Best Gym Shorts for Training: Fitted vs 7-Inch Shorts

Gym shorts get less thought than leggings or trainers, but the wrong pair is easy to notice: they ride up on squats, the waistband rolls, or your phone bounces around in a pocket mid-set. Fit-Tech makes two very different shorts for training: the women's Core Shorts, a high-rise, sculpted short with four-way stretch, and the men's Performance 7" Shorts, a lightweight, unlined short with secure zip pockets. This guide covers what to look for and how to pick the right pair.

Key takeaways

• Good gym shorts stay put, move with you, and handle sweat.
• Fitted shorts suit squats, glute work, and studio sessions; looser shorts suit lifting, running, and everyday wear.
• Riding up usually comes down to size and waistband, not fabric alone.
• Fit-Tech's Core Shorts are fitted and high-rise; the Performance 7" Shorts are lightweight, unlined, and have zip pockets.

What makes a good pair of gym shorts?

Whatever the style, good training shorts come down to a few things:

• They stay put: no riding up on squats and lunges, no waistband rolling down.
• They move with you: enough stretch or room for deep squats, lunges, and running without restriction.
• They manage sweat: breathable, quick-drying fabric so they don't feel heavy halfway through a session.
• They fit the way you train: a compressive fitted short and a loose running-style short suit different sessions and different preferences.

Women's Core Shorts: fitted, high-rise, built to stay put

The Core Shorts are Fit-Tech's fitted women's training short, with 90+ reviews. They're designed around the problems that usually make fitted shorts frustrating:

• High-rise waistband: sits up around the core and is designed to hug without digging in, keeping you supported through squats, runs, and lifts.
• No ride-up: the cut is designed to stay in place so you're not adjusting between reps.
• Sweat-wicking, quick-dry fabric: keeps you cooler through a hard session.
• Four-way stretch: moves with the body through deep squats, lunges, and stretching rather than pulling against it.
• Sculpted cut: a streamlined, flattering shape that works as well outside the gym as in it.

They come in Mocha, Pistachio, Frost, and Black, sizes XS to L, and match the Core Sports Bra and Core High Waisted Leggings if you want a full set. For more women's styles, see the full women's shorts collection.

Want a short that stays put on squats? Shop the Core Shorts in Mocha, Pistachio, Frost, and Black, sizes XS to L.

Men's Performance 7" Shorts: lightweight with zip pockets

The Performance 7" Shorts take a different approach: a looser, athletic short built for comfort, movement, and keeping your essentials secure. Key details:

• 7-inch inseam: a balance between coverage and freedom to move, with an athletic cut.
• No inner lining: a smooth, unlined design aimed at avoiding the irritation some lined shorts cause.
• Secure zip pockets: keep a phone, keys, or card safe through squats, sprints, and stretching.
• Lightweight, breathable fabric: stays cool and moves with you.
• Versatile: designed for lifting, running, and wearing after the gym.

They come in sizes S to XL. For the wider men's range, see the men's clothing collection.

Need pockets that actually hold your phone? Shop the Performance 7" Shorts, sizes S to XL.

Fitted vs loose shorts: which is better for training?

Neither is better across the board. Fitted shorts stay out of the way on deep squats and glute work and don't flap around. Looser shorts feel cooler, are easier to throw on, and the pockets are genuinely useful when you're moving between machines or running to the gym.

What inseam length should you choose?

Inseam is the length of the leg from the crotch seam down. A 7-inch inseam, like the Performance Shorts, is one of the most popular lengths for training because it covers the upper thigh without getting in the way of squats or running strides. Shorter inseams give more freedom but less coverage; longer ones give more coverage but can bunch at the knee on deep squats.

For fitted shorts like the Core Shorts, length matters less than the waistband and how well the leg opening grips, since the whole point is that the short stays in place against the body.

Shorts that don't ride up: what actually helps

Riding up is the single most common complaint with training shorts. A few things make the difference:

• The right size: too big and fitted shorts bunch and slide; too small and they ride up because they're pulled tight.
• A waistband that sits where it's designed to: high-rise shorts like the Core Shorts are meant to sit up at the core, not low on the hips.
• Stretch that recovers: four-way stretch fabric moves with deep squats and returns to shape.

Shorts vs leggings for leg day

For heavy leg sessions, plenty of lifters prefer shorts over leggings. Shorts make it easier to see knee and hip position in the mirror, they're cooler on a long session, and they're simpler to wear with knee sleeves, which sit directly on the skin. Leggings give full coverage and are often preferred in colder gyms or for lifters who want everything covered at the bottom of a squat.

There's no wrong answer, and many people keep both in rotation: fitted shorts for warm sessions and leg days with sleeves, leggings for cooler weather or when they want full coverage.

Shorts for different types of session

• Heavy squat and leg day: fitted shorts stay out of the way on deep reps; loose shorts with enough room at the leg work too, as long as they don't catch.
• Glute and hip thrust sessions: fitted shorts like the Core Shorts are the more common choice, with no loose fabric bunching at the hip.
• Upper-body days: almost any comfortable short works, so pick whatever you like wearing.
• Running or conditioning: a lightweight short with zip pockets, like the Performance 7" Shorts, keeps your phone secure and stays cool.
• Gym to errands: both styles are designed to look as good outside the gym as in it.

Common mistakes when buying gym shorts

• Sizing down for a "tighter" look: shorts that are too small ride up and dig in, which defeats the purpose.
• Ignoring the waistband: fabric gets the attention, but a waistband that rolls or digs in is what you'll actually notice mid-set.
• Choosing open pockets for running: if you run or move a lot with a phone on you, zip pockets make a real difference.

Sizing and care

Check the size chart on each product page rather than guessing from another brand's sizing, since fit varies a lot between a compressive short and a relaxed one. For care, the usual rules for performance fabric apply: wash after sweaty sessions, skip fabric softener (it dulls sweat-wicking finishes), and air dry instead of tumble drying on high heat, which is hardest on stretch fibres. That's what keeps a waistband and fabric holding their shape through months of training.

Which shorts should you pick?

• Squat-heavy, glute-focused, or studio training, and you want a fitted feel: Core Shorts.
• Lifting, running, and everyday wear, with somewhere secure for your phone: Performance 7" Shorts.
• Want a full matching set: pair the Core Shorts with the Core Sports Bra.

Want the full matching set? Add the Core Sports Bra to the Core Shorts, available in the same four colours.

A few quick answers

• Are the Core Shorts squat-friendly? They're designed for it, with a high-rise waistband and four-way stretch built to stay in place through squats and lunges.
• Do the Performance 7" Shorts have a liner? No, they're intentionally unlined for comfort.
• Can I wear them outside the gym? Both are designed to work from the gym floor to everyday wear.
• What if the size is wrong? Both are covered by Fit-Tech's 30-day returns and quality guarantee.

Conclusion

Good gym shorts should stay put, move with you, and handle sweat, and the right style depends on how you train. Fit-Tech's Core Shorts are a fitted, high-rise short built for squats and glute work, while the Performance 7" Shorts are a lightweight, unlined short with zip pockets for lifting, running, and everyday wear. Pick the fit that suits your sessions, get the size right, and you'll stop thinking about your shorts mid-set.