Gear, Books & Supplements
6 books, 11 pieces of training gear, and 34 supplements we recommend. No paid placements. If it's on this page, it's because it works and it's worth the money.
★ Ratings and availability verified — last reviewed May 2026. Amazon ratings may fluctuate over time.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, VBE Performance earns a small commission — at no extra cost to you. This is how we keep the site free. Every product was selected on merit first; no brand has paid for placement or influenced the recommendations.
VBE Top Picks
If you only buy two things from this entire page — make it these.
Mindset & Habits
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
The single most impactful book for anyone trying to build consistent training habits, fix their nutrition, and eliminate the patterns holding them back. Clear's system is simple, science-backed, and immediately applicable. This is where every serious performance journey should begin.
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Recovery Tech
Oura Ring 4
Smart Sleep & Recovery Tracker
The most advanced wearable recovery tool available. HRV, sleep staging, body temperature trends, and a daily readiness score that tells you exactly how hard to push today. Stop guessing your recovery. Start training with data.
"Recovery is not passive. It is the second half of every training session."
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📚 E-Books
The books that shaped how VBE Performance thinks about training, nutrition, and the human body.
Mindset, Habits & Recovery
Mindset & Habits
Atomic Habits
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
by James Clear
📦 15 million copies sold worldwide
The most practical book ever written on behaviour change. Clear's four-step system works whether you're building a training habit, cleaning up your diet, or breaking the patterns holding you back. This is the one book every VBE member should read first.
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Recovery & Mind-Body
The Body Keeps the Score
Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk
📦 Over 300 weeks on the NYT bestseller list
Performance isn't just physical. This landmark book reveals how stress and mental load affect your body's ability to recover, adapt, and grow. Understanding this changes everything about how you train and rest.
"Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past — it is the imprint left on mind, brain, and body."
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Discipline & Routine
The 5AM Club
Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
by Robin Sharma
📦 1M+ copies sold
Discipline is built in the first hour of the day. Sharma's 20/20/20 framework — move, reflect, grow — aligns perfectly with the VBE approach to sustainable performance. If you're serious about consistency, this is your starting point.
"All change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end."
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Training Science & Physique
Training & Physique
Bigger Leaner Stronger
The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body
by Michael Matthews
📦 500,000+ copies sold
No fluff, no gimmicks — just the science of building muscle and losing fat explained clearly. Matthews cuts through the noise to give you exactly what works: progressive overload, proper macros, and a program you can stick to.
"The right knowledge, applied consistently, produces extraordinary results."
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Hypertrophy Science
Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy
The Evidence-Based Blueprint for Maximum Muscle Growth
by Dr. Mike Israetel et al.
📦 The definitive academic text on hypertrophy
Written by one of the world's leading exercise scientists. The most rigorous, research-backed book on muscle building available. Understand volume, intensity, frequency, and fatigue at a level that will change how you program forever.
"Understanding the science doesn't complicate your training. It frees you from guessing."
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Anatomy & Physiology
Science of Strength Training
Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Transform Your Body
by Austin Current
📦 DK Publishing — used by coaches worldwide
A visually stunning, anatomy-first look at how your body responds to strength training. Perfect for anyone who wants to truly understand what's happening inside their muscles — and use that understanding to train smarter.
"When you understand how your body works, every rep becomes intentional."
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
🏋️ Accessories
The gear that makes every session more effective. Price-tiered so you know what you're walking into.
Resistance & Bands
Gritin Resistance Bands
Set of 5 Levels
Five progressive resistance levels in one kit. Warm up, build strength, or add challenge to bodyweight moves — these travel anywhere and replace a rack of machines.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
WALITO Resistance Bands
For Legs and Butt
Fabric construction — zero rolling, zero pinching. Constant tension through squats, hip thrusts, and abductions. The best single tool for glute activation.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
DMoose Ankle Straps
Cable Machine Attachment
Unlocks kickbacks, cable abductions, and leg curls. If you're serious about glute and hamstring development, ankle straps on a cable are non-negotiable.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Home Gym & Equipment
The one purchase that builds a real home gym.
All-in-one power racks and smith-machine systems built for genuine progressive overload — squat, press, pull, and row every major lift under load, at home, for years. Australian-based, shipped locally, priced in AUD.
PROIRON Dumbbells
Neoprene Fixed Weight
Clean grip, quiet drop, zero rust. Build your first home gym without the price tag. Perfect for accessory work, supersets, and off-gym days.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Amazon Basics Yoga Mat
12.7mm Extra Thick + Strap
Thick enough for joint protection, grippy enough for every position. Stretching, floor work, core sessions — the foundation every home setup needs.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
AERLANG Push Up Board
7-Position Multi-Grip
Seven grip positions. Targets chest, shoulders, triceps, and core from angles a standard push-up never reaches. Cheaper than a cable station.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
PROIRON Weighted Vest
Adjustable Load
Progressive overload isn't just for barbells. Add load to push-ups, walks, and pull-ups. One of the most versatile tools for functional strength.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Concept2 RowErg
Indoor Rowing Machine
Used by Olympic athletes and everyday lifters. Builds aerobic capacity, strengthens your posterior chain, and burns calories with zero joint impact. Built for life.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Tech & Gym Essentials
Oura Ring 4
Sleep & Recovery Tracker
HRV, sleep quality, body temperature, readiness score — from your finger. Know exactly when to push and when to rest. Recovery is a performance variable.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
WellFitt Phone Mount
Magnetic Gym Holder
Film your form, follow your program, track rest — without breaking focus or touching a grimy machine with sweaty hands. Genuinely useful.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Sinland Microfiber Towels
3-Pack Fast Drying
Fast-drying and ultra-absorbent. One for equipment, one for your face, one post-workout. The basic every serious gym-goer has.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
💊 Supplements
Evidence-first. Tier-ranked. No proprietary blends. Only supplements with real science behind them make this list.
Protein
Protein
Tier 1 SupplementProtein is the foundation of muscle building and recovery. Whether you choose whey or plant-based, the goal is simple: hit your daily protein target consistently. These are the cleanest, best-dosed options across every price point.
Thorne Whey Protein Isolate
Thorne
NSF Certified for Sport. Pharmaceutical-grade purity — no fillers, no proprietary blends. The most trusted whey isolate for athletes who need to know exactly what's in their protein.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
ON Gold Standard 100% Whey
Optimum Nutrition
The world's #1 selling protein for a reason. Consistent quality, great taste, and a 24g protein hit per serve. The benchmark everything else is measured against.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Rule 1 R1 Protein
Rule 1
Clean label — whey isolate and hydrolysate only, no fillers, no concentrates. If you care about what goes in your body, R1 is one of the most transparent proteins on the market.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Pure Product Australia Whey Isolate
Pure Product AU
Australian-made, clean label, competitively priced. Pure WPI with nothing added — ideal for anyone who wants quality protein without premium brand markup.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Amazonia Raw Protein Isolate
Amazonia
Plant-based done properly. Cold-processed raw sprouted protein with a full amino acid profile. The top-tier choice for plant athletes who don't want to compromise on quality.
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Rule 1 Plant Protein
Rule 1
The same clean-label approach Rule 1 applies to whey — now in a plant formula. Pea and brown rice blend for a complete amino profile without the digestive discomfort.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Switch Nutrition Protein
Switch Nutrition
Australian brand with serious formulation standards. Multi-source protein that works for both performance and everyday nutrition goals.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Pure Product Australia Vegan Pea
Pure Product AU
Pure pea protein isolate — nothing else. Budget-friendly, clean, and effective. The no-frills option for anyone who wants plant protein without the extras.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Creatine
Creatine
Tier 1 SupplementThe most researched performance supplement in existence. 5g of creatine monohydrate daily increases strength output, power, and muscle mass — with zero health risks at standard doses. If you take one supplement, make it this.
Thorne Research Creatine Monohydrate
Thorne
NSF Certified for Sport. The same creatine standard used in clinical research — pure, micronised, and verified. If quality matters, this is the benchmark.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
ON Micronized Creatine Powder
Optimum Nutrition
The world's most popular creatine — and for good reason. Unflavoured, pure creatine monohydrate with zero additives. Trusted by millions of athletes worldwide.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Faction Labs Creatine Monohydrate
Faction Labs
Australian-made, third-party tested, and straightforwardly pure. A solid local option at an honest price.
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Emrald Labs Creatine Monohydrate
Emrald Labs
Clean, pure, and made in Australia. Emrald Labs focuses on quality over marketing — exactly the approach VBE respects in a supplement brand.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
FOCAL 100% Pure Creatine
FOCAL Nutrition
100% pure creatine monohydrate — what it says on the label is what's in the bag. No proprietary blends, no excuses.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Cyborg Sport Micronised Creatine
Cyborg Sport
Micronised for faster dissolution and better absorption. Clean formula from an Australian brand with a growing reputation for quality.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Amino Acids
Amino Acids
Tier 2 SupplementBCAAs and full-spectrum amino acids support muscle protein synthesis and reduce breakdown — particularly useful for fasted training, high training frequencies, or plant-based athletes with incomplete dietary amino profiles.
Thorne Amino Complex
Thorne
A complete essential amino acid profile — not just BCAAs — with clinical dosing and NSF certification. The superior option if you're serious about muscle protein synthesis.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Scivation Xtend BCAA Powder
Scivation
The world's #1 BCAA product. 7g of BCAAs per serve in the scientifically studied 2:1:1 ratio — plus electrolytes for hydration. Works for intra-workout and recovery.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
ON BCAA Boost
Optimum Nutrition
Trusted formulation from ON — 5g BCAAs per serve with added vitamin B6 for amino metabolism. A reliable everyday BCAA from the brand that set the standard.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
Tier 1 SupplementAn estimated 1 billion people are Vitamin D deficient globally. D3 supports testosterone production, immune function, bone density, and mood regulation. If you live and work indoors, supplementing is not optional — it's essential.
Thorne Vitamin D-10,000
Thorne
NSF certified, pharmaceutical-grade D3 at a therapeutic dose. Thorne's formulation is one of the most bioavailable on the market — the premium choice for serious supplementation.
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NOW Vitamin D-3 5,000 IU
NOW Supplements
The most popular D3 in the world for good reason. NOW delivers pharmaceutical-quality at a price that makes daily supplementation genuinely sustainable.
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NOW Vitamin D-3 10,000 IU
NOW Supplements
Higher dose for those correcting deficiency or living in low-sunlight environments. The same trusted NOW quality at a stronger therapeutic level.
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NOW Vitamin D-3 50,000 IU
NOW Supplements
Therapeutic-dose D3 for medically supervised correction of severe deficiency. Use under professional guidance for fastest results.
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Blackmores Vitamin D3 1000 IU
Blackmores
Australia's most trusted health brand delivering a reliable maintenance dose. Perfect as an everyday supplement for those with moderate sun exposure.
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Vitamin D3 10,000 IU
Generic
A cost-effective high-dose D3 option for those who need correction on a tighter budget. Delivers the dose that matters at a price that doesn't.
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Pre-Workout
Pre-Workout
Tier 3 SupplementPre-workouts can enhance focus, endurance, and performance — but quality varies enormously. These options use clinically dosed active ingredients, transparent labels, and no proprietary blends designed to hide underdosing.
ON Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Optimum Nutrition
Clinically dosed caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine in one of the most trusted pre-workout formulas available. No proprietary blends — you know exactly what you're getting.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
RAW Nutrition Essential Pre
RAW Nutrition
Backed by Chris Bumstead (3x Classic Olympia champion). Clean formula, proper doses, no fluff. A pre-workout made by athletes, for athletes.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Faction Labs Disorder Pre-Workout
Faction Labs
Australia's most popular stimulant pre-workout. Full-dose formula with a strong but clean energy profile — built for people who take their training seriously.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
GAT Nitraflex
GAT
Clinically tested, high-stimulant formula with added testosterone support. For advanced users who want maximum intensity from their pre-workout.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Nexus PER4M Pre-Workout
Nexus
Premium formulation from an Australian brand committed to transparent labelling. PER4M is built for performance — not just for the pump.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Redcon1 Total War
Redcon1
High-stimulant pre-workout from one of the most reputable brands in the US market. Total War delivers focus, energy, and aggression when you need to dig deep.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Omega-3
Omega-3
Tier 1 SupplementOmega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) reduce systemic inflammation, support joint health, improve cardiovascular markers, and enhance recovery. For athletes who train hard, daily supplementation is one of the highest-ROI health decisions you can make.
Thorne Super EPA – Omega-3
Thorne
NSF certified, ultra-pure EPA concentrate with the highest potency per capsule on this list. Thorne's omega-3 is the pharmaceutical standard — for those who won't compromise.
View on Amazon →Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Blackmores Omega Triple Super Strength
Blackmores
Australia's #1 omega-3 brand. Triple-strength formula delivers a serious dose of EPA and DHA in fewer capsules — the premium Blackmores option.
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NOW Omega-3
NOW Supplements
The reliable, affordable benchmark for daily omega-3 supplementation. NOW delivers consistent quality at a price that makes year-round use genuinely practical.
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Omega-3 Wild Alaska Fish Oil
Wild Alaska
Wild-caught Alaskan fish oil — cleaner sourcing than farmed alternatives. A solid budget option for those who care about where their omega-3 comes from.
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Why trust this list?
Every book has been read. Every product type has been used. Every supplement has been evaluated against the scientific evidence — not the marketing copy. We earn a commission through Amazon Associates and Major Fitness AU, disclosed on every page.
We may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This helps keep VBE Performance entirely free.