What's in my gym bag?!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!

Ever since I was a kid, this has been one of my favorite days of the year. Not because of the football, but because of the food, the friends, the family and the excitement in the air! Now that I'm older though, I do get excited about the whole football part ;) I will definitely be making some healthy spins on Super Bowl food, like my mom's turkey chili and of course my favorite... HUMMUS :D

But even though today's a big day, I still have to get my gym bag prepped for the week! It's usually always filled and good to go, but I like to start off each week knowing it has all my gym essentials. So let's poke around my bag and see what's inside!

So first of all, this is my really, really big gym bag from Victoria's Secret. Now, I was never a "gym bag" person. I kinda just always brought my usual tote bag to the gym and stuck some things I thought I'd need in there. Well, I didn't purchase this gym bag, I won it from Tone It Up (see, this is another reason you should join TIU- they give you cool things!). Karena & Katrina from TIU set up challenges throughout the year which are so fun and motivating, and this fall they had the "Frisky Fall" challenge. Guess who was a grand prize winner? Me. My instagram photo of me completing 100 miles by Halloween was chosen for the grand prize. Winning a challenge was the most amazing feeling in the world. Before I even found out I won the grand prize, I already felt like a winner. I started the challenge feeling lazy and unmotivated, and by the end of it, I was so proud to say I did 5:30 am workouts, 4 days a week, for the entire challenge. I learned a very important lesson: I have no limits. I can do whatever I set my mind to. I gained a whole new level of confidence and felt a total difference in my body. 

Ok- now I went on a tangent. But anyway, if you don't have a gym bag, I highly recommend getting one. I fit SO many things in this baby! I LOVE my gym bag. I doubt K&K will ever read this, but if they do, thank you so much. I love my gym bag... and you guys :)

Ok so what's in this sucker? Uh, a lot. 

My running shoes:

It took me a LONG time to find the right shoes for my feet. I have very sensitive feet and often times, running was very painful for me due to my low arches and a bunion. But then I found the Asics Nimbus 15 sneakers. I like to call them my Nimbus 2000s. It was the priciest pair of athletic shoes I ever bought, but so worth the price, because my feet haven't hurt ONCE since I started running with these. They are so padded and cushioned, it's like little cherub angels are carrying my feet across the treadmill. I've been able to increase the length of my runs thanks to these. I suggest trying these on at your local sporting goods store to see for yourself.

Note: I don't always work out in these. I also have trainers for when I take classes and do HIIT workouts. But I'm obsessed with these and they live in my bag. My trainers usually are kept in my closet.

Belkin Arm Band:

I used to never use one of these, but I love this thing for when I'm lifting weights or when I'm running outside. It just makes listening to music easier. This fits an iPhone 5 or 5S. You can find one of these, in any brand, on Amazon. I just bought this one because it has pink in it :)

A towel:

A towel is your best friend at the gym, especially when you're taking a class such as spin cycle. When I'm at spin, I usually sweat buckets to the point where my eyes are blinded and I can't see. I get so angry with myself when I forget to pack a clean towel the night before a spin class! Seriously - bring a towel.

Face Wipes:

I don't have a preference for what brand. I've changed it up so many times. But I always need face wipes and HAVE TO clean my face immediately after a workout, otherwise I'm plagued with breakouts.

Boxing Gloves:

Another great goodie I snagged for free! I got these for free when I signed up with ILoveKickboxing.com. It came with my Groupon, but even if you sign up without a Groupon, my academy gives these to anyone who buys their special web deal. If you're curious to know more about kickboxing, please contact me. I will definitely be posting about kickboxing soon.

TIU Printables:

I always, always, always have printables from TIU in my bag. Right now it's filled with the Love Your Body printables because the Love Your Body Challenge is doing on right now! The toning routines are amazing and I always have that "good sore" the next day.

Beats by Dre:

You're probably like, "Gabby. You're a broke ass grad student. Why the eff do you have Beats?!" Yeah. Good question. I actually used to have a pair of PowerBeats that I got when I went to the Wendy Williams Show, but SOMEONE STOLE THEM IN THE IONA COLLEGE GYM. I hope you like them. Ass. (I get angry. This is why I go to kickboxing.) I may or may not have treated myself to these with my refund check from student loans... But whatever, I feel like a BO$$ at the gym with these.

Quest Bars:

Quest Bars are just with me all the time. Look in any bag I have and you'll find one of these in there. My mom laughs at me because I'm pretty much always prepared with snacks. And a variety of them. Quest Bars are AMAZING. They are loaded with protein and taste like dessert. I pre-ordered the Cookies and Cream ones and I'm SO excited for them to come in!

My Camelbak Water Bottle:

Ever find yourself running on the treadmill and want to drink some water, but can't actually drink it without water going all over the place and in your nose? Or is that just me? Whatever. This bottle has a cap that you have to bite and it's virtually spill proof. It's great. I also keep the bottle next to me in bed, after a night of drinking, and sip from it like I'm a little hamster in a cage. Enjoy that visual I just put in your mind. (Why am I so weird?)

My knee brace and orthodics:

Because I'm an old lady with lots of problems.

Lip balm:

If my lips are dry I go crazy so there's just always lip balm on me. I like a variety of lip balms! The Nivea one is great but my favorite is the Mary Kay Satin Lips. I also like the Vaseline lip balms and just straight up Aquaphor. 

And there you have it! That's what's in my gym bag. What's in yours? Is there anything missing from mine that I should have?!