If you follow me on Twitter you know that I've been working out lately - a lot. Basically I've been trying to run or elliptical 5 out of every 6 days. Since the beginning of March I've logged 374 miles and burned over 30,000 calories.
All of this working out has done wonders for my abs and legs but my 34Ds needed some support so I asked the lovely people at CHAMPION USA (on Twitter) for some sportsbra suggestions and they graciously offered to send me some bras to try out.
They sent me four: 1 Medium support, 2 High Support and 1 Maximum support. Let me say that regardless of how I feel about the bras, I LOVE the way they tell you exactly what type of activity the bras are designed for - the medium support CLEARLY said "Walking" while the others mentioned aerobics, running, basketball, etc.
The first bra they sent me was this one:
It's medium support and I LOVE IT. It's perfect for coaching soccer and lacrosse or for going for a walk with the kids. It's even great for the elliptical trainer at the gym. It is SO comfortable. The one they sent me was the Ocean Blue/Sport blue color (not the exact one shown) and my daughters OOHED and AHHED over how beautiful it was. This bra gets FIVE STARS.
The second bra I tried out was this one:
Confession: I have this bra in two other colors and LOVE it. It's labeled "High Support" and definitely gives me the support I need while running without making me feel like I should be in a bondage film. I love the racerback style and it comes in 10 colors. This bra also gets FIVE STARS.
The third bra I tried was this one:
It's labeled "High Support" and it worked fine but it was hard to put on. The band was too tight to pull comfortably over my chest and I had to do A LOT of adjusting before I was ready to attempt fastening the hooks. I put this in my "when everything else is dirty pile." I DO think that it worked fine but I'm going to save my energy for the workout - not waste it getting dressed.
Also, in my 20s I used to take my shirt off while I ran so I prefer a sportsbra that doesn't look too much like a real bra. I don't take my shirt off in suburbia but still prefer sportsbras that look more like a tanktop than a bra. This bra gets THREE stars.
The last bra was this one:
It's labeled "Maximum Support" and it definitely is. The shoulder straps are fully adjustable and the clasp closure in the back gives you the flexibility to make it as tight as you need. This bra is sized by cup/chest size so you can order your "regular" size and feel pretty comfortable that you're going to get a good fit. Again, I don't love the clasp closure but understand that for MAX support you need to be able to adjust the band. This bra gets FIVE STARS!
Thank you to the AWESOME people at CHAMPIONUSA.COM for letting me try these bras. They have AMAZING sales at their site all the time and I highly recommend that you check them out regularly.
Update: Their current sale is a buy 2, get 1 free sale on shorts and tops. I also found a coupon code on Retail me Not for 10% off that worked with the sale - AND if you spend $125 you get free shipping. So I bought 3 pairs of running shorts (my old ones were becoming x-rated) and 6 shirts totalling $221 for a final price of $131 and free shipping.
I am so glad I found this today. I have been hitting the gym hard and the big boobs on the treadmill struggle is real. I am gonna check these out. Thanks!!
Posted by: La | June 30, 2011 at 04:37 PM
I honestly think, were I a woman, I never would have gotten into running like I have. There are male-specific issues to take into consideration when running, surely. Well, there's one issue, maybe two if the mind wanders as you run, but everything is somewhere between an inconvenience and easily remedied.
The issues with dealing with boobs and running, that just sounds like a single misstep can leave you in serious pain. And while I love talking, looking at, and thinking about boobs, I'm always comforted knowing that there are comfortable boobs out there - so I'm quite glad you found sports bras that work :-)
Posted by: John | July 01, 2011 at 08:38 AM