What should you keep in your gym bag?
Short answer: 23 items, from chalk for grip through to water bottle. The complete Gym Bag checklist is written out below — and the exact same 23 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Gym Bag checklist — all 23 items
- Chalk for grip
- Change of undies
- Deodorant
- Ear plugs (loud music days)
- Flip-flops for the shower
- Foam roller
- Fresh shirt for the drive home
- Gym gloves
- Hair tie (long hair snags on machines)
- Headphones
- Knee sleeves or wraps
- Lifting shoes or trainers
- Membership card or fob
- Padlock for the locker
- Phone armband
- Plasters (barbell calluses tear mid-set)
- Protein shake or shaker bottle
- Resistance bands
- Small towel for the bench (wipe down courtesy)
- Snack for after (banana or nuts)
- Spare hair tie in the bag, not just your wrist
- Togs and towel (if pool or sauna after)
- Water bottle
The gym membership survives on momentum, and nothing kills momentum like arriving to find no towel, one shoe, or headphones at home on the bench. Every missing item is a ready-made excuse, and excuses compound faster than gains.
This list builds a bag that's always ready: training gear and shoes, towel and toiletries for the shower, water bottle, headphones, lock for the locker, and the recovery snacks that stop the drive-through on the way home. Restock it the moment you're back — future you walks in with zero excuses.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "padlock for the locker" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you keep in your gym bag?
You need 23 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from chalk for grip through to water bottle — and the same 23 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=gym%20bag opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Gym Bag list (23 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.