On this page
Buy a membership at a gym's front desk and train: previews say cardio improves stamina and strength training raises health, with modest gains to Focus. Eating too much adds weight, stopping training loses muscle, and sleep affects how fast your stats recover.
Step by step
Our reading of Rockstar’s description and the previews. Gym prompts have not been shown.
- Find a gym and buy a membership at the front desk (Vice).
- Train. Previews list the treadmill, punching bags, squats, lat pulldowns, bench press and deadlifts. GTABase, a fan database, describes timing-based minigames on the triggers and a circular indicator that tracks three exercises for a full workout (rumor until an outlet repeats it).
- Come back the next day, and the day after. GTABase says strength gains need training on three consecutive days. It is the only source, and a fan database, so treat it as a rumor; regular sessions are a safe habit either way.
- Eat sensibly. Eating too much adds weight (Vice).
- Sleep. Being well rested affects how fast certain stats regenerate (Vice). Rest at the current hideout.
- Keep it up. Stop training and you lose muscle (Vice).
What Rockstar has shown
- The three bars. The weapon wheel shows Health, Stamina and Focus, plus two quick slots for health items on Square and Triangle (Postmode’s read of the Extended Look).
- Gyms. Weightlifting appears in the Extended Look’s activity list (KeenGamer), and official screenshots show Lucia punching a heavy bag and on a weight bench in a gym.
What Dazed reported
Dazed’s deep dive, based on interviews with Rob Nelson and other Rockstar staff, reports that food affects Jason and Lucia’s weight, exercise visibly builds and tones their muscles, and long stretches without sleep, running from police or a multi-day bender show on them. That is the magazine’s description, not a quote from Rockstar, so we mark it reported.
What previews reported
| Habit | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any gym use | Modest gains to health, stamina and Focus | Vice |
| Cardio | Improves stamina | Vice |
| Strength training | Raises health | Vice |
| Three days in a row | Needed for strength gains | GTABase only (fan database, rumor) |
| Overeating | Weight gain | Vice |
| Skipping training | Muscle loss | Vice |
| Sleep | Affects stat regeneration | Vice |
Vice also lists a fitness app on the phone; its name has not been reported. See our phone guide.
What we expect
- Both characters. Dazed’s description names Jason and Lucia, so plan to train both. Jason and Lucia both appear with several different looks across Rockstar’s screenshots, including the batch published with the Extended Look on August 27, 2026.
- Gym dates. Vice’s September 5 preview roundup says visiting the gym together can become an emergent date, with the other character exercising alongside you, so a session together may also feed the relationship.
- Focus pays off in chases. Focus is also the ability that shows police through walls, which is why our wanted level guide leans on it.
Still unknown
- Whether muscle changes melee damage or climbing, as in GTA San Andreas.
- Whether weight changes how clothes fit.
- How fast the body changes, and whether you can reset it.
Other ways to keep busy, from boxing to kayaking, are on our activities page. For every system in one place, see the gameplay hub.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get fat or muscular in GTA 6?
Yes. Dazed's deep dive, based on interviews with Rockstar staff, reports that working out visibly builds and tones muscle and that food affects weight. Previews add that eating too much adds weight and that you lose muscle if you stop training.
Does working out improve stats in GTA 6?
According to Vice's preview report, the gym is optional but gives modest improvements to health, stamina and Focus. Cardio improves stamina and strength training raises health. Whether muscle changes melee damage has not been reported.
Do you need a gym membership in GTA 6?
Yes, according to Vice: you buy one at the gym's front desk before you can train.
What are Health, Stamina and Focus?
The three bars on the weapon wheel in the Extended Look. Food, drink, sleep and training move them, per previews. Focus is also the ability that slows time when aiming and shows police through walls.
Does the body system apply to both Jason and Lucia?
Dazed's description names both: long stretches without sleep, running from police or a multi-day bender show on Jason and Lucia. Rockstar's screenshots show Lucia training at a gym.
What changed on this page
- Added how the gym works from preview reports (membership, exercises, stat gains), removed a leaked clip we had used as a source, and corrected the screenshot date to the batch Rockstar published with the Extended Look on August 27, 2026. Tagged GTABase-only gym details as rumor and credited the gym-date detail to Vice's September 5 roundup. Credited the body-change description to Dazed's own reporting instead of quoting Rob Nelson, who is not quoted on it.
More gameplay guides
How to Switch Between Jason and Lucia in GTA 6: Controls for PS5 and Xbox
The GTA 6 character switch button has not been shown yet. How the Character Wheel works on PS5 and Xbox, what to try on launch day and why a switch fails.
How to Lose Your Wanted Level in GTA 6: Clear Every Evidence Icon
Break line of sight, then clear what the police know: swap the car, change clothes, hide the gun, split up, destroy CCTV. GTA 6 has six stars, like GTA IV.
How to Make Money in GTA 6: Robberies, Fences, Stolen Cars and Keeping Your Cash
Previews point to robberies, fences and stolen cars as GTA 6's early money. Bank cash at an ATM often: cash on hand is lost if you die or get busted.
How to Rob a Store in GTA 6: Cameras, the Safe and a Clean Getaway
Scout the cameras, mask up, take control, then choose: blow the safe fast and damage the loot, or find the code for more. GTA 6 robberies so far.