I remember packing my footy bag every friday afternoon when I was a kid. Making sure it was ready to go the next morning.
Now that I think about it, there wasn’t that much in there but it was always a big deal and part of my preparation for game day.
Once my focus turned to my training, having my gym bag prepped and ready became no different. Every little piece needed for me to have a good training session had to be in there and ready to go.
Tools to help me move better, fuel my workouts better and simply keep track of all my efforts and make sure I’m moving forwards. These are things we make sure we have covered at our facility but for those of you training in commercial gyms, there’s still a lot missing that you might need to take yourself.
So we thought we would take you through the Newstrength Gym Bag and what you should have in yours to make sure you have the best session possible.
Training Shoes
Having the right training shoes is a huge deal… Gone are the days where the only things you could get were converse’s and jogging shoes.
Thanks to the crossfit world, shoes to train in the gym have become a huge industry and there’s a few that we think can valuable to get the best workout.
Now to go through a full run down on exactly what footwear to use for your workouts will be a little long for today’s article. But to cover it shortly;
If you’re mainly doing general lifting and conditioning workouts then something like the Nike Metcon or Reebok Nano’s are great options.
If you are squatting a lot or any olympic lifting then investing in weightlifting shoes like the Nike Romaleos will be well worth your money.
I used to make sure I would have both packed in my bag so I could change them during the sessions.
Training Journal
This doesn’t necessarily have to be in your gym bag, but you should have some way to keep up to date. A list of your program and what numbers you hit previously.
We’ve now transitioned to using software like Teambuildr to keep track of it all within our facility and they can be an awesome tool for a lot of people.
The main thing is that you somehow keep track of where you’re at.
Foam Rollers, Lacrosse Balls and other SMR Tools
Self myofascial release has become hugely popular in recent years as a means of loosening off tight muscles before training. There’s plenty of different tools from as simple as tennis balls to some very over the top designs.
Most gyms now are fortunately starting to have their own rollers but you may need to take your own more specific pieces to help you get some tight spots like glutes and traps.
Stretch Bands
We love stretch bands for our mobilisation and activation work. Movements like dislocates, band pull aparts and lateral crab walks can help people get into better positions and stabilise joints prior to heavy lifting.
Some gyms are getting more and more of these but they have a tendency to get broken from people using them recklessly so it’s a good idea to have a couple of your own.
Lifting Straps
Heavy deadlifts for reps or snatch and clean pulls can become super taxing on your grip, and the last thing you want to do is tear a callus and be out of training for a week.
Save your hands the pain and invest in a pair of lifting straps. Just don’t get those figure 8 ones… Figure 6’s like the photo above force you to hold the bar still which increases your tension across the whole kinetic chain and reduces risk of injury. I’ve seen too many people wearing figure 8’s get a few too many reps with horrible form than
their grip would have allowed for had it been there to limit them.
Sliding Discs
These things are pretty interesting but can be a great way to train the hamstrings, core and make for some pretty tough push-up variations too.
They’re only about $10-15 and can be taken anywhere so you can even get a good workout in a shitty hotel gym.
Lifting Belts
Now my biggest problem with lifting belts is that people think just putting them on is going to help you not hurt your back… So they just chuck it on and lift horribly anyway.
My second biggest problem with belts is that barely anyone actually knows how to use them properly to gain a benefit from them.
The purpose of a belt is to increase intra-abdominal pressure which stabilises the midline. A more stable midline means more force is transferred through the lower body into the barbell adding a greater potential for kilo’s on the bar plus as a bonus there’s less risk of injury.
You don’t need one of those hectic inch thick powerlifting belts either unless you are competing in powerlifting.
Pre/Post Workout Drinks
These aren’t necessarily a requirement but I do love a little hit of our Newstrength Move before workouts. There’s plenty of evidence for different ingredients pre and post workout but let’s be honest I only drink it because it tastes good!
If you want an old school Newstrength pre workout mixture try out Nathan and my old favourite concoction:
1 Sugar Free White Monster
1L Maximus Sports Drink
Drink the first few gulps out of the maximus and mix the rest together.
It’s definitely not the healthiest drink out there but it got us through a tonne of hard sessions and was worth the memories.
Fat Gripz
Don’t have an axle bar but want all the benefits of thick bar training?
If you’re not sure what you gain from thick bar work think more muscular arms plus better feeling shoulders and elbows.
Hard to go passed right? Then fat gripz will be an awesome tool for you. The first time you use these things you will get a pump like never before!
The Only Thing Left For Your Gym Bag
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