Masculine hairsticks and styles for working out

[Monkey962]

Hey all, I've been working out fairly regularly lately and it turns out I'm actually running out of weights at home. I go to a college with a gym, so I intend to start going there. However, the joy of working out at home was doing it how/whenever I wanted. That includes having my hair in whatever style I wanted, usually a simple pony or a braid. I'd like to know a nice, secure bun for working out, though. I don't do much in the way of cardio lately, and if I do, it's on a bike, so it doesn't need to put up with bouncing around on a treadmill. So what's your guys' suggestions/experiences with buns for working out?

That being said, I haven't any hairsticks. Do y'all have any suggestions for masculine-looking hairsticks? I was thinking of using short knitting needles, but knitting isn't exactly an activity popular with guys (is it weird that I'd like to learn?:D).

Thanks in advance, guys.

[skyblue]

I just found this site hope this helps some
http://www.longlocks.com/chapstix.htm

[Kittin]

When I work out and use a bun, I use hair screws to secure it. They are pretty much invisible and I don't have to worry about anything poking me.

While sailing I often use a hair glove to secure my hair. It keeps the little bits from flying out and getting tangled in the rig. For my length, I use two of them, I just do a banded ponytail and stick the cover over it.

As for masculine hair sticks, maybe search some of the Celtic or Viking designs?

[einna]

Hairsticks that look like swords :D

[Kaeita]

Do y'all have any suggestions for masculine-looking hairsticks? I was thinking of using short knitting needles, but knitting isn't exactly an activity popular with guys (is it weird that I'd like to learn?:D).

A little off topic here, I don't have any hair advice for men, sorry (my older brother doesn't work out, but wears his hair in a ponytail for work; my son's hair is curly enough that it forms a neat halo around his head). I just wanted to address your desire to learn knitting.

Did you know that knitting was originally a male craft? Back in the good old days, particularly ancient (I'm not a history buff, so don't recall the exact era) Japan, but also in other cultures, it was the men who would knit and weave and craft necessary items. As happened in western society in the 20th century, when the men went off to war, it was left to the women to pick up their slack, so they took over the knitting and weaving.

There are many men who knit these days, there are groups on Ravelry for knitting men, and several instructional and pattern books for men. My son learned to knit a year ago when he was 5.5yo, and has since carried his knitting everywhere with him. It's good for his hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and helps soothe him when situations get a bit stressful (long days in town, too many people, playmates not sharing, etc). It's also a useful skill to have.

If you do decide to learn to knit, most yarn stores offer classes, or may give you some pointers if you drop in to pick up supplies. Knitting Help is a great website with video tutorials (this is how I learned to knit). There are lots of pictoral tutorials as well.

Re hair, I don't know if this can be a masculine bun as well, but CinnamonHair has a tutorial on youtube for a "Stay-in, No-fail, Won't Fall Out, Bun for Swimming, Sports, Working Out, or Headbanging (http://www.youtube.com/user/CinnamonHair#p/u/4/6vRgZuXse5o)".

[Sigzephyr]

A little off topic here, I don't have any hair advice for men, sorry (my older brother doesn't work out, but wears his hair in a ponytail for work; my son's hair is curly enough that it forms a neat halo around his head). I just wanted to address your desire to learn knitting.

Did you know that knitting was originally a male craft? Back in the good old days, particularly ancient (I'm not a history buff, so don't recall the exact era) Japan, but also in other cultures, it was the men who would knit and weave and craft necessary items. As happened in western society in the 20th century, when the men went off to war, it was left to the women to pick up their slack, so they took over the knitting and weaving.

There are many men who knit these days, there are groups on Ravelry for knitting men, and several instructional and pattern books for men. My son learned to knit a year ago when he was 5.5yo, and has since carried his knitting everywhere with him. It's good for his hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and helps soothe him when situations get a bit stressful (long days in town, too many people, playmates not sharing, etc). It's also a useful skill to have.

If you do decide to learn to knit, most yarn stores offer classes, or may give you some pointers if you drop in to pick up supplies. Knitting Help is a great website with video tutorials (this is how I learned to knit). There are lots of pictoral tutorials as well.

Re hair, I don't know if this can be a masculine bun as well, but CinnamonHair has a tutorial on youtube for a "Stay-in, No-fail, Won't Fall Out, Bun for Swimming, Sports, Working Out, or Headbanging (http://www.youtube.com/user/CinnamonHair#p/u/4/6vRgZuXse5o)".

One of the most famous knitters is a man: Kaffe Fassett.
Here is a link to how he got started: http://www.kaffefassett.com/Biography.html
There are a growing number of men that are man enough to knit :)

[kteachone]

I would think a simple wooden stick or fork would be manly, like these:
10 sticks (http://www.etsy.com/listing/66075021/wooden-sticks-for-hair-or-shawl-pins-10?ref=sr_gallery_10&ga_search_query=wooden%2Bhair%2Bstick&ga_search_type=handmade)
fork (http://www.etsy.com/listing/54403554/wooden-hair-fork-black-mesquite-hand?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=wooden%2Bhair%2Bstick&ga_search_type=handmade')
burned wood (http://www.etsy.com/listing/63898702/wooden-hair-stick-wormy-granadillo-with?ref=sr_gallery_35&ga_search_query=wooden%2Bhair%2Bstick&ga_search_type=handmade)

[seethruugirl]

porcupine quills. :) I visited a petting zoo once and they had porcupines there....they gave me some of the shedded quills....I think they would make cool hairsticks and could be masculine and a cool conversation piece. :)

[Druid of Alba]

Pfft, you can wear your hair however you want, don't think about what anyone else thinks. If you want to do a bun, I think that twigs would look cool, and earthly. Or just plain wooden chopsticks perhaps? Or why don't you use a hair elastic?

[Sundial]

Actually I think braids would work fine because buns have a tendency to get in the way of bench work when you are doing weights. And I'm not sure if your hair is as slippery, but buns aren't secure enough for me when I'm doing cardio

[Johanna]

I have letter openers that look like swords, I'm going to sand down the edges so they are very dull then use them as hair sticks.
Small daggers in your hair would be very manly, and If anyone questions you....you have weapons at your disposal.



*Not reccomended for wearing during air-travel.

[Panth]

I haven't tried it for any gym stuff or anything like that (I'm really not the type! :P) but a plaited cinnabun works great for me when doing farm work. I keep it up with 4 hair pins in an X configuration. I made them out of knitting needles, following Torrinpaige's tutorial (though minus the pretty beads!): http://www.youtube.com/user/torrinpaige?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/61/x0zii2Sawa4
They are pretty much invisible in the bun. Also, be aware that if you don't have about TB+ hair, you can buy double pointed knitting needles that are half the usual length which would let you make pins for shorter hair without turning your bun into a cactus/porcupine look-alike...

As for the knitting - go you! If you want to learn it, go ahead. It is a great de-stress hobby and useful to boot. There is a growing community of men who knit and I'm sure they'd love you to join them. ^_^

[Blandine]

I'd also suggest a simple wooden stick. Easiest and cheapest, and fun: make your own.
Get a piece of round timber from a DIY shop, a pencil sharpener and some sandpaper. Cut timber to the length you want, make the tip with a pencil sharpener, and sand until smooth. As finish, the wood can be oiled, or rubbed with bee wax and polished, or painted with transparent acrylic.
If you want a more rustic look, pick up some dry sticks from trees. Make sure they have no hollow or soft centre. Peel off the bark, then proceed as described above.

[rose.grace]

knitting isn't exactly an activity popular with guys (is it weird that I'd like to learn?:D).No, it's not weird at all. One of my greatest heroes is Kaffe Fassett! (http://www.kaffefassett.com/Home.html)

He is IMO the greatest knitter and just all around needlework artist ever. I was so thrilled when he accepted my friend request on facebook. In the dim deep past, it was men who did all the knitting. Remember Joseph and his coat of many colors, which his father made him? Well, men invented knitting machines and basically began to abandon hand knitting for the most part. So, in order to keep the craft from dying out completely, the womenfolk took it up and today we have mostly women who knit but I personally know one guy who lives in my former apt building who knitted. And... my ex husband learned how. He only made one thing though; a pair of slippers for me. And then he quit (quite a Packer fan but never felt his masculinity threatened by knitting a bit). So, you could learn. Another person who at least does needlepoint is Rosie Greer (http://cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com/cathy_of_california/2007/06/rosey-griers-ne.html). I grew up in LA and saw him play football when I was a kid.

As for long hair masculine hair sticks: for working out at the gym, my son just wears his nape ponytail so... ? Can't really help you there. I imagine maybe chopsticks would be masculine. I haven't rea through the thread. I hope you do get into it. Look up "Knitting Help" on the net and there is a great site with lots of videos showing how to knit. Have fun!

[rose.grace]

I have letter openers that look like swords, I'm going to sand down the edges so they are very dull then use them as hair sticks.
Small daggers in your hair would be very manly, and If anyone questions you....you have weapons at your disposal.


Gotta say I LOVE this!! My son is a shinkendo (http://www.shinkendo.com/) -(?ist?lol-freak?) and has lots of swords but none for his hair. I bet he'd love something like that. (As long as they didn't actually cut pieces of his hair. He'd die if they did)

[dragonmyst]

RE: knitting

I have 6 sons. 4 of them (ages 17, 12, 11, 10) have taught themselves to knit, crotchet and 1 wants to learn how to use a spinning wheel.

It is a skill that can be very useful, gender has nothing to do with it imo. Go you! Learn and enjoy, my boys love it.

Manly hair sticks: Dude a bun doing benchwork hurts my head, I'd stick with a braid were I you. Besides as my hubby (a body builder) keeps telling me, people really are not looking at you at the gym. They are too concerned with their own workouts.

[p3_Arme]

I know Torrinpaige has been mentioned, but I'll point out a few hairstyles which I think would work for men, when going to the gym or working out doing Yoga, I know some who do!!

Vortex Bun
French Pony plus Up-Do
Herringbone Braid (Time consuming, but Male Elves wear them :)
Rope Braid
Hawser Braid
Cable Braid
Harley Braid (Useful If you bike to the Gym as well!)

I hope this helps.

[CaveB]

A friend of mine would always braid his hair very tightly before hitting the gym and it always seemed to work well for him.

[Kiraela]

Well, I'm not a guy, but I do have advice on good, supercheap hairsticks that hold like crazy, and look manly enough for the most macho longhaired manly-man ever ;) . Home depot: Nails aisle - They've got 6" long nails (I think they're decking nails) for about $0.50 a piece. DBF got me a pair for our 4 year anniversary - A very little bit of filing of a few rough edges, and they are now one of the best pairs I own!

[lapushka]

Do y'all have any suggestions for masculine-looking hairsticks? I was thinking of using short knitting needles, but knitting isn't exactly an activity popular with guys (is it weird that I'd like to learn?:D).

On Etsy, try "Quattro" (his Basics) or "Ravenslair". She has quite feminine things but also these plain thick double ended titanium sticks (which I have and love). There's a plain fork too, if you prefer forks.

Some other sellers might have stuff that's a little more plain, or masculine, too. The wooden swords from "Grahtoestudio" spring to mind.

[taliarose]

As an off and on gym member (mostly due to time and finances) I second the fact that no one is looking at hair. If there were any longhairs at the gym I'd have never noticed. That being said I found for anything cardio that having my hair in a bun was the best for me. Just not the bouncing around kinda cardio. Walking, cycling type exercises I prefer having a bun. My hair stays pretty well for that with a stick or two for added security. Anything really bouncy and I'd opt for a braid. Since no one is looking at your hair go with any stick you feel comfortable with.

As for the knitting, go for it! There are a lot of good specialty yarn stores in Mass. The one I like the best is Knit Purl in Sudbury. Which ever store is in your area give them a call and ask when they normally have folks kitting. Only the speciatly yarn stores really have this. The craft stores sometimes have lessons but don't really have a place to sit, chat, and work. I don't knit myself but crochet. If you need any advice or such feel free to send me a pm. :cheese:

[Sashay]

I tend to use a gilbralter bun (inside out bun), it really does hold like a rock. And for maculine hair sticks...well I saw some push rods at the junkyard, and couldn't help thinking that if they were cleaned up someone could use them for a hairpiece. Other than that, I'd recommend a hairstick that looks as much like a stick as possible, like found-it-on-the-ground kind of stick.

[eresh]

Hey all, I've been working out fairly regularly lately and it turns out I'm actually running out of weights at home. I go to a college with a gym, so I intend to start going there. However, the joy of working out at home was doing it how/whenever I wanted. That includes having my hair in whatever style I wanted, usually a simple pony or a braid. I'd like to know a nice, secure bun for working out, though. I don't do much in the way of cardio lately, and if I do, it's on a bike, so it doesn't need to put up with bouncing around on a treadmill. So what's your guys' suggestions/experiences with buns for working out?

That being said, I haven't any hairsticks. Do y'all have any suggestions for masculine-looking hairsticks? I was thinking of using short knitting needles, but knitting isn't exactly an activity popular with guys (is it weird that I'd like to learn?:D).

Thanks in advance, guys.



The first thing that came to mind was Amadlife0 Hairsticks!
He sells on Ebay and on Etsy. There's a topic with pictures on the converntionel hairtoy board (I forgot the exact name LOL)
Edit: found it: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10573&highlight=amadlife0

If you know how to make a fishtailbraid/herringbonebraid, you can bun that, it looks like a snake when bunned!
See picture here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)
and the one after that.


(http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=6110)

[milagro]

I don't think hairsticks are a good idea for gym no matter how they look. They may be ok for a treadmill but I'd be concerned about having it while doing weights. They may catch at machines' details or a dumbbell or scratch your arm (or the trainer's) and are certainly uncomfortable for bench exercises.
I do simple buns or pinned braids and wear a headband. Most of the long-haired guys I see wear ponies and/or headbands.