#ultimateintern

Under Armour revolutionized the way athletes train with their HeatGear shirts. Founder Kevin Plank was tired of the way sweat-soaked cotton shirts slowed him down during practice. So he came up with HeatGear, using synthetic polyester to 'beat' the sub-par qualities of cotton. 

So what makes HeatGear better than cotton?

Cotton is not a bad fiber. It is the ideal fiber for someone to wear walking around in a moderate climate. It is soft and breathable. Cotton is a natural fiber which is essentially a flattened tube. Sometimes cotton is treated with sodium hydroxide in a process called mercerizing to swell the fiber and make it more lustrous and able to absorb more water.

Normal cotton has a moisture regain of about 8%. That means that of the weight of the shirt on your back, 8% of that weight is water, and even more in humid climates. This shows that it is very easy to get cotton wet-and even harder to get it dry. This is where the problem lies when excercising.

Not so, for polyester.

Polyester is a synthetic organic polymer. Polyester has a moisture regain of only 0.5%, so it is very difficult to wet and easy to dry. Most of the polyester we wear is in the form of PET, which is this molecular unit:

repeated over and over again, kind of like infinitely long spaghetti. PET may sound familiar to you, because we don't only use it in polyester clothing, but also many hard plastics such as water and soda bottles. That's how Under Armour is able to make UAGreen products with up to 4 recycled water bottles in each product. 

But wait. How are water bottles able to keep water in while HeatGear wicks away the moisture? Wouldn't it kind of be like wearing a plastic bag? What is 'wicking' anyways?

  Yes actually, it would be kind of like wearing a plastic bag. And as any Under Armour devotee knows, wearing HeatGear is nothing like wearing a plastic bag. Why?

The yarns of polyester used in HeatGear are formed with super tiny micro channels running through the width of the yarn to allow moisture to pass from one side of the fabric (the side touching you) to the other (the outside of the fabric) where the moisture evaporates, cooling you. That is the process of 'wicking'. Combine the ability to keep athletes cool, dry, and lightweight with performance-enhancing compression and not to mention mad style, and you can see how a textile enthusiast like myself is obsessed with HeatGear!

Bonus: How does Under Armour know for sure their product does what they say it does?

Since the beginning, Under Armour has gone to the Textile Protection and Comfort Center at North Carolina State University's College of Textiles to back up their claims. In the T-PACC lab, both their fabrics and garments go through multiple testing methods to make sure they are what they say they are. The coolest of these tests are done on T-PACC's 4 super heroes: the Mannequin Men. PyroMan, SweatMan, MISTMan, and RadMan are mannequins used to test how clothing protects humans from heat, sweat, chemicals, and radiation. The sweating mannequin was the most instrumental in seeing how HeatGear takes moisture away from the body. Click Here for a really cool video about all the Mannequin Men

In addition to these high-tech tests, live human tests are done in T-PACC's environmental chamber, where specific environmental conditions can be controlled, from hot and humid to cold and arid. 

FROM ANOTHER PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

"My shirt is part of the catalyst brand and it's also part of the HeatGear. It's made out of recycled bottles, which I thought was pretty cool. It's super soft. It's also really good for the summer and the heat when you are working out, it helps keep you cool. I notice I don't sweat as much in it, which is really nice. It's just a VERY comfortable shirt. " - Morgan Croft

Natalie got one of these, too, in her swag bag for winning the #SweatADay Instagram Challenge.

WHAT IS IT?

This super light-weight tank features a flirty cut, burn-out pattern, and knotted racer back.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Featherweight burn-out material to offer coverage without dragging you down

Loose cut to keep you cool and stylish with an array of bright colors

Quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabric which Under Armour is famous for which will keep you drier, better

HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?

"I had never been a fan of tanks, however that quickly changed once I got my hands on the Under Armour Achieve Tank. Under Armour solved my problem. I have always found it difficult finding a right fit for me in a tank. They were either too loose, too long, or too tight. The Achieve tank definitely achieved the standards. It fits me perfectly, and it gives me confidence for my workouts. The fact that it is so light helps me stay cool and dry; this is very important to me, especially since I live in the Florida heat. The cut and knot in the back exposes my attitude and style."

Only a couple of days left, the amazing ride that this past month has been could all be over. Fingers crossed that it isn't but it truly has been a wonderful experience to undergo, all of you who have supported me I cannot thank you enough. Your support has been tremendous and hopefully Under Armour took notice of it as well. All of you went above and beyond the call of duty to help me in my quest to become Under Armour's Ultimate Intern. When I had scheduled April 24th as the day to get as many people as I could to wear Under Armour and give me a shout out I gave myself a modest goal of at least 20 posts of support from either: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Vine. You all blew my expectations away and on Twitter alone we doubled that with 40+ posts, you all showed me the love and support that really hit a soft part of my heart that I hope one day I can repay to you all. If selected as an Ultimate Intern I promise not to let any of you as well as Under Armour down and reach for the stars and let nothing hold me back. Thank you once again!

These are MY Cam Newton Shoes. Here are five reasons why YOU

should buy them

1. If you want to train stronger, faster, and longer then these are the    

     shoes for you!

2. The all-around comfort is amazing.

3. The ankle sleeve provides incredible support in a variety of ways:

Weightlifting

Training

Sports like basketball or football

4. The Composite TPU Shank gives the arch in your foot a tremendous 

     amount of support and the 4D foam provides comfort that will help

     athletes push through high intensity workouts.

5. Last but not least, they are easy on the eyes and easy to feel

    comfortable in. The Cam Newton Shoes are a good choice in keeping

KEEP 

CALM

AND

WEAR THE UA CAM