Over the past year, I’ve become enthralled with the gym. Lifting weights has become an obsession, and along with the gym comes gym apparel.

What I have figured out is the outfit you choose to wear sets the pace for the entire workout. Beginning to attend the gym, my workouts were strictly cardio, thus meaning I wore leggings and a T-shirt every single time. As I’ve progressed, I quit cardio and only participate in lifting, thus introducing me to new gym “fashion.”

When working out, seamless biker shorts are wildly popular and override leggings and athletic shorts in every aspect. Over time, I’ve come across various pairs that are uncomfortable, see-through, and have poor quality. Finding a good pair of lifting shorts is difficult, but these are my favorite brands, producing the most top-tier and comfortable bottoms. 

GymShark

One of the most well-known athletic brands in the game, GymShark has an enormous reputation to live up to. I have ordered from GymShark multiple times if that tells you anything, and I have yet to be disappointed. From their seamless biker shorts to simple gray hoodies, GymShark has quite literally anything any gym rat could ever dream of. 

To get right to the point—GymSharks Vital Seamless Shorts have my heart. Not only are they comfortable and the perfect length, but they suck you in, accentuate all the right areas, and don’t ride up at all. Without a doubt, they are the best shorts produced by GymShark, and if possible, I would buy them in every single color. 

Tom Tiger

Recommended to me by a girl that goes to my gym, Tom Tiger is one of the most outstanding and affordable gym brands I’ve purchased from. Only available on Amazon, Tom Tiger is also extremely accessible and overall very convenient to consumers. Producing only women’s athletic wear like biker shorts, leggings, and sports bras, this brand is underrated and deserves so much more hype.

When my Amazon package came in the mail and I tried on these shorts, there were simply no words. Being an exact dupe of the GymShark Whitney Simmons lifting shorts, Tom Tiger shorts are the best thing I’ve put on my body. Almost having the exact texture of Lululemon’s Align leggings, these shorts are soft and ringing up at 25 dollars and are much cheaper than shorts from brands like Alphalete or AYBL.

NVGTN

Swarming my Instagram explore page, I fell across the athletic brand NVGTN. Popular in the fitness industry, NVGTN is considered an “underground” company, still only reaching out to people within the niche gym community. However, I have heard an extensive amount of hype about their seamless lifting shorts, thus forcing me to purchase them. Acquiring the goods was a bit difficult, due to the fact NVGTN only produces new styles through drops every few months. But, as soon as I saw the new drop date in NVGTN’s Instagram bio, I set almost four alarms to make sure I could snag something. 

After about a week or two of processing and shipping, my package finally arrived. Before opening the little plastic baggie containing my purchase, every thought in my mind was praying these shorts were everything they were cracked up to be—and they were. The NVGTN Grey Camo Seamless Shorts are extremely soft, comfortable, and most importantly, squat proof. I’ve never been more pushed to go workout simply so I can wear these shorts, and they are an essential piece of my new favorite gym outfit. 

The key to a great workout is looking good and being confident in yourself, and these three shorts have each allowed me that feeling. So, regardless of whether you are into lifting or a cardio bunny, these are my top gym favorites that everyone should purchase.