I was very fortunate to be gifted the So Sweaty workout leggings and waist trainer as an early Christmas present! Thankyou! Here's how the held up at the gym during a weights session and what the workout entailed...
So this is a first for both wearing a waist trainer and wearing workout leggings. I normally wear shorts to workout in, every time, even at yoga classes (feeling like everyone's looking at me) Why? because I am incredibly hot-blooded and my skin is transparent (red face). I hate being too hot. I can stay in the sea in cold temperatures for ages but in heat, I wilt and become agitated. I like to feel cool and prefer swimming to running any day because the water is constantly refreshing.
This is one of the reasons I prefer weight training to cardio - you sweat just as much, ok it's less but you're still sweating, but you're not purple. Weight training also has the same cardiovascular benefits as cardio, so while you're doing sets, you're actually increasing your overall. The heavier you can lift in sets consistently = the fitter you will be at cardiovascular activities such as running/walking etc.
I have been conditioning my body seriously for a year now, and have always wanted to train or trim my waist to have more definition. When I was at my thinnest at around age 18, due to restrictive eating, I thought I had the 'athletic' body without the waist but since gaining muscle and eating mostly ketogenic and reducing body fat in a healthy way, I have discovered I have a decent waist. However, being a girl and wanting to look even more defined, I invested in a proper, steel-boned corset (costing £50!) this summer. OMG it gave me the figure of dreams. Hourglass with a hint of weird, though.
I was thinking "Sure, I can do that, I can sit in this for 8 hours a day as I work from home, no problem". After 2 hours sitting in it on a very awkward Skype call - I hope my client didn't notice my pain - I decided this was not for me. I am all about authenticity and transparency and realness. I can't sit there in a fucking corset and pretend all is well, it's just not me. Nor do I really want to have my boyfriend feel metal when he hugs me. Nor do I want to be a Victorian. I returned the corset.
So when I was sent the So Sweaty Waist trainer I thought OK, this may be more suitable for my life. I love working out, I like lifting weights, I want to train my waist sure. Let's give it a go.
It's made from the same material as workout leggings and is called 'shapewear' - comfortable and easy to wear for prolonged periods if you're going for the serious waist training and are planning to wear it all day as well as during workouts. I strapped it on - way easier to put on than a corset - you don't need another person to help you. Was not sure whether to have it under or over my leggings because it's long enough to sit on the hips as well as cover the waist. I went for under and then covered it with my gym top (sorry no pic) and wore my usual sports bra (from Forever 21) and the so sweaty leggings.
My workout (designed by a PT)
Warm-up - 1 minute running on the spot, or 50 air squats or 1 min star jumps.
Bench Press
3 sets of 4 reps of 30k (20k olympic pole + 2.5k each end) - here I'm building dense muscle. I don't want a hench chest, just a strong one. Therefore less than 5 reps at a heavy weight is what you want. If you do between 5 and 15 reps you're going to gain.
Squats (Squats, squats, squats, squats!)
So here was 50k (20k olympic bar plus 15k each end) for 5 sets of 10 reps.
SLOWLY on the descent, rising quickly for hypertrophy.
What? Gains.
Even in my Clima Cool trainers, I was absolutely BOILING and had to remove my gym top before my last set - reluctantly, as I don't like being a sports bra and leggings girl at the gym - I prefer resembling a child doing PE at school. This time was different. I felt empowered. Off came the gym top and the sports bra, waist trainer and full leggings were revealed.
DEADLIFTS with the trap bar
If you lift with the trap bar you can lift heavier and it doesn't affect your grip so much (btw my gloves are by Under Armour and are a saviour unless you're cool with calloused, manly hands - no thanks)
So trap bar weighs 30k and we are doing 5k each end = 40k
3 sets of 10 before being ruined.
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| #girlswholift |
So how did the workout wear hold up?
Well, tbh I felt conscious of the waist trainer when the gym top came off. But generally, it was fine to wear it while working it. My only issue was being too hot.
I don't think this would apply to people who normally wear leggings but I can't speak for everyone, I just figure if you're used to your legs being covered (aka more surface area being covered) it will be fine. They certainly look great and emphasise your shape being that colour as opposed to black, which can hide curves.
I felt I looked a little 70s aerobics video with the pink trainers and purple leggings as opposed to my normal all black.
Will I wear the waist trainer again? Hell yes, especially in January.
Will I wear the leggings again? Yes to a YOGA class or for a early morning run in the winter months but I'm keen to keep my shorts for the intense weight sessions. It certainly makes you FEEL good wearing a waist trainer, as I said before, that extra definition is empowering and you can wear it subtly under your clothes without the obvious shape of a corset. How it works is still a bit of a mystery to me and I believe it's more of a suggestive device - you feel thinner, you behave thinner.
Find the waist trainer and leggings and more here
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