Buying for someone who lifts is harder than it looks. They already own a shaker. They have opinions about lifting straps you don't understand. And anything with "beast mode" printed on it is likely to end up in the bottom drawer.
So here's a calmer list of Christmas gift ideas for people who lift: things they'll actually use, a few that cost less than a session with a PT, and one or two that made us laugh. We make gym tees, so yes, tees are on the list. We've kept the rest honest.
Before you buy: the Christmas cut-off
If you're ordering an HTT tee, order by Monday 7 December 2026 for the best chance of delivery before the 25th. Every tee is printed to order in Brisbane and usually takes 6 to 10 business days to arrive, tracked. After 7 December we still print and post, but we can't promise a date. Details are on our shipping page.
1. A gym tee that says what they're thinking
Every lifter has a pet hate. Weights left on the bar. A towel saving a bench. Someone filming a whole session in front of the squat rack. A tee that says it, calmly, on the back is the kind of gift that gets worn on the first day back in January.
Our pick of the six safest bets is on the gift for a gym mate page. A few favourites:
- Put your weights back. That's your final set. For the one who re-racks everyone else's plates.
- I've got headphones on for a reason. For the one who trains in their own world.
- Are you using that, or living there? For the one who's always waiting for a machine.
- Heavy weights. Short patience. The HTT tagline. If you only buy one, this is it.
Oversized is A$65 (S to 3XL), Standard fit is A$60 (S to 5XL). Postage is A$9.95 flat per order, so if you're buying for two or three people, put them in the same order and pay postage once.
2. A decent lifting belt or straps
If they lift heavy and don't own one, a good leather or nylon belt or a pair of lifting straps is a gift they'll use for years. The catch: lifters can be particular about brand, width and buckle type. If you're not sure, ask a training partner, or go for straps, which are much harder to get wrong.
3. A gym bag with a separate shoe section
Unglamorous, very appreciated. Anything with a separate compartment for shoes or a wet towel keeps the rest of the bag from smelling like the gym floor.
4. A big insulated drink bottle
Australian summer training sessions are warm, and a bottle that keeps water cold for the whole session gets used every day. (Just remind them: a drink bottle is not a reservation. We made a tee about that too.)
5. Good headphones, or a spare pair of earbuds
For a lot of lifters, headphones are the most-used piece of gym kit they own. Sweat-resistant earbuds with a secure fit are a safe bet. Pair them with the headphones tee if you want the joke to land.
6. Chalk, grips or a chalk ball
Small, cheap, useful, and an easy stocking filler. Check first whether their gym allows chalk: some do, some don't.
7. A training log that isn't a phone
A plain notebook or a purpose-made training journal keeps the phone in the locker and the focus on the set. Fewer notifications, fewer twenty-minute rest timers. If that's a sore point, our Phone zombies collection is for them.
8. A gift card for a class or a session
A drop-in class at a different gym, a session with a coach they've wanted to try, or a massage after a heavy block. Experiences don't take up drawer space.
What to avoid
- Supplements you've picked yourself. Lifters tend to be particular about what they take. Leave that one to them.
- Anything that comments on their body. A gift should be about the thing they love doing, not how they look doing it. That's a rule we print by too: the joke is always on the habit, never the person.
- Novelty kit they'll never use. If it wouldn't survive a week in their gym bag, skip it.
Getting the size right
If you're buying a tee and don't know their size, this matters more than the design. Our oversized tees run big: if they normally wear a Large, a Medium oversized fits like a regular tee, and a Large gives the full boxy look. Standard fit is true to size, so their usual size is right. Every measurement is on the size guide, and our oversized vs standard fit guide explains the difference. Because every tee is made to order, we can't swap one for the wrong size, so check before you buy.
Buying for the whole crew?
If you're sorting gifts for a training group, a team or the regulars at the 5 am class, order 10 or more items in one order and 10% comes off the item total at checkout (not postage). Mix any designs, fits and sizes.
The short version
Get them something they'll use, skip anything about their body, and if it's a tee, order by Monday 7 December. Start with the gift for a gym mate page, or browse the Gym etiquette collection. And for the rules of the floor itself, read the gym etiquette rules everyone breaks.