Home / Gift Ideas / Gift Ideas for the Holidays

The Best Gifts for the Gym Rat in Your Life

We’ve all been redefining what makes a gym, but no matter where we lift, run and sweat, the right gear is critical.

the best gifts for the gym rat in your life Courtesy

By Tanner Bowden

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

To put it plainly, lightly and unequivocally, 2020 has been a weird year for gyms. We were forced out of them not long after many of us re-upped on annual memberships. Some research says many of us don’t plan on going back. But that doesn’t mean we stopped working out — we just do it in the garage and the living room, the backyard and the street instead. And that makes the following 15 gift ideas as relevant this year as in any other.

Gym socks have come a long way since the ones you knew in PE. Stance’s, for instance, use a fiber tech called Infiknit that guarantees you won’t have a hole in the heel after the first, second or sixtieth workout. Stance backs up that claim with a lifetime guarantee.

Yes, face masks belong in the gym bag too. That’s why Under Armour made one specifically for getting fit and staying comfortable and virus-free while doing so.

Trail Butter’s flavored nut butter blends are so good you won’t want to waste them in a smoothie (that’s why they come in these slurpable four-serving pouches).

Maybe you’ve heard the podcast ads about Magic Spoon’s low-sugar, low-carb, high-protein cereals. Well, they’re all true — just a quick and tasty reward after a morning workout cuts into breakfast prep time.

Weighted gloves are a great way to go that extra mile; extra grip and protection from blisters and calluses are the rewards for doing so.

The Wave is a recovery multi-tool that, with various edges and surfaces, can break up tensions and get the body on the road to repairing itself. It’s small enough to fit in a gym bag’s side pocket, so it’s small enough to fit in a stocking, too.

The secret ingredient in Human Improvement’s new whole food protein blend? Crickets. Yep, and you’d never believe it based on how good this stuff tastes.

Momentous’ plant-based formula is free of dairy, soy, gluten, GMOs and any other strange unpronounceable ingredients you’ll find on the run-of-the-mill protein tub. Plus, it’s NSF and Informed Sport certified.

Lululemon’s Metal Vent activewear will destroy anyone’s cotton gym tee complacency with its seamless and breathable fabric.

Those who prefer sleeves will love Rhone’s Reign t-shirt, which has an odor-fighting treatment and a casual fit that makes it suitable for wearing before or after heading to the gym.

There’s only one foam roller small enough to fit in a gym bag.

Ten Thousand tapped into a network of active Armed Forces service members to get feedback on its latest workout short. If it met their standards, chances are it’ll meet those of the gym rat in your life too.

No, collagen isn’t the same as protein powder. It is a protein, though, and it aids in the recovery of muscles and connective tissue and helps reduce inflammation.

Not all gym bags have to look like gym bags. But if they don’t, they should still have fitness-focused features, like a separate compartment for stinky sneaks.

Nothing says, “New year, new you,” like a fresh pair of shoes to hit the mat in, and the Nano X’s are Gear Patrol’s top pick.

, ,