The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide For the Athlete In Your Life

Her Lululemon is systematically laid out on the dresser, right next to her knee socks and Nikes. Prepped earlier that week, her carefully portioned meals are stacked in the fridge, all set to be stored in her 6 Pack Bag. The coffee machine is ready to go for her brutal 5 a.m. wake-up call. Looking at your watch, you know she has already consumed her protein fluff, foam-rolled and stretched her hard-working muscles before getting in bed at 9 p.m. Like clockwork, she will rise, grab her pre-prepped gear, and crush her workout. Sound familiar? We all have those friends in our lives; they train hard, giving themselves over entirely to their workout each day. As their friend or family member, you assist where you can. (Icy Hot massages or rides to GNC, anyone?) With the holidays approaching, however, it is time to step up your support game and give gifts that show just how well you understand the lifestyle. We know – kind of a daunting task. Not to worry, though – we've got your back (and glutes, quads, hammies€¦). We've created an epic gainz-giving holiday gift guide for the rockstar athletes in your life. For your hard-hitting friends and family members, there is a cyclical nature to their training: pre-workout preparation, intra-workout survival, and post-workout repair. Each of these three time periods are crucial not only in athletic improvement, but to overall health maintenance. Check out the list we've compiled below for some of this season's best buff buys!

Pre-workout

Suppz

We love both eFlow Nutrition's Raging Rocket Pop flavor and Metabolic Nutrition's Watermelon flavor pre-workout supplements; everyone needs a pick-me-up!

Attire

Look good to feel good. Here at 6 Pack Fitness, we love the comfort and style of Reebok and Labellamafia; some Labellamafia favorites include the Gradient Leggings for her and the Warrior Shorts for him. Other helpful items include cute headbands (like the Big Bang Lite Headband from Reebok) and hair ties (the easiest stocking stuffer) so your athlete can get to work!

Gear

Even the most fitness-oriented person can't really be ready for a workout without the food that's going to both fuel and repair them easily on hand! Luckily, that's where 6 Pack Fitness' original meal management bags come in. Get the yoga lover an Asana Yoga Tote, the camping enthusiast a Limited Edition Realtree Camo Expedition 300, and the person who never seems to leave their office (except to work out) an Executive 300 Briefcase.

Intra-workout

Suppz

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) make a yummy, refreshing gift. We particularly like the fun flavors of Man Sport's concoctions. Give their "Sour Batch" flavor a try!

Attire

Knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and weight belts are essentials in every gym bag. Cardillo is one of our favorite high-quality brands when it comes to these items; they offer both training and powerlifting belts to cater to the specific needs of the fitness buff in your life.

Gear

Any athlete can benefit from a fitness watch or tracker, such as Moov watches. Specifically, their new heart rate tracker MoovHR can help an athlete remain precise and on top of their goals. (Get more fitness tracker ideas in our guide to the best fitness trackers of 2016.) Weightlifting shoes are another solid purchase so that your athlete doesn't skip leg day; we like the Adipower Weightlifting Shoes from Adidas.

"The Little Things"

These can make all the difference! Sweat-resistant headphones, liquid chalk, a fitness journal, and Versa Gripps are perfect small gifts to include on your holiday shopping list.

Post-workout

Suppz

Protein powder, because duh. Personally, we're big fans of Gaspari Precision Protein, About Time Whey Protein Isolate, and AllPro Science Nutrition Grass Fed Whey. To enhance their post-workout shake, you may also consider supplements like Glutamine and creatine.

Food

Gotta feed your hard work! We like Myoatmeal (customizable oats!), Real Good Foods Low Carb Pizza, 6 Pack Fitness Hot Sauce, ABS Protein Pancakes and P28 Original Bread. You can also surprise your fitness-loving friend with some of our pre-prepared meals delivered right to their door – though you might want to give them a heads-up to expect a tasty surprise! A food scale and kitchen utensils are smaller but still useful options. Just remember: dieting can be hard, so provide them with tools that can make life a little yummier!

Body Repair

Massage gift cards (professional or homemade!), WOD repair lotion essential kit, and Icy Hot all make fantastic body repair stocking stuffers.

Badass Watches

  This badass watch will look great on any swole wrist. Check out Gear'd Hardware watches here. The Zx1-1116 digital watch that is pictured above can we found here. There you have it! Treat the hard-working athletes in your life to the extras and essentials they've been drooling over, and watch them thrive. Happy shopping! This post is courtesy of 6 Pack team member Danielle Levy-Wolins. About the author: Danielle Levy-Wolins knows these bags through and through! She works in 6 Pack Fitness' customer service department, and when she isn't at her desk, she can be found upside-down in a handstand or lifting weights at her CrossFit gym. Check out more of her work in her primer to CrossFit nutrition and guide to the best way to take care of your bag and accessories. test