UrbanUpdate

It’s been a weird year: no 10ks to train for, no pick-up hoops to play, group classes gone, closures and masks at your gym. At the same time, it’s never been more important to move your body and burn off some stress.

So even though this is an ignominious year all around, it feels right that 2020 also marks GQ’s first-ever Fitness Awards. Working out isn’t the only factor in staying physically and mentally healthy—but it’s a big one. That’s why we talked to the fittest people we know and obsessively tested our way to 70 GQ-worthy products, from the best sweat-wicking tees and most stylish running gear to the best home gym basics and big-ticket machines.

Whether you get your fix from living room kettlebell swings, big days on the bike, or running long distances, this is the gear you need for going hard, feeling strong, and looking good while you’re doing it.

Best Workout Shirts

Best Everyday Tee: Rhone Reign Tech Short-SleeveRhone’s signature Reign tees are aptly named: They’ve literally reigned supreme atop our annual Best Workout Shirt rankings for as long as we’ve been doing them. They come with everything: an airy, odor-fighting, sweat-wicking, nipple-hiding fabric, plus an engineered, seamless fit that hugs the body in the right places (around your biceps, so the sleeves don’t ride up and down) and stays loose elsewhere (your shoulders, armpits, and—shudder—gut). And for 2020, Rhone dropped a trio of two-tone knits—just in time to give your gym fits the boost they’ve been missing.

Rhone Reign Tech Short Sleeve Shirt$78

Rhone

Best Running Tee: District Vision Air-Wear Short-SleeveThis cult New York running label is so laser-focused on crafting the leanest, no-frills performance gear on the planet that the fact that their stuff is also stylish as hell almost feels like an accident. Take these Air-Wear tees: They’re featherlight and insanely breathable, thanks to a proprietary hidden mesh that’s revealed only when stretched, and the laser-cut construction means they’re neat and tidy around the edges. There’s something so beautiful and crisp about the stripped-down precision that you’ll want to wear an Air-Wear tee all the time—whether you’re clocking miles or just hanging on the couch.

District Vision Air–wear Short Sleeve Shirt$85

District Vision

Best Long-Sleeve Tee: Jacques Performance Mock L-sleeveThese mock-neck tees from NY label Jacques have all the refined, well-tailored, old-world decorum you get from seeing your great-grandpa’s sepia-tinted varsity team photos—but packed with modern comforts under the hood. The quick-drying Italian fabric regulates your body’s temperature, and the bonded seams ensure you’ll stay comfortable and chafe-free no matter how hard you’re pushing yourself. This long-sleeve is just the thing for those crisp, late-autumn days when you have a lunch date at noon and a trail race at 2.

Jacques Performance Mock Long Sleeve Shirt$140

Jacques

Best Tank Top: Iffley Road Lancaster Drirelease VestToo self-conscious to be the shirtless guy working out in public? Iffley Road’s barely-there running tank is the next best thing. Cut from a tech-infused piqué fabric, it will keep you cool and dry in even the swampiest of conditions. All without ever exposing your nipples—or your “under construction” six-pack—to the world.

Iffley Road Lancaster Drirelease Vest$60

Iffley Road

Best Workout HoodiesThere are plenty practical reasons to love the Vuori Ponto Performance Pullover hoodie: the sweat-wicking fabric is the ideal non-suffocating weight for year-round workouts; the flat-lock seams prevent chafing; the big pouch pocket has zippers to keep your gear safe. But if we’re being honest, the Performance Pullover landed a GQ Fitness Award for one reason: This thing is soft. Like, “newborn kitten napping in a cashmere sweater” soft. But if you don’t really care about having a spy satellite’s worth of technology packed into your workout clothing, the hardy, heavy knitwear of the Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Pullover Hoodie—made in Canada and burly enough to handle meat-freezer shadow-boxing or whatever other Rocky training montage type stuff you’re getting into—is the best of the old-school bunch.  

Vuori "Ponto" Performance Pullover$110

REI

Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Pullover Hoodie$145

Reigning Champ

Satisfy Running's jacket is shinier than you think.

Martin BrownBest Fitness Outerwear

Satisfy injects the staid sport of distance running with a little anarchy: Its training shorts come in leopard and snakeskin prints; its signature tees are moth-eaten and tie-dyed. The Satisfy Packable Windbreaker doubles down on showiness. That silvery water-repellent ripstop shell is fully reflective, so all eyes remain focused directly on you as you clock some after-hours miles. The Arc’teryx Sigma SL anorak is a little more low-key but no less tech-laden, and hides a perfectionist's attention to detail. It's light as air, able to shrug off harsh alpine conditions, and breathable enough to prevent overheating while you’re scrambling up a mountain—or taking a winter run around the neighborhood. No wonder Errolson Hugh—the elite designer behind Acronym—once dubbed Arc’teryx’s jackets “the Hèrmes bags of men's performance wear." 

Satisfy Packable Windbreaker$443

Satisfy

Arctery'x Sigma SL Anorak$189

Arctery'x

Best Workout Accessories

Kavu Trail Runner HatA running hat has to do more than you think: keep the sun and sweat out of your eyes and the rain off your scalp, and let your head breathe. The Kavu Trail Runner hat delivers all that, plus something few running hats do: look cool as hell with its untouchable tie-dye-and-patterned-nylon take.

Kavu Trail Runner Hat$28

Kavu

Best SunglassesSure, sure, the Westward Leaning Volt 03 are resilient and secure, light and comfortable, and decked out with removable scratch-, sweat-, and fingerprint-resistant lenses. Their superpower, though, is hitting the sweet spot between sci-fi Balenciaga and dugout Kenny Powers, making you look incredibly rad in the process. But if you’re not joining us on Team Wraparound yet or you’re sticking to a tight budget, the Goodr Circle GS are cheap and well-engineered. For just $25 you get a classic shape, reflective polarized lenses, and a grippy fit that won’t slip off or bounce around while you’re trail running or crushing a WOD.

Westward Leaning Volt 03 Sunglasses$165

Westward Leaning

Goodr Circle Gs$25

Goodr

Best Workout Shorts

Most Versatile Workout Shorts: Outdoor Voices Rec ShortsThink of Outdoor Voices’ Rec shorts as the gym-rat younger brother of the ubiquitous Patagonia Baggie shorts. They’ve got the same TikTok-approved 5” inseam and techy exterior, just leveled up for getting after it with a built-in liner and zipped pockets to keep your phone and essentials on lock. Oh, and did we mention they clock in just under $60 a pop? We defy you to find a radder, more versatile pair of workout bottoms anywhere for the price.

Outdoor Voices Rec Shorts$58

Outdoor Voices

Most Stylish Running Shorts: Tracksmith Ekiden ShortsSerious runners require serious running shorts. And nobody designs more serious running kits than Tracksmith, the Boston label that transplants Chariots of Fire–era aesthetics onto modern marathon-ready gear. Their latest concoction is these thigh-high split shorts inspired by Japan’s Hakone Ekiden—a legendary 218-kilometer relay race—fashioned from plush, antimicrobial mesh. They can’t guarantee you’ll deliver a PR, but every time you pull them on, you’ll feel like one’s coming.

Tracksmith Ekiden Shorts$65

Tracksmith

Best Pure Gym Shorts: Ten Thousand Interval Shorts[Jon Hamm voice] These are the not-effing-around shorts. When you’ve got gains to make, goals to hit, and no time to waste, Ten Thousand’s purpose-built activewear will get you where you need to go. The company’s signature Interval shorts—packed with everything from an unbunchable, pinch-free waistband to a magically flexible shell that stretches with you to the hidden zip pockets and laser-cut ventilation—are the pinnacle of peak performance shorts.

Ten Thousand Interval Short$58

Ten Thousand

Best Workout Underwear

It’s nearly impossible to find everyday underwear that offers the same amount of comfort and stability as a pair of compression shorts, but the Mack Weldon AIRKNITx Trunk cracked the code. We put these lightweight trunks through nearly every workout you can think of—cycling, weight-lifting, running, tennis, yoga—and they kept us cool and in place, all the way through. If you're looking to treat yourself, though, try the CDLP Mobilité Boxer Brief, designed in Stockholm and crafted in a family-owned Portuguese fábrica. Made with recycled polyester, its numerous mesh panels make for extra breathability and, well, mobility—even in the deepest HIIT workout squats, they wouldn’t bunch up. And if you need to be more fiscally prudent in refreshing your exercise-undies collection, the no-frills New Balance Premium 6-Inch Boxer Brief hits all the right marks: a non-shouty tonal waistband and soft modal fabric, which handles moisture better than regular ol’ cotton while still maintaining its shape.

Mack Weldon AIRKNITx Trunk$26

Mack Weldon

CDLP Mobilité Boxer Brief$48

CDLP

New Balance Premium 6-Inch Boxer Brief$20

New Balance

Myles Momentum Compression ShortWe initially wrote off the Momentum Compression Short, assuming there would be no way the thicker, less-synthetic-feeling jersey-like fabric could handle high amounts of sweat and moisture. Our bad, Myles. After multiple gym workouts, we put these shorts through the ultimate test: two hours of tennis on a soupy 90-degree day. By the end, the Momentum short was the only piece of non-soaked clothing we had on. Oh, and the side pocket—which fits your phone, debit card, or keys—will make you wonder why there isn’t one on every pair of compression shorts.

Myles Momentum Compression Short$38

Myles

Rhone Compression TightWhether you’re gearing up for chillier days or have committed to the tights-and-shorts look, the Rhone Compression Tight has you covered. Performance-wise, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another set that keeps its shape as well without feeling like your circulation is cut off. And the stark black, low-key design (with only Rhone’s trademark triple-X logo subtly placed near the leg hem) means these compression tights play nice with even the loudest shorts in your rotation.

Rhone Compression Tight$68

Rhone

Baboon to the Moon's hard-wearing day duffel flexes even harder in electric blue or searing lime.

Martin BrownBest Gym Bags

A lot of companies make bags out of Cordura, a ballistic nylon originally developed for the military—but not very many of them have as much fun with the stuff as the goofily named Baboon to the Moon Day Duffel does. It’s got the roomy pockets and near-indestructibility required of any gym bag, with the added bonus of some wild-as-hell hues. But if your aesthetic veers more gorp than god-that’s-bright, the legendary Patagonia Black Hole Duffel—which has been hauled across every imaginable kind of terrain, to the farthest corners of the globe, by adventurers—remains undefeated. (As in, yes, the littlest Black Hole can handle some rank shoes and a rainy sprint from the car to the gym door.) And if you’re dead set on leveling up your gym gear, opt for the Bottega Veneta Tote Bag. Besides being the extremely practical, exceedingly fly height of gym flexes, the bag’s massive mesh pocket on the front lets your swampiest duds get the air they desperately need.

Baboon To The Moon Gym Duffel$99

Baboon To The Moon

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel$129

Patagonia

Bottega Veneta Tote Bag$1,000

Bottega Veneta

Best Workout Socks

We deeply stan Nike’s socks, and the Nike Everyday Max Cushioned Sock is no exception. They've got a slightly thicker terry sole for perfect cushioning and construction that will survive longer than most athletic socks we’ve used. If you're planning to run long distances, though, get the Stance Athletic Tabbed Sock. Instead of feeling filmy on your feet, like most thin running-specific socks, these have a little extra underfoot cushioning where you need it, but maximum ventilation everywhere else. For those with blister issues, the poly-cotton Bombas Performance Tennis Calf Socks, with their Achilles-swaddling ankle padding, will protect you from the fresh hell of gross skin bubbles. Plus Bombas donates a pair of socks for every pair purchased. Upgrade your sock drawer...for a good cause.

Nike Everyday Plus Cushion Crew Socks$18

Nike

Stance Athletic Tab ST Socks$15

Stance

Bombas Performance Tennis Calf Socks$16

Bombas

Hoka's Clifton L: big soles for putting up big miles and big fits.

Martin BrownBest Running Sneakers

Most Stylish: Hoka One One Clifton LHoka One One was doing extremely chunky runners before the fashion kids ever caught on, and for good reason. The hulked-up, deceptively light soles on the company’s freshly dropped Clifton L provide a smooth, cushioned ride for runners of all levels—especially those who need a little extra support to cope with chronic pain issues or when returning from an injury. And yeah, they look great when you’re not logging splits, too.

Hoka Clifton L$150

Hoka

Best Carbon-Fiber Upgrade: Saucony Endorphin ProNike has dominated the racing shoe game from an innovation perspective for the last few years—but with the Endorphin Pro, it finally has some competition. Unlike other carbon fiber plate kicks on the market, which can have a foamy, mushy feel, Saucony’s debut carbon racer has a locked-in, close-to-foot fit with a natural ride.

Saucony Endorphin Pro$200

Saucony

Best Workhorse: Nike Pegasus 37As usual, the latest iteration of Nike’s classic neutral sneaker is sturdy enough to train in, light enough to race in, and cool enough to run errands in. The biggest change this year is the Zoom airbag under the ball of your foot, providing better cushioning and responsiveness. (If you’re keeping score, that’s Zoom pods 1, Zoom meetings 0.)

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37$120

Nike

Best Old-School Racer: Asics MetaracerThe pendulum has swung all the way back from the barefoot running days. Spurred by Nike’s Vaporfly line, the new wave in go-fast running shoes is packing in a ton of foam...but not everyone likes how that feels underfoot. Enter Asics’ Metracer, which combines modern tech (a carbon plate) with an old-school, close-to-the-ground feel—and looks great doing it.

Asics Metaracer$200

Asics

Fastest Everyday Runner: Brooks Hyperion TempoBrooks took its next-level racing foam and put it into a sturdier shoe—sans race-day carbon plate—so you can enjoy that bouncing-on-clouds sensation on your fast training runs, too.

Brooks Hyperion Tempo$150

Brooks

Most Versatile: New Balance FuelCell Echo This one from New Balance makes some unconventional design moves that add up to running shoe with the looks of a limited edition drop. The knit upper comes complete with a ribbed collar that looks a bit like a sweatshirt, and the sneaker’s full-length rubber outsole means it brings great grip for treadmill or track work.

New Balance FuelCell Echo$100

New Balance

Best Gym Shoes

Best CrossFit Kicks: Reebok Nano x FroningIf the phrases “burpee-over-barbell” or “toes-to-bar” are in your regular vocabulary, then these sneakers should be in your closet. A collab between Reebok and CrossFit legend Rich Froning, the new Nano is ideal for both uptempo HIIT and heavy weight training thanks to a flexible but ultra-stable construction.

Reebok Nano X Froning$150

Reebok

Best Platform for Lifting Heavy: UnderArmour TriBase Reign 2You’ll be hard-pressed to find another shoe that performs as well as the Reign 2 in the weight room. The sneaker’s low center of gravity and grippy sole means your clean-and-jerks stay as clean as can be.

UnderArmour TriBase Reign 2$91

Under Armour

Best for HIIT: Nike Air Zoom SuperRepChoosing the right shoe to wear to a HIIT or bootcamp class has always been a bit of a dilemma—you need something stable enough to throw weight, but nothing so stiff or heavy you’ll be swearing after two minutes of treadmill sprints. With the Super Rep, Nike dialed in the flexibility-stability compromise precisely, and even designed a small gap between the forefoot and heel that’s the perfect cradle for a resistance band.

Nike Air Zoom SuperRep$120

Nike

Best For the Treadmill (and Everything Else): On Running Cloud XCo-founded by a champion triathlete, the cult Swiss label On is best known for its propulsive distance-running shoes and its newly-minted endorsement deal with Roger Federer. The sleek Cloud X is its most versatile model—it rocks front-to-back like a pure runner (great for the treadmill), but it has enough lateral stability for side lunges and dance cardio. Hell, you could play some pickup indoor soccer in these things.

On Running Cloud X$140

On Running

Best Cycling Gear

Best Step-Up Bike: Cannondale Topstone CarbonCycling isn’t all spandex shorts and skinny tires anymore. The wave these days is gravel, a style of ride that takes all the fun of road riding (big climbs, long rides, fast bikes) and brings it off-road. The ideal bike for this is essentially a road machine with wider tires and maybe a bit of suspension. What you get is a bike that’s up for anything—or, in the Cannondale’s case, a bike that can do everything really damn well. It’s quick on city streets, handles impeccably on hard-packed gravel, and saves your ass (literally) on trails thanks to the small amount of rear suspension. The only thing it can’t do is pedal itself home after you grab a post-ride beer.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX 2 Bicycle$3,300

Cannondale

Best A-to-B City Bike: All-City Space Horse TiagraThe Space Horse harkens back to cycling’s origins: simple lines, steel tubing. From far away you could mistake it for a vintage Cinelli. But this Minneapolis-built bike is fast, responsive, and more than anything, fun. You’ll want to ride to work every day and saddle up again on the weekend to knock out a half-century. And All City’s bikes are built to last. Think of it like buying a Honda—be kind, and it’ll last longer than you imagined.

All City Space Horse Tiagra Bicycle$1,600

All City

Best Bike Helmet: Giro Syntax Mips helmetYou don’t need some $350 Fast Guy model, and you certainly don’t want to sweat your ass off with one of those stuffy skateboard-adjacent helmets (they’re heavy and you’ll just sweat), but you’ve gotta cover your dome. Giro’s Syntax is loaded with vents to keep your head cool, features the latest Mips technology, which helps protect your spine from twisting rotational forces in a crash, and it sports an unassuming form-follows function look. Just make sure you get the fit right—try one on at a local shop, or at the very least, measure your head.

Giro Syntax Mips Helmet$120

Giro

Best Bike Kit: Team Dream clothingTeam Dream started as a joke amongst friends. A handful of cyclists in Topanga Canyon built a fictional cycling team and made kits for their pals. Their logo? A chubby bobcat. Now Team Dream operates out of what they call The Cub House—a storefront, bike shop, and coffee shop in San Marino, California. From the spandex shorts to their limited-edition t-shirts, everything’s made in the U.S. The color palette isn’t shy (purple, yellow, royal blue, De Stijl, cow print) and they’ve taken a page out of the streetwear handbook with seasonal drops that sells out as fast as a Tour de France peloton.

Team Dream Bicycle Milk Chocolate Cow Long Sleeve Jersey$135

Team Dream Bicycle

The Theragun Pro is the best knot-busting, cramp-preventing, muscle-recovery massage gun around.

Martin BrownBest Recovery Tools

TriggerPoint Grid Foam RollerAt this point, foam rollers are essential to recovery, and they’ve overtaken the squat rack to become the most-hogged item at every gym across America. So BYO a TriggerPoint Grid of your very own. It’s compact enough to stash in your gym bag, and while some other rollers feel like they’re ripping off your skin, the Grid Foam Roller’s gentler EVA foam tricks you into thinking a post-workout roll might actually be pleasant this time.

TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller$35

TriggerPoint

Best Massage GunsIf you measure a good workout by how broken you feel afterward, you’ll want the Theragun PRO on hand. An ergonomic handle and adjustable massage head to ensure you hit those hard-to-reach places. The Therabody app delivers guided treatment presets, and six different attachments—our favorite is the Supersoft for gliding over bony body parts—make the Theragun Pro the most versatile massage gun on the market. Luckily, if you're on a budget, there's the Lifepro Sonic Mini Quiet Massage Gun, which lives up to its name. You can use the balanced, lightweight (just 2.5 pounds) muscle pulverizer while watching TV without needing closed captions—and for a reasonable price. 

Therabody Theragun PRO$599

Theragun

Lifepro Sonic Mini Quiet Massage Gun$150

Lifepro

Foot Rubz Massage BallNot to be confused with a dog toy, this wacky little ball offers big relief for anyone pounding the pavement or the floor during a workout. Just step on the Foot Rubz and roll it around. The alien bumps supposedly help stimulate acupressure points on your feet—though whether you believe that or not, you’ll enjoy feeling those pesky foot muscles and tendons unclench almost instantly.

Foot Rubz Massage Ball$5

Amazon

BlenderBottle Classic ShakerIf it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The classic BlenderBottle has a screw-on lid that won’t leak, while the signature BlenderBall breaks up and distributes protein powder so you don’t get those nasty clumps.

BlenderBottle Classic V2 Shaker Bottle$10

Amazon

Yeti 18 oz. Rambler with Chug CapWhether you’re summiting a 14er, doing yoga in the backyard, or simply deep in the WFH grind, this Yeti bottle should be by your side. It’s insanely durable, comes in eight different colors, and keeps cool drinks cold so long, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when your last sip is as refreshing as your first gulp.

Yeti 18oz Rambler With Chug Cap$35

Yeti

Joe HolderPhotograph by Matt MartinJoe Holder’s Wellness Favorites

Below you'll find our wellness columnist’s picks for keeping your mind and body running smoothly, with one small caveat: “None of these products will work unless the user...uses them,” explains Holder. “The number one thing on any list should be ‘you.’ If you’ve improvised a quarantine bodyweight workout or just taken the stairs to burn off a little stress this year, you already know nobody necessarily needs more things. We need to use the one thing we already have—our bodies.”

Metagenics Magnesium Glycinate“Estimates suggest that up to 50 percent of the U.S. population might be magnesium deficient. Personally, I love magnesium glycinate for sleep and helping calm down my nervous system—more research is needed, but I've seen real improvements in key physiological metrics like heart rate variability.”

Metagenics Magnesium Glycinate$30

Amazon

Joov Go Red Light Handheld“I think we'll see red light therapy have a moment soon, especially since it’s steadily getting cheaper. Red light is being investigated for its potential to stimulate cell regeneration and promote pain relief. It’s not just me, pro surfer John John Florence swears by it. This is super-preliminary stuff, but I like JOOV because it provides a rundown of research on its website, and also that this is an FDA-approved device for treating chronic pain.”

Joov Go Red Light Handheld$295

Joovv

Sprout Living Epic Plant Based Protein“I’m picky about protein supplements. It's hard to find one with a simple ingredients list that also tastes great and mixes well. This is the best one I’ve found so far—I usually use the unflavored version. I wish Sprout Living had third-party testing for heavy metals in their protein powder, which may be a concern for plant-based protein supplements. But the company has enough of a track record for me to give it the benefit of the doubt.”

Sprout Living Epic Plant Based Protein$30

Sprout

The Metolius Rock Rings 3D will get you strong like Alex Honnold.

Martin BrownBest Home Gym Equipment

Metrixx Elite Precision E-Coat Kettlebell It’s hard to improve on the kettlebell, and the Metrixx design—perfectly flat bottom; wide handle that's comfortable for two-handed swings—is often mimicked (poorly) by other manufacturers. This model is finished with an e-coat that’s easier on the hands than a cheaper powder coat. These things will outlive your great-grandchildren, and you don’t want those great-grandchildren getting blisters, right?

Metrixx Elite Precision E-Coat Kettlebell$170

KettlebellsUSA

BND Heavy Resistance BandThe gluteus maximus—your butt—is the body’s biggest muscle. You use it for squats, sprinting, big lifts, planks, you name it, and strengthening it keeps your hips and knees healthy, too. These fabric bands are three inches wide, which means they stay firmly in place while pumping out glute bridges, donkey kicks, squats, clamshells, and other booty work. As Greg Smithey said in the 1987 classic Buns of Steel, “If you do this, you’re going to be looking hot.”

BND Heavy Resistance Band$19

BND

Rogue Foam Plyo BoxEver geared up for a box jump only to have your body betray your mind’s command out of the fear that you’ll bash your shins against the hard surface in front of you? Get a friendlier, more forgiving foam box. Rogue’s comes in a variety of heights that can also be stacked together—though try just the 20” version if you’re starting out.

Rogue Foam Plyo Box$175

Rogue

Metolius Rock RingsChannel your inner Alex Honnold from the comfort of your living room. Hardcore climbing brand Metolius’ signature rock rings are a classic tool for climbers—and even if you’re not eyeing El Cap, working out like you are will get you stronger and more cut. The rings can be hung from the ceiling or in a doorway and offer a more challenging and dynamic workout than a static pull-up bar, while the different grip options will build grip strength and set your forearms on fire. Next stop: two finger pull-ups.

Metolius Rock Rings 3D$35

Metolius

Everlast's weighted-handle jump rope will get your forearms screaming. 

Martin Brown

Everlast Evergrip Weighted Jump RopeJumping rope is just about the most efficient way to get your heart rate up, but you’re missing out on a better workout if you’re not using weighted handles. The soft handles on this Everlast rope have 1.5 pound removable weights (more than enough, trust us) and are comfy to squeeze. The weights will test your arms and shoulders without sacrificing speed—you still gotta do your double-unders.

Everlast Evergrip Weighted Jump Rope$17

Everlast

Core Home Fitness Adjustable DumbbellsAdjustable dumbbells are a no-brainer when building out your home gym, particularly if your home gym is also your home office. Core Home’s version shifts from 5 to 50 pounds with a few clicks, but what gives this set the edge is that, as the weight decreases, the length of the weight gets smaller. Unlike similar systems, the five-pounder is appropriately small and easy to manipulate when working tiny muscles or rehabbing injuries.

Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells$350

Core Home Fitness

Spri Dual Grip XerballIt’s a medicine ball—with handles! Like a back-up camera on a car, you were fine without it, but can’t imagine going back. Not only do handles make the ball more versatile, they also mean your sweaty hands are less likely to drop the ball on your face. (And if you want to train your grip strength, no one will make you use the handles.)

Spri Dual Grip Xerball$50

SPRI

Jade Yoga Harmony MatThere are plenty of thick, squishy mats out there, and while they may be comfy for savasana at the end of class, their soft and unstable surfaces can cause problems for your wrists, ankles, and joints. The Harmony’s natural rubber provides a comfy base, but with enough springiness and resistance to keep things from getting squirrely when you bust out a handstand.

Jade Yoga Harmony Mat$70

Jade Yoga

Best Home Fitness Machines

Nordic Track x11i Treadmill If you have to run inside on a treadmill, you’ll want that treadmill to be as dynamic as possible to avoid boredom. Killian Jornet—a.k.a., the superman endurance athlete who summited Mount Everest twice in one week, by himself, without oxygen—uses a Nordic Track Incline machine because it’s capable of a 40 percent incline and a 6 percent decline, which simulates the ups and downs of trail running and hiking.

Nordic Track x11i Treadmill$2,249

NordicTrack

MirrorThe Mirror is the home workout machine benevolently delivered to us from the future. It’s a sleek, easy-on-the-eyes mirror—until you turn it on, and suddenly find yourself transported straight to a yoga studio, HIIT class, boxing workout, or any of the hundreds of class offerings. (These are accessed through a $39/month membership.) You can see both yourself (it’s a mirror) and a video-recorded instructor (or, for extra money, a real-time one-on-one personal trainer) alongside your heart rate and workout stats.

Mirror$1,495

Mirror

SoulCycle At-Home BikeRiding a stationary bike alone at home in a dim room can’t recreate the in-class energy—the loud music, flashing lights, and sweat flinging—of your regular studios, but the SoulCycle Bike comes as close as we’ve found. SoulCycle’s sleek matte black bike has a 21” touchscreen display that transports you right into a spin session. The whole thing is powered by the Variis app ($40/month) and gives users access to other on-demand workouts from studios and gyms like Equinox and Pure Yoga. And with all that comes a pulsing soundtrack and inspirational talk from an extremely fit guru, minus the type-A focus on leaderboards and power output you’ll find at that other at-home spinning company.

SoulCycle At-Home Bike$2,500

Variis

Peloton TreadThe Tread feels nice. Its belt is made of springy rubber slats for the kind of realistic running experience you’ll only get on a luxury treadmill. Thoughtfully-placed knobs at hip level let you easily dial in speed and incline. But you’re really here for Peloton’s live and on-demand workouts ($39/month) beamed to the treadmill’s 32” touchscreen and soundbar. They’re inspirational enough to turn treadmill time into something you’ll eagerly anticipate. For the hyper-competitive among us, you can see a leaderboard during classes to see where you stack up. In short, the Tread is everything that Peloton bike devotees love to evangelize, for the runner set.

Peloton Tread$4,295

Peleton

Hydrow RowerEverything about the sleek Hydrow was engineered to trick you into thinking you were out on the water: the computer controlled resistance is engineered to feel like you’re manhandling an oar, while the 22-inch screen brings a workout—which are accessed through a $38/month membership—to life. A wall-storage kit lets you fold it up and away when not in use—though, honestly, the Hydrow is handsome enough that you might just want to leave it out.

Hydrow Rower$2,245

Hydrow

Garmin's Fenix 6 Pro Solar likes being out in the sun as much as you.

Martin BrownBest Fitness Tech

Best Fitness Smartwatch: Garmin Fenix 6 Pro SolarHere’s what the Fenix 6 Pro Solar doesn’t have: a touchscreen, or a subtle presence—the smallest size (42mm) is big and the largest (51mm) is positively giant. But everything else—a heart rate monitor, thermometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and altimeter—it wraps up in titanium, including its killer app: glass that converts the sun’s rays into energy. That meant we could worry less about keeping it charged, and more about getting our miles in.

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar$850

Garmin

Best Everyday Fitness Smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 5The best everyday fitness tracker is also the best smartwatch, and for a reason: the Apple Watch does a lot, well, and it’s backed by a deep app store that only makes it more capable. (We’re partial to Breathe’s breathing exercises and Yazio’s meal and calorie tracking.) Whether you’re an experienced triathlete or a weekend surfer, the Watch delivers—and can stay on your wrist when you’re off the bike or the board, too.

Apple Watch Series 5$399

Apple

Best Hardcore Fitness Tracker: WHOOP Strap 3.0There’s a reason why everyone from newly-bulked-up golfer Bryson DeChambeau to reigning NFL champion Patrick Mahomes are wearing this thing, especially now. The all-seeing monitor tracks heart-rate, sleep, recovery, even strain levels—and gives you personalized feedback on how you can level-up your body for ideal performance day after day. (The service costs $18 or more per month; the hardware itself is free when you sign up.) With data points like respiratory rate and heart rate variability, the Whoop 3.0 feels like you’re plugging into your body’s version of the Matrix.

WHOOP Strap 3.0$18

Whoop

Best Fitness AppsPerfect for cardio fiends especially, Strava (the free version) tracks a ton of useful metrics, like the speed and altitude of your bike ride, run, hike, or walk. But here in the Socially Distanced Year of Our Lord 2020, Strava’s ability to keep workout buddies connected is its most powerful feature. Seeing the routes your pals run, cheering on their efforts (or, ragging on them for still losing to you on a local stretch of road), and even joining together to create your own “club” makes Strava feel like the healthiest social media app on your phone. For those who need more than just some virtual high-fives, MyFitnessPal Premium delivers all the necessary workout-tracking tools plus detailed macronutrient information, wieght-tracking, and customizable goals—for a $10-a-month price.

Strava

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Strava

MyFitnessPal Premium$10

MyFitnessPal Premium

Withings Body+ Body Composition ScaleThis scale is the closest you can get to the locker room on the Starship Enterprise. It can give you a daily weather forecast. It’ll tell you how much of your body is made of bone. It’ll compensate for micro-variations in gravity depending on where you are on the planet. But it’s also a powerful fitness tracking device—it syncs with apps like Strava and Apple Health, it can recognize eight different users automatically, and, yes, it will tell you how much you weigh.

Withings Body+ Body Composition Scale$100

Withings

Best Workout HeadphonesIn 2020, we’re living a cord-free life. But that doesn’t make every set of wireless earbuds ready to handle a 5K or 5 sets of 10 reps. Our favorite overall workout headphones are the Jabra Elite Active 75ts, which pack an impressive sonic punch. Their tiny package makes them extremely comfortable to wear, and they lock into place impressively well. But if you have oddly shaped ears or take your shadow boxing very seriously, spring for the Beats Powerbeats Pro, with their secure over-the-ear hooks. You get a bass-forward sound plus the same easy-Apple-sync’ing system as AirPods. For roughly one-tenth the price of the Beats, The Soundcore Spirit X headphones won’t win any audio awards, but they’re secure, sound good (enough) and sweat-proof—a rarity at this price.

Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro Headphones$250

Beats by Dre

Jabra Elite Active 75t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds$200

Amazon

Soundcore Spirit X Sports Earphones by Anker$26

Amazon

Contributors: Emily Abbate, Bill Bradley, Anna Callaghan, Yang-Yi Goh, Joe Holder, Ben Pardee, Mick Rouse, Daniel VargheseRelated Stories for GQGQ RecommendsTechnologyWorking Out