This Men’s Magazine Wants Guys to Ditch the Shorts and Opt for a Leggings-Only Gym Look
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It’s good enough for the ladies, says this recent Men’s Health piece, so why can’t guys rock a ‘leggings only’ look at the gym?
While acknowledging that it’s “a bold look” to rock a pair of leggings without a pair of shorts on top (you’ll no doubt find guys rocking the leggings-under-shorts look at your gym), writer Brett Williams talks about leggings like they’re the wave of the future for guys serious about getting the most out of their workouts.
Remember when baggy basketball shorts were all the rage? Eventually the style slimmed down to more form-fitting joggers, and now leggings, he says, are the next step in this gymwear evolution.
To be clear, Williams isn’t saying that guys should outright ditch that extra shorts layer if they don’t feel comfortable or just don’t want to. What he’s really getting at is that there’s no reason for stigma surrounding the leggings-only look. Which makes sense, as there’s no practical benefit to that added shorts layer in the first place. If anything, those shorts are just constricting your movement, right?
But he acknowledges that a lot of guys aren’t interested in a leggings-only look — including his boss, the editor-in-chief of Men’s Health, Rich Dorment, who says, “Tights = always, but ONLY with shorts on top.”
Even Zac Efron, who Williams interviewed earlier this month, had something to say about guys sporting leggings with nothing on top: “If you pull it off and it works … I just have to wear something over them or I feel too self-conscious.”
It sounds like many guys are too intimidated to wear a pair of leggings to the gym while leaving their shorts in the locker room. But those guys are too worried about what other people may think instead of why they’re working out in the first place — to get fit.
Most important, though — for every guy — is that he feels as comfortable as possible when he’s working out. If you just won’t feel right rocking a pair of leggings to the gym, then you shouldn’t.
But know that if the day comes when you feel like ditching the shorts and living your best gym life in leggings and a tank top, you have our — and Brett Williams’ — full support.
