Do we NEED to bring gym accessories and supplements in our gym bags in order to reach our fitness goals? No.
Are there accessories and supplements that can HELP us boost our performance & progress in the gym? Absolutely.
My curiosity led me to try a variety of supplements to either boost my muscle pumps in the gym, "burn more fat" while I'm exercising, or speed up muscle recovery. Based on my experience - it's safe to say that MOST of the supplements I've tried were not worth the money (I've experimented with several😅).
I'm happy to share which supplements I have actually enjoyed experimenting with and which ones I am a long-term supporter of.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links.
Confession: I'm a snob for the perfect gym bag. 😬
I've used a handful of different style gym bags over the years of being a regular gym-goer. Starting from having an SFSU cinch bag, a tote, a fanny pack, and now I have the Sports Duffle from Béis. It's important to have a duffle/gym bag that has all of the convenient zippers and spaces that you need to fit YOUR items! Bag preferences vary.
Every item listed in this blog are products that I have been using for +2 years (and still going strong)
Gym equipment that I always have in my bag:
resistance bands/booty band
Accessories for cable machine (linked below) - most gyms will have accessories lying around (rope attachment, handles, straight bar). I don't like to waste time and hunt for them in the gym 🙃 So yes, I invested in the attachments that I most frequently use. Worth it!
Essential must-haves:
My water bottle - Stay hydrated! Stay energized!
Menstrual products. Better safe than sorry!
Extra hair ties/hair clips/scrunchies
Supplements:
LMNT electrolyte (mango chili, citrus salt, and orange salt are all my FAVE flavors) - if you lift heavy weights, sweat a lot during your workouts, and 80% of your diet consists of home-cooked meals, then I highly recommend you try adding sodium from electrolytes into your diet 1x/day.
Legion Recharge - I buy this because it contains creatine, comes in tasty flavors, and helps me keep my water intake high. That's what makes it worth the investment for me!
Legion Pulse pre-workout - Legion's pre-workout supplements contain L-theanine, which helps me avoid the caffeine jitters.
Clicking on the link or photo below will take you directly to the Legion website. My support code is: ShannonN
And that's it for my gym bag!
It's important to not over-stuff your gym bag because it can feel heavy to lug around the gym with you, or you'll spend too much time shifting in your bag to find things.
Good luck! Have fun with it! Tag me on Instagram @_shannonnguyen and show me how you fill up your own gym bag. 🤩
Cheers!
LOVE THIS! I’m not too familiar with supplements and the benefits, so this was very informative for me esp reading from a reliable source. Can’t wait to read more of your blogs 💕
Stellar information! I never thought to keep supplements in my gym bag but I think having a post workout supplement on-hand increases the chances of actually using it in a timely manner