriate.

It is not all funny and unpleasant sights at the gym though. Some people do dress pretty decently especially when attending their "Pump'' or "Funk'' classes. They wear singlets, T-shirts, sports shorts and track pants which are loose and comfortable, and their clothes let their bodies breathe and facilitate movement.

Men should dress their age, wherever they are. When in doubt, always cover up, I say. There is nothing more disconcerting than exercising next to a sweaty, smelly man with only miniscule inches of fabric on his body.

I used to firmly believe you can jump into whatever outfit you choose to go to the gym, and still get a great workout just like any other gym bunny donning the most high-tech get up. Still, it doesn't hurt to occasionally get your hands on some new gym gear to look your coolest while you are sweating it out.

Charlz once wore his singlet inside out at the gym by mistake. However, it was neither made of see-through wide mesh nor scooped at the front.

__________________________________________________________________________
Your one-stop information portal:
The Star Online
http://thestar.com.my

Copyright © 1995-2009 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.