Episode 38Feb 9, 2026· 9:12

What's in My Gym Bag? The Essentials That Keep Me Safe and Sweating

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About this episode

Ashley Grant walks through the contents of her gym bag in a short solo episode of More Movement Please, covering lifting gloves (bought after weights slipped and hit her), knee braces for old and ongoing knee injuries worsened by weight gain, granola bars added after a dizzy spell during a workout, two water bottles including organic strawberry Gatorade, tissues, gum and mints, hand lotion for weightlifting…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You're scrolling through 'what's in my bag' TikToks and want the audio version from someone who's actually funny and a little chaotic about it.

You want a short, breezy listen while folding laundry or driving — something under 10 minutes that doesn't ask anything of you.

You've had a dumbbell slip or a dizzy spell at the gym and you're curious if anyone else is out here just figuring it out as they go.

You follow someone on social media who seems genuinely themselves online and you want to see if their podcast has that same energy.

You're on a fitness journey yourself and you just want to hear someone else talk about the weird little logistics of it — the granola bars, the knee braces, the Zumba shoes.

What makes this episode interesting

what does someone who's been injured actually keep in their gym bag?

answered

Ashley keeps gloves after weights slipped and hit her, knee braces for an old injury made worse by weight gain, and granola bars after a dizzy spell she traced back to not enough calories.

"with the weights, I actually had them slip and hit me. And so that was the day that I went straight to the store and I bought some gloves so that I wouldn't have to worry about them slipping because, I mean, let's be honest, when you're working out, you sweat a lot. And so I didn't"

gym bag essentials for people with knee problems

answered

Ashley always keeps knee braces in her bag because she injured her knee when she was younger and weight gain made it worse — she wants to be ready for any move that makes her knees angry.

"whenever I was younger and getting overweight really didn't help that. And if anything, it exacerbated the issues that I was having. And"

what to bring to the gym when you're still figuring it out

answered

Ashley started keeping granola bars after getting really dizzy during a workout and reading that it was either dehydration or not enough calories — she says it's not the healthiest bar but it's serving the purpose.

"got really dizzy. And whenever I was looking into it. I kept finding things that were basically saying you're either dehydrated or you haven't had enough calories. And so I started keeping either a granola bar or some kind of something just to have a quick snack in case I start feeling"

weird things people keep in their gym bag

answered

Ashley keeps gum and mints so she's not constantly drinking, a hairbrush for when dumbbells wreck her ponytail, hand lotion for weightlifting calluses, and her podcast microphone because she gets ideas going to and from the gym.

"and the plug in for my phone so that I can record these podcast episodes. That's actually something that I always keep in my bag because as I'm going to and from the gym, I get ideas and then I want"

how do people adapt their gym routine around old injuries?

answered

Ashley describes adapting item by item — Zumba-specific soft-sole shoes because her regular tennis shoes got stuck on the floor during certain moves, and knee braces on standby for anything that might aggravate her old injury.

"shoes that have softer soles for Zumba. And the reason that I use those during Zumba is because it helps me to slide across the floor easier. What was happening before is I was just using my standard tennis shoes and I was actually getting stuck on the floor when we were doing certain"

Setting expectations: This episode is not a curated 'what's in my bag' influencer showcase with sponsored products or optimized gear recommendations. It's Ashley literally going through her actual gym bag item by item, explaining things like why she started carrying granola bars after getting dizzy during a workout and why she keeps a spare knee brace for old injuries.

Tone & style

Personal experience shared in real time. Ashley describes what she carries and why, based on her own incidents. Not advice or recommendations.

toneBreezy & self-deprecating

focusAshley opens her actual gym bag and reads out what's in it — and why each item ended up there.

stylepersonal_confession

energymedium_low

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Texturecasual, self-deprecating, transparent

Notable quotes

"recently where I was working out and I actually got really dizzy. And whenever I was looking into it. I kept finding things that were basically saying you're either dehydrated or you haven't had enough calories. And so I started keeping"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"whenever I was younger and getting overweight really didn't help that. And if anything, it exacerbated the issues that I was having. And"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"I eat the healthiest of granola bars? Probably not. But you know what? It's serving the purpose"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 4 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Why Ashley Is Answering This QuestionAshley introduces the episode, explaining she got a question about what's in her gym bag — inspired by TikTok and Instagram trends — and decides to answer it in the spirit of being transparent and honest with her audience.0:582. Safety and Hydration Items in the BagAshley goes through the practical safety and hydration items she carries: lifting gloves (after weights slipped and hit her), two water bottles including organic strawberry Gatorade, granola bars (added after a dizzy spell during a workout), and knee braces for old and ongoing knee injuries.4:043. The Rest of the Bag: Small EssentialsAshley lists the remaining items: tissues, gum and mints to keep her mouth from getting dry, her wallet with gym key tag, hand lotion for calluses, her podcast microphone (since she records in her car), Zumba-specific soft-sole shoes, a hairbrush, and a stash of hair ties for herself and gym buddies.7:124. Wrapping Up and Inviting Listener ParticipationAshley closes out the gym bag rundown and invites listeners to send her questions, voice notes, or fitness tips via social media and her website, expressing a desire to grow the podcast beyond just her own diary.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personFamous Ashley Grant

The host of More Movement Please, who answers a listener question about what's in her gym bag while sharing personal workout experiences and injuries.

websitefamousashleygrant.com/fitness

Ashley's website where listeners can submit voice notes and questions to potentially appear on the podcast.

productorganic strawberry Gatorade

The recovery drink Ashley currently fills her second water bottle with, though she notes she can't find it on Amazon and is looking for a replacement.

websiteAmazon

Platform where Ashley has been unable to find the organic strawberry Gatorade she uses as a recovery drink.

websiteTikTok

One of the social media platforms Ashley credits as the likely source of the 'what's in your gym bag' trend that prompted the listener question.

websiteInstagram

Social media platform Ashley mentions alongside TikTok as driving the gym bag content trend, and where she can be found as Famous Ashley Grant.

websiteX

Social platform where Ashley's handle is 'Ashley is Famous' rather than Famous Ashley Grant.

websiteFacebook

Social platform where Ashley can be found under the handle Famous Ashley Grant.

Key themes

Working out with real injuries

Ashley carries knee braces because of an old knee injury that got worse with weight gain, and she keeps them on hand for any move that 'makes my knees angry.'

Learning safety the hard way

Ashley bought lifting gloves only after weights slipped and hit her, and added granola bars only after getting dizzy during a workout — each item in her bag has a specific incident behind it.

Figuring out nutrition on the fly

Ashley started keeping granola bars after a dizzy spell mid-workout led her to research and find she was either dehydrated or under-calorized, and she's also actively searching for a new recovery drink after her organic strawberry Gatorade became unavailable.

Adapting gear to specific classes

Ashley keeps a separate pair of soft-sole shoes just for Zumba because her regular tennis shoes were getting stuck on the floor during certain moves.

Transparency as the podcast's whole point

Ashley frames answering a gym bag question as consistent with her stated commitment to being 'completely transparent and honest about all the things,' even when the question is trivial.

Recording the podcast from her car

Ashley keeps her microphone and phone plug in her gym bag because she records episodes in her car on the way to and from the gym when ideas come to her.

Being a resource for gym buddies

Ashley keeps extra hair ties specifically because she's had gym friends ask for them, and she stocks up because they're cheap enough to just give away.

Wanting the podcast to grow beyond her own diary

Ashley closes by soliciting voice notes and pitches from fitness professionals, saying she wants the show to be 'more of a movement' and 'more than just my voice.'

Connected episodes

Shared experience

Radical transparency about the journey

#56But These Shoes! Finding the Right Workout Shoes for Low Impact Cardio, Zumba, and Everyday Wear

Contrast

Podcast as diary vs. broader movement

#54When the Complaining Gets Called Out: A Raw, Honest Check-In

Contrast

Podcast as diary vs. broader movement

#25What Started as a Digital Diary Became a Movement | More Movement Please 2026 Plans

Shared experience

Recording podcast episodes from car