Tiff's Favorites: Workout Gear

Hellloooo y'all!  This week's Tiff's Favorites is all about activewear.  If you've been here awhile you know I like to workout.  The hubby and I head to the gym, for a run or do some at home circuit training about 5 times a week, so needless to say I have a lot of activewear.

I've tried many brands of exercise clothing and have found a few tried and true brands that I go back to for multiple reasons:

1.  Durability. You wash and wear so many times.  It has to hold up.
2.  Flexiblity. You're out there moving and shaking (for those Zumba girls out there).  The clothes have to move with you. 
3.  Breathability. You're sweating your behind off.  The last thing you need is a cotton t-shirt that doesn't wick away the sweat and provide you as much coolness as possible. 
4.  Cuteness factor. We all want to look good right?  Even when we're sweating our butts off.

Because I wear them so often, I'll spend a good amount of money on gym clothes.  Like I said above, they have to be durable and last me a while, so I'm willing to fork out a bit more to not have to replace a pair of shorts or capris every year.

I'm going to break down my favorite brands and show you a few items that I wear from these brands and that I think are great (and available right now!  Score!).

My #1 favorite brand for active wear is Athleta.

They have a wide variety of clothing for every activity, including hiking and biking.  The picture above is of their Kickbooty Capri.  This is probably one of my favorite items they carry.  They fit great, hit at the perfect spot in the waist (no dreaded muffin top that you can sometimes get with certain brands) and they are super durable.  I think I have 2 pairs of these capris.  And let's be honest, don't we all feel great in a capri called Kickbooty!

I also have the Bare To Run Knicker, which I usually wear running.  They are super comfy!

 

If you prefer pants, I have their Fusion Pant, which I wear mostly for lounging.  They are cozy and stylish too!

One thing I really like about Athleta's pants is that you can get them in petite, regular and long.  Being so tall I always get the long.  

They no longer have my favorite shorts in stock, but THESE are very similar.  I also really like THESE, and they are on sale right now.  I think I'll be picking a pair up for myself!

For tops, I almost always go with a tank.  I like having my arms and shoulders free to move when I'm in the gym and running. 

I absolutely LOVE the Northern Lights Tank.

It's super light weight and has that wicking ability we all love.  Pull that sweat away from my body please!  And I love the colors!

THIS is another great option and if you prefer a t-shirt, THIS one is on sale, but there are only a few sizes left in the yellow.  I really like the yellow! 

If you like a support tank, THIS is a good one, and so is THIS one (really like the straps and of course the colors).  Support tanks are good (paired with a sports bra) for those ladies that are larger on top.  Sometimes we just need a little extra support.

You can go HERE to see the full Athleta catalog.  I promise you will not be disappointed with Athleta.

And now that I've mentioned it, let's talk about sports bras shall we?  Under Armour is one of the only companies I'll trust my ladies to. 

 

The Under Armour Sonic Bra is my all time favorite.  It's breathable, uses their HeatGear technology and has great support.  You can click HERE to see all Under Armour sports bras. 

To view their entire women's line go HERE (I really like their HeatGear Sonic Tank and their UA Seamless Tank too). 

The thing I like about Under Armour is that you can find their brand at multiple retailers (Sports Authority, Macys, Dicks, Big 5 to name a few).  If you're a girl who likes to try things on before you buy it (like me) this is a plus.

I also really like Zella, Nordstrom's activewear line. 

I love their Booty Capri. 

 

They are super soft, hit you in just the right spot on the hips and have a little hidden pocket in the waistband for a key or your iPod.  And right now they're 40% off!  That's a steal!

I also really adore their Trinity Jacket. 

It's a little on the spendy side, but it's super cute and I'm a sucker for thumb holes.

To shop the entire Zella line click HERE.

If you're looking for some great shoes for the gym, I highly recommend Nike Free 5.0 Running Shoes.  They're a super lightweight running shoe, similar to a barefoot shoe.  I wear them at the gym and running (nothing too long, 5 miles or less usually).  Nordstrom carries a great variety Nike Frees.

 

 

I also really like New Balance Minimus Training Shoes.

  

These are the type of shoes you should be wearing for weight lifting and circuit training.  They are also very light weight and mimic being barefoot.  I've heard before that shoes like this, or even something like a Chuck Taylor, is the perfect shoe for weight lifting.  You want to mimic being barefoot as much as possible.

And those are my go to brands of activewear!  No Lululemon some may ask?  Well, I do have some Lululemon from 2 or 3 years ago that I do still wear, but after reading THIS, and hearing about how they wouldn't let an elderly lady return merchandise after missing the return date by 1 day, I pretty much crossed them off my list of go to stores.  Plus, they are always THE MOST expensive store out there and their quality has gone downhill over the last year+.  Not worth it to me when there are so many other fabulous options!

Do you have some great activewear you seek out?  Sound off and let me know about it!