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Big lifts, moving heavy weight plates, and impressive rep counts—these all describe what your typical bodybuilder is doing while in the weight room. Going beyond the stereotypical “gym bro” in a tank top, though, most bodybuilders are just fitness enthusiasts looking to lift weights, build muscle, and have a good pump throughout the session.
If you have a loved one in your life who enjoys lifting and bodybuilding, you’re probably looking for a nice gift for them. No matter the occasion—Father’s Day gifts, birthday gifts, even Valentine’s Day gifts—we’ve compiled a gift guide for the best gifts for bodybuilders. We’ve provided a broad selection of items, ranging from budget pieces of equipment to free weight training and bodyweight exercises, too. Read on to find your loved one’s perfect gift.
Gifts Under $50
Under $10
Liquid Grip
Whether you’re training in a globo gym or a home gym, Liquid Grip keeps the chalk on your hands and off gym equipment, making this a great gift for the bodybuilder in your life who doesn’t want to make a mess. Plus, you can clip it to your gym bag easily with the carabiner provided.
Under $20
Gymreapers Lifting Straps
With neoprene padding and durable cotton, these 18-inch long lifting straps will remain comfortable for the gym-goer in your life while maintaining their grip during high-rep sets of pulls, rows, and more. Also, any fitness fanatic can go crazy with the nine different color options.
Under $30
JLab Go Air Sport Earbuds
These sweat-resistant earbuds feature ergonomic ear hooks that stay securely during long workouts. Gym workouts can be as long as your gym buddy needs, as the Bluetooth earbuds have 8 hours of playtime, plus an extra 24 hours from the charging case—all on one charge.
Under $40
Bodylastics Resistance Bands
For the bodybuilder in your life, these resistance bands come in a set of five bands with a door anchor, handles, and ankles straps. These five bands stack up to 96 pounds of resistance for building muscle. Need more? These bands come in sets of six and seven, too (for more money, of course).
Under $40
TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller
Does the fitness enthusiast in your life complain of muscle soreness after long workouts? Try the TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller, made to massage large muscle groups. This roller is also durable and won’t lose shape like other rollers can after just a few uses.
Under $50
Ice Shaker Shaker Cup
If your weightlifting friend trains multiple times a day, then the Ice Shaker is the perfect gift for them; this shaker bottle can hold up to 36 ounces and keeps liquids cold for over 30 hours. It’s great to keep a post-workout protein shake cool and refreshing during long workouts.
Weight Training Gifts
Best Power Rack
Force USA MyRack
This modular power rack is a great choice for big occasions, like Christmas gifts. This power rack comes packed with lots of customization options with pull-up bars and rack attachments. Whatever cable machines and gym equipment your powerlifting friend needs, the MyRack can provide it.
Best Curl Bar
Bells of Steel EZ Curl Bar
This specialty bar will have your loved one’s biceps screaming…in a good way. The Bells of Steel curl bar comes with a black phosphate finish, and its short length means it can easily fit in a small home gym. It’s also backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Best Adjustable Dumbbells
Snode AD80
These are some of our favorite adjustable dumbbells, and it’s no surprise wh since they adjust up to 80 pounds. Your bodybuilding friend will get some heavy weights out of these dumbbells. Plus, they’re durable and built to endure small drops—but don’t drop them on purpose.
Best Bumper Plates
Vulcan Alpha Bumper Plates
The ideal gift for both men and women dropping heavy deadlifts, these plates by Vulcan are built with a durable rubber and have anchored stainless steel inserts, which will endure tough drops longer than pressed-in inserts. The color flecks make the weights pop in any home gym, too.
Best Adjustable Kettlebell
Ironmaster Adjustable Kettlebell Handle
A unique gift for the gym lover in your life, this kettlebell handle is 22 pounds, but can become 80 pounds with Ironmaster Quick-Lock plates loaded, providing a lot of versatility from just one kettlebell. This kettlebell is also high-quality and has a limited lifetime warranty.
Best Swiss Bar
Kabuki Strength Kadillac Bar
If your loved one likes bench pressing, add the Kadillac Bar to their strength training routine. This cambered Swiss bar is comfortable for all sorts of presses and rows, with three different neutral grips to choose from—all designed to maximize training and minimize shoulder strain.
Gifts for Bodyweight Exercises
Best Pull-Up Bar
Titan Adjustable Pull-Up Bar
This pull-up bar from Titan Fitness has an adjustable depth, which is great to allow more room for bodyweight exercises, but also can be smaller for a more compact space. If your gym-goer likes to train pull-ups, this wall-mounted bar is a great option.
Best Abdominal Mat
AbMat
For your next holiday gift for the fitness fanatic in your life, make sure to challenge their sit-ups with the AbMat. Made to allow for a deeper range of motion in sit-ups, the AbMat is a simple and durable foam pad that can be used for a variety of exercises in a home gym.
Best Power Tower
Weider Power Tower
If your bodybuilding loved one needs more bodyweight exercises to add to their home workouts, then the Weider Power Tower is a fantastic choice. With separate stations for dips, leg raises, and pull-ups, you can actually work out together on this power tower. Relationship goals!
Best Dip Belt
Rogue Fitness Dip Belt
Dips are challenging to begin with. Make them more challenging with a dip belt and more weight! Designed to fit most sizes, this dip belt won’t slide around and stays secured during sets and reps. With steel and nylon fabric materials, this dip belt will last.
Best Bodyweight Home Gym
TRX Suspension Trainer
This compact suspension trainer is lightweight and can fit in most home spaces easily, and secures to sturdy doors or overhead pull-up bars. TRX adds an extra challenge to bodyweight exercises and is suitable for people of all fitness levels.
Best Glute-Ham Developer
Rogue Abram GHD 2.0
If the CrossFit enthusiast in your life has the space, the Rogue Abram is the standard of GHD machines. Able to do a variety of core exercises, this machine is ideal for GHD sit-ups, back extensions, and more. With adjustable foot pads, most people will fit on this machine without issue.
Bodybuilding Accessories
Best Workout Gloves
Grip Power Pads Elite Leather Gym Gloves
If your gym-going friend is looking for support and grip, these gloves are for them. In fingerless and full-fingered options, Grip Power Pads gloves are made of durable leather with additional padding on the palm for improved grip. Also, the gloves have wrist wraps built in for extra support.
Best Lift Inserts
VersaLifts V2 Heel Lift Inserts
For any strength enthusiast having trouble keeping their feet flat in a deep squat, there are VersaLifts. These heel inserts come in three sizes for a variety of shoes, and add a half-inch height to the heel. Add them to a flat, minimal shoe to suddenly have a lifting shoe!
Best Wrist Wraps
MANIMAL Ravenous Wrist Wraps
The bodybuilder in your life will want wrist wraps made to last and offer support through tireless high-repetition exercises; MANIMAL wraps will provide that. They’re comfortable, supportive, and don’t require an adjustment after every set. Plus, they come with a lifetime warranty.
Best Knee Wraps
Harbinger Red Line Knee Wraps
With a lot of stretch, these knee wraps can be wrapped to your level of support—lighter for higher repetitions or dynamic movements, or tighter for a one-rep max. They’re affordable, too, often available for under $25 on Amazon.
Best Weight Belt
SBD Lever Belt
This lifting belt is IPF-approved and compliant with other powerlifting federations, making this the perfect gift for your buddy who likes to deadlift and squat. This belt features a gliding lever for closing the belt, ensuring an easy-to-use and secure lifting belt for any heavy lifting.
Best Grips
JerkFit Death grips
Available in three sizes, these lifting grips are ideal for any strength athlete for deadlifts, pull-ups, and other barbell or dumbbell exercises. These grips will help reduce fatigue in your forearms, allowing for more weight and more repetitions to be performed, resulting in maximal gains.
Recovery Tools
Best Compression Boots
Rapid Reboot Recovery System
These compression boots are great for your loved one to help recover after a heavy leg day. With four compression chambers and two patterns, these boots will help with blood flow to aid recovery. Available in five different sizes, these boots can fit most any lifter, too.
Best Foam Roller
RumbleRollers
Available in three different sizes, the RumbleRoller is a foam roller with firm bumps to mimic a thumb-like deep tissue massage. This roller is easy to use on large muscle groups, like the lats, quads, or hamstrings—a simple device that’ll pay dividends on your loved one’s recovery.
Best Massage Gun
Theragun Prime
This massage gun from Therabody is a fantastic way to address problem areas, like tight and sore muscles. Its ergonomic multi-grip makes this gun easy to hold to address hard-to-reach spots on the back, and it lasts 2 hours on a single battery charge.
Bodybuilding Apparel
Best Cross-Trainers
Nike Metcon 9
If your friend needs versatile gym shoes that are good for lifting, we think they’ll like the Nike Metcons. Made with a solid base, these cross-trainers provide a fantastic platform for heavy deadlifts or squats. With a plethora of colorways, this is a great gift to show some personality, too.
Best Workout Shorts for Men
Ten Thousand Interval Short
For the guy training in multiple modalities, these workout shorts are versatile enough for most workouts. TenThousand Interval Shorts come in three lengths and 11 different colors, not only providing versatility to your training, but also fitting in with the rest of his wardrobe.
Best Workout Shorts for Women
FLEO Signature Shorts True Contour
For the female gym enthusiast in your life, these shorts from FLEO come in a variety of colors and prints. With the legs and waist band not riding up or down, these shorts provide great coverage and still provide great range of motion for all sorts of workouts and exercises.
Best Minimalist Shoe
NOBULL Trainer
If it’s a minimalist training shoe that your loved one is looking for, then the NOBULL Trainers are a great choice, with only a 4-millimeter heel-toe drop. This trainer comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and is a great shoe for most exercises—especially deadlifts.
Best Compression Sleeve
McDavid Calf Compression Sleeve
People typically think calf compression sleeves are only for cardio work like running, but these compression sleeves are great for weight training, too. Available on Amazon, these durable, heavy-duty nylon sleeves are made to reduce pain from calf strains as well as aid in recovery.
Best Gym Bag
Gymreapers Gravestone Duffel
If your special gym lover needs a gym bag to take to and from the gym, then the Gravestone duffel is an ideal bag, with loads of pockets and plenty of room to take all of your gym essentials for every workout. Made with durable polyester fabric, this gym bag will last, as well.
Supplement Gifts
Best Pre-Workout
Transparent Labs BULK
If the lifter in your life is looking to gain muscle, Transparent Labs BULK is a solid pre-workout to add to their supplements. Available in eight flavors, each serving is packed with 20 grams of active ingredients, all shown to support muscle gain.
Best Protein Powder
Cellucor Cor-Performance Whey
This whey protein isolate and concentrate blend provides 24 grams of protein with few fats and carbs per serving. Available in Molten Chocolate or Whipped Vanilla, this is great for anyone looking to make smoothies for building muscle.
Best BCAAs
Huge Supplements BCAA
Each serving of Huge BCAAs provides 15 grams of amino acids, 8 grams of which are branch-chain amino acids—formulated to support muscle recovery and growth. Available in four flavors, it contains coconut water powder, too, which is great for hydration during workouts.
Best Muscle Builder
Jacked Factory Build XT
Packed with research-backed ingredients to support muscle growth, Jacked Factory Build XT is a stimulant-free supplement that’s the ideal gift for bodybuilders. Each veggie capsule has a healthy dose of antioxidants linked to increased muscle endurance and strength.
Best Creatine
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate
If your lifting buddy is looking for a good creatine supplement, then Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate is a solid choice. This supplement has 5 grams of creatine per serving. We love the unflavored version because it can be easily stacked with other supplements.
Other Gift Ideas for Bodybuilders
If you’re still not quite sure about what to get your loved one after looking through our gift guide, here are a few other ideas for inspiration. Look through these best-in-class roundups our team of testers and researchers have compiled to help you find the right gift for the special fitness enthusiast in your life.
Weightlifting Gifts
- Best Olympic Barbells
- Best Bumper Plates
- Best Adjustable Dumbbells
- Best Weight Benches
- Best Weightlifting Belts
- Best Knee Sleeves
- Best Wrist Wraps
Supplement Gifts
What to Look for in Gifts for Bodybuilders
Before you make that purchase for the gym fanatic in your life, there are a few things to consider for them.
Interests
What are their interests when it comes to weight training and bodybuilding? If they particularly focus on free weights, then it’s a good idea to focus on weights, barbells, or even squat racks as gift ideas. Of course, these are more expensive items, too, so you can also look at support gear for lifting weights—wrist wraps, knee sleeves, and weight belts, for example.
On the other hand, if your lifting friend also dabbles in bodyweight movements, then you could get them a pull-up bar or dip station to use at their home. Grips and dip belts are good accessories to consider for bodyweight exercises.
Footprint
The space available at your loved one’s house will impact the size of gifts you can consider getting them. If they don’t have any sort of home gym equipment set up, then you’ll probably have to settle on compact exercise equipment, or simply some lifting apparel. If they do have a home gym and adequate spacing, then you can look at larger pieces of equipment, but always keep in mind that the equipment has to fit the space.
Apparel Sizing
Whether it’s for T-shirts, hoodies, or support gear like sleeves and wraps, you’re going to need to know your lifter in your life’s sizing. If you have access, a quick look through their closet might help you out, or you can snoop a bit in their gym bag. A safer option is to ask, but if you need to be sneaky about your gift, then you could try to ask a mutual friend about it.
Gifts for Bodybuilders FAQs
What do bodybuilders need the most?
If you’re a bodybuilder, the main things you will need to maximize building muscle are a good training program, as well as a diet focused on high protein foods to properly fuel your body through tough workouts. For both of these goals, I’d recommend talking to a personal trainer and a nutritionist to help guide you to maximize your performance in the gym and in the kitchen.
RELATED: Best Personal Training Apps
What is a good gift for a woman who lifts weights?
There are many things to get a woman interested in lifting weights. If she has plenty of space and a home gym, you can look at adding to her gym equipment with dumbbells, barbells, bumper plates, or cable machines. If she doesn’t have the space for the equipment, you can look at lifting accessories like chalk, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps. Also, apparel like workout shorts and weightlifting shoes are great choices.
RELATED: Best Gifts for Weightlifters
What are some gift ideas for a bodybuilder?
If you have a friend into bodybuilding, there are quite a few options for great gifts. You can consider weight training gifts like adjustable dumbbells or a curl bar. If they perform bodyweight exercises, you can look into a pull-up bar or suspension trainer. Furthermore, you can get your bodybuilding friend supplements that support muscle growth: protein powder, creatine, and BCAAs, for example.
Further reading
We asked a certified conditioning specialist for a rundown on stamina vs endurance. Discover the differences, exercises, and effective cardio strategies! Read more
Garage Gym Reviews staff writer, Amanda Capritto, is a certified personal trainer and CrossFit L-1 coach. She sat down with me to discuss common mistakes people make while lifting weights. Read more
With so many options on the market, we took a look at some of the best adjustable kettlebells to find out which deserve a place in your home gym. Read more
Looking for an upper-body cardio workout? We’ve got you covered with this 20-minute arm-blasting routine. Read more