A fit body is the best style accessory. Look at anyone with a classic v-shape physique. It’s so much easier to look good in any type of clothing with a lean, muscular frame. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts – you have to consistently work out and follow a healthy diet to achieve and maintain a good physique. You also benefit from improved overall health and feeling better on a day-to-day basis, among many other benefits. One way to support a consistent workout habit is to make sure you have the right gym essentials for men.
The proper gear will look good, keep you motivated, and enhance your performance to make the most of your workouts. Like anything else, your confidence and attitude will determine your success. Although the gym essentials for men we review today will not push the weights or run the miles for you, they will give you less excuses to skip a workout, as well as give you that extra boost of confidence to keep going back.
Alright, let’s review the gym essentials for men, as well as a few options for each category for you to consider. You may or may not need everything on this list, depending on the activities or workouts in which you participate. And you may already have some good options in many of these categories. Use these recommendations to build the foundation of your workout attire, or simply to fill a couple gaps or get some ideas of what you may be missing.
Shoes
The type of shoes you should wear will vary greatly by your favored activities or workouts. If you like to play basketball, for instance, you’ll obviously need sneakers specifically for basketball.
For this post, we’ll stick to cross-trainers and running shoes, as these will apply most broadly to those who choose more standard gym workouts (weight-lifting, running, recreational sports, etc…).
If you run any more than a few miles per week, you should get specialty running shoes. Otherwise general cross-trainers will probably suffice. Since we are not running experts, check out this article from Fleet Feet for the best technical running shoes. Of these options, we think the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus look best.
For cross trainers, see the table below.
| Value Option | Splurge Option | |
| Barefoot Cross-Trainers | WHITIN Cross Trianers | Xero 360 Cross Trainers |
| Weightlifting Shoes | Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars | Vivobarefoot Motus Strength |
| Running Shoes | Brooks Launch 9 | Nike Air Zoom Pegasus |
If your workouts primarily consist of lifting weights, you should NOT use traditional running shoes for this activity, especially for leg workouts involving any squatting or deadlifting variations. The drop and cushioning of the running shoe will destabilize your foot, which can compromise form and the amount you can lift. Stick to cross-trainers or even barefoot shoes (recommendations below).
Pants/shorts
Shoes will vary greatly by your preferred activity, as their technical details differ quite a bit depending on the types of movements required for each activity. As we move up to pants/shorts, the requirements tend to be the same. You need something lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and durable.
It helps if they look good too. While baggier shorts/pants might seem more comfortable, those with a sleeker profile tend to look better. And with the stretch fabrics available these days, most of these will not restrict your movement. Plus, good looking workout bottoms can double up as athleisure wear for running errands or hanging around the house.
Still, if you prefer a baggier fit for your bottoms, by all means, continue wearing whatever works. Our suggestions will lean on items that flatter and give shape to your legs, so you can show off the hard work from never skipping leg day and/or getting in those regular runs.
4-5 pairs of good shorts and 2-4 pairs of good pants (depending on your weekly activity and the weather where you live) should be enough to get you through a laundry rotation without having to double up on shorts. Which is gross, but we’ve all been there from time to time…
| Value Option | Splurge Option | |
| Shorts | Quince Flowknit Performance Short | Rhone Mako Short |
| Pants | Adidas Tiro Pants | Vuori Pont Performance Pants |
Shirts
Similarly to your workout shorts, you want your workout shirts to breathe, maintain a light weight (even when sweaty), sit on your body comfortably without restricting movement, and last a long time through lots of physical activity.
Luckily, you have a ton of options at all price points for solid workout shirts. While the pricier ones will come with some nice features (I’ve noticed they tend to resist long-term odors better), you don’t have to break the bank for solid workout shirts that cover all of the basic needs listed above. Again, these can also pull duty as leisure wear around the house or for running quick errands.
As far as gym essentials for men go, you probably need enough shirts to get through a week or two of workouts. Anywhere from 4-7 good shirts will get you from one laundry rotation to the next.
| Value Option | Splurge Option | |
| Workout Shirt | GapFit Recycled Active T-shirt | Rhone Reign Short Sleeve Shirt |
| Running Shirt | Brooks Distance Short Sleeve Shirt | Vuori Tradewind Performance Tee |
Cold/wet weather gear
The right outerwear makes a huge difference in sticking to a workout routine that requires any amount of time outside. Nothing kills your motivation to workout more than inclement weather. But to stick to your routine, sometimes you must workout in less than ideal conditions.
Even going in and out of the gym in rainy or cold weather can be a chore without the right gear. So you’ll need to at least have the basics covered for your locale – specifically for rainy or cold weather.
Depending on where you live, you’ll probably need a lighter cold weather layer, like a half-zip, and some longer under layers. While you can include a heavier overlayer, we suggest layering multiple pieces in cold weather, because as your workout progresses, you’ll heat up and need to remove your clothes a layer at a time. It can be tough to do this with a bigger jacket. Although a simple puffer coat makes sense if your outdoor exposure is limited to going in and out of the gym.
As for rain, you can use a simple rain coat geared towards activewear. Or you can really splurge on an ultra-technical rain jacket if your workouts bring you outside for an extended period (long runs, hikes, etc…) and you live in a rainy area.
| Value Option | Splurge Option | |
| Lightweight Overlayer | Zella Quarter Zip Pullover | Rhone Session Quarter Zip |
| Heavy Overlayer | Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket | Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket |
| Active Rain Jacket | Patagonia Houdini Jacket | Arc’teryx Beta Jacket |
Underwear
Most men don’t take this all-important garment into account when thinking of the gym essentials for men. But good underwear can make the difference between keeping your area down there manageable or ruining your workout with a swampy, chafing mess. No one wants that.
For weightlifting or other workouts that don’t induce copious amounts of sweat, your regular cotton underwear will probably work fine. If you do tend to sweat a lot during your workouts, get a few good pairs of performance underwear. While they do cost more than your run-of-the-mill Fruit of the Looms, the benefits of keeping your groin area well-ventilated and drier are well worth the extra few bucks per pair.
Check out a few options below. If you don’t own any performance underwear, do yourself a favor and try a few out. You won’t turn back.
- Best value option – David Archy Bamboo Trunks
- Best middle of the road option – Uniqlo Airism Boxer Briefs
- Best splurge option – Patagonia Sender Boxer Briefs
Headphones
Music can help maintain the motivation and tempo of your workouts (especially running). While some people don’t need it, a great playlist can push you through the repetitive nature of working out consistently.
While your typical headphones will probably work well for most types of gym workouts, you may need to consider something more durable, lighter, or weatherproof if your routine takes you beyond the gym. Check out this article for an extensive list of options. You can spend a lot on this item, but honestly your typical phone headphones will work for most types of workouts.
Metal or glass water bottle
More of a reminder to keep one on you rather than a list of recommendations. And, if at all possible, to avoid plastic water bottles, as they have been shown to lower testosterone. Without getting to science-y, the plastic leeching into your water is not great for you. Use metal or glass bottles when possible.
Tracker
A tracker is more of a “nice to have” item, but some men find these devices essential in tracking their workout progress. Even without a digital device, you should keep track of your progress. Whether you’re working towards a specific goal or just trying to make continual improvements, you can’t do either without monitoring your performance over a long period of time.
And since so much of sticking with a routine requires motivation over a long period of time, the ability to track progress will aid in this motivation. Nothing is better than knowing your workout routine is making you stronger, bigger, and/or faster.
As for devices, the smart watches are good, but the chest strap monitors are more accurate. These are great if you are a serious runner. Otherwise, if you mostly lift weights and run just to keep your cardio, then you are good with tracking your lifts on an app (or writing them down), and your run times. And yes, if you are mainly a lifting bro, you still need to do cardio 1-2 times per week. Don’t be the jacked guy who can’t run a quarter of a mile without gasping for air.
Other important considerations
- With some of these items, you don’t need to start with the most expensive option. Try something on the lower end of the cost spectrum, see if you like it, then invest in a better option after assessing if it works for you.
- If you’re starting your workout journey or just stuck in a rut, try to pick an activity you enjoy. This could involve picking up a sport you used to play (basketball, soccer, tennis, racquetball, etc…) or trying something new (boxing, pickleball, mountain biking, etc…). Don’t be afraid to experiment and find something you look forward to doing. This makes staying in shape way easier. If it’s been awhile since you’ve participated in a certain activity, start slow. Find a local pickup game or group/partner at the same level. Ease your way back in.
- Hiring a personal trainer is a great way to get started too. They will make sure you work out safely and effectively, and they’ll keep you accountable.
- Classes can offer another way to keep you accountable. Plus the community and social aspect will benefit you in other ways. There are classes for almost everything available, so do some research, find something that interests you, and give it a shot.
Staying or getting in good shape benefits you in so many ways. In addition to your long-term health and overall well-being, you’ll look better in all of your clothes, and your style choices will open up too. The gym essentials for men that we discuss can support a good workout habit, but ultimately you will have to do the work. And it never hurts to have the right tools for the job.