What to Wear to the Gym?

Hey, it's me again. The least model-esque writer on this blog. But I'm back, and I'm still on my quest to lose my belly. I'll never be as rail-thin as UMan, but I don't have to be twice his size, either. Just an update - as of this week, I have lost 34lbs from when I started tracking last summer, and I am about to hit my first-stage goal. Now, if only I could wave a magic wand and make that stubborn, beastly muffin top disappear overnight...

Anywho... So we opened a new wellness center/workout facility in my little corner of nowheresville, and I've started working out a few times a week. My running pace is crummy compared to where I left off last fall, but it feels good to stretch my legs, even if it's just on the treadmill. I haven't worked with weights in years, so that's nice, too.

What that brings me to is this: What does an average joe wear to work out in? And specifically, what kind of underpants does one wear for running? I've asked UMan this, and he's one of those sickeningly thin people who doesn't have to work out, so that was a bust. So I'm going to talk about three pairs I have recently worn to the gym, and how they worked for me.

First is a Calvin Klein jockstrap. I have had this one for years, and it is the only "street" jock I own. It is mostly cotton, but it is wicked comfy (although it may not have enough room for someone as gifted as UMan). As far as workout wear goes, it does the job, and it didn't get all sweaty. I think I could like working out in jockstraps like this, if I had more of them. What do you gentlemen wear for running undies? Do you, O Reader, have any recommendations for running jocks that don't cost a fortune?

Second is a pair of UnderArmour 6" BoxerJock. These are entirely synthetic fabric, and they have a ventilated pouch. I like these, especially for running outdoors on a cool day. I wish they actually made my basket look like the guys in their ads, but I suspect I haven't got enough "padding" for that. I think I'd rather wear a jock more often than this pair, though.

Third is a pair I just got recently - a Jockey Sport H-fly trunk. The fabric makes the same claims as most athletic underwear - form-fitting, sweat-wicking, and so on. They feel nice, and I really like the way the H-fly pouch holds my bits, and makes my bulge look. They're good, but nothing super-spectacular in terms of workout wear.

So... What are your recommendations for undies for running? For gym wear?

It's Thong Season: Reasons To Wear a Thong

What lots of men don't realize is that one should diversify their underwear wardrobe.  Many men find a particular style or brand that they like and they stick with it.  But every type of underwear has it's time and it's place, including thongs for men.  

Now I'm not one of those guys that wears a thong every day (although there are guys like that - more on that later), but I do realize that thongs have a time and a place and I am not afraid to wear them.  Today I wore a thong, and that got me thinking about thongs and their place.  

Today wasn't going to be a thong day for me, but it ended up that way, and I'm glad it did.  I originally put on a pair of skimpy briefs (that I was planning on reviewing).  But then when I put my skinny jeans on, I realize there just wasn't space for the briefs - they were bunching up.  So with a bit of effort, I took off my jeans and briefs and grabbed a thong.  The jeans went on a lot smoother and fit better, no uncomfortable bunching.  Now of course not every guy has jeans as tight as I do, but this brings up a bigger point that you should tailor your underwear choice to work with the rest of your outfit.  Thus you should be willing to be a little versatile in what you wear.  

With hot summer days around the corner, thongs (and other skimpy undies) have the benefit of keeping you cooler due to their minimal coverage.  My thong came in handy today when I found myself out doing yard work.  I ended up hot and sweaty.  If I had kept the briefs they would've held all the sweat against my body, but the thong makes for a much more comfy experience in the heat.  They could also be useful for workouts for the same reasons.  

I have a friend that wears thongs on an almost daily basis.  And when he's not wearing thongs he's wearing something else that's skimpy, like a jockstrap.  He tells me he wears thongs because they make him feel hot and they're "crazy comfortable".  He also loves the support in the front and the air in the back.  I have to agree.  There is no other underwear for men that is as supportive and liberating as a thong.  

While thongs for men used to have a stigma in society, they have now become a lot more mainstream and acceptable.  Gone are the days when they were relegated to the realm of male strippers and could only be found in sex shops.  Now you can pick up men's thongs made by mainstream brands like Jockey, 2(x)ist, or Calvin Klein at stores like Target or Macy's.  So while I'm not suggesting you be like my friend and wear a thong every day, why not give them a try if you haven't already?  

Smart Undies Shopper

I went on a huge shopping spree yesterday when I got back to school... I was in the mood to get some new undies. When I shop for undies I usually have a goal. The goal for me yesterday was to get some jockstraps. The jock that I already own is this 2(x)ist All Star jock in white. I really love the feel of jocks and think they will be great for the summer! Let me tell you I ended up ordering a ton of undies!

Now we all get those emails from the different underwear stores with different sales they are having. I feel like I get at least 2 emails from different places a day. It is so tempting to just keep buying undies every time you get an email. But the rule I follow is always wait till the item you want is on sale or get it if it is under $15.

In total I ended up getting 14 pairs of underwear for $94 including all the shipping. I looked at different stores and compared all their sales and got the best price! I ordered from a total of four stores and can't wait for everything to come! This is my last big order of stuff for the summer when I'm at home. So with a haul of 5 briefs, 1 sports brief, 3 trunks, 5 jocks I think I am all set for a few months!! Just remember, underwear sites have sales all the time, make sure you pounce on the ones that will get you the most undies for you buck!!

-Matty

Underwear Answers: What to Wear Under White Pants

A question that I am often asked during the summertime is what to wear under white pants to avoid visible lines. Personally, the only white pants that I have are white jeans so it's never really an issue for me as they are not see through. Today, I was asked the question again on Formspring. If you haven't checked out my Formspring yet, it's a great place to ask me questions about everything underwear.

Below is the question along with my answer:

I have some white pants and I'm looking for some flesh-tone boxer-briefs to wear under them (I'm a white guy). Any advice where these can be found? Do they even make them?? I'm having no luck!

Sloggi Trunks from the front.

It is a common misconception that one must wear flesh/nude colored underwear with white pants. This is not necessarily required. It depends on how tight the pants/shorts are. If they aren't too transparent you can get away with wearing other things.

Jameswinston Co. used to make some great flesh colored underwear, unfortunately the company is no longer in business so I'm not sure what their selection will be like. You might be able to find some remainders at other sites.

The key to underwear with white pants/shorts is actually the cut of the underwear, not the color. As long as you wear something that has a longer silhouette than the tight part of the pants (aka the butt) you should be fine. So I would recommend wearing boxerbriefs or trunks with your white pants (as you suggested). I personally tend to wear just a simple white boxerbrief (preferably with no seams on the butt). This makes it so that there are no "panty lines" since the only seams are lower on the thigh and therefore past where they are visible through the pants.

Depending on the thickness of the pants you may be able to get away with some other colors besides white. Do some experimenting (at home with a trusty mirror or friend) and see what it looks like.

Sloggi Trunks from behind.

Now if you're still set on wearing flesh colored underwear, Sloggi has a great selection of flesh colored underwear that you can find at DGU. It comes in both trunk and brief styles. The trunk is perfect for this purpose as it does not have any seams on the rear.

Also HOM makes a great flesh-colored trunk which might also be of interest to you.

As I said, however, you are not strictly limited to flesh colored underwear when wearing white pants. It really depends on the tightness of the pants and their transparency/thickness. Do some experimentation to see what works best with your white pants. Good luck!