January and February have come and GONE! Those fitness resolutions you made well over 8 weeks ago of gaining muscle, were either met or washed awayswith your Valentine’s Day vino! Whether you’re still on the bandwagon or dusting yourself off the ground and getting started again, there is NO JUDGEMENT HERE! Working out is not all butterflies and roses, it’s actually really hard work and takes some tools to stay on track and not de-rail when the going gets tough (or all the treadmills are taken)! When it comes to getting fit: we have 5 gym necessities you shouldn’t leave home without plus bonus goodies you may love!

In case you missed it! We have been on the Jessie Hilgenberg Muscle Building Program and Phase 1 and 2 were like fighting an uphill battle to stay focused. Check out our Before Muscle Building post and Muscle Building Update Phase 1

Getting Fit: 5 Gym Necessities You Shouldn’t Leave Home Without Plus Bonus Goodies

Our 5 gym necessities you shouldn’t leave home without are proven to help you get the MOST out of your workouts and stay focused! Planning ahead and preparing yourself with the right tools will help you get the most out of your time and energy!

So many times (Mondays especially) we show up during prime time hours and there may be no weight benches or squat racks available but you will still be able to get a good workout in and meet your goals.

P.S. If you love these necessities as much as us, you may also love the EXTRA workout goodies at the bottom of the post!

Wireless Headphones | Flip Belt | Notebook | Heart Rate Monitor| VS Sports Bra

#1-WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Nothing deflates motivation more than realizing you forgot your headphones, and nothing is more annoying than dealing with tangled cords the entire time. Wireless bluetooth headphones are a MUST! And if you have an Iphone 7 you no longer have a place to plug it in anyway, so this is just a fact of life for us Apple lovers!

#2-FLIP BELT

This gadget replaces the arm band that was such pain in the butt! For one arm bands NEVER fit your phone case and when you want to use an app for tracking reps and weights it proves more difficult then not to get it in and out of the case. This FLIP BELT is a band of fabric that fits seamlessly around your waist and has a few slits for your phone, a hook for you keys and makes using your phone during workouts accessible but off the ground!

#3-NOTEBOOK

Keeping track of your weights, progression, sets, and reps is CRITICAL for success. You should be progressing and increasing weights and in order to know what you were at the last week, writing them down is the best.

#4-HEART RATE MONITOR

Knowing your heart rate is a GAME CHANGER! Part of our Muscle Building program is doing HIIT Cardio and you have to know your hear rate to make sure you are maximizing your fat burning! This two part system of watch and waist band makes it easy to capture your heart rate quickly! You can even set your min and max heart rate goals to alert you when you’ve reached them!

#5-VS SPORTS BRA

Keep those girls under control with the cutest and most supportive bra we have grown to love! This bra is cute, stylish, and a steal of deal!

BONUS GOODIES! Once you have your necessities covered, here are a few more fun extras that are also handy in the gym!

Jump Rope | Weight Lifting Hooks | Apple Watch | Backpack

JUMP ROPE

A speed jump rope is one of the best things to keep around! First, jumping rope is an amazing cardio workout! 10 minutes of jump rope is equivelent to 30 min. of running! Second, when all the treadmills and cardio machines are taken you don’t have to skip it. Just find a corner and jump instead!

WEIGHT LIFTING HOOKS

What the heck are hooks!? That’s exactly what we thought when we first heard about them. But Jessie Hilgenberg herself introduced us to these babies and let me tell you they are LIFE CHANGING! When doing back exercises like pull-ups, negative chin-ups, and even deadlifts, these wrist hooks allow you to not have to grip the bar so tight and focus on the muscle groups when lifting heavy. They save your grip and forearms from dying a slow and painful death!

APPLE WATCH

This is a more expensive piece but it obviously does a lot more when it comes to capabilities. Not only is this a watch, but it’s a heart rate monitor, stop watch, music device, and it basically acts as an extension of your iphone! It an track your physical activity and tells you when to get moving!

BACKPACK

Keeping all this gym stuff in a small backpack is the easiest way to always be prepared to grab it and go workout. We leave our mini gym backpack in our cars all the time and you never have to worry about forgetting all these necessities.