What I Bring To The Gym!

You see everyone bringing a gym bag to the gym, but want to know what equipment everyone is bringing or you are brand new and don't know what to even bring to the gym! This blog post is going to bring you into my gym bag and tell you the best things to include in yours!

1. Headphones

I personally like to listen to music when I go to the gym, but let's be real....the gym playlist isn't always that great and you'd rather bang your head against the wall than here a song that makes you gag (dramatic much? Nah.) lol. So to fix this, and guarantee good vibes, I just bring my own headphones. I personally use the Power Beats Wireless. However, any type of headphones that stay in my ear (Apple Air Pods, etc.) will do!

2. Reusable Water Bottle

This is an absolute MUST! It is so important to drink through out your workout to ensure you drink more than you are sweating out. This will also prevent dehydration! Not only that, but water helps to regulate your body temperature while working out and helps to lubricate your joints. I usually drink about 20 - 40 oz of water during my workout depending on the duration and intensity of the workout!

3. Bag of Toiletries

If time is short and I need to be somewhere after my workout, or if ya girl needs some freshening up after an intense workout, this is an essential! Besides, who wants to be gross for the rest of the day? Not me!

5. Ankle Strap

My gym has a lot of attachments, but not one for your ankle. If I want to do standing abduction/adduction exercises or the classic cable kick back, I personally would rather not improvise with a handle like some people do (it's so uncomfortable). To be honest, even if the gym did provide ankle straps, I would still want to use my own!

6. Jump Rope

Sometimes I like to get creative and warm up with a jump rope or every once and a while, my workout will require one! Most gyms usually don't have this on hand, and if they do, it's a pain in the booty to find one that fits to your height! I'd rather just have my own, that I know fits me, and I'm good to go.

7. Barbell Pad

If you have ever tried to do a hip thrust without some kind of cushion, then you feel my pain and know why this is necessary to have in your gym bag! This is a lifesaver for me, especially since most gyms don’t have this readily available! I use this specific one because of the amount of padding it has. There is literally no discomfort when using this barbell pad, which I don’t have the pleasure of saying the same thing about others.

8. Lacrosse Ball

Ironically, I don't use this to play! REHAB, REHAB REHAB is its purpose. I used to work for a Chiropractor that included massage therapy in the office, and this was something everyone swore by to use to rehab tightness and muscular problems due to lack of stretching. This has been a game changer for me in relieving muscle tension and tightness. I only recommend this if you have the knowledge to know how to use this properly!

9. Resistance Bands

This is a MUST HAVE for glute activation prior to doing a glute/hamstring focused workout! This is also a great additon when you don't have a lot of equipment on hand or you are working out from home. With these, you can literally make a full glute/leg workout! I recommend getting ones with durable fabric (like the ones in the picture above). The rubber resistance bands you usually see floating are the internet are in my opinion, garbage. They tend to snap easier and nothing bothers me more than having them roll up on your when you are in the middle of your workout! These are a little big more of an investment, but you get what you pay for!!

10. Pull Up Assist Bands

I keep these bands on back/chest days when I am doing Pull Ups or Tricep Dips. I absolutely love these bands when you have pull up or tricep dip goals! Machine assisted pull ups and dips are great, but these bands really allow you to active muscles in a different way! The ones I have are the 15-35 lbs bands, but they can range from 15-145 lbs depending on your strength and comfort level!

11. Glute Bands

If used correctly, when you put this on around your thighs, these bands add resistance to strengthen hip abductors and external rotators. I like to use these because they are especially beneficial when used during squats or hip trusts. Aside from resistance bands, these provide a tougher resistance that allow me to target my hip muscles better.

So there you have it! The top essentials I always carry in my gym bag! Of course, I usually have a few protein bars, BCAA's, Pre-workout pouches, etc, but these 11 items are my gym essentials for a reason. They each can add to my workout or allow me to freshen up after an intense session! Whatever the case is, each item has its own purpose.