Our top 10 gym accessories you didn't know you needed
The world of gym accessories is vast! In 2022 the gym accessories market was valued at approximately $10.5 billion and was projected to reach $18.6 billion by 2030.
Innovation and trends are exciting, but often products don't live up to the expectation. There are a lot of manufacturers and retailers wanting to profit from this trying to convince you their new product will be life changing.
Our job is to find quality products that have a tangible benefit to you and showcase products you didn't even know you needed, whilst filtering out the ones you really don't need.
Your fitness goals will massively impact the types of accessories you can benefit from.
We try to cater to everybody and are always here for advise, but we thought we'd give a selection of the top 10 accessories we think everybody could benefit from, regardless of your goals. Accessories that will help you get the most out of your gym experience and take some of the pain out of the main challenges.
If you’ve been lifting for long enough, you’ve probably come to a point in your training where you’ve attempted a set or rep and found that while the targeted muscle groups had the strength to pull it off, you just couldn’t hold onto the bar.
In other words, your grip strength becomes a limiting factor.
And when this happens, there are several immediate solutions: an alternate grip or the trusty chalk. But while helpful, these ‘grip hacks’ still rely primarily on your grip strength; the heavy dumbbell or bar is going to slip out of your hands once you fatigue (again).
Enter, lifting straps.
Lifting straps enables you to maximally overload major muscle groups without being limited by your grip strength.
Is using lifting straps considered 'cheating'?
There will be a group of 'training purists' that'll argue against the usage of lifting straps. They'll say that the use of lifting straps is detrimental to increasing your grip and forearm strength.
The truth is, although that statement is true, you shouldn't be holding back other muscle groups while you work on your grip strength. You should also be continuously looking for ways to improve your grip strength; adding exercises like the farmer’s walk and dead hangs into your routine is always a good idea.
Think about it: what happens if you're unable to hold onto your dumbbell/barbell?
Chances are, you’re going to reach for lighter weights. That spells trouble for your training volume – which, as we know, is the primary determinant of muscle hypertrophy.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Improves training volume with good form
- Reduces Grip Fatigue which can further impact the rest of your workout
Pro tip: Buy leather lifting straps. Cotton, weaved straps are great, however the nature of the weaved construction to make them strong means they are abrasive on the skin and can cause friction burns around the wrists. Leather offers a natural softness which improves over time, and are incredibly strong and durable.
Improving your grip strength is so important. The better you can hold onto something, the more reps you will be able to perform, with good form. As your grip fatigues and the bar slowly works it's way down your fingers you are compromising your form by a shift in movement pattern resulting in your forearms giving out before your target muscle group do.
Another factor is that often neglected is grip efficiency. A strong grip and a tight grip aren't the same thing. If you are squeezing too hard, you are likely to fatigue your grip far quicker. You are also wasting a lot of your energy fuelling that tight grip at the expense of the target muscle group. Keeping your forearms relatively relaxed will lead to a better mind muscle connection with the target muscle, and better training intensity.
Silicone Gym Grips tick all these boxes and more. The silicone provides a solid anti-slip grip on equipment, reduce the chances of sweaty hands and allow you to squeeze less to maintain the same level of grip strength.
They also improve comfort which is also a massive contributor to a good mind muscle connection. Instinctively, pain and discomfort are a distraction and impact both focus and intensity.
Silicone Gym Grips are also clean and hygienic and will provide a barrier between your hands and the germ ridden, dirty, sweaty and often rusty gym bars and attachments.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Clean and hygienic
- Improves Grip
- Reduces Discomfort
Pro tip: Best used for dumbbell, barbell and machine pulling movements, with the exception of movements that really stress your grip strength limits (e.g. Deadlifts, Rack-Pulls, Heavy RDL, Heavy Shrugs etc). These movements will benefit from lifting straps more.
No matter how light you travel to the gym, there is a good chance you will at a minimum have your keys, phone and earphones with you. That may not warrant a gym bag, but these are items you don't really want left in a locker, or spread around the gym floor exercises to exercise.
A small bag is a good choice, but the disadvantage of a small bag is it can often go unseen and therefore could be stepped on or tripped over. At worse, you could be looking at a disaster if a dumbbell is accidentally dropped on it.
Our innovative magnetic sling bag has all the storage you need for your phone, keys, earphones and wallet with a little more room for some of your key gym accessories like straps, grips, cuffs or a towel. It has the added benefit of being magnetic, so you can securely fasten it to the nearest piece of gym equipment during your workout. Not only will they be secure, off the floor and easy to access, but they will be within sight.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Keeps your gear off the floor
- Improves safety and security of your valuables
- Shoulder strap and handle for easy carrying
Ankle cuffs have become a integral part of functional training. Often seen being used for legs and glute workouts on the cable machines; whether performing hip abductor, standing leg extensions, lateral lunges, hamstring curls or the classic kickbacks there is a wide range of exercises with tangible benefits. You can even use them for cable crunches and as part of your abs routine.
These aren't just for your ankle as the name may suggest!
The "ankle cuff" is often completely overlooked for upper body workouts, but we think this is one of its key applications in the gym and can offer the most benefit to all gym-goers.
Using a cuff on your wrist or hand for upper body movements allows you to eliminate the grip, improve isolation by taking the wrist out of the equation and focus all your intensity on the target muscle group.
Using a cuff for Back, Bicep, Tricep and Lateral Shoulder movements will increase your mind muscle connection and improve intensity allowing for greater focus on the muscle contraction.
These are also great for anybody suffering from wrist of hand injuries.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Wide range of exercises for both upper and lower body
- Improves mind muscle connection and focus on muscle contraction
- Eliminates grip for better intensity
Pro tip: Although a well padded cuff offers obvious benefits to lower body movements, providing a tight, secure, comfortable fit around the ankle, a thinner cuff offers more versatility for upper body movements. A thinner strap can be looped loosely around your palm to eliminate grip but offers better usability when two cuffs are being used together (unclipping both hands from a cable with tightly fitted cuffs can be interesting!).
Hip Resistance Band/Resistance Band Set
Resistance bands are an incredibly versatile and portable accessory that can be used for strength training, stretching, activation, mobility and even rehabilitation exercises. They're perfect for targeting specific muscle groups, adding variety to your workouts, and improving mobility and flexibility.
Why you need them:
- Ideal for all fitness levels
- Easy to carry and use anywhere
- Easy to use to add more resistance to your exercises progressively
Pro tip: Buy a set that includes multiple resistance levels so you can adjust the intensity as you progress.
Quick Dry Microfibre Gym Towel
Gyms are a sweaty place. If you're not sweating, you're not working. With that in mind, its important to keep your sweat to yourself and not all over your workout space or equipment.
A good microfibre towel will be highly absorbent, quick drying, lightweight and compact making your gym session more enjoyable for not only you, but your fellow gym-goers.
Our gym towels feature a handy top fold pocket that perfectly fits over the top of a bench meaning you can train safe in the knowledge that your towel won't be slipping off every time you move or get up. These have been designed with the gym in mind, and are the idea length for a bench or to lay on, but not too large to carry around during your session or conveniently draped over your cardio machine of choice or your neck.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Quick drying, absorbent, lightweight and compact
- Designed to fit securely over a bench
Heavy Steel Wire Speed Jump/Skipping Rope
Using a skipping rope is a highly effective exercise that improves cardiovascular fitness, burns calories, and strengthens muscles, offering a full-body workout in minimal time. It enhances coordination, balance, agility, and bone density while being affordable, portable, and easy to use. Regular skipping boosts mental health by reducing stress and improving focus, making it an excellent option for both physical and mental well-being.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Improves coordination and balance
- Cardiovascular Fitness
- Calorie Burning and Weight Management
Pro tip: Buy a speed rope with bearings as this will offer a smoother, faster and more efficient rotation than a standard rope. This will be more beneficial for high-intensity workouts, improving agility and coordination. Bearings will minimise friction reducing effort and providing more precise timing.
A high-quality yoga mat isn’t just for yoga enthusiasts. It’s essential for any workout that requires floor exercises, providing grip and cushioning to protect your joints.
Why You Need It:
- Supports balance and stability
- Easy to clean and carry
- Suitable for stretching, Pilates, and core workouts
Pro tip: Buy a thin, foldable mat. A thin yoga mat will provide better stability for balance poses. Yoga mats are typically large and bulky to carry, so buying a thin, foldable mat will make carrying and storing it easier, meaning you are likely to use it more.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Can be used anywhere
- Improves performance by increasing range of motion
- Reduces muscle soreness, speeds recovery by releasing tension and breaking up knots
Leak Proof 5ml Fragrance Atomiser
There is no better feeling that finishing an intense workout, cooling down, jumping in the shower and getting yourself fresh. There are recognised mental benefits like stress reduction and improved mood from raised endorphins and lower cortisol after a decent post-gym routine.
Our sense of smell plays a massive part in this leading to the release of 'feel-good' chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
Our leak proof travel atomisers allow you to keep a handy 5ml of your favourite fragrance tucked away in your gym bag to help you get that 'feel-good' boost.
These are also perfect travel companions which can be kept in your car, travel bag, pocket or handbag for a freshen up wherever you are and whenever you need it.
Leak-free and pressure tested, the travel atomiser can be taken on flights and with their aluminium shell will be safe against impact and damage in your gym bag.
Why You Need It:
- Portable and affordable
- Convenient
- Leak-proof and robust
- Easiest way to carry your favourite fragrance