Together With KNKG
What’s In Your Gym Bag? (And Why It Really Matters)
Arnold arrived in America in 1968 with nothing but a gym bag and a dream. That’s not mythology. That’s the truth.
In that bag was everything he needed to begin the life he had been imagining since he was a teenager in a small Austrian village. He didn’t speak much English. He didn’t have money. But he had a gym bag and the belief that if he kept showing up every day, a different future was possible.
That bag wasn’t just luggage. It was a signal. A ritual. A promise he made to himself: I’m here to work.
And decades later, the lesson still holds: The bag isn’t just where your gear lives: it’s where your habits do.
Most people think consistency starts with motivation. Arnold will be the first to tell you: it doesn’t. Motivation comes and goes. A system is what stays.
Most people assume habits are powered by willpower. But willpower is fickle: strong one day, absent the next.
What actually drives reliable consistency is something far more stable and scientific: the habit loop.
The habit loop is the three-step cycle your brain uses to automate behavior:
1. The Cue: A trigger that tells your brain, It’s time to start.
2. The Routine: The action you take—your workout, your warmup, your run.
3. The Reward: The feeling afterward—pride, progress, momentum, relief.
Over time, your brain starts to crave the reward, prompting it to seek the cue. When the cue is clear, simple, and repeatable, the entire system becomes easier. You don’t need inspiration. You just need a signal.
And for many people who train with intention, the most powerful cue is surprisingly ordinary:
It’s the trigger that says, We’re doing this.
It’s the ritual that makes your body shift into readiness.
It’s the first domino that sends the rest falling into place.
The bag isn’t just where your gear lives; it’s where your habits do. A great gym bag doesn’t just carry your stuff. It carries the version of you who shows up.
A great bag makes the hard thing feel inevitable. But not all bags are built for that job.
Some tear. Some sag. Some collapse into themselves like a tired circus tent. Some smell like they’ve fought three world wars inside a wet duffel bag.
And then there’s the bag the Pump Club coaches quietly agreed was the best they’d ever used.
A Look Inside The Gym Bags
You know how John McPhee could write thirty pages about a single object until its entire philosophy revealed itself? KNKG gym bags are one of those objects.
KNKG bags were designed so that every compartment addresses a real need.
A rigid spine so the bag never slumps.
Structured compartments so nothing gets lost in a fabric abyss.
Materials that survive chalk, sweat, travel, rain, and the trunk door you slam too hard.
Handles and stitching that feel like they’ll outlive your grandchildren.
A shape that stays sharp even after years of abuse.
It’s the only bag we’ve found that stands up like a locker, so your gear isn’t buried in a collapsing pile. It’s the only bag that feels equally at home in a powerlifting gym, a conditioning session, or a 6 a.m. airport gate. And it’s the only bag that Pump Club coaches use without being asked.
Not because we needed a sponsor. Because we needed a tool.
Every bag is a biography. So we asked the Pump Club coaches to unzip theirs and show you what’s inside.
What spilled out wasn’t just equipment. It was a philosophy of training and goals.
COACH NIC: AMERICA’S STRONGEST MAN (UNDER 90 KG)
The Craftsman’s Bag
Nic’s bag looks like the tool chest of someone who takes strength seriously—because he does.
What’s inside:
Figure 8 straps
Regular straps
Patella bands
Athletic tape
Vet wrap
K Tape
13mm 2-prong belt
Soft strongman belt
Wrist wraps
Elbow sleeves
Headphones
Lifters
Barefoot shoes
Specialty bar collars
Light band (warmup)
Why it matters: Nic trains in the margins — the small adjustments most people overlook.
Two pairs of shoes? Lifters for squat, overhead, stones. Barefoot shoes for everything else because he needs stability, width, and no unnecessary elevation.
Two belts? A rigid one for maximum support. A soft one for movements that require flexibility or for layering to protect the skin during implements like a log.
Patella bands? Because sleeves weren’t giving him the targeted relief he needed. Compression in the right spot solved the problem.
A light band for warmups, and if you double it up, it works as a hip circle. You can virtually use it on every part of my body to stretch or create resistance.
Tape for holding down gear.
Vet wrap for forearm protection during stones.
K tape for hand tears.
Nic’s bag is precision: every item chosen because it solves a real need.
DANIEL KETCHELL: PUMP CLUB CO-FOUNDER
The Strategist’s Bag
Daniel trains for performance, general health, and the long game. His bag is built for a father of two who now has his eyes on his first competition.
What’s inside:
AirPods Pro
Vanity custom Pump Club belt
Chalk
Figure 8 straps
Wrist wraps
Knee sleeves
A light band for hamstring maintenance when they feel too tight
Momentous Fuel for long workouts
Zero-drop shoes (NOBULL, because he practices what we preach)
A Peace Bear from a Pump Club member (it’s an inspiring story)
Smelling salts (for the deadlift PR he’s going to soon set)
A water bottle
Why it matters: Daniel’s bag is half “be ready for anything” and half sentimental. He carries tools that help him train safely, recover well, and adapt on the fly, but he also carries reminders of the community he’s building.
The Peace Bear isn’t equipment. It’s purpose. And sometimes, that’s the best type of fuel to keep you going.
ADAM BORNSTEIN: PUMP CLUB CO-FOUNDER
The Look Good, Feel Good Bag
Adam doesn’t have one gym. He has whatever space the day gives him. Whether he’s training at home or somewhere on the road. And his bag reflects that philosophy: mobility, resilience, and “no excuses” adaptability.
What’s inside:
AirPods Pro (“lift the world” engraving)
Chalk for heavy deadlifts
Lifting straps for any pulling movement where grip fails
Water bottle (hydration equals performance)
Rumble roller (torture device that isn’t torture)
Light band for daily pullaparts and shoulder health
Slingshot—not for benching, but for lateral walks and hip warmups
NOBULL Drive or Outwork shoes (depends on what is being trained)
Why it matters: Adam’s bag is built around one concept: everything travels. No matter the schedule, the city, or the space available, he has what he needs to train with purpose.
Here’s the simplest performance upgrade most people never do: Pack your gym bag the night before.
That’s it. It turns training from a negotiation into a non-negotiable.
You remove the friction.
You create the cue.
You build the identity.
The routine and reward follow naturally.
After testing dozens of bags—and destroying many along the way—KNKG was the only one that made training feel easier, more intentional, and more fun.
It didn’t just hold our gear. It held our habits.
If you want a bag that removes friction, makes consistency feel automatic, protects your tools, and supports the identity you’re building, KNKG is simply the best we’ve found.
We have two favorites:
The CONQUER Duffel is an organizational beast: six magnetic zones, independent shoe storage, and a structure that stands tall, even when empty.
The CORE Duffel is the flexible all-rounder: collapsible, modular, and perfect for lifters who want efficiency without bulk
As an APC reader, enjoy 20% off site-wide using the code PUMPCLUB. The special offer expires on December 20th.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
