Fitness Gifts for Gym Lovers
- 20 gift ideas
- From under $10 to $100 and up
- 8 niche picks
Good gifts for gym lovers match how the person trains: a leather lifting belt, lifting straps or wrist wraps for lifters, adjustable dumbbells for a home gym, or grip socks and a pro jump rope for class-goers. These 20 fitness gifts cover lifters, home exercisers and studio regulars.
Quick picks
- Best small gift: Lifting straps Inexpensive and easy to keep in a gym bag. Idea 2
- Best for small spaces: An adjustable kettlebell One adjustable bell replaces a rack of fixed kettlebells. Idea 7
- Best for new lifters: Starting Strength A standard text that teaches the main barbell lifts step by step. Idea 5
- Best splurge: Adjustable dumbbells Pin-adjustable dumbbells replace a whole rack of weights. Idea 8
Fitness gifts work best when they match how the person trains. A lifter, a home gym builder and a Pilates regular each need different gear, and the same gift will not suit all three. Start by asking where and how they work out.
We sorted these ideas into lifting gear, home gym equipment, class-goer gifts and gym bag extras. For someone who prefers the road or trail, gifts for runners covers that side of fitness.
Ideas 1 to 5
Gym gifts for lifters
Belts, straps, wraps and a training book for barbell regulars.
1. A leather lifting belt
A leather lifting belt is a standard piece of kit for a lifter who squats and deadlifts heavy, so it suits someone who trains on the barbell. Dark Iron Fitness's belt is 4 inches wide, made of genuine leather with a double-prong buckle, and is a common first belt. Ask the lifter what belt style they prefer, since lifters have strong opinions.
Tip: Check their waist measurement against the sizing chart.
2. Lifting straps
Straps help a lifter hold on during heavy pulls and rows, so they suit someone whose grip gives out first. These Gymreapers straps are padded neoprene with 18-inch cotton straps, and they are small enough to live in a gym bag. They are inexpensive and an easy addition to any lifting gift.
Tip: Easy to add to a bigger gift like a belt or a gym bag.
3. Stiff wrist wraps
Wrist wraps are a gym-bag staple for lifters who bench and press. These Gymreapers wraps have a thumb loop and are listed as IPF approved, which matters to a lifter who competes in powerlifting meets. Check which federation rules the lifter follows before assuming this approval applies to them.
Tip: Check which federation's rules a competing lifter follows.
4. Loose lifting chalk
Chalk dries sweaty hands for deadlifts and pull-ups, which suits a lifter or climber whose hands slip. Friction Labs makes climbing chalk that lifters use too, and this is a loose chalk. It is a small, low-cost gift that fits in a stocking. Check that the person's gym allows chalk, since some gyms have chalk rules.
Tip: Check their gym's chalk rules before you buy.
5. Starting Strength
Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength teaches the squat, press, deadlift and bench press step by step and is a standard text for barbell training, so it suits a new lifter learning the barbell. This is the third edition in paperback, and it pairs well with a belt or wraps. Check which edition the lifter already owns.
Tip: Check which edition they own so you do not duplicate it.
Ideas 6 to 11
Home gym gifts for fitness lovers
Equipment that fits a spare room or a corner of the garage.
6. Quick-release barbell collars
Lock-Jaw collars clamp on and off in a second and hold plates tight, and they are faster to use than spring clips, which suits a lifter with a home barbell. This pair is made for 2-inch Olympic barbells. Check that the barbell is Olympic size before you order, since other sizes will not fit.
Tip: Check the barbell is 2-inch Olympic before you buy.
7. An adjustable kettlebell
One adjustable kettlebell replaces a rack of fixed bells, which suits a home gym owner short on space. This BowFlex SelectTech 840 is an adjustable kettlebell from BowFlex. It is a larger gift, so check the person's available space and what weights they usually use before you buy.
Tip: Check their available space before you order.
8. Adjustable dumbbells
PowerBlock dumbbells adjust with a pin and replace a whole rack of weights, which suits a home gym builder ready to invest. This Elite EXP pair runs from 5 to 50 lb and is Stage 1 of an expandable set, so more weight can be added later. It is the splurge a serious home gym can be built around.
Tip: Check floor space; this is a large, heavy item.
9. A water rowing machine
The WaterRower is a wood-frame rowing machine with a water tank that sounds and feels like rowing on water, and it looks like furniture in a living room. This model has an S4 Bluetooth monitor and is made in the USA. It suits a home exerciser who wants full-body cardio. Check floor space first, since it is a large machine.
Tip: Check floor space and storage before you order.
10. Wooden gymnastics rings
Wooden rings hang from a pull-up bar or beam for dips, rows and muscle-ups, and they pack into a bag for the park, which suits a calisthenics fan. These Double Circle rings come with adjustable straps. Check that the person has a bar, beam or sturdy branch to hang them from.
Tip: Check they have a bar or beam to hang them from.
11. Heavy resistance bands
Long loop bands assist pull-ups and add resistance to presses, which suits a lifter working toward their first pull-ups. This Serious Steel set has three 41-inch loop bands in #0, #1 and #2 sizes, rated from 2 to 50 lb combined range, so several strengths are covered. Check that they have a pull-up bar to anchor the bands.
Tip: Check they have a pull-up bar to use with them.
Ideas 12 to 16
Gifts for gym lovers who take classes
For interval trainers and Pilates, barre and Lagree regulars.
12. A clip-on interval timer
The Gymboss clips on and beeps and vibrates through work and rest intervals, so a circuit or HIIT trainer can follow a plan without watching a phone. It is also a stopwatch. It suits an interval trainer who wants a simple timer in the gym bag, and it is an easy add-on to a bigger gift.
Tip: A small add-on that suits any gym bag.
13. A pro-grade jump rope sized to the jumper
Rx Smart Gear ropes come in sizes matched to the jumper and spin a coated steel cable on a bearing swivel, a clear step up from gym-bin ropes. This Black Ops speed rope has a 3.4 oz Buff cable and 6-inch tape-wrapped handles. It suits a class-goer working on double-unders and wanting a rope of their own.
Tip: The listing offers Medium and Large; check the jumper's height.
14. Bangle-style wrist and ankle weights
Bala Bangles add light resistance to Pilates, barre and walks, and they look tidy enough to leave out, which suits a Pilates or barre regular. This pair of 1 lb wearable weights for wrists or ankles comes with a storage pouch. Check what the person's studio allows before you buy.
Tip: Check whether their studio allows wearable weights.
15. Half-toe grip socks
Some Pilates and barre studios require grip socks, so these half-toe ToeSox suit a class-goer who attends Pilates, barre or Lagree. They are non-slip, grip the floor and the reformer, and the half-toe design lets toes spread. The listing says they are for women and men. Check the size chart before you order.
Tip: Check the size chart and their studio's sock rules.
16. A sturdy gym duffel
A gym bag keeps sweaty gear apart from everything else, which suits anyone who trains before or after work. Look for a shoe pocket and a water-resistant bottom. The Under Armour Undeniable 5.0 is a duffle bag from Under Armour. Check the listing for pockets and size to match what the person carries.
Tip: Check the listing for size and pockets first.
Ideas 17 to 20
Gym bag extras and training tools
Small tools and accessories for the end of the gym bag.
17. A steel-ball shaker bottle
A good shaker bottle is made to mix protein without clumps and stay sealed in a gym bag, which suits a lifter who drinks shakes after training. The BlenderBottle ProSeries is a 32 oz Tritan bottle in black with a whisk ball and a carry loop. Check the person's preferred size before you buy.
Tip: Check which size they prefer before you buy.
18. A firm grid foam roller
A grid foam roller is a staple for warm-ups and rolling out, which suits a lifter or runner who keeps one by the squat rack. The TriggerPoint GRID is a 13-inch multi-density roller that fits in a gym bag. This is the shorter 13-inch version, so check it against what the person already owns.
Tip: Check the size; this is the shorter 13-inch version.
19. A Captains of Crush hand gripper
Captains of Crush grippers are the benchmark for grip strength, rated by closing difficulty, which suits a lifter who trains grip. This IronMind gripper has knurled aluminum handles and is at the Trainer level, the usual starting point. Check the level before you buy, since the grippers come in a range of closing difficulties.
Tip: Trainer is the usual starting point; check the level.
20. A hardcover training log
Writing down sets, reps and weights suits a lifter who tracks every session, and a sturdy hardcover log survives a gym bag. This A5 hardcover fitness journal is made for logging gym and home workouts. Pair it with a pen or a pair of lifting straps for a small bundle.
Tip: Pair it with a pen for a small ready-to-use gift.
Frequently asked questions
What are good gifts for gym lovers?
Match the gift to how they train. Lifters like a leather lifting belt, lifting straps or wrist wraps, while home exercisers may want adjustable dumbbells or a rowing machine. For class-goers, grip socks and a pro jump rope fit. A gym duffel and a shaker bottle suit almost anyone who goes to the gym.
What are good gym gifts for men?
Choose by how the person trains, not by gender: a lifting belt, straps or wrist wraps for a barbell lifter, adjustable dumbbells for a home gym, or Starting Strength for someone new to the barbell. A hardcover training log and a gym duffel suit anyone who tracks workouts.
What are good gym gifts for women?
Skip assumptions and ask what they do. A Pilates or barre regular may like half-toe grip socks or Bala Bangles wearable weights, while a lifter wants the same belt, straps or wraps anyone does. A pro jump rope, a water rowing machine or a gym duffel works for any fitness lover.
What are good gifts for fitness lovers who have everything?
Look for specialist items they may not own: a Captains of Crush hand gripper, gymnastics rings, Lock-Jaw barbell collars or a clip-on interval timer. A pro jump rope sized to the jumper or a hardcover training log are also niche picks that regular gym-goers rarely buy themselves.
What are good Christmas gifts for gym lovers?
Small stocking gifts include loose chalk, lifting straps, a shaker bottle or an interval timer. Bigger gifts are a leather lifting belt, a pro jump rope or an adjustable kettlebell. January traffic brings new-year gym goals, so a book such as Starting Strength can work as a second gift for beginners.
