For Mattie Rogers, preparation is everything: “I keep everything I could possibly need to train or compete in my gym bag,” says Rogers, Tokyo 2020 Olympian and perhaps the United States’ most decorated female weightlifter ever.
After a grueling but ultimately unsuccessful push to qualify for the upcoming 2024 Olympics, Rogers took some much-needed time away from the weight room.
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Flash forward a few months and Rogers is finding her footing again as she prepares to return to competitive weightlifting later this year. On Jun. 7, 2024, Rogers shared the contents of her gym bag with fans on social media.
BarBend caught up with Rogers to dig a little deeper and unpack her must-haves for successful Olympic lifting workouts, plus her plans for the remainder of ’24.
What’s In Mattie Rogers’ Gym Bag?
We watched Rogers itemize her gym bag on camera and wondered what her one must-have item was. “That’s a hard question,” Rogers replied. “I think it might be my thumb tape. I use it every session without fail.”
- Weightlifters almost universally rely on adhesive thumb tape when practicing their sport. Taping the thumbs reduces the painful sensations of a binding hook grip and ensures the barbell remains securely wedged in an athlete’s hands.
While tape may be unique to the wizardry of weightlifting, Rogers — a cheekily self-described “junk collector” — keeps plenty of other common gym accessories within arm’s reach. Here’s what you’d find inside Rogers’ gym bag:
Rogers doesn’t use all of these items on a workout-to-workout basis. For example, she prefers to lift without wearing a belt most of the time unless she’s performing a squat workout. “My coach says lifting straps are for pulls only,” she notes.
You’ll also find adhesive spray for her thumbs and, notably, a gait strap in Rogers’ gym bag.
Gait straps are typically used to assist seniors or those recovering from an injury by providing an “anchor” to steady their balance while walking or sitting down.
“I typically use [gait straps] during my mobility exercises,” Rogers remarks.
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Pre-Workout Nutrition
On her commute to the gym, Rogers downs a Reign Body Fuel pre-workout beverage. “Sometimes I’ll also drink protein powder while I train if I didn’t eat beforehand,” she says.
Not because protein has any specific performance-enhancing benefits when ingested during a strength training session — Rogers remarks that it’s a lingering habit from her years-long efforts to bulk up and make it into heavier weight classes. “It’s a habit that’ll stay with me forever, I think.”
During the Workout: Rogers sips out of a shaker bottle throughout her session to saturate herself with creatine, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, which help her stay hydrated and beat the heat in Florida.
Of Planes, Trains, and TSA Pre-Checks
Weightlifting competitions don’t typically provide access to too much gym equipment beyond lifting platforms, barbells, and bumper plates. For athletes like Rogers, that means getting really good at traveling overseas with exercise equipment in tow.
- “There’s no room for anything other than gym equipment in my carry-on bag,” she jokes, noting that she deliberately avoids checking any of her listing essentials in case her luggage is lost or delayed in transit.
For the career weightlifter, touching down in other countries — Rogers’ last two international events were in Thailand and Saudi Arabia — without a toothbrush or phone charger is no big deal. But not having a lacrosse ball or exercise band handy can spell disaster.
Head? Down. Eyes? Forward. Gym Bag? Full.
Rogers has been the face of American weightlifting for a decade, but she’s not known for resting on her laurels. In weightlifting, it’s just as hard — or harder — to stay at the top after you get there.
- “This year is not the year to push things before I’m ready,” Rogers notes of the sensitive nature of a leg injury that forced her out of Olympic team contention. But Rogers remains optimistic, offering that she expects to be “back at 100%” by the end of the year.
[Related: The Beginner’s Guide to Olympic Weightlifting]
Fans can expect to see Rogers make a return to the stage at the upcoming 2024 American Open Series II weightlifting meet on Aug. 29 in Fort Worth, TX. If all goes to plan, she’ll qualify for the World Weightlifting Championships in December in Manama, Bahrain. Until then, Rogers is staying in her bag.
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Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects.
Featured Image courtesy of Mattie Rogers
