In mid-May 2025, science-based lifter and fitness educator Jeff Nippard shared what he packs into his gym bag:
Jeff Nippard’s Gym Bag Checklist
- Lifting straps
- Liquid chalk
- Lifting belt
- Knee sleeves
- Water
- Gushers fruit snacks
- Bands
- Gym pin
- Flat slippers
- Angles90 handles
- Tylenol
- Hand Sanitizer
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Straps, Lifting Belt & Liquid Chalk
Straps earn their keep for Nippard, as he highlighted:
Your back will always be stronger than your grip, and you don’t want your grip to limit your back gains.
—Jeff Nippard
They support grip strength, allowing athletes to lift more weight than their grip could otherwise handle. Powerlifters often utilize straps when overloading their central nervous systems or for accessory work when fatigue limits performance.
In a 2022 study, researchers found that using lifting straps and a weight belt while deadlifting could improve lifting efficiency, comfort, and speed. (1) Straps are particularly useful with pulling movements, like pull-ups, rows, shrugs, and pulldowns.
Wearing a lifting belt can offer structural support and reduce stress on the spine. (2) Safer workouts translate to fewer injuries, positioning lifters to focus more on progress and achieving goals. (3)
If your palms are sweaty, your grip will limit tension.
—Jeff Nippard
Liquid chalk is one of Nippard’s go-tos as a natural powerlifter and bodybuilder. It absorbs sweat for a firmer grip.
Flat Slippers & Angles90 Handles
For deadlifts, Nippard keeps a pair of flat slippers in his bag. Stability provided by proper footwear during lifts can help improve posture. (4) His 90-degree attachment handles are potent tools on back day, promoting a natural wrist position.
Knee Sleeves, Gym Pin & Bands
Knee flexion, especially during squats, can tax the joints and ligaments, making knee sleeves an easy choice. He favors them for structural support and said they make him feel more comfortable during tough lifts.
If he maxes out a machine, Nippard keeps a gym pin handy to add extra weight. Resistance bands are used for warmups and assisted pull-ups or chin-ups.
Gushers, Water, Hand Sanitizer, & Tylenol
If Nippard’s feeling sluggish, a pack of Gushers gives him a quick hit of glucose to power through the session. Since Gushers are comprised of simple sugars, they digest quickly.
Scientific literature shows that consuming a sugary snack during training can improve workouts by helping endurance and reducing fatigue. (5) Accessible water maintains hydration after sweating through intense sets. (6)
Hand sanitizer gives Nippard a line of defense against germs at the gym. At the bottom of Nippard’s bag is a bottle of Tylenol in case of a sudden headache.
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References
- Fong SSM, Chung LMY, Gao Y, Lee JCW, Chang TC, Ma AWW. The influence of weightlifting belts and wrist straps on deadlift kinematics, time to complete a deadlift and rating of perceived exertion in male recreational weightlifters: An observational study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Feb 18;101(7):e28918. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028918. PMID: 35363215; PMCID: PMC9282110. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9282110/
- Harman EA, Rosenstein RM, Frykman PN, Nigro GA. Effects of a belt on intra-abdominal pressure during weight lifting. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1989;21(2):186-190. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2709981/
- Kingma I, Faber GS, Suwarganda EK, Bruijnen TB, Peters RJ, van Dieën JH. Effect of a stiff lifting belt on spine compression during lifting. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006;31(22):E833-E839. doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000240670.50834.77 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17047531/
- Menant JC, Steele JR, Menz HB, Munro BJ, Lord SR. Effects of walking surfaces and footwear on temporo-spatial gait parameters in young and older people. Gait Posture. 2009;29(3):392-397. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.10.057 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19041245/
- Peinado AB, Rojo-Tirado MA, Benito PJ. El azúcar y el ejercicio físico: su importancia en los deportistas [Sugar and exercise: its importance in athletes]. Nutr Hosp. 2013;28 Suppl 4:48-56. doi:10.3305/nh.2013.28.sup4.6796 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23834092/
- Maughan RJ, Meyer NL. Hydration during intense exercise training. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013;76:25-37. doi:10.1159/000350225 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23899752/
Featured image: @jeffnippard on Instagram
