Gym Appropriate Apparel

I’ve been hitting the gym frequently for the past six or seven months, I usually train by myself, privately, at the park down the street where there is a track and a jungle gym because I don’t really like people watching me exercise and I want to be “in the zone”.

However, I work at several gyms teaching their Zumba Fitness classes and I finally started training at one of them where I get a free membership.  I tried not to look at anyone first of all when I walked in, let alone pick up on what they were wearing.  I am very comfortable in my skin, I am not ashamed of my body or how I look as I work very frickin’ hard to make sure I stay fit and healthy to be an inspiration to the clients I teach at my gyms.  Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the topic at hand.

I’ve been running at the track in the park for a long time, when I go I expect to sweat and get really hot so I wear a regular bra and a sports bra (for me if I don’t wear a regular bra, my breasts feel like they weigh 100lb’s and they’re by no means large).  I am always alone when I run, except for the maybe one or two other people at the track, so I never really thought about what I was wearing other than it made me stay cooler so I could run longer.  I also do push-ups/sit-ups/crunches/dragon crawls/mountain climbers…etc. and run on the hill there to shock my muscles a bit and prepare them for the obstacles and uneven terrain I run on when I race.

So, when I went to the gym I felt this awkward sense of being “naked” if I would have worn a top that showed my stomach even a little bit.  For the sake of not being embarrassed, I bought shirts that are uncomfortable (except my Zumba wear) that cover my body completely.  No cleavage, no tummy.  I feel so strange when I go run on the treadmill like this because I still wear my bra and sports bra (again women everywhere know the importance of a sports bra to hold the “girls” in place).  The shirts are soft but they feel like they’re itchy because of the excess fabric and sweat.

What do you all think about appropriate gym attire?  Is it socially acceptable for a woman to wear a shirt to the gym that is cropped as long as her cleavage is tucked away nicely?  I don’t want the label of being trashy, but should I sacrifice comfort for the sake of others?

Men wear shirts that have the arms and sides cut completely out and show their stomach and chest, I was wondering if that’s somehow more appropriate.  Let me know your opinions. 🙂 I’ve attached photos of the top(s) I am talking about, the shorts are racing shorts and I’m at a race in the pics.