HOW TO LOOK SEXY WHILE WORKING OUT IN THE GYM (FOR MEN)

We all work-out so that we are seen favorably by the opposite sex. Even fitness freaks, who endorse working out only for fitness, admit that working out has a directly proportional impact on their flirting success and also their dating life.

Gyms nowadays have not just transformed into places of grinding our calories. They have become hubs of social gathering where friendships are formed, business partnerships are forged while getting noticed by a future girlfriend. We sweat through the routine and adhere to the "No Pain, No Gain mantra religiously while working out. But there's no need to stick out like a sore thumb while working out. To the complete contrary, any man can come across favorably in the eyes of women even while doing his workouts. Best of all, it's not difficult. Just some minor tweaks and adjustments that will enhance your sexiness quotient to the opposite sex.

So, let's get to the first category that guys need to address:

CLOTHING

Nothing spells class and gentlemanliness more than cleanliness to women. Always wear fresh and clean clothes. Fresh and clean does not necessarily mean that they just look clean. They need to be cleaned more than usual. You would think that nobody notices, but actually women with their heightened sense of awareness can distinguish between a stale piece of clothing and something that has been freshly washed. It's the folds on the clothing for sure, but also a lot to do with the residual odor it carries. And women's noses are super sharp. While sweating is very healthy for the skin, there is a way to minimize water retention on your gym clothing.

Moisture Wicking Clothes

Sweating normally starts after 15 mins of strenuous workout and is very likely to continue for the remainder of your 1 hour session in the gym. You feel wet (pun unintended) all over and also heavy and uncomfortable. And most importantly, you don't look good or even smell good. This normally happens when you wear cotton clothing to the gym. Cotton clothing are fine to keep you cool, but nobody said it can absorb water continuously for an hour and still look the same, right?

Enter, moisture-wicking clothes:

Definition of wicking: means to deflect a liquid.

This is the age of nanotechnology, and it's no surprise that advanced space age threading materials have found their way into consumer products. Wicking clothes can keep you cool, rarely crumple like cotton clothes and dry almost immediately. Another reason we would recommend them is that they are similar to Lycra or polyester, but a bit better, and so look a lot better with their attractive prints and colors.

These were the advantages of wicking clothes, but we are not going to lie. They do cost a bit more than cotton tees, but they last way longer and so well worth it.

Size-fit clothing

Below are the two extremes that you need to watch out for.

Small size clothing:

What you think:

It makes my muscles look bigger. I look more ripped than usual. I stand out and look hotter.

What she thinks:

Vanity gone overboard!

Parading himself in clothes purchased a decade back.

Functionality:

In addition to putting off the opposite sex as being too desperate, functionally too, tighter clothes are inconvenient. They don't allow much stretching room. You need sufficient freedom while movement of body parts in various poses.

Over sized clothing:

What you think:

Its casual and relaxed.

It will cover my flabby paunch and other flaws.

I might look bigger.

What she thinks:

A slob!

Functionality:

Baggy and loose clothes might be good to snuggle up in cold weather or while binging on Game Of Thrones at home, but while gymming with heavy equipment, there are lots of chances where they might get stuck in machinery or worse in a treadmill.

SOLUTION:

Remember the Buddha's middle path?

Stick to your size, with just enough breathing room for your body and muscles. Size should be just a couple of inches looser than your size. Your tees, shorts or tracks, when having just a few inches of slack, have far greater aesthetic appeal.

Don't worry about looking hep and ripped just yet. When the time's right, and you have pumped enough iron, you will look ripped even with normal clothes.

RESIDUAL TEXTURE ODOR

The folds and the creases on the clothing do give out a lot about the man, but so does the lingering after-smell. A fact that men don't attach importance to, but something that women's noses are very sharp at picking up. And that can be detrimental to your chances with the fairer sex, considering how much importance women attach on the body odor of a man. Research shows, that next to confidence, women give the topmost priority to how a man smells. So, don't just wash your clothes. There are plenty of chances, that even though washed clean, your clothes might be giving off a faint smell when it got mixed with a pair of socks in the washing machine or because it's just too old. The best way to tackle this problem is twofold.

One- Keep two sets of clothes, specifically for gymming. So you get to wear it alternately while the other pair is getting washed and dried.

Two- After you wash your clothes, please rinse it with a scented fabric conditioner. Washing machines nowadays have a small slot where you can mix one cap for an entire bucket full of clothes.

They are quite effective in fixing that residual smell, which you might have been oblivious to. Or you were just not able to get rid of despite sprinkling lots of detergent.

BODY ODOR

Sweating is natural and it helps you cool down. It also helps you stay healthy by regulating the level of accumulated toxins by expelling them from the body.

But that's not reason for anyone to smell toxic! Agreed, Gym is the one place where we are allowed to "sweat it out, but a little care can help you smell nice, even while sweating it out. And that translates into more brownie points from the fairer sex.

We don't recommend you drown yourself in deodorant spray, since you are going to be sweating profusely. 5-10 sprays at your sweat points is more than enough. For men, they are usually, the armpits, the groin area and the back region right above the buttocks. Think about where your sweat points are, and accordingly spray or dab the region with the deodorant or the anti-perspirant.

As you can see, Men have way more sweat glands and sweat points compared to women.This is more than enough proof for you to take your scent a bit more seriously. But, remember, you are going to be working out in a closed space. You don't want to nauseate others. It should be just enough to camouflage the sweat.

There are plenty of deodorants out there in the market, but go specifically for the kind that are meant for workouts. If you have trouble deciding which deodorant out there in the market is formula-specific for working out, we have curated a list of some good ones:

CLOTHING COLOR

In our earlier section, we did mention about gym clothing that functions as water-wicking. The good news is that they also come in attractive designs and colors. Wear colors too bright and you can come across as a dandy. Plus another thing to be considered is that bright colors are fine when out clubbing or shopping. They are meant to be flashy, and they do the job, because it's for only a couple of hours in one evening. But for your fellow gym goers, you would be in their face every single day. After the first couple of days, the bright colors start to get annoying. Plus overly bright colors, have a tendency to attract more dirt than the others. Or at least show more dirt.

Instead opt for colors that are peppy, yet sober. They can be worn regularly to the gym, yet give off the gym work ethic, while looking good. Especially with the Nylon fabric, even slightly bright colors, do end up looking shiny and bright. So choose wisely. White color tees are not recommendable for the obvious reasons. We do spot the occasional fluorescent t-shirt in the gym. It looks comical and it's a cinch how much amount of dirt it accumulates and makes it extra-visible. Navy blue, grey, black, dark orange are some of the colors that look trendy and respectable.

GADGETS

This is 2017, not the 1990's. The G-Shock isn't the pinnacle of wrist wear technology anymore. Instead, we have entire computers that fit onto our wrists which tell us all that we need about our workout, amount of calories burnt, distance covered, our heart rate and much more. It analyses all the data and tell graphically, what steps we need to take to improve our performance. They are called Wrist bands or fitness trackers. They look futuristic, have just a couple of glowing lights and are bound to turn some heads. Unless, you have been living under a rock, don't you think a good one adorning your wrist is bound to catch the fancy of some dame? It helps you come across as someone who is clued into the forbidden world of tech. That's quite enough for a conversation starter, let alone the long term health benefits of buying one.

There has been pretty much an onslaught of these devices from every tech company. But not all are suitable for the rugged wear and tear in the gym. There are plenty of models that come with glass coverings. We suggest you avoid them in the name of gym functionality. What is needed in the gym is a device which can withstand the heaves and drops. We have compiled a list of some of the devices that are suitable for gym conditions; while being eye-candies.

WIRELESS EARPHONES

Music helps you emote deeper and draw on reserves on stamina that you never knew existed within you. And it applies more so during a workout in a closed gym environment. Music while working out can influence you to work out harder, faster and longer. A few more bars on the bells, some extra repetitions or be it some extra miles on the treadmill, those formidable milestones start seeming achievable.

Here's how we see the change in one's attitude:

Without Music "Jeez! One more rep! Think I need to compensate by hitting the nearest Burger King later

With Music "Think I'll try 3 more reps after this one. What doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger

The change in your attitude will not go unnoticed, especially by the opposite sex.

Now again, don't reach out for those existing earphones that you use for daily commuting. There are earphones meant specifically for workouts. They are tiny, fit snugly into your ear and are built such that they don't fall off even if you shake your head vigorously. And for heaven's sake, don't end up with a wired pair of devices. It's cringe-worthy to see someone working out on the treadmill while the wires keep hitting the nose and face. Those are instant fails even in the eyes of a grandmother, let alone a young girl.

Down here, we have shortlisted some of the best ones out there in the market.

BOTTOMS

We have covered clothing for the upper half of the body till now. Pretty much the same rules of functionality and aesthetics that apply to T-Shirts, apply to track pants too. They should be not too tight, not too loose., but just a few inches of breathing space. And since these are polyester lycra based materials, they can be a stretchy too. So don't worry if they do hug your figure a tad too much. They eventually slacken and stretch comfortably enough for you to have an airy workout. A strict no-no, should be NBA style shorts. As the name suggests. they belong only on the basketball courts, not in the gym. Getting your shorts stuck in the treadmill will surely be an amusing sight for onlookers, but not a pretty sight for either you or them. Three-fourths offer advantages in comfort and airiness, but for people who like to cover up their legs due to excessive sweating, should take care of the length of the track pants. Always measure if they reach upto your ankles.

A strict no-no would be spandex shorts and your swim wear shorts. Not only are they made of different materials, but you might get spotted as wearing swimwear in the gym.

FOOTWEAR

SOCKS

It is said that the best judge of a man's true character is how he maintains and dresses his feet. Recollect the number of times, you would have come across someone with impeccable taste in trousers and shirts, but has cracked soles or dusty, torn shoes. Or a good looking girl, who is clueless about how badly maintained her toe-nails are. Kapish? Well, same rules apply for men in the gym too. Most people tend to neglect footwear. And by footwear, they think it implies only to shoes. Socks are not to be under-rated, as they say a lot about you.

If you are the kind who thinks it's perfectly normal to wear those dark blue, brown or black argyle office socks made out of polyester to the gym, GOOD LUCK! Office socks in a sports environment are a fashion disaster. Not only does it remind the onlooker of office boredom and slavery, but how do you think it would reflect on you, to not have an extra pair of cotton socks for workouts? Plus, polyester socks do not provide the extra traction needed while working out, especially at high speeds on the treadmill.

Even in cotton socks, give preference to sport socks which only reach till the ankles. They are known as sports socks, no-show socks or ankle length socks.

SHOES

Don't's:

No flip flops please. The gym isn't the beach. Sharks are replaced by heavy machinery such as barbells that can permanently chomp off your toes. And that's' precisely why most gyms will probably not even allow you to start working out without a pair of shoes.
Please don't use the same shoes that you wore for the cross country cycling weekend trip or a jog around the park. They bring in dust and mud indoors, which does not bode well for your image.

Do's:

Go for workout shoes that have sufficient breathing space near the toes.

There are a lot of colorful shoes, but don't get fooled and check for the type of soles required for gym workouts.

Best gym type shoes

Choosing the right type of soled shoes is crucial as it helps provide traction during running, weightlifting and stretching. According to studies, the flat soled type fits the bill perfectly.

Down here are the top picks according to us in the category. Remember, do not underestimate good footwear. There have been instances of knee and joint pains associated with primarily the wrong choice of shoe soles.

GENTLEMANLY GYM ETIQUETTE

Never forget to carry along a towel.

And by towel, not the bath one, but a tiny face towel.

Keep it with you always during workouts. Take it along with you as soon as you jump to another machine. Leaving behind your moist, damp and sweaty towels is bad manners. Compulsorily, wipe the machines, the seat, the bars on which you have left your sweat after you are done. Some gyms do provide washed towels to pick up at their entrance, but why share a pre-used towel. You never know the conditions under which it is washed, plus there is the risk of catching germs and some skin diseases.

Instead, just go for some small and plain colored towels.

POLITE GESTURES

Believe it or not, but leaving your equipment such as your dumb-bells on the ground after using them is considered extremely rude. While some gyms enforce it and some don't, it's common sense to keep the equipment back in place after using them. It reflects on you as a cultured and social animal, and not a lone wolf who just stepped out of his man-cave.

Ask others politely, when they can vacate the equipment, instead of loitering around waiting for them to catch your stare. More often than not, the requested individual will hold the machine for you until you come back. Politeness pays. Thank them after that. That's how friendships begin.

Inform the next in line person about how much time you expect to be on the machine.

These things may seem small, but do add up into miles about how you are perceived by the pretty women in the gym.