Certified personal trainer Zach Schunder was tired of burning through workout pants. After seven years in the fitness industry, he found a pair of Lululemon athletic trousers that balance flexibility and durability with a more professional look he can work and train in.
“A problem that I had a lot when I was first starting to train is that you burn through clothing pretty quick, because you’re wearing a lot of athletic material and stuff and some of it’s good,” says Zach Schunder, certified personal trainer at Trilogy Fitness Systems in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Some of it is garbage and you have to wash your clothes constantly.”
“And it’s been a struggle for me for a long time to find pants that last a very long time,” he says. The pair that finally changed that for him was the Lululemon ABC Classic Fit Trouser.
“I’ve had them for the past two years now and they’ve lasted longer than any other kind [of pants],” Schunder says about the Lululemon trousers. Part of what gives them that sweet spot between workout-ready and put-together is the material.
Schunder says, “it’s an athletic-material pant, similar kind of [to the] material of leggings, but a little bit more khaki kind of feel to it. They last really well in the wash. They look nice too.”
For Schunder, wanting that balance simply came from experience in the industry. “You get paid to wear pajamas as a personal trainer, which is true,” Schunder says, acknowledging how casual athleisure can look and feel in some cases.
Schunder admits, “I got criticized when I was a lot younger learning how to train by dressing like an idiot and wearing clothes with holes in them. So I like to look nice when I’m training people and I really like these pants.”
They even have some style versatility which is an added bonus for Schunder. “I’ve worn them out to events,” he says. “Nothing black tie, but casual wear. They look nice enough to wear to a nice dinner.”
Professional, yet flexible
In terms of flexibility, Schunder says, “I think they’re pretty good,” but the trouser design does have some limitations.
“I wear them after I finish a shift at work,” he says. “I can work out and then be fine. I can do any kind of leg movement fine.”
However, if you’re diving into heavy lifting territory, Schunder says you can hang these trousers up. “Now, if you’re going to be working into a one-rep max squat, just wear shorts or leggings,” he says.
Schunder also points out that “they have good breathability.” He says, “they don’t get too hot. I can wear them when it’s 100 degrees outside. Granted, we’re in the AC, but you know what I mean—it’s fine.”
How they’ve held up after two years
“I had two years of washing them probably twice a week and drying them,” Schunder says of their durability. He does admit, though, that his pair has had some modifications. He says, “I had my first split, but my fiancée and I know how to sew, so it was fine.”
Still, he says, “if I didn’t dry them, I think they would last a lot longer,” though he personally has to utilize the dryer as he says “I just need them kind of fast [sometimes].”
His biggest drawback, however, has nothing to do with durability.
“My biggest con is it’s not necessarily the most size-inclusive,” he says. “Because they do this style [of] pants like your standard men’s sizing. It goes up to a 46 in waist and it goes up to a 37 in length.”
“But, if you’re bigger than that, you’re not gonna be able to fit in those.”
Despite needing more sizes, Schunder is still happy with the purchase, especially considering how resistant he was to trying Lululemon in the first place.
“For a long time, I was kind of trying to be a contrarian and be like, I don’t want to buy Lululemon, it’s too expensive, it’s stupid,” Schunder says. “I could just buy Target [pants], and the Target stuff would break.”
Eventually, he decided to give the brand a closer look.
“I actually did some research there and I had a friend of mine who had recommended them to me, but he doesn’t really work out,” he says. “So, I was like, I’ll try them out, and I’ve been very happy with them.”
