2025 GMB Holiday Gift Guide

One thing that comes with experience is perspective. We’ve tried a lot of products and programs over the years, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of curiosity, and sometimes because something sounded promising enough to be worth testing.

What that experience has taught us is that there’s rarely a single “best” option. Most things are fine. Some are genuinely useful. And the difference usually comes down to whether something fits the person using it and supports their practice in a way that actually lasts. Not everything in this guide is directly related to fitnessing, but the common thread is quality and usefulness.

These are things we’ve found ourselves coming back to, using regularly, and appreciating over time, rather than storing away in a drawer or forgetting about after a week. The best gifts are the one that suits the person receiving it, supports how they like to move (and live), and makes it a little easier to keep showing up.

Whether you’re on the hunt for the perfect Secret Santa surprise or treating yourself to a well-deserved upgrade, here’s not just a list of products but a curated collection of our top picks. These have genuinely enhanced our daily lives and routines.

Stuff We’ve Enjoyed Reading

Reading is fundamental. Those of us of a certain age will remember that line forever! A great book gives you information and insight and hopefully spurs on your mental and physical development. Or it can immerse you in a compelling story and take you into a new world for a while. Both are necessary!

Here’s a list of recommended books that are more or less relevant to fitness. Some of these have helped shape our programs and training philosophy, and all are highly recommended.

Stuff We Like to Put On

Patagonia

This Patagonia R1 fleece pullover with hoody is still Amber’s favorite piece of gear for high exertion activities in cool weather. If you are into that sort of thing, you might as well have comfortable clothing while you are near to death on the side of a mountain.

Vuori

These Vuori joggers are some new pieces that Rose tried out this year and says “I’ve tried both the women’s and men’s and they are all amazing. It feels pricey for sweat pants but worth it. So soft and stretchy and holds up over time!” It’s disappointing to have clothes you like wear out too soon, pay for quality once!

Mott & Bow

It seems like I’m always searching for pants that fit my smaller waist and stocky legs and hips. Added bonus when they don’t restrict my movement. I haven’t had any success with anything new this past year but my Mott and Bow jeans are still holding up well.

Rhone

Ryan says he loves the full zip hoodie and sweatpants he’s gotten from Rhone. They started in the crowded “fitwear” space over ten years ago and have expanded their lines to include business casual. Those of you who need to be a bit more “dressed up” but not feel constricted might find some nice options here.

Xero Shoes

Barefoot, minimalist shoes have been trendy for a few years now, and honestly most seem like a lot of money for a bit of fabric and rubber. Ryan and Rose tried some Xeros expecting to be underwhelmed but were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and durable they are.

Altra Shoes

Years ago I saw a friend of mine wearing a pair of Altras and I’d never seen such a wide toe box on an athletic shoe. I’ve tried lots of other running shoes since and always go back to Altras.

Gadgets

Garmin

There’s nothing like a several hundred dollar gadget to make you feel closer to nature. But we all know if you didn’t track and post your 12 mile hike then it doesn’t count! Garmin has been the choice for Amber, Ryan, and I for hiking and slogging.

Whoop

Biometric tracking to help with exercise and recovery planning can be pretty convoluted and complicated, and it’s not without it’s controversies. But as long as you don’t get so obsessed and bound to whatever score pops up on your device in the morning, these numbers can provide you with some valuable insights into your patterns and maybe even some predictive capabilities. Andy has been using Whoop for a long time and our Alpha Posse private members have also enjoyed using it as well. We’ve even created a Whoop Team for everyone to share their experiences.

Apollo Neuro

The Apollo Neuro is an interesting, albeit fringe product. Andy and I both have tried it several years ago to test and did experience calming effects. For me I noticed improved sleep patterns. Your mileage, of course, may vary. I’d file this under “neat to try once you’ve got all other things dialed in”.

AirPod Pro 3

Andy says he enjoys the Apple AirPod Pro 3 earbuds. Say what you will about Apple but they consistently have very well designed products that provide a pleasant user experience.

Spark Guitar Amp

In another multiverse iteration, Andy might be a traveling musician and he particularly enjoys the Spark amp. It’s been interesting to see how music is a big part of the lives of not only the people in our company but also our clients. Whether they play instruments, sing, teach, or just plain love music, it’s probably hardwired into all of us.

Wonderboom 4

Amber found this great portable speaker this year, UE Wonderboom 4, and says “I might even pack it on this next trip. It sounds great, is super versatile and you can link a bunch of them together if you wanted to.”

Supplements

I’m showing my age but I grew up in a time where most supplements were not only snake oil but also tasted terrible. Hands up if you’ve ever had to choke down a Weider Nutrition “mass gain” shake as teenager. No? Then consider yourself lucky. I don’t recommend it.

Sports Drinks

Most exercise sessions I do are less than an hour and while plain water is my first choice sometimes when I’m a little low energy just a bit of caffeine and sugar is helpful. Just Ice Tea is an interesting brand that keeps things simple and fresh. For longer sessions (two hours or more) I find myself needing a bit more. I’ve never liked those gatorade type drinks but Tailwind has a good clean taste. It does have a fair amount of sodium, which helps me because of my tendency for lower blood pressure, so be sure to regulate this as needed.

Herbs

Herbal formulations are a tricky thing, just because something is “natural” doesn’t make it totally safe. With that disclaimer being said, Kavin (one of our certified GMB Trainers) told us he’s found good benefit from Plum Dragon Herbs. And back when I was doing harder sparring I’ve tried their topical liniments with good success.

Protein Powders

Of course we have to have the usual disclaimers that you should try to meet most of your protein needs through real foods. But for those of us that either have to eat on the go a lot or have trouble eating enough, protein supplements can help. I wouldn’t recommend more than once a day though. I like Vega to give my stomach a break from milk based proteins. And Rose has had good success with Legion protein.

A recent find for me that’s been easy on my guts is Dymatize, easy to mix and chug down. It can be a little too sweet but fits the bill when I have rush after training to see my next patient.

Andy and Amber have been using this brand of collagen peptides, Bubs Naturals, with Amber saying people have commented on her glowing hair without prompting. Now that’s a testimonial! There’s also been interesting research on collagen plus Vitamin C to help with joint health.

Equipment

We have an Amazon list for the most commonly asked about equipment, but these two are probably the most ubiquitous so they deserve a quick mention here.

Doorway Pull-Up Bar

If you don’t have a lot of space for a dedicated pull up bar, doorway ones can work really well. But you should opt for “leverage hold” models rather than the unreliable “compression” types that are often featured in social media mishap videos.

Exercise Bands

In keeping with the theme of not a lot of space, resistance bands can be really great when you want to add some more tension to movements without needing a lot of weights lying around your living room.

Gene uses these from Dopamineo and they are definitely more reliable and rugged than the cheap ones that unfortunately wear out right in the middle of your set.

Training Dummy

And for something completely different, VS. Bob is something Ryan has enjoyed training with this past year. If you’re a martial artist looking for something a bit different that hitting the heavy bag, this is nice training tool that will take a licking and keep on ticking.

 

Small Stuff That Can Make a Big Difference

Some of the most helpful stuff don’t look like training gear at all. They’re the small, everyday things that make routines easier to maintain and reduce the friction that can build up without you noticing.

Better sleep, fewer distractions, and a bit more organization won’t replace good training, but they do make it easier to stick with it. These are simple items that can get lost amongst the hyped up latest fads, but they are just the kind of tools that tend to earn their place by getting used.

Floor Padding

I was walking past my neighbor who spends a lot of hours keeping her yard super snazzy (much more than I do) and she always has a variety of tools to make it a bit easier for her. A small stool, durable gardening tools, and some really spiffy knee pads.

This inexpensive pad does a great job of removing the annoying soreness when working on various kneeling exercises on my hard garage gym flooring. It might not seem like much, but all that time kneeling adds up and it’s great to not have that kneecap pain be the limiting factor.

Sleep Aids

You can’t scroll through any social media without somebody reminding you how important sleep is, and that’s a good thing really! A lot of us need every reminder we can get. All of us in the company have found that a good sleep mask, like Manta, and ear plugs can help quite a bit for more restful sleep.

Amber mentioned that color changing light bulbs have helped her to wind down and fall asleep easier, by adjusting the color to coordinate with the natural sunset to sunset and evening. These smart bulbs are an inexpensive experiment to see if they can work for you.

Apps

For the last 10 years or so it seems like everything is an app! But despite all the ridiculous ones, there are some genuinely helpful apps that can make things just a bit smoother. And we can all use that. Andy uses the Things task manager to coordinate his busy workload and keep things from falling through the cracks.

I’ve found this neat, and very inexpensive compared to the competition, training tracking app called HealthFit, that collates all of the Apple Health data into a variety of charts and analyses. Data geeks rejoice!

Choosing and Using the Right Stuff

Everything we share has one goal in mind: helping you make better decisions for your situation.

We don’t think of recommendations as prescriptions. They’re examples and starting points. For us they’ve earned their place through regular use, not clever marketing. In most cases, the difference between something that’s “good” and something that’s actually useful comes down to whether it fits your context and whether you’ll keep using it.

When we look at products or programs, we look beyond what seems impressive in an ad or in a “sponsored post”. We’re asking simple questions: Does this get used? Does it hold up over time? Does it make practice easier, more enjoyable, or more sustainable?

That’s the lens we suggest you use as well. You don’t need to copy our setup or preferences. They should be reference points, not rules. If something lines up with your needs and habits, great. If it doesn’t, skip it without guilt.

Courses

With that in mind, here are three of our favorite companies that provide material that have not only helped a lot of people, but also us personally. It’s funny, we often get comments about our “competitors” with people comparing us with other companies and remarking who’s better.

Well, we think there’s more than enough space for good people to provide good material.

Handstand Factory

We’re no strangers to teaching and performing handstands, and Mikael and Emmet of Handstand Factory have gained a well-earned reputation for their handbalancing and overall body control programs and coaching. We’ve gone over their handstand programs ourselves, and Leah has gone to their intensive coaching workshops and gained a lot from it.

Ready State

Kelly and Juliet Starrett have been leaders in the fitness industry for a long time, with the emphasis on advocating for people to understand more about what they can do for themselves in caring for their bodies. That’s right up our alley! And the Ready State suite of programs they’ve created, along with their books offer a lot of this education in a clear and engaging way.

Foundation Training

Eric and Jessie started out with their fundamental series of movements that helped many people take control of their back problems, and expanded to more offerings soon after. Their Foundation Training approach has really taken off in the past few years and Andy and Ryan have used (and continue) the principles and movements to help their issues as well.

Stuff Somebody’s Stocking with GMB Programs

Frankly it wasn’t something that we initially anticipated, and it took a bit of time to streamline the process to make it easy for everyone.

We’re always gratified to hear from our clients and even more grateful that they trust us enough to want their loved ones to benefit from us as well.

Thanks!