What's in my Gym Bag? - The Extras

In my last post, I wrote about the necessary items I have in my gym bag, However, there are many more items I have that aid me in my workouts. This post is all about this extra gear.

Fitbit

I've had Fitbits for at least the past 3 years, and I absolutely love them. Currently, I have the Charge 2. Any Fitbit is super useful in the gym, as it tracks steps, calories burned, floors climbed, and can act as a timer. Most of them, including the one I have now, track heart rate which I love since I can see if I'm working at my highest potential. I also use this watch outside of the gym, to track my activity throughout the day, as well as my sleep. It's very important to know how much sleep you're getting, as it affects your training along with your results, and the Fitbit does just that. The Charge HR tracks awake time, REM sleep, light sleep and deep sleep, and explains exactly what each stage means. One other thing that I love about Fitbit is the customer service. It is one of the best I've ever had to work with. My Fitbit had a glitch at one point, and after a very friendly, short conversation, they sent me another one. I will continue using my Fitbit for many more years! (image: Fitbit)

Elastic Bands

These, for me, are great for leg day. They add resistance to many exercises, such as squats and hip thrusts. I also use them to activate my glutes, by putting them around my quads (just above my knees), bending down and shuffling to the right, then to the left. There are many other activation exercises with the bands, with examples on this Yurielkaim page. The ones I use are from the brand Elevans, which you can find on Amazon. They're great quality, awesome resistance and have never snapped on me. (image: Amazon)

Ankle Strap

This strap is great for glute kickbacks and inner thigh extensions on the cable machine. I use the one my gym has, but I've heard great reviews about Iron Bull Strength's strap, which is made out of premium leather and can handle heavy weight. (image: Amazon)

Wireless Earphones

Wires are a hassle at the gym. Wireless earphones make my workout so much more smooth, as I don't have the wires to worry about, nor the worry of where to place my phone so that it won't bother me. I use the Jaybird X3 earphones, which I love. The sound is amazing, the battery lasts long, and they're pretty comfortable. As for the customer service, it is good, as they sent me a free pair when I was having connectivity issues, however it did take a while for the correspondence to occur. Even so, I absolutely recommend them! (image: Jaybird)

Barbell Collars

This is something I really need to own myself. My boyfriend has a pair, so I often borrow his, since they're super useful to us. They are much more sturdy then most of the ones provided at gyms, locking the weights in place. They're also much easier to take on and off, which is a lot better when you're doing an exercise that requires you to change weights often, such as deadlifts. The ones we use are once again by Iron Bull Strength, which met all of our expectations. (image: Amazon)

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