Why do women wear tank tops to the gym more than men?

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  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    In modern Western civilization, it is acceptable for women to wear clothes that are sleeveless (dresses, blouses), even in business and formal settings. For example, at my wedding, my wife's entire bridal party wore dresses without sleeves, while my party had to wear shirts, vests, a coat, and even pants...so in a gym environment, it seems reasonable that more women would wear tank tops.

    Your understanding of social norms with regard to Western fashion is harshing on those who want to piss and moan about sleeve length. Your logic is unwelcome :tongue:

    Now, to the OP--I generally wear tank tops because they are more comfortable. If a dude wants to wear a skin tight, midriff baring tank to the gym and booty shorts, I'd figure it's because it's comfortable for him. Eh--everything a person does isn't always done for others.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    Personally, I like to show off my SWOOOOOL.
  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
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    I'm in the class of hate being too hot - I wear a t-shirt and I sweat ten times more than if I wear a tank-top - so I wear tank-tops. Just more for comfort and movement ability vs. anything else.

    Honestly at my gym it's split pretty evenly in terms of man & women who wear tanks vs. t-shirts.
  • ILoveGingerNut
    ILoveGingerNut Posts: 367 Member
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    Try to do certain exercises in a baggy T and you'll find out you expose yourself a lot more than in a tiny top ;)
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    Try to do certain exercises in a baggy T and you'll find out you expose yourself a lot more than in a tiny top ;)

    Yep! People can see yer boobies right through the loose armholes. Awkward!:laugh:
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Because I don't like the feeling of soggy armpits in my clothes. No matter how much deodorant I wear, when I work out, the T shirts will get all wet and nasty. If I wear a tank, then my pits can breathe and I don't have to feel that nasty soggy cloth.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I belong to the gym that doesn't allow anything sleeveless. But if I were to workout in a tank, it would be because two layers of clothes (bra + shirt) is hot enough so making the shirt sleeveless makes it at least a bit more comfortable.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Barbell doesn't slide off my skin like it can sometimes slide off a t-shirt for squats :)
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    I prefer long, fitted tanks. They are more comfortable and give my shoulders room to MOVE. Fashion is getting very difficult for women after so many lat pulldowns.... Ever tried to fit in a t-shirt with those hideous cap sleeves with your hard-earned guns and your wide back.....?

    Gym clothes, as far as my observation goes, will get tighter, more practical, and mostly coincidentally more revealing, as people get more involved and more experienced in the exercises..... You will do a 'Downward Dog' only so many times in an oversized, baggy t-shirt, until you embrace the much more appropriate tighter yoga outfits... Same for my lifts...overhead press in tight cap sleeves...???

    Happy comfy training!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    lol, you speak truth on the downward dog.

    If only it was culturally appropriate for me to wear a nice midriff, skin tight top. I'd probably have to shave... a lot...
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    lol, you speak truth on the downward dog.

    If only it was culturally appropriate for me to wear a nice midriff, skin tight top. I'd probably have to shave... a lot...

    Hahahaha....before you do anything unreasonable, watch the movie '40 year old virgin'... The waxing scene is real, as far as I read....

    I have trained with a heavy girl who was always pulling on the sleeves, adjusting her baggy t-shirts, tripping over her wide pants... It was not only distracting, it's dangerous if your wardrobe cause loss of focus on heavy lifts. If you have your body weight worth of weights on your shoulders, an extra square inch of skin showing should be the last thing on your mind....IMO
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    I usually go nude until the cops show up.
  • Follow_me
    Follow_me Posts: 6,120 Member
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    Gee... I wonder. lol
  • Pupslice
    Pupslice Posts: 213 Member
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    From OP's profile: "That guy at the gym who is always there but doesn't look very buff for how much time he spends working out."

    Hmm...this might be corrected if you concentrated more on your workout, rather than what others are wearing at the gym. :wink:
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    From OP's profile: "That guy at the gym who is always there but doesn't look very buff for how much time he spends working out."

    Hmm...this might be corrected if you concentrated more on your workout, rather than what others are wearing at the gym. :wink:

    Hahaha....c'mon...it would be a lot less fun at the gym, if eye candy wouldn't occasionally show off their goods...gotta be a good sport about it and enjoy a good laugh....lol

    But seriously, I have been asked for advice on exercises and form before, and sometimes I had to say, I'd help if I'd be able to see what your body is doing...not possible with some clothes..
    I have also been asked to give riding lessons. That's another sport where posture makes or breaks a performance. I agreed to instruct, when the girl agreed to find something to wear besides extra tight fashionable low rise jeans and baggy t-shirts.... And sure enough, she came with a fitted shirt, appropriate stretchy riding pants, and decent footwear. Made a world of difference.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
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    They're also more likely to wear tight workout pants. Why? Because that's what marketing tells us to wear.

    For me, the only time I care if its a tank or tee is when I'm outside. I don't want a farmer's tan. Simple as that.

    I think girls are self conscious about sweaty pits because we're (some of us) made fun of in elementary, junior, and high school if we have sweaty pits. I know I was made to feel really bad about that, as were my sister and some of my close friends. We grew up in a time (not that long ago, 1995 - 2006) when it was mostly only okay for guys to sweat and if a girl did then she was gross. Not that sweaty guys aren't icky too, but it wasn't frowned upon.

    Back then, the thing was to be thin. Fitness is a new goal these days in marketing.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    They're also more likely to wear tight workout pants. Why? Because that's what marketing tells us to wear.

    :huh:

    I wear tight pants because they don't get dangerously caught up in things, like heavy barbells, or hand off me when I'm upside down. Not because some marketer sold it to me.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I think girls are self conscious about sweaty pits

    I'm physically uncomfortable sweating in a regular T-shirt. It has nothing to do with being self-conscious. I wear what's physically comfortable and moves well. Period.

    I don't think anyone at my gym even looks at me, anyway. And if they do, they keep their thoughts to themselves and I don't care. I go in, do my thing and leave.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
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    They're also more likely to wear tight workout pants. Why? Because that's what marketing tells us to wear.

    :huh:

    I wear tight pants because they don't get dangerously caught up in things, like heavy barbells, or hand off me when I'm upside down. Not because some marketer sold it to me.
    Hey, just because some messages come from marketing doesn't mean it isn't good sense! :)

    I'm just thinking back to a time before yoga pants were a trend (You know...before that Lululemon trend got so big). Women used to wear looser shorts. I wore pj pants as a kid because that's what people did. Tighter pants make more sense to me too.

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