The gym is notoriously anxiety-inducing for beginners. Whether it’s the stress of not knowing what you’re doing, being worried about asking for help, or just generally not loving the idea of being perceived while working out, the fear is known to have put off its fair share of could’ve-been-great gym kings. But in 2026, we’re here to put that to bed. The gym is for everyone. It’s normally full of nice, helpful people – and in all honesty, no one in the gym is actually paying attention to anyone but themselves.
Set your goals, and let us talk you through our starter pack for what you need, what to wear, and everything else you might need to know before you get into it.
GQ’s best gym essentials at a glance…
What’s in GQ’s guide to gym essentials?
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What do we know about the gym? Who we are and how we test gym essentials at GQ
We’re an active bunch at British GQ, so we’ve spent an awful lot of time in and among gyms throughout our lives. Some of us are runners (Michael Christensen, Daphne Bugler), some of us climbers (Murray Clark), some tennis players (Rob Leedham), some gym bunnies (Josephine Judd) and some jiu-jitsu masochists (Jessie Atkinson), but the one thing all of these sports require is the need to stay fit to do them well. In essence, as a collective, we’ve sweated our way through a lot of gymwear and spent more than our fair share of time in gyms across London and beyond. Our findings mean we know what you need – and what you just don’t – if you’re planning on taking the gym seriously in 2026.
The GQ team testing gym kit from Under Armour.
The GQ team testing gym kit from Gymshark.
The kit
We have an entire guide to our favourite gym clothing elsewhere, but if you want our recommendations for a few pieces that’ll see you through your first few months at the gym (and hopefully more if you commit), these are the ones to start with. For any future shopping, we’d always suggest looking for kit that fits properly and is comfortable (Read. Those. Size. Guides), as well as lightweight and breathable. As you get more confident, we’d also suggest having a bit more fun with your gym kit to keep you motivated. Your favourite football shirt? It can definitely double up as gymwear. A bright hoodie? The perfect outerwear to keep you warm en route. From our favourite Gymshark joggers to Vuori and Lululemon tech tees, Alo half zips, Gymshark pants, On jackets and even a Tracksmith singlet, if you’re planning to be on the treadmill, these are our go-tos.
Lululemon
Relaxed short sleeve shirt
Classic Football Shirts
Crystal Palace 1999/2000 Away Shirt
Gymshark
Conditioning Club Hoodie
Puma
Wardrobe essentials relaxed sweatpants
Fabletics
O2 Performance shirt
You definitely don’t need fancy shoes to get started in the gym, and most trainers out there will get you off to a decent start. If you’re planning on taking things more seriously, though, investing in a good pair of shoes for strength training can help support your body, elevate your training and also provide a good bit of extra motivation. The Nike Metcon 10 and the On Cloudpulse Pros are both great shoes that our team has both loved and recommended. Add in some comfortable socks and you’re all set.
H&M
Sports socks with DryMove
Gymshark
Midi Socks (5 pack)
You’ll learn one thing very quickly when you get started at the gym: that, somehow, you will always have an unexpectedly large amount of stuff to carry around with you. If you find yourself on the classic daily pilgrimage from the gym to work to the pub, you need at least two outfits with you at any given time, as well as two pairs of shoes, plus all of the toiletries you use to shower and get ready with. It’s a lot, but these gym bags will do you well. Whether you prefer a backpack like those from Built for Athletes or Stubble & Co, or a duffel like this forest green one from Lululemon, or this very travel-friendly yellow number from The North Face, they’ve got the space, the pockets and the durability to get you going.
Lululemon
3-in-1 Gym Duffle Bag
Built for Athletes
Large black gym backpack
The North Face
Base Camp Duffel – small
Protein powders are by no means a necessity, but if you want a bit of help hitting your nutrition goals, they can really be a worthy investment. This bundle from Protein Works gives you everything you need to get started, but if you aren’t a fan of the classic proteins, try a vegan one like Free Soul’s, or one of MyProtein’s clear wheys (especially if you prefer it to taste a bit more like a juice than a milkshake).
Protein Works
100 Protein Shake Bundle
Free Soul Vegan Protein Blend
Myprotein
MyProtein Clear Whey Protein
Every gym-goer needs a large capacity water bottle to hand. That’s just the rule. We love the litre bottles from Yeti and Gymshark if you’re after something lightweight, but Stanley’s collection of straw bottles have a bit of extra durability and can keep your drinks cold if that’s the vibe you prefer.
Stanley
Iceflow Flip Straw Bottle
Gymshark
Jug bottle with straw
The supplements
Beyond protein powder, you might find yourself being a bit overwhelmed with the amount of supplements out there that you can take to help with your fitness. But fear not, we can simplify it for you. Creatine can be really helpful for giving you a bit of extra energy in the gym (we like Protein Works or MyProtein for this), magnesium can be really beneficial for helping you sleep better (which ultimately supports your recovery), and electrolytes like this pack from Heights are great if you’re doing more cardio and losing a lot of sweat. We’d advise you to keep it simple at first and try implementing one or two slowly to see how you get on.
Protein Works
Protein Works
Myprotein
MyProtein Impact Creatine
The tech
As you get more into your fitness, there are plenty of tech and trackers that you can invest in to help you out a little, whether it’s an Oura ring or a Whoop to help you track your heart rate, calories, sleep and exertion levels, a Garmin to help you track runs and your progress, or a pair of gym-ready headphones like the Beats Powerbeats Fit, designed to stay put even when you’re moving all over the place.
The recovery kit
We mentioned above how important sleep is for your recovery, and we can’t help but reiterate that trying to hit all of your fitness goals but failing to sleep each night (often thanks to a bad mattress) will be a problem in the long run. It might be time to do something about it, and the Simba Hybrid Pro is always our top mattress recommendation for an easy upgrade.
Beyond sleep, we’re also huge fans of massage guns, helping to reduce DOMS and leaving you feeling a bit fresher after a tough workout.
Therabody
Theragun Massage Gun
What do you actually need for the gym?
To be quite honest, as much as people try and tell you you need every fancy piece of gym kit under the sun to work out properly, all you really need is a good pair of shoes, some comfortable workout clothes (as nice as a fancy shirt is), and ideally, in our experience, some headphones. Everything else – the protein powders, creatines, supplements, recovery devices, etc – is really just a bonus. They’ll help support your training, and might make you reach your goals faster, but ultimately, to get started it doesn’t take much. Oh, and don’t forget that gym membership too – unless you’ve been building out your home gym, you’re going to need one of those.