Gym Bag Checklist: What Every Gym Bag Should Have?

I love to go to the gym. In addition to my healthy diet, going to the gym keeps my muscles up to date and fluid. I just derive a lot of joy from working out my body and feeling the strain on my muscles. I usually have a very busy day and so I have to squeeze out a few hours of my day to go to the gym.

What this means is that I need to have my things packed and ready to go. I don’t know about most of you but my gym bag has quite a few things in it that help me relax and enjoy my workout every day.

So what every gym bag should have? Here’s my gym bag checklist:

1. Quality Duffel Bag

First item on the gym bag checklist is the gym bag itself. Having a good gym bag is essential to me because it is where I put in all of the other things that I would need to go to the gym with. Because of its importance to me, I never shy away from getting a quality gym bag no matter what it costs. I would rather pay a princely sum for a high quality gym bag than get embarrassed and frustrated when my gym bag fails me. If you are like me, you might enjoy getting a quality gym bag like the Matador Transit 30 Pocket Duffel or the Converse Duffel.

2. Sneakers

The sneakers are very important to me. They are so important to me that I differentiate my gym sneakers from my normal everyday footwear and I don’t remove it from my gym bag for anything except maybe to clean it. I have special sneakers for different exercises and that is because having the right shoes on gives me a head start on enjoying my workout. I currently have two sneakers in my bag. One of them is specifically for lifting weights and I don’t ever use it for any other thing. The other one is for running on the days that I feel like using the treadmill.

3. Headphones

I don’t know about you but headphones are a staple in my gym routine and therefore are always in my gym bag. I love the blast of music in my ears as I work my muscles. I enjoy listening to my work out playlist made of selected songs that boost me during my workout. I particularly enjoy using a wireless headset to avoid the wires getting hooked on any machine and causing me to have an accident.

4. Workout clothes

Workout clothes are the next things to go into my gym bag. My workout clothes include the regular female workout clothes, there is nothing so special about them. They include a pair of leggings, a sports bra, a tank top, a hoodie and some socks.

5. A Towel

If a towel isn’t one of the things on your gym bag checklist, then you probably aren’t going to the gym because if you’re going to the gym to workout, one thing is certain, you will sweat. So a towel is a necessity in my gym bag.

6. A bottle of Water

I always make sure to go with a bottle of water. Water is an important part of my workout regimen. I usually make sure to drink one litre of water during my workout to make sure that I am hydrated.

7. A Protein bar

I make sure to put in a protein bar in my gym bag and not just any protein bar but the Carb KillaNitro protein bar to give me a burst of energy after my workout. I enjoy using it because it is not only healthy, it contains only 1g of carbohydrate which won’t hurt.

8. My Branched-chain Amino acids (BCAA)

The BCAA is a supplement that helps to gain skeletal muscles and keep your musculature up and running. That said, my BCAA supplements are always on my gym bag checklist because of how important they are to me. I take them before and after my workout to keep myself fit.

9. A Shaker bottle for BCAA

The shaker bottle for my BCAA is another very important content of my gym bag and I never forget to put it in.

10. An Elastic band and an Ab roller

My elastic band is another thing that goes right into my gym bag because I like to use it as a warm up for any of my strength training exercises. My ab roller is also another fixture in my gym bag as I like to do a few exercises with it.

11. Weight lifting gloves / deadlift straps

My weight lifting gloves are always in my gym bag. I don’t need them anymore but I used to have them as a preventive measure when I first started lifting weights. I used them to avoid having calluses on my palms. I have gotten a better grip and have developed a lot more strength in my hands and forearms so I feel like a badass whenever I see them in there. If you are a beginner to lifting weights, I would advise you to get yourself a pair.

12. Cosmetics

I am a girl after all and after I sweat, I like to clean up and smell fresh and sweet so I make sure to put in my cosmetics which include a shampoo, a conditioner, a shower gel, a face cream and a body lotion into my gym bag and I prefer to use natural organic products.

13. A Hair dryer and flip flops

Yes, I need to dry my hair so I go with my hairdryer and I need my flip flops for showering.

14. A Tanning cream and goggles

My gym offers its members a free tan so I try to take advantage of it occasionally.

Conclusion

Those are the things that can be found in my gym bag. I need each and every one of them from the beginning of my workout to the very end. They are all important to me. Is my gym bag checklist different from yours?