Gifts for a Dad Who Works Out: Practical Picks He Will Use

The best gifts for a dad who works out are practical things he will use every week and would not think to buy for himself: resistance bands, a dip belt, lifting straps, a foam roller, a training log or a grip mat that keeps him steady on the bench. Pick by how he trains, whether that is a home gym in the garage, an early session before work, getting back into lifting after 50 or coaching the kids. Skip anything with a size, and skip gadgets that end up in a drawer.

What do you get a dad who works out?

Start with where and how he trains. A dad with a garage gym needs different things from one who is at the gym before anyone else is awake. Then apply two filters:

• Something he uses every week. Gear that is part of every session gets used, and he thinks of you each time.
• Nothing with a size or a learning curve. Shoes, belts, knee sleeves and training clothes come in fits he is particular about. A gadget that needs an app, a charger and a manual tends to end up in a drawer.

Here is the short version, by kind of dad.

For a younger lifter on your list, or a gym lover who seems to have everything, here are more gym gifts for men who lift.

What should you get a dad with a home gym in the garage?

A garage gym dad has usually bought the big pieces already: a bench, some weights, maybe a rack. The best gifts make that space better to train in. If he is still putting it together, here is what to buy first for a home gym, and what can wait.

• Resistance bands. Assisted pull-ups, warm-ups and extra tension on bar work, all from one hook on the rack.
• A dip belt. Once bodyweight pull-ups and dips get easy, a dip belt hangs plates from his hips and keeps the pull-up bar useful for years.
• A wall timer. For rest periods, easy to read from across the garage.
• A grip mat for the bench. Garage benches are often budget benches with smooth vinyl pads, and a garage gets hot in summer. Sweat on vinyl means sliding toward the rack on every press. Here is how to fix a slippery vinyl bench at home.

“My home bench is cheap vinyl. This made a budget pad feel like a real bench. Best upgrade I have bought that was not another pair of plates.”

What should you get a dad who trains before work?

The early gym regular trains at a commercial gym, often in the first hour it is open, and then goes to work. His best gifts live in the gym bag and save him time.

• A big water bottle. One that holds enough for the whole session.
• A lock. Simple and sturdy, for the locker.
• Lifting straps. For heavy deadlifts and rows, when his grip gives out before his back does. Leather lasso straps come in one size and break in to the hand.
• A grip mat that rolls into the bag. Shared gym pads are worn and slick. A mat he lays down before each set gives him the same setup on every bench and machine, without hunting for the one good pad.

What should you get a dad who is back at it after 50?

Plenty of men come back to lifting in their 50s, and plenty never stopped. Most train smarter than they did at 25: a longer warm-up, a careful setup, and lifts they can repeat week after week. The best gifts support exactly that.

• A steady bench. Sliding on the pad means bracing against the bench instead of pressing the bar. A grip mat holds him where he set up, so every rep starts from the same position.
• A swivel cable handle. A handle on a full swivel turns with his wrist through the pull, instead of making the wrist follow a fixed handle.
• Light resistance bands. For shoulder warm-ups, band pull-aparts and easy mobility work on rest days.
• A plan for heavy dumbbells. The hardest part of a heavy dumbbell press is often getting the weights up to the start. Here is how to get heavy dumbbells into position for the press.

“I am 56. I do not need extra slipping and bracing. Mat keeps me stable so I can train hard without fighting the equipment.”

What should you get a dad who coaches the kids?

The dad who coaches a youth team, or trains with his own kids, spends the year buying gear for everyone else. Gifts that make his coaching easier, or give him back a bit of his own training, land well.

• A stopwatch or interval timer. For drills, rest periods and timed sets.
• A training log. One for his own sessions, kept apart from the team sheets.
• A set of resistance bands. For team warm-ups, and for his own training once practice is done.
• A big water jug. The sideline needs one, and he will be the one carrying it.

What are good recovery gifts for a dad who works out?

Recovery is the part of training most dads skip, which makes it a good place for a gift.

• A foam roller. For the legs, hips and upper back after a session.
• A massage ball. Small enough for the gym bag, for the spots a roller cannot reach.
• A heating pad. For a stiff back after a long day at work and a hard session.
• Something for sleep. A good eye mask or blackout curtains. Sleep is where the training turns into progress.

What should you skip?

A few gifts look right and miss.

• Anything with a size. Shoes, belts, knee sleeves and training clothes. Lifters are particular about fit, and an exchange takes the fun out of it.
• Gadgets. Anything that needs an app, a subscription or a charger before it does its job.
• Big equipment he did not ask for. Benches, racks and machines are personal choices, and they take up floor space he has already planned.
• Supplements. They depend on his health and his doctor, so leave them to him.

Why is a grip mat a good gift for a dad who lifts?

It needs no size, and it makes the equipment he already owns feel steadier. PR Grip is a double-sided grip mat: HexaTrac on one face holds the bench, and the other face holds him. It measures 16 x 26 inches (about 41 x 66 cm), fits standard flat and adjustable benches, and also works on leg press seats and most machine pads.

It grips through pressure, not adhesive, so it leaves nothing on the bench at home or at the gym. It weighs about 300 grams, rolls into a gym bag, and wipes clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, or goes in a cold wash.

“I lift better when I am not scared of the equipment. That is the real review. PR Grip made the bench feel like it was on my side.”

See the PR Grip mat

Frequently asked questions