Everyone has different fitness goals. And based on your fitness goals, you should choose your active wear – especially a gym hoodie.
Its an age-old debate – does wearing a hoodie at the gym help or not? Does it do anything for you at all? What even is the purpose of a gym hoodie?
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While there are many questions to tackle, its important to understand that each individual has their own preferences for example:
- Jack is a 32-year-old man who loves running. His fitness goal is to lose 10 pounds in the next two months. He believes gym hoodies help him burn more calories.
- Mark has been working out every day since his teenage. He gets annoyed with anyone who wears gym hoodies to the gym. He thinks workout hoodies are pointless.
- Angela, on the other hand, is a trainer at the gym. She spends more than six hours every day. Angela doesn’t work out all the time but likes to keep herself cozy. She loves the gym hoodies her favorite brand makes and she thinks they make her look cute.
Since there are so many perspectives, it all boils down to one question – why should you wear a hoodie to the gym?
In this guide, you’ll explore the benefits of gym hoodies, their purpose in your workouts, types of hoodies and more to make an informed decision about your own gym gear.
Benefits | Cons | Hoodie Vs. No Hoodie | Hoodie & Weight Loss | Key Takeaways | FAQs
Benefits Of Wearing a Hoodie While Working Out
People wear workout hoodies for different reasons. Some wear it for fashion, some believe it makes them efficient.
Here are a few reasons why people wear them:
Temperature Control & Prevent Injury
Why do you warm-up before a physical exercise or sport? The standout reason is to control your body temperature. This ultimately prevents injury. If your muscles are cold, there might be a chance of spraining it during your exercise.
For the same reason, athletes and bodybuilders often wear hoodies while working out mostly to get warmed-up faster. Wearing gym hoodies helps you trap the heat inside your body. Not only does this warm up your muscles faster, it also helps them get rid of muscular stiffness and improves overall blood circulation. This boosts your performance as it activates your muscles.
Therefore, starting your workout with a hoodie on in a colder environment can be a really good idea. However, it if it is already hot, you might experience heat exhaustion, which is never a good idea. (More on it later).
Jack wears gym hoodies on a treadmill, maybe because it helps him get a good warm-up. He might have had an injury before and he takes precautions by keeping himself warm. Mark doesn’t do cardio as much, and mostly lifts weights. He probably never pulled any muscle in his lifetime.
Get your heart racing and blood pumping with a complete HIIT running workout plan.
Comfort & Focus
Comfort is essential for workouts. Not only do you stay at-ease and in your element, you also dodge any kinds of distractions. You stay focused – your moves are laser-sharp and you take your time with each movement. People wear all sorts of gear when they workout, and it all depends on what makes them comfortable.
In fact, athletes keep them self-layered till they get to a point of feeling the heat and prevent heat exhaustion.
Some women like to wear a gym hoodie because it helps them hide and hold their goodies. Not everyone likes to wear tight clothes, although it helps them perform better. Hoodies also come with more storage for your valuables like keys and phone.
It’s all about preferences. Maybe Jack has little bit more fat which he is uncomfortable exposing. On the other hand, Mark has not built all his muscles to hide it under a hoodie. For Angela – she likes to keep herself cozy and comfortable as she is at the gym the whole time.
Learn more about what to look for when buying a sports bra so you can stay comfortable during your workouts.
Fashion & Personal Style
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Nowadays, anything you wear is a part of fashion. And it is completely okay to want to look your best self when you’re heading off to a run or hitting the gym. Wearing gym hoodies makes it a part of athleisure.
Gym hoodies come in all sorts of styles and sizes – from the oversized ones to the cute cropped styles, there’s a range and fit for everybody. So why wouldn’t you want to create your own sense of style and expression through your athleisure?
Angela loves her brand. She buys everything the brand makes. If a brand makes a hoodie for working out, she will wear that hoodie to a workout.
Doesn’t matter if it helps her achieve goals faster. She thinks gym hoodies are cute, they make her look good, and it makes her happy. She believes her fashion choices help her express her individuality – and we’re all for it!
Level up your style game by choosing the best gym shorts for your workout.
Sanitary Concerns & Protection
One of the biggest downsides of using a public gym is the lack of hygiene. While some gyms are great with disinfecting and maintaining a hygienic environment, you can never be too careful – especially in this post-pandemic age.
Let’s say you’re using a machine right after someone else and they didn’t wipe their sweat. If you’re without a hoodie’s coverage and protection, you’re likely to come in contact with their sweat, carrying germs and bacteria.
If you have a sensitive skin, this will be especially bad for you. You can develop irritation or worse, a rash.
However, with a gym hoodie, you have a layer of protection around you. You can even pull at the sleeve to push handles or change weights. This minimizes any form of contact with the equipment, maintaining your hygiene at its best.
Angela is super careful about her health and hygiene. When she works out, she tugs at the ends of her sleeves to wipe the sweat off the equipment. It makes her feel somewhat safe.
Learn more about safety and precaution with the post-pandemic return-to-the-gym guide.
Why Some People Don’t Prefer Working Out in A Hoodie?
Mark doesn’t like people wearing a hoodie to the gym. We don’t know if he knows how it can be harmful it is, but if you are sweating a lot, then you should take it off – else…
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion happens when your body is unable to keep up with the high body temperature. It can happen due to excessive high-intensity workouts.
Working out in a hoodie may increase the chances of heat exhaustion. Your body is already overheated during workouts. The added layer is only going to amp up your body’s warmth and trap what’s left of it inside. If you are running and it gets too hot, take it off right away. After you work out, drink plenty of water.
Restricted Range of Motion
While hoodies with 4-way stretch capabilities ensure you have a full range of motion, wearing a cozy warmup hoodie during your workout has the opposite effect. Let’s say you’re wearing a cozy, thick and warm hoodie while working out.
During exercises such as overhead triceps, your movement will be restricted. The hoodie is built to keep you comfy. However, its thick material and extra long sleeves will hinder such movements. This is why, people like Mark prefer stringers and tanks or gym t-shirts over gym hoodies.
What To Wearing During a Specific Workout: Hoodie Vs. No Hoodie
Each type of workout has different requirements. Let’s explore the active wear choices you should be making according to your workout.
Weightlifting
Many weightlifters prefer wearing a hoodie as it keeps their muscles warm, boosting their performance. With engaged and active muscles, you’ll have better flexibility and overall performance, helping you achieve your fitness goals.
Its only recommended to wear a hoodie during your lift if your range of motion is unrestricted.
Alternatives
Men
- For muscle support, wear a compression or muscle tee
- For a sweat-free workout, go for a moisture-wicking tank
Women
- For optimal support, wear a weightlifting bralette
- For easy movement, go for workout jogger pants
Not comfortable with weights? Try a full body workout routine at home instead.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
During the warmup phase of HIIT, a gym hoodie will be great. This is because it will quickly warm up your muscles and get them active and ready for the workout. However, HIIT itself includes bursts of intense workout activity that ramps up your body temperatures. If you’re wearing layers during HIIT, you’re at the risk of heat exhaustion.
It is only recommended to wear a hoodie for warmups and cool downs when you’re doing HIIT.
Alternatives
Men
- For the best performance, wear a lightweight gym t-shirt
- Go for a drop-shoulder tank that promotes easy mobility
Women
- Opt for a lightweight and breathable crop top
- For the best workout, go for super flexible workout leggings
If HIIT is too intense for you, go for a beginner-friendly dance workout routine instead.
Cardio
If you’re hitting the outdoor track on a cool winter morning or late at night, then you should definitely be wearing a workout hoodie for protection. It’ll keep you warm and make sure you’re comfortable throughout. During summers or warm weather, or even during indoor workouts, it’s best to restrict hoodies to your warmups.
It is recommended to wear gym hoodies during your cycling, running, hiking or any other outdoor activity when the temperature drops.
Alternatives
Men
- Go for a lightweight, moisture-wicking running top
- Opt for 2-in-1 running shorts for muscle support through compression
Women
- Go for a compression crop tee for support during your run paired with a high impact bra
- Make sure you’re comfortable in running shorts
Learn the right way of doing jumping jacks for the best cardio experience.
Does Wearing Hoodies at The Gym Help in Losing Weight?
There are a lot of mixed opinions around this question. While some people believe that sweating more helps them burn extra calories and lose weight, others deem this as a mere myth.
Scientifically speaking, wearing hoodies at the gym help only in warming up and maintaining your body temperatures. However, wearing a hoodie during your workout has no correlation with weight or fat loss.
Since hoodie is an added layer that not only warms you up but also retains your body’s heat, it makes you sweat more. A lot of wrestlers and bodybuilders who experience a ‘fat loss’ by working out in hoodies is actually just the water weight lost due to excessive sweating. You’ll immediately gain this weight as soon as you rehydrate yourself.
If your goal is fat and weight loss, then you need to focus on effective training. Pair your workouts with lifting weights and cardio – and make sure your active wear supports your activity.
Learn the difference between lifting weights and cardio to choose what’s better for you.
Key Takeaways
- Warming up in a gym hoodie is a great idea. You can wear it back after the workout to let your body cool slowly.
- Wear the hoodie when it makes you comfortable and looks good. Layer yourself while going out or to the gym. Let fashion not interfere with your health.
- Take the hoodie off and avoid heat exhaustion when it is too hot or you are sweating like crazy.
Love them or hate them, but respect everyone who chooses to wear gym hoodies – either outside or at the gym. Some prevent their injuries – for some, it is their lifestyle – and for some, it is their happy place.
You may not know the reason they are wearing for. All you can do is celebrate their choices and support one another in becoming the best version of yourselves!
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Category: WHY
