What’s in your gym bag can say a lot about you, including what kind of workouts you do, how often you go to the gym and what your particular needs are for your body. We asked our Gold’s Gym Brand Ambassadors to share their gym bag essentials.
Haley Johnson (@haleybabycakess) from San Antonio, works as an active duty nurse in the Army. She carries a mix of items essential for her workouts and self-care: extra shoes, her Apple watch for monitoring her heart rate, Versa Gripps, hair ties, face wash and moisturizer, ankle cable connectors, mascara, pre-workout supplements and headphones to keep her in the zone. “I sometimes bring my weightlifting belt for heavier lifts, and, of course, I always carry a water bottle,” she says.
Maurice Monroe (@mo_z1lla) from San Antonio, is one of the our 2017 Gold’s Gym Challenge winners. “I pack items so I can not only feel good but also smell good,” he says. His bag includes a shaker cup for his BCAAs or protein formula, a jump rope, a waist trainer, headphones, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a razor and a hairbrush. He loves the waist trainer because it helps with his posture, especially during his workouts, and it makes his body “look more sculptured.”
Chloe Campos (@fitgirl_felicity) who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, uses her bag to stay inspired. Along with a towel, hair clip, scrunchie, lotion, headphones, water bottle, Muscle Milk, Bang energy drink and snacks, she brings a motivational book and uplifting notes that she writes to herself every day. “I love writing myself affirmations to take with me,” she says. “They are always a great reminder that I can do anything.” Her secret gym bag tip: “I like to put an air freshener inside [not pictured] to take the sweat stank away from my gym clothes. It works, and my bag smells great.”
CJ Finley (@thriveonlife) from Austin, Texas, likes to use his bag as an “arsenal” to attack the day. Along with foam rollers, he makes sure to include his water bottle and SuperSeed food since his “No. 1 rule is to always have food and water.” CJ also packs his AirPods, portable phone charger and Joby phone stand so he can make sure his equipment is not only charged, but with him at all times. “Reducing stress is one of the things we all should be focused on,” he says. “Being nimble with a small bag and my supplies works great for that.”
Jerica Bornstein (@jericax) is a researcher and Ph.D. candidate in Austin, Texas. Her bag is filled with a lacrosse ball, foam roller, bands, Beats headphones and a water bottle. “They all improve my workout in some way, whether that’s with mobility, giving me some jams to listen to or a little extra loving or work on leg day,” she says.
Chef Roro (@chefrorosworld) from Washington, D.C., always packs products to fuel his body for all his workouts. This includes vitamins, a caffeine-free pre-workout supplement, and XTEND BCAAs, for recovery. “I pack glucosamine, chondroitin and turmeric supplements because glucosamine and chondroitin help keep my joints healthy and turmeric has anti-inflammation properties,” he says. Roro is always on the go, so having everything he needs in his backpack is important. “My bag always has my essentials for a great workout or just to stay on track with my nutrition and fitness goals,” he says. “In today’s world, you have to be prepared for the unplanned.”
Emily Knopf (@em.knopf) from College Station, Texas, likes to keep it simple. By packing resistance bands, a pre-workout supplement, a water bottle and her FitBit, Emily has everything she needs to crush her workout at Gold’s Gym. “Staying hydrated can help optimize your energy during a workout, so that’s why a water bottle is important to me,” she says. Emily always packs makeup wipes and deodorant in her bag as well, since it’s important to her to keep up with your hygiene while you’re at the gym.
Joanna Rohlf (@ohhjojo) from Washington, D.C., always carries five things in her bag: a lifting belt, wrist wraps, barbell clips, resistance bands and a water bottle. “My lifting belt helps reduce stress on my lower back when performing heavier lifts or compound movements like a squat and deadlift,” she says. She also carries barbell clips because, as she puts it, “Sometimes trying to find a clip around the gym is a workout in itself!” she says.
Julieta Bautista (@julie.bautista.fit) from San Antonio, Texas, is driven by music. She always has wireless headphones in order to “get in the zone” and keeps a spare pair in case her other ones die. Along with carrying branched-chain amino acids, lip balm and Sweet Sweat workout enhancer, she’s never without her bands. “I add them to my workouts for increased intensity, especially for glute and leg day,” she says.
Izzy El-Ubaydy (@izzyelubaydy) from Austin, Texas, likes to travel with his necessities when he hits the gym. “I’ve got a couple of books and journals,” he says. Bringing journals helps him declutter his brain and create structure in his workouts. “I use my Polymath planner to schedule different workout styles for different days”. Being organized gives Izzy peace of mind that he’s maximizing his workouts. He also never leaves home without a shaker bottle. “It’s great for water throughout the day and for a protein shake and other micronutrient powders”.
Lauren Garufi (@eatingbrofood) from Washington, D.C., sticks to the essentials when she hits Gold’s Gym. This includes a water bottle, Optimum Nutrition amino energy powder, headphones and a wet bag. Lauren also likes to pack a snack to fuel her pre- and post-workout. Her go-to choices: on-the-go applesauce and a protein bar. Another item she always includes is a phone charger, in case her phone battery is low and she wants to listen to music. And finally, Lauren always packs baby wipes. “They can help if you don’t have time for a shower,” she says.
Von Stanley Gossi (@zj.vonstanley) from High Point, North Carolina, teaches Zumba at his local Gold’s Gym. He always carries his laptop so he can play his favorite Zumba tracks in his class. When he’s working out on his own, he uses his wireless headphones to stay motivated. Recovery is important to Von, so he keeps his Hypervolt massager and IcyHot pain reliever in his bag. “I like to relax my muscles before and after my workouts or classes,” he says.
Tim Welsh (@everydayFitGuys) from Dallas, keeps a mini-gym in his backpack. It’s full of reversible grips, pull-up bands, core sliders, leg bands and a jump rope. He likes to have everything he needs to make the most out of his workout. This includes having a good playlist for a good workout session, so Tim packs his Bluetooth headphones and will jam to a playlist from GOLD’S AMP™ or Spotify. And he never forgets to pack his towel. “Any good Fitfam lifter knows that a clean gym is a happy gym,” Tim says.
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