The Secret Tool for Boosting My Workout (That I’m Embarrassed to Tell You About)

There’s some stigma attached to certain “health” items, and at times us men don’t want to admit that the women are onto something.

One such item that I recently came across is what can only be described as “shape wear for men.” I have to admit that I immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Fortunately, thanks to my browser’s cookies, I was bombarded by ads for weeks until I decided to look into it more and see if there was any truth to the fad.

Now the women out there reading this may be laughing because – let’s face it, women have modified their midsection for centuries. From corsets, to awkward pregnancy support garments, to postpartum belly wrapping: the women are not unfamiliar with the idea of wrapping things around their waist for beauty and fashion.

The interesting thing is that more men are also getting familiar with waist clincher and compression belts. The belts may not deliver on all the promises made by some of their suppliers and manufacturers. However, fact remains that compression belts can be used to speed healing and reduce back ache. They’re also helping some men, like me, concentrate on their core with proper form while working out – which translates into real results.

I finally decided to try one out. I purchased an inexpensive compression trainer from an online retailer. Though they took about a week to deliver, the progress I’ve been seeing with everything they mentioned is more than making up for it. It was totally worth the wait and really helping me re-build my core.

I wear it to the gym under my workout clothes and it helps me remember to bend, lift, and squat in better form. I honestly believe it’s contributing to my noticeable results in a short amount of time. Coincidence? I think not!

[caption id="attachment_22082" align="alignleft" width="333"]Don't knock it till you try it... the Tommy Kono belt might do you well with training.[/caption]

I won’t make any claims that it’s helped me lose inches or reduce fat, and it does make me sweat buckets during workouts. But, if you don’t buy into the hype of the outrageous “too good to be true” claims and recognize that it’s just a tool like any other – you’ll do well. We both know that no size or type of compression belt for men (i.e. Tommy Kono compression belt) is going to work miracles for you bro - only proper diet and exercise can do that.

That being said, the belt I bought helps me recover faster from workouts and ease up my back pain on days when I over did it the day before. It’s also discreet enough that no one could know that I have it on.

Not that I’m anxious to show it off – I don’t think I could take the taunts, whispers, and stares. I might get flashbacks to 7th grade gym class!

Bear in mind is that you really have to measure yourself right because the sizing is different from regular clothes. I learned this one the hard way and had to be sent another size. I recommend taking an extra 10 minutes to work with a customer service rep while ordering to make sure you are getting the right one.

Also, when you get it and try it on it will feel just a bit snug (which is incidentally the point of a “compression belt”) but it will still be comfortable and get the job done.

We may think it’s girly, but the truth is that my abs are already looking flatter and more defined than before and it’s helping me train and build my core. I’m a convert for sure – now I just have to wait for the rest of you to catch up so we can all discuss how to best use this new tool. IN the meantime, you won’t see me changing into my street clothes out in the open – I’ll be hiding my waist trainer from the rest of you.

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Author Bio: James Smith

James Smith is currently conducting research on medical and fitness issues and his blogging is inclined towards fitness industry these days.

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