What do you need to prepare for fitness in the gym?

There is really no need to stock up on the so-called "10 must-have items for fitness" on the Internet. Anyone who has been in the gym all year round knows that there are only two things that are most needed - quick-drying sportswear that does not block movements, and a clear training plan for the day in advance. The rest depends on your training stage, project and personal habits. Carrying more items will put a burden on yourself. Last week I just saw a new girl wearing denim shorts with rivets to practice deadlifting. She tore a big hole in her crotch as soon as she squatted down. She squatted next to the equipment for ten minutes waiting for her friends to give her pants. There are also many new people who like to wear pure cotton T-shirts to practice. After practicing, their entire backs were soaked, and the venue was filled with air. You catch a cold when you turn around. In fact, there is no need to buy sportswear that costs thousands of dollars. As long as it is made of quick-drying fabrics, has enough elasticity, and does not jam the joints when you raise your arms and squat your legs, it is enough. Girls should choose a sports bra with enough support, otherwise it will hurt when running and jumping, and it will easily cause breast sagging in the long run.

Rather than what you wear, what is more important is what you are going to practice today. When I first got into fitness, I also made a mistake. When I entered the gym, I took pictures in the mirror for half an hour, and then touched each equipment one by one. After two hours, I didn’t do any effective training. Later, I learned the lesson and summarized the day’s training content the night before. Understand, for example, for back training today, I will arrange 5 sets of high pull-downs + 3 sets of assisted pull-ups + 4 sets of seated rows + 2 sets of light deadlifts. When I get to the venue, I will go directly to the corresponding equipment. I can finish the training and leave in an hour. The efficiency is more than a little higher, and I will not waste time by adjusting the equipment randomly or not knowing what to practice.

As for the protective gears such as waist guards, wrist guards, and knee pads that are very popular on the Internet, not everyone needs them. I was too lazy to wear waist guards when I was deadlifting 120 kilograms. My waist flashed and I rested for half a month. It was painful. But if you just entered the gym and are still practicing small weight fixed equipment and running on the elliptical machine for half an hour at most, buying a bunch of protective gear is a waste of money and you won’t even need it if you leave it gathering dust at home. There is also controversy over whether to bring protein powder with you. Some people think that you must drink powder immediately after training to build muscles, while others think that protein supplementation with normal meals is enough. In fact, it all depends on your training volume and daily diet. If you train for more than an hour and a half at a time and lift heavy weights, you need to consume protein with daily meals. If you do not meet the standard of 1.6-2g per kilogram of body weight, it is really convenient to bring a container of powder and drink it after training. If you go three times a week and run for half an hour each time to sweat, you can completely make up for it by eating two eggs and a glass of milk at home. There is no need to buy supplements blindly because of the anxiety of marketing accounts.

The rest of the miscellaneous things are more casual. If there is direct drinking water in the venue, just bring an ordinary water cup. There is no need to follow the trend and buy a two-liter ton bucket. Last time I saw a little girl carrying a full ton bucket. After practicing for 40 minutes, she only took two sips. When she left, she was carrying it so heavy that she frowned. The same goes for headphones. If you like to follow the music to find the rhythm of training, noise-cancelling headphones can really help you isolate the noise in the venue. If you are like me and love chatting with the old guns who often come next to you, you can also ask for advice on two action details during training. It will be more comfortable without headphones. As for shower gel and slippers, if you need to take a shower at the venue after practice, you can bring them with you if your home is nearby and a ten-minute walk away. Oh, by the way, girls with long hair should put a small rubber band in their bag. Not only will their face be sweaty and uncomfortable when they practice with their hair disheveled, but they will also easily get their hair caught by the equipment when doing high pull-downs. Who knows how sore it will be.