Stockings aren’t only for candy canes and coal. Sometimes, Santa wants to give you gains, too.
If you’re looking for small, stuffable gifts this holiday season, here are some fun ideas for the jacked little elf in your life.
Gym Equipment
You can’t fit a barbell in a stocking (unless it’s a really longggggg stocking; please take a moment to picture that because it’s delightful), but you can fit all kinds of bands, clips, chalk, and more. Depending on the person’s fitness goals and what they already have, here are some gym equipment gifts to consider:
Resistance bands come in seven different sizes of varying widths and colors, or you can order the full set. Use the bands to help train pull-ups or add extra resistance for compound lifts (like banded deadlifts).
Also consider Tube Resistance Bands with Handles and Circle Hip Bands. These bands have slightly different functions and purposes (and are all small enough to stash in a sock).
Then there are Floss Bands, not to be mistaken for workout bands. These are for recovery, not resistance. Wrap a muscle or joint, perform range-of-motion exercises, and improve your mobility and blood flow.
Other ideas:
- Spring Clips to help hold the plates in place on the barbell
- A Dip Belt to wear around your waist and attach to plates so you can do weighted dips, weighted pull-ups, pull a sled, or do belt squat exercises.
- Fractional Plates to add a wee bit of weight to the bar. These tiny plates come in two sets of ¼, ½, ¾, and 1lb plates.
- A Peanut Roller to dig into the hard-to-reach areas of your body to help with recovery.
- Lifting straps to help keep grip on the bar, especially useful for bodybuilding.
- Wrist wraps, to add stability to your wrists during the bench press, overhead press, and other upper-body exercises.
- A jump rope for cardio (and fun).
Gym Clothes
Santa loves clothes. Or is that us?
It’s both. You can’t go wrong with some new gym clothes that’s functional enough to wear lifting but fashionable enough to wear beyond the gym. We’re a big fan of the black REP Noise Tee (picture it rolled up with a red bow around it). If your buying for a deadlifter, hook ‘em up with some tall black-and-white REP Socks, too.
Long-haired gym-goers may also appreciate a new sweatband to keep their hair out of their eyes.
Other ideas:
- A beanie. Lots of lifters like to wear a beanie or hat to the gym. Seems super sweaty but OK. People like what they like.
- Workout shorts and pants, like these cute joggers.
Healthy Snacks
The weights are only part of the picture for a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition is the second part. Luckily, you can fit all kinds of tasty, healthy snacks in a stocking. Mother Nature does a pretty good job with her menu (nuts, apples, oranges, probably don’t stick a banana in there though). Plus, oranges and walnuts are traditional holiday snacks, dating back to the Great Depression.
Beef jerky is a win, too. To-go packets of protein powder are practical to toss in your gym bag and car, so you never find yourself hangry in a Taco Bell drive-through line. Package some protein bags inside a fresh, new blender bottle. Top it off with some healthy protein bars (don’t be fooled by glorified candy bars with 3 grams of protein claiming to be protein packed).
Techy Goodies
Ear buds are a staple in most gyms, especially commercial gyms that like to play Justin Beebster on repeat. A new set of ear buds would be a useful stocking stuffer – or if they already have a pair, get them an ear bud case cover that matches their style.
Some lifters like to count their steps and manage their phone on their wrist. A smart watch can help them meet those goals.
Runners will love an armband to hold their phones while they’re hitting the pavement.
Another functional digital gift would be a subscription to an online workout program, like Juggernaut AI. Buy a year membership and present it in a card in their stocking. Then under the tree, wrap up the equipment that corresponds with their program. REP offers a variety of Juggernaut AI equipment packages that were picked by the Juggernaut team to complement its programming. It’s the full package in one, program and all.
