Ahhhh, the gym bag… I LOVE my gym bag, that’s no joke. Over the years I have customized my bag to not only look the way I want it to, but more importantly, contain the tools, supplies, and misc items I need.

That’s the beauty of the gym bag. There is no right or wrong, as it’s 100% personalized to your needs. So, rather than providing a generic list of what you should or shouldn’t have in your gym bag, I’ll break down my personal gym bag to show you what I mean by customizing. Remember, there is no right or wrong when it comes to what you should include in your gym bag.

What The Gym Bag Says About You

The funny thing about the gym bag is that not everyone has one. I still see people in the gym today walking around with nothing, and that’s fine. On the other hand, I see people walking around with a full-blown gym bag filled with accessories, gear, tools, food, and the ‘kitchen sink,’ if you will (like me, lol).

So, what is the difference? Gym bag vs no gym bag.

Everyone has their reasons as to why, and what, when it comes to bags. So, I will say this: when it comes to gym bags, almost everyone falls into one of the three bag categories below.

• The Cinch Sack – Those with the classic cinch sack (and similar designs) are typically recreational, casual, or hobby-oriented about their fitness.
• The Duffle Bag – Then, there are those with a duffle bag (or large backpack, etc) of who-knows-what gym goodies, typically serious lifters.
• The No Bag – Finally, there are those without a gym bag– these are the folks who are typically (a) kicking the gym club tires AKA newbies, (b) those who are at the gym but would rather not be at the gym (reasons vary drastically such as a family member or guardian looking out for their best interest), or (c) The Lightening McQueen – that dude or dudette that pops in randomly for maybe 20 minutes at best, attempts to use every machine, lifts faster than a dog running to the sound of a whip cream canister, and has been at the gym for over a year yet physically looks EXACTLY the same.

The most fascinating aspect of all this is that I believe the bag can literally define a person’s fitness level. Seriously. 9 out of 10 times this is true, at least in my observations. I have never seen anyone jacked AF who didn’t have a bag, a duffle bag or backpack – not cinch sack, not a day bag, a legit kitchen sink gym bag, while at their home gym. You want to tell how serious someone is, pay attention to their gym bag.

Why is that? Because people who are serious about fitness are serious about the tools of their trade.

You ever see a hunter use a Nerf gun to take down trophy buck? I thought not. Just know that not everyone is this level of serious in the gym, you don’t have to be pumping iron like Arnold. But you do need to be serious enough based on your personal goals. This will then determine your gym bag needs, if any.

The Only Gym Bag Essential You Will Ever Need

This one is easy, the most necessary item you should bring (gym bag or not), is a water bottle. That’s it. Honestly, you don’t need anything more if you are in a modern gym.

Everything Else is Optional

Now that we have water covered, everything moving forward is 100% customized to your needs.

I remember when I first started lifting actively (2- 3x per week) around 2018, I only carried a water bottle. And then I needed a towel, followed by wrist wraps and gloves. So, out of necessity, I moved on to the cinch sack. I was starting to take fitness more seriously. And in doing so, the tools I need to succeed changed.

Now, here in 2025, I lift 4- 6x per week and have a sweet military-themed duffle bag with all types of gym goodies that I need, not what someone else needs, what I need, my customized bag of tools and accessories to be successful in the gym.

Let’s now break down my gym bag to show you exactly what a custom gym bag consists of and hopefully give you some ideas and insights into what you could have in yours.

Robs Gym Bag Break-Down

40-Liter Duffle Bag

I worked up to the 40L bag size as I’ve had at least 4 different medium to large gym bags over the years. I have found that the single strap 35-40 liter bag is perfect for my fitness needs today. Also, this size bag holds my hoodie nicely.

Two Water Bottles

Yup, two! I use a plastic bottle for electrolytes such as LiquidIV (as they tend to get gunky), and the other bottle is made of metal that I use for water only.

Headphones

My preference at the gym is to wear over-the-ear headphones. Over-the-ear headphones are great at blocking out ambient noise as well as the music played over the speaker system. Yes, in-ear headphones are more convenient, but once you try overheads, you won’t go back.

Towel

I will bring two towels to the gym with me, both of which are smaller hand towel sizes. The first towel I bring is to put on benches for sanitary purposes as well as to keep my bald head warm as those benches get mighty cold. The second towel I bring is for body sweat.

Candy

Yup, sugar! Without getting into the boring science details, having candy and/or gum (not stevia or monk fruit, but real sugar) on hand helps maintain stable glucose storage, which in turn reduces gym fatigue. It’s remarkable how consuming a small amount of sugar can significantly boost your energy levels. I’m a Chimes Ginger Chews guy btw, love em!

Mini Fan

In 2024, I went on an 8-month cut in which I reduced my body fat from 25% to 10%. I heavily leverage cardio to help me do so. And let me tell you that when you’re hitting the elliptical or stair stepper hard in a poorly ventilated gym, a tiny personal fan can save your life!

Cable Handles

Most gyms will have all the necessary handles and bars for cable machines, jungle gyms, and similar. But sometimes the accessories at the gym suck. That’s what happened to me, all the gym handles for cable machines were either broken, missing, mismatched, covered in some kind of nasty gym gunk, and so on. So now, I bring my own.

Cobra Grips

These are great for when you want to lift heavy and have a solid grip – so you don’t knock your teeth out, lol. There are plenty of brands and variations available. I personally have the Cobra Grips, and they work great. They keep my wrist tight and I’ve never lost grip with them.

Knee & Elbow Sleeves

These have also been a lifesaver for me, especially when I lift heavy. Knee sleeves and elbow sleeves are supportive garments made from neoprene that provide compression and warmth to support joints.
Personally, I do not recommend wearing sleeves every time you are at the gym, unless you have an underlying medical condition. Focus on active recovery so you can lift long-term without support aids (extreme powerlifters and Olympic lifters are excused).

Tissue Paper

You’d think most gyms have tissue paper…. They don’t, at least when you actually need one. I like the small pocket/travel-size tissue paper.

… it’s just convenient.

Sanitary Wipes

This is a catch-all. Sanitary wipes have a million-and-one uses. You won’t know what or when, but when the situation does (and will) arise, you will be glad you have them on hand. Trust me on this one.

Ibuprofen

Headaches are no fun. But gym headache, that’s rough. When you lift, you are tensing up, pressure builds, muscles tighten, and blood flows. And when you lift with a headache it feels like all the blood is painfully rushing into your brain, it’s a shitty feeling. At the first sign of a headache, I pop a few ibuprofen and I’m good to go.

Backup Power

We’ve all been there, a phone with single-digit battery life. For me, this is even more important because I stream music when I lift, and I use the Sabertooth app that contains my workout for the day. No battery life = no music, and no app based workout program. Ohh, and don’t forget your charging cable 😉

Contact Solution

I wear contacts most of the day. For those who also wear contacts, you know it’s not fun when some random dirt finds its way into your eye. Now, imagine this happens in a dirty gym setting. Do you still want to touch your eye and adjust that contact lens?

Bandages

Knicks, scrapes, cuts, blood…. They all happen in the gym. And sometimes a small cut in the right spot can hinder your lifting. Amazing how a little bandage keeps you in the game – and prevents you from bleeding on gym equipment. PSA – Don’t be the bloody dude at the gym.

I know that some of this may seem like overkill to you, or strange. But I don’t care because the items in my gym bag are for me, not you. My bag contains the essential items that I need to be efficient, productive, and safe in the gym. And I get to stick bad ass moral patches all over my bag…..oh yeah, hahaha.

There are plenty of other items that I toss in my bag from time to time, but those are on an as-needed basis. They include items such as various cable handles, grips, straps, carabiners, foods, clips, and even extra clothes. You see, there is no right or wrong when it comes to what you should put in your gym bag. If you need it, you should include it.

Necessity. Tools of the trade.

It doesn’t matter if you carry a gym bag or not, being in the gym is the point of it all. If you need a bag to carry your tools, cool. If you don’t need a bag, cool.

Now that you know what’s in my gym bag, I hope it was helpful in giving you a few ideas for your own. So go ahead and customize your gym bag with whatever you need to help you reach your gym goals.

Stay Swole & Prepared!

~Rob