To All the Pants I’ve Loved Before:

Hi everyone, my name is Kerstyn. I’m a friend of Team Lis Smash and I’m here to spill more digital ink about a topic that has spawned countless blog posts, Instagram surveys, and distressed changing room selfies: pants.

Hopefully we at the Smash Blog will be able to create an archive of data for fellow athletes who find themselves doing this whenever they try to find workout gear that works for fit and strong bodies:

In particular, my series is going to focus on leggings because, well, I need pants. Let’s back up a little.

I have been playing sports, powerlifting, running, and overall living as an active person for a little over a decade. I’ve also been a home seamstress for even longer as I was lucky to inherit my quilter grandmother’s hand for stitching – so I feel pretty qualified to discuss the fit and quality of a workout garment.

I’ve also always had a big butt, which is supposedly popular right now, and yet I found myself KonMari’d all out of workout leggings late last year because I told myself I needed to love myself enough to stop putting safety pins in my leggings to hold the waist in. 

Since I am lucky to be pals with our friend Lis, I asked if I could moonlight on the Smash Blog so my research could be shared with the masses.

The Project
I will be purchasing a pair of leggings from all the most discussed, recommended, and Instagrammed brands I can think of (and that are recommended in the comments!) until I either a) run out of money for this or b) can’t take it anymore.

I’ll try them out and share my experiences here on this blog and do my best to explain why I like/dislike things so that you can take what helps you and leave the rest. I have chosen leggings over shorts because they’re what works best for me – they minimize skin contact in martial art, they keep my jiggling parts in when I’m running…and because pants are kind of the worst.

The Rules

I’ll be buying the leggings with my own money, but using sales and coupons as I have them – if that ever changes because I get so famous people send me free clothes I’ll disclose it.  

In picking a pair I’ll give preference to darker colors and models with pockets (because I sweat a lot and like pockets), and will use the company’s provided size charts and reviews to select the best possible size for my body.

Since I am a cis woman I’ll be buying primarily women’s-marketed leggings unless someone recommends or requests something else. I’ll wear each pair for three types of workouts: running, lifting, and yoga/stretching.

I’ll give an overall letter grade to each pair based on four main categories (Overall Fit, Run, Lift, and Stretch) with potential bonus points for the brand’s size range, a gusset* that isn’t a single straight seam, and inclusion of at least one functional pocket. That grade along with my notes and observations and the leggings’ information will be posted here on the Smash blog.

*This is basically the crotch of the leggings. Most leggings marketed for women tend to save money by running one straight seam front to back which can lead to discomfort and mega-nuka-wedgies. 
I hope you’ll join me and Team Lis Smash in strength and in stretchy pants.

-Sandbag K

Kerstyn is a remote member of the Smash fam, residing in sunny vegetarian friendly California. When not pumping iron she works in computer security and also enjoys martial arts and trying new sports. She met Lis Smash in 2018 at the CrossFit South Cobb powerlifting camp that Lis coached. And then she moved across the country like a jerk.  Follow her on Insta at @thescullyeffect.

The leggings in the featured photo are from Senita Athletics (review coming later this month).