When you arrived at the gym, you could have seen some guys wearing shorts over tights. If you're here, you're probably wondering why men wear tights under their shorts. We can also rearrange this such that guys don’t wear tights under their shorts, they wear shorts over their tights. Does it have any advantages or is it just a trend or fashion? We will try to address your queries in this blog post. Since there is not exactly one correct explanation, let's explore some of them.
How Do Compression Pants Differ From Tights?
In this article you will encounter those terms multiple times, therefore it’s good to make clear differences between them. Most women who go to the gym simply wear tights or leggings. Tights are comfortable for both males and females. They are like a second skin, but compression pants can offer a little bit more. A compression garment is commonly used by professional athletes. Nowadays is more and more popular among ordinary people. Even though the science and evidence behind compression garments are inconsistent and often low quality, many sources say that compression garments can improve our cardiac efficiency and exercise performance. Compression should also help to prevent muscle pain and fatigue. There is a lot to say about it, if you are interested in compression garments you can learn more about them here.
Protection
A lot of people tend to wear compression pants when they are doing pulling movements. It helps protect their shins from getting scraped and bloody. Another group of people can stay and after gym might play basketball or football or some sport where they may end up on the ground. This is an excellent way to prevent some injuries, scratches, or skid marks.
Warmth
A lot of people begin their workout routine with cardio. As a part of cardio, they can run or bike to the gym, and when it's cold, thighs can help. It is just another way how to stay warm. As it gets colder you'll see a fair amount of guys who run who wear the shorts and tights combo. Although you don't technically require shorts because the tights are an "outside" garment, many guys don't want others to see their privates as they run. More individuals are taking up running, and when it's chilly out, many guys run in tights. The wind resistance that sweats provide is undesirable, and the compression is an added benefit.
Fashion
It's a trend like anything else. Recreational gym goers observe elite athletes wearing them. They are unnecessary for the average gym goer, but because they see pros using them, they imitate and try to rationalize their use. The pros may benefit slightly from equipment like this to enhance their performance, but at that level, the intensity of competition necessitates it. However, average gym goers are just convincing themselves they need it to improve their fitness when it's really just because it makes them look a bit cooler than the next guy. Consumerism essentially, as with any other industry. The shorts are just a courtesy for the different lifters so that they don't have to see every detail of our bodies. For somebody, the tights themselves are too tight and embarrassing to wear alone, so most males would put on a pair of shorts over the tights to not expose their cleavage to everyone nearby.
Pockets
Compression pants tend to lack pockets. Even while tights are fantastic to wear when doing errands around town, their absence of pockets only makes life much more difficult. And many males prefer to simply get a pair of shorts where they can just throw everything in because there aren't any pockets to put their stuff in. I can’t imagine to go run without my mobile. The good news is that there are now actual men's running leggings with pockets! Some companies are aware of the value of keeping your necessities close at hand, particularly if you're planning an early run or an evening jog. The majority of the time, these pockets are large enough to hold your phone, keys, and some cash. Normal side pockets are a feature of certain legging designs, while others include built-in pockets on the back of your legs.
To Cover Certain Parts Of Body
Imagine that you are wearing just shorts. You want to do some exercises like leg presses, bicycle kicks, handstands, and others when your legs are pointed up, your shorts will fall down. So you may expose more than you want. This is another reason why tightness may come in handy.
Women are comfortable wearing tights by themselves to the gym, to the store after the gym, or to buy coffee. Men, on the other hand, don't want to have their junk protrude out when they're out and about.
In case, you want to hide your junk and you don’t prefer shorts over tights there are some other alternatives. You can find some thicker tights, they are usually meant for colder weather. If it’s not enough you can still complement it with thicker underwear.
If you don’t like this alternative, you can use an oversized T-shirt or another top.
TL;DR
There are many reasons. The most common ones are warmth, protection from scratches and skid marks, fashion, and last but not least it can cover certain parts of your body. Compression pants can also help you with health aspects like muscle soreness, fatigue, and performance, however, a lot of scientists do not support this opinion.