Workout Routines for Men — Plus The Ideal Shoes For Each
Every workout is unique — just like the people around you. When you hit the gym, you probably have a different fitness goal than the guy standing next to you. Maybe you want to focus on building muscle, while your workout buddy is just looking to shed a few pounds. And the guy next to him? Maybe he’s just here to increase his endurance.
You already know that different workout routines can require different fitness equipment — but did you know that some can require different shoes, too? That’s right — your go-to pair of Nikes might not be ideal for all workouts. To protect your feet (and your knees and your joints), here’s what you should be wearing to the gym — based on your workout routine!
Workout Routines for Muscle Growth & Endurance
If your workout consists of bench presses and barbell curls, you’re in it for the muscle growth. Muscular endurance is all about performing heavy lifting for longer — so if you’re looking to spend your gym time building up rep counts, this is the goal for you. To get the most out of a muscle building routine, you’re going to want to train each muscle group twice per week — usually split by upper body and lower body. Some strength training exercises to add to your workout routine include:
- Bench presses
- Lateral raises
- Tricep pushdowns
- Dumbbell curls
- Romanian deadlifts
- Leg presses
- Ab crunches
- Squats
- Calf raises
These types of strength training exercises — especially ones that involve heavier weights — require proper footwear. Athletic shoes that are designed for strength training (also known as trainers) are supportive, help with balance and create a stable platform for lifting.
Purcado Picks: The Best Sneakers for Strength Training
Need a decent pair of strength training shoes? Here are some favorite picks by fitness junkies.
New Balance Minimus 20v7 | $99.95
Reebok CrossFit Speed TR 2.0 | Now: $79.99
Reebok CrossFit Nano 8.0 | $129.95
Nike Metcon 4 | $130
Workout Routines for Cardio & Endurance
Cardio is essential to any workout routine — and if your main focus is getting your heart rate up, you’re likely trying to stay lean. To get the most of out of a cardio workout routine, you’re going to want to build a high-intensity plan — or take a HIIT class, similar to what’s done in studios like OrangeTheory Fitness. Here are a few ideal cardio exercises to add to your workout routine (make sure to adjust time and intensity based on your individual needs):
- Treadmill run at a 3% incline for an hour
- Stair climber at 90% with intermittent active recovery periods for an hour
- Cycling on a stationary bike with intermittent active recovery periods for an hour
- Rowing for 20 minutes in increments of 250 meters plus one minute of rest
As you can see (and likely already know), you won’t use the same machines or make the same movements as you would in a lifting routine, so why would you wear the same shoes?
Training shoes are not ideal for most cardio and general heart endurance exercises because they don’t provide the same amount of impact support. Shock absorption is necessary when you’re completing high-impact intervals — like sprints, jogs and jumping jacks.
Purcado Picks: The Best Sneakers for Cardio
Need a new pair of running shoes to compete on the treadmill? Here are some favorite picks by runners, joggers and overall fitness aficionados.
ASICS Gel-Nimbus 19 | $100.96
ASICS GT-1000 6 | Now: $79.95
Nike Free RN | Now: $79.99
adidas UltraBoost | $180
So, What’s Purcado?
At our core, Purcado is a price-comparison tool with the goal of saving you time and money. We’re committed to helping you find the best deal on shoes every single day. Use Purcado — a one-of-a-kind search engine — to compare prices on thousands of shoes from 65+ retailers instantly. We’ve got all of your favorite brands — Nike, adidas, Steve Madden, Sam Edelman and more — at prices you’ll love.
Our philosophy? If you paid full price for the shoes on your feet, you’ve paid too much. If you shop around and shop often, you’re sure to find the same shoes at a lower price. But you don’t have the time to hop from store to store — and we get that. With Purcado, we take the stress out of shoe shopping by saving you time and money. The average Purcado user saves up to 70% off retail price from all of the top brands.
Why pay more for the same pair of shoes? Try us out today!
