Fitness gear guide

I'm always interested in what other people have to say about workout gear and their opinions. If you don't often read fitness based material online, a post like this could be new to you. I'm going to discuss my opinions on clothing and equipment which I have tried or previously owned. Please note that everyone has different opinions and I understand that my thoughts on certain subjects doesn't always reflect everyones views.

Equipment

Whether you are wanting to build a home gym or perhaps just buy a few singular pieces of equipment; equipment can be pricey. But are you really paying the correct amount for what you get? Is the quality at its best? Well from what i've purchased; prices don't mean much as sometimes the best equipment isn't always the most expensive.

York fitness weights- For years I have used various amounts of equipment made by York fitness. Their weights are made excellently and I have not yet had any cracks or splits in them. The bars haven't rusted which is a great benefit as often this can put off using your equipment if its going to get you dirty or is difficult to clean. I own a bench by York fitness but it's possible that it has been discontinued as I cannot find it on their website or Amazon page. However, the bench I own is great, not too big in size and very stable. Prices can vary for their products depending on what you're purchasing, but the sets of weights are fairly cheap which I definitely recommend checking out! I'll link their amazon page and website below as I don't think the weights I own are on the website anymore.

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Amazon Page

York fitness

Gold's gym chest expander- My coach gave me this piece of equipment and I must say that its excellent and probably underrated nowadays as its very old-school. A chest expander can help warm up muscles in your body before Weightlifting or working out. Its beneficial for your chest, legs and arms but other exercises are needed to be done to build muscle; don't solely rely on the expander! The Gold's gym chest expander isn't made of metal springs which is obviously much safer for anyone with long hair or a tendency to pinch their skin in the springs. The spring are elasticated and removable so you can adjust the resistance you're using. There are many exercises which can be performed using a chest expander; I personally prefer the overhead squat. The link to the amazon page is below as I cannot find their online website or any other seller which you can purchase the equipment from.

Amazon page

Blue dot kinesiology tape- I discovered kinesiology tape when I shopping in sportsdirect for something which could help my muscle soreness. I recommend the brand Blue dot when buying tape as the price is great! I bought a small roll of tape for just £1 which lasted for at least 3 months. You can purchase bigger supplies of the tape in various different colours and if you don't want to buy the rolls of tape, I recommend buying specific shaped kinesiology tape for whichever body part is painful. The link to the sports direct page is below.

Sportsdirect

Karrimor foam roller- If you don't already own a foam roller, I suggest you purchases one! There are many different types of foam rollers, some which are hard and bumpy; some which are soft and light. The karrimor foam roller is great as its not a really hard roller but at the same time isn't too soft to not help atall. This roller isn't too big and is fairly light to carry; perfect to fit in gym bags and great for travelling. If you don't want a roller which will deeply roll out your muscles; I suggest searching for a softer and flatter option. The link to the sports direct page is below.

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Sportsdirect

Clothing

When you're exercising, what you wear can be important for some people. Fitness brands can range from many prices and often may look more fashionable rather than actually good for working out in. If you aren't sure what to wear when exercising or simply just want to update your wardrobe then checkout some of my recommendations below. 

Fitness tops- When I'm working out I'll usually wear a top which is lightweight and easy to breath in. Some of the brands I like are Under Armour, Puma, Nike, Karrimor and Adidas. I tend to buy the smaller sizes in these brands as they can sometimes be quite big, however overall they come in many different colors and sometimes even have slogans on them. Prices can range from being cheap to expensive depending on where you buy them from. For example, if you went to an outlet store you may find cheaper clothing rather than buying from an expensive brands new range. When searching for fitness tops, I look for stretchy fabrics, bright colours and big, breathable neck holes.

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Primark sports bra (left) Forever 21 (right)

Fitness sports bras- I often wear sports bras underneath tops but sometimes when it's hot i'll just wear them on their own. The two brands of sports bras which I've tried are from Primark and Forever 21. I did consider buying a nike pro sports bra but I thought I could buy a lot more from other brands for the same price as one. Primark sports bras are great prices (obviously its primark) and surprisingly are great quality. They come in various colours and patterns; you also have the option of padding or no padding. The only bad thing about them I've found is that Primark seem to sell and stock loads at the beginning of the new year and during summer time, but for the rest of the year there can be limited choices of designs. Forever 21 sell a great range of sports bras which are also in different colors, patterns and styles. Often these can be a bit more fashionable rather than supportive, but the padded sports bras from here are great! They may be a little more pricey than Primark's range, but definitely worth purchasing. (I'd link these below but the stores are constantly creating new stock)

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Fitness shorts- Who says you can only wear shorts in the summer? If you're working out really hard, I recommend wearing shorts. I constantly live in shorts as I find them more comfortable to squat in than leggings or tights. The pair of shorts I'd say I love the most are the Karrimor run shorts, you can buy adult sizes and pink colors in the girls department but personally I preferred the look of the boys blue shorts. These shorts have lining inside which is always great and have a pocket on the back; big enough to carry a house key or some loose change. The Nike pro shorts are nice but not as breathable as the Karrimor ones. These tend to ride up on me and I often have to pull them down whilst working out. These shorts are very tight on the quads but are still decent when squatting, however wearing the correct underwear underneath is a must because i've found they can be see through. The Adidas pair are very similar to the Karrimor shorts except they are a bit more pricey. The Nike pro shorts are the most expensive out of the three pairs; all three pairs were purchased from sportsdirect. (Image is above, links are below)

Adidas shorts

Karrimor shorts

Nike pro shorts

Fitness overlayer- I own many overlayers ranging from hoodies to waterproof jackets. When I'm working out i'll often choose to wear my Nevica overlayer or my Nike tracksuit jackets. I purely bought the Nevica overlayer for no Ski related concept as the brand is a big skiing brand. However, the thermal layer was a cheap option from sportsdirect and I wanted to run outside without freezing my bum off! I definitely recommend checking out their overlayers as well as the Nike tracksuit tops (although nike is on the pricey side of things, the quality is excellent). I'd link the overlayer below but they don't have the exact type I purchased, this is the same for the Nike jackets. 

Shoes

The only image I have of my shoes (Excuse my muddy legs)

Nike free 5.0- If you know me well, you'll know that I own far too many pairs of shoes and it's something I take pride in. My favourite pair i've purchased for working out in (not including running) definitely is the Nike free 5.0. The shoe is very stable and not too flexible. I've had my pair for around 2 years now and they haven't broken yet! The paint at the tip of the shoe has begun to wear, but this is common when wearing shoes constantly. I haven't tried other shoes from the Nike free collection, but I have heard great things about their benefits for exercise. When looking to purchase shoes for fitness, avoid anything with a huge heel as sometimes this can cause injuries when jumping or completing fast movements. You can buy the shoes from Jdsports for a reasonable price but I bought mine for a mere price from Tennisnuts.com. They tend to specialise in Tennis equipment but are a reliable supplier for trainers. The link is below to the site.

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Tennisnuts

Thanks for reading this post and I hope you've decided to purchase some more fitness clothes. This proves you can buy workout clothes for a reasonable price, rather than buying expensive but fashionable alternatives. But if you want to spend a lot of money on these types of things, by all means go for it! Even I do sometimes. Apologies for any links being unavailable.