The Best Gym Bag

monogrammed nylon gym bag c/o mark & graham / yoga mat c/o mark & graham / nike training shoe

It can be hard to take fitness gear advice from someone who’s a style blogger, especially when there are so many fantastic fitness bloggers out there. Something I don’t share on here too often is what I do in real life. Besides my day job, I’ve been a fitness instructor for the past 5 years at Life Time. If you haven’t heard of Life Time, it’s incredible and I love and enjoy every single part of my job and the facility itself. Calling it a gym or fitness center does it no justice!  Don’t tell my boss but I’d teach classes for free if that’s what it took. 😉

I’ve always been into working out ever since I realized I hated playing sports but still loved being active. I’ve been apart of some sort of gym / group fitness atmosphere for the past twelve years, and professional the last five, so I know a lot more about health and fitness than your average style blogger. Trust me when I tell you this is the best gym bag I have found to date.

Finding the right gym bag is a personal preference that really depends on how you use it. Some people are OK with a simple tote that they throw things in, while others depend on versatility because they work out often and/or shower at their gym. I fall into the later category and depend on the functionality of my bag to help keep me organized.

• This bag has a total of EIGHT pockets and compartments – each designated for a different use. The very front of the bag has zippers on the side that once unzipped can hold a yoga mat, and right above the monogram is another compartment that I use for random hair ties and headbands (being without one can ruin a workout for me).
• One side of the bag has a place for a waterbottle, and the other side has a compartment for shoes. I would never buy a gym bag that didn’t have a compartment for shoes and flip flops! I find it so useful and helps my inner germaphobe feel more at ease to keep it separate.
• The back of the bag has a huge slim pocket that can hold anything you want easy access to.
• The inside has three pockets – one larger one that I use to keep my iPad and workout class lessons in. It would also fit a laptop as well. Opposite of that pocket is two smaller compartments – I keep my instructor essentials in there such as a mic belt, windscreens for the mic, & wallet,  as well as extra headphones and socks.
• The entire interior and exterior are completely wipe-able so it will look brand new for a very long time!

I’ve owned this retired Gaiam bag forever (7+ years), and while I bought other gym bags throughout the years, I always went back to it because of the compartments. I can now say that bag has been replaced and upgraded majorly with this new gym bag. I’ve never felt so organized in my life as this bag checks all of my boxes for my dream gym bag. I couldn’t have design one better myself!

While it may be more money than some are willing to spend on a gym bag, I find that owning the perfect version of something ends up costing you less over time. Settling on a lesser version of something so functional that will end up being replaced anyway costs time, money, and frustration over the years. Buying the right version the first time is worth its weight in gold. Plus, who can resist the navy and monogram?

What bag do you use for the gym? What are your must-haves for a gym bag?

 

January 24, 2018 by thedressdecoded | 2 Comments