I don’t like working out in t-shirts. They trap bodily fluids, end up getting heavy, and for me, I just end up feeling constrained by them. Let me actually rewind that, I don’t like working out in cotton blended t-shirts. So far, I think the best I’ve found are tri-blends because they fit a little bit more looser, but after a few workouts and washes, they tend to get piled up and ugly. What’s worse is that many of these shirts are also my prized shirts from other boxes or just designs I bought because I liked; destroying them in a WOD is the last thing I want to do.
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of “dry-fit” shirts. They’re comfortable and light, but these tend to be a bit on the expensive side. For example, a nice Nike Pro Combat Hypercool t-shirt will set you back about $50. I love Lululemon shorts, but I’m not paying $60 for a t-shirt. Not to mention, these shirts get slippery as hell when moisture starts to penetrate them. Forget that clean PR. That brings me to the WOD Shirt; an environmentally friendly, comfortable, form fitting and affordable shirt that you’ll actually want to work out in. It’s kind of weird to think that no one really came up with something like this earlier. I judge how much I like a shirt based off of how long it can stay on during a WOD; I’m usually the first one with a shirt off, sometimes even before the workout starts. Having worked out in the WOD Shirt, I can say that it definitely passes that test (granted, it’s Winter).
The material the WOD Shirt is made of is 95% rayon, a fabric that comes from bamboo, and 5% spandex to give it a bit of stretch. I’m not a gigantic guy (5’9, 180lb), and the large fits me perfectly. By perfect, I mean it’s not super tight, riding up my armpits and I’m not swimming in fabric because it’s too loose. It’s airy, feels like a more silky tri-blend, and not slippery like “dry-fit”.
I wish all my shirts were like this.
Performance wise, it stays on. For me, that’s everything. Typically, I find most cotton-blend shirts uncomfortable to wear during workouts. They just get too hot, too itchy, get soaked, and I feel like I can’t move unhindered. I’m sure plenty of people in the world would disagree, but I’m sure just as many would agree. Where taking ones shirt off in a box is commonplace, I know it’s not the same at say, a globo-gym, or most public places. With the WOD Shirt, you’ll at least be less tempted to rip your shirt off when things start getting sweaty.
“Scenario 2: Extreme sweat and stink test I can honestly say that I’m probably one of the sweatiest and smelliest guys you’ll ever meet (at least I’m honest!). I cannot train in pure polyester shirts; they become unbearably stinky typically by the end of warm up. A 50/50 cotton blend has been my go to, which is OK for my heavy lifting days, but any WOD that has me working hard and sweating, by round 3 I’m swimming, and you can forget about using the shirt again before a wash. So I put the shirt through the mostly sweat stinky scenario I could come up with; a five day 35-hour trek through the Peruvian Andes. I brought my three tester WOD shirts and one cotton blend shirt. By the 5th day, did my WOD shirts stink? Yes absolutely, but even after the grueling hikes, it was wearable and dried quickly. My cotton shirt, on the other hand, was toast. “
So what is this shirt going to cost you? It’s currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter for a measly $19 USD early bird price! Funding lasts until January 31st, but is almost already at it’s goal of about $2000 USD! I say USD because the shirt’s creator, Kayvon, is from Canada. You can even just pledge a dollar if you want him to just do burpees. There will be a total of 4 colors, including: black, grey, dark grey, and pink (only woman sizes). Affiliate owners can co-brand their gym onto the WOD Shirt as well, which I know I’ll be doing for CrossFit 805. I hope they come out with a tank top for the ladies soon. *hint hint*
For $20 bucks, you can’t beat the WOD Shirt. Make sure you check out the Kickstarter page and get yours before the price goes up!
Is it the best gym shirt ever? No, but it’s pretty damn close.
