Going to the gym offers serious benefits. From improving your physical and mental health, to boosting your self-confidence, through to the sense of community on offer. But if you’re new to this kind of training, you might be unsure about what to wear to the gym. There’s a lot of training gear out there - but with a little bit of learning, you’ll soon know exactly what you need to get started. 

Let’s learn more about the features of essential gym wear and accessories. We’ll also look into the main items of clothing and footwear you’ll want to choose. 

Whether you’re crushing the weights, cranking through the gears in a spin session or working your cardio in a HIIT class, you’ll want gear that:

• Wicks sweat: Proper gym clothes are made from sweat wicking fabrics such as polyester or nylon. The fibres in these fabrics allow the sweat to pass from your skin to the outside of the fabric, where it can then evaporate. The ability to wick sweat means the materials stay light, fresh and dry - so they don’t chafe against your skin. 

• Breathable: Gym clothes and shoes are designed to be breathable, allowing air to circulate, keeping you cool. They often come with mesh panels or laser-cut holes to facilitate airflow too. 

• Lightweight: You don’t want to be held down by your clothes when you’re grinding. Gym clothes tend to be made from super lightweight materials.   

• Odour control: This is gear built for the time of sweat. Proper gym clothing should provide anti-odour features that prevent the buildup of bacteria that cause bad smells. 

Use technology: More advanced gym gear uses innovative tech and fabrics to help you train better.

When you’re thinking about what shoes and what clothes to wear to the gym, the following do’s and don’ts can help you make the right choice.

• Put ‘style’ over substance: Looking and feeling good in your gym gear is great, and wearing matching sets or brands you love is totally fine. But functionality should always come first. Choose gear that’s tough, that’s built using quality fabrics and that helps you train better. 

• Wear unsuitable or low quality gear: If you’re just trying out the gym to see if it’s for you, then an old polo shirt and some jogging bottoms might be fine. But if you’re training regularly, you need gear that actually supports your exercise. Wearing unsuitable clothes will make you hot, damp, and start to chafe. That’s only going to make your sessions less enjoyable.  

Under Armour performancewear is built using technical fabrics that wick sweat fast, are breathable, lightweight, and are seriously durable. We also build game-changing gear using breakthrough tech like UA Vanish (a mineral infused fabric that reflects your body’s energy back at you), super soft UA Meridian or UA HeatGear® for warm weather workouts. 

Here’s some of the most essential gym wear for women and men:

A well-fitting, supportive and comfortable sports bra is essential gym wear. There are three categories of gym bras:

• High-impact sports bras: For cardio classes, HIIT sessions, treadmill workouts and more. 

• Mid-impact sports bras: For things like Pilates, strength training or light cardio such as cycling machines. 

• Low-impact sports bras: For things like yoga, barre classes and some kinds of strength training. 

Sports bras need to be highly breathable, offer firm support and they should be seamless to avoid rubbing. Here are some of our best sports bras: 

Training shoes are footwear that’s built specifically for the kinds of activities you’ll do in the gym. There are three main types you’ll want to choose between:

They provide a combination of cushioning and stability - meaning they’re suited to both cardio workouts (e.g., HIIT classes or spin) and some kinds of strength training. Here are some of our most popular cross-training shoes:

Weightlifting shoes prioritise maximum ground contact, they have grippy and stable soles, and a little bit of elevation below the heels to provide maximum range of movement for things like deadlifts. Here are some of our most popular weightlifting shoes:

If you mainly go to the gym to use the treadmill, then running shoes are ideal. They place most cushioning in the heel area to protect your joints from repetitive foot strikes. Here are some of our most popular running shoes:

Some gym accessories are pretty much essential (think socks or water bottles), while others depend more on your personal choice or when you use the gym. For example, a gym bag is really handy if you tend to hit the gym straight after work so need something spacious to carry all your gear in. 

Gym socks are built using breathable, sweat wicking yarns, which helps prevent overheating, friction and blisters. They’ll also offer extra cushioning in the sole area. 

Here are some of our best gym socks for men and women:

Do not underestimate the importance of hydration when training. Choose a gym bottle with a large volume, easy access, and ergonomic design which makes holding it while training comfortable. Here are some of our best gym water bottles:

Gym gloves keep your palms dry and cool when lifting weights, while wristbands and sweatbands keep sweat out your eyes and off your hands. 

Here are some of our best gym gloves and sweatbands:

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to gym gear - and it can seem like a lot to start with. But begin with a few pieces of essential gym wear, then you can add extra gear as you learn more about what you need for your preferred type of training. By knowing what to wear to the gym, you’ll be able to invest in gear that actually helps improve your workouts and means you’ll get back more from every session.