You gain muscle in GTA 6 by working out at a gym. Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson says “you can go up in levels of muscularity or strength,” and he told the Japanese magazine Famitsu that a day’s workout is three exercises, with three straight days of training leveling up the character’s health and strength.
GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn’t shown the gym controls yet. So below is the routine as Nelson told it to IGN, Famitsu and The New York Times, as creators saw it when he took Jason and Lucia to a gym during Rockstar’s July previews, and as another preview reported from its own demo at Rockstar North, plus how to keep the muscle once you have it.
How Muscle Works in GTA 6
Muscle is part of a wider body system that also covers weight, fat and sleep. Dazed, writing from interviews with Rockstar’s developers, says “exercising visibly builds and tones their muscles,” so the change shows on Jason and Lucia’s bodies. Nelson told Famitsu you can make a character muscular, or feed them until they’re overweight.
Previews of Nelson’s demo showed muscle and strength listed among the stats the game tracks, alongside weight, fat, calories and sleep. Nelson told IGN: “We do have gyms where you can go and work out so you can go up in levels of muscularity or strength.”
How to Work Out at a Gym
This is the routine the previews describe. Rockstar hasn’t shown the buttons or the exact menus.
- Find a gym. TGG, a YouTube creator who watched Nelson play, saw him take Jason and Lucia into “one of the gyms on the map,” and Nelson told IGN “we do have gyms,” plural.
- Get a membership at the front desk. TGG says Jason and Lucia weren’t members yet and had to sign up first. Previews describe checking in at the desk, and another preview reports that the couple can only work out at the gym once they have bought a membership.
- Change if you like. Previews describe Nelson changing into workout clothes in the locker room before training.
- Fuel up. The gyms have vending machines. Nelson told TGG you want “an energy drink or a coffee to buff your stamina before you start,” and TGG saw Lucia drink what he believes was a protein shake, which made her reps easier.
- Pick your equipment. The previews mention a bench press, lat pull-downs, squats, a treadmill and a punching bag, and Nelson told Famitsu most of the equipment is usable, including for pull-ups.
- Get through each set before your stamina runs out. Nelson told Famitsu that stamina drains as you move, and that going too fast puts extra strain on the body, so pacing matters.
- Do three exercises, then rest. Nelson told TGG “you only need to do three exercises in a session to be done with your workout for the day.” TGG says each one fills about a third of a workout ring.
- Finish with protein. Nelson’s suggestion to Famitsu: a protein shake and a protein bar once you’re done.
- Come back the next day. Nelson told Famitsu that doing this three days in a row levels up the character’s health and strength.
Heavier Weights Come With Practice
You won’t start on the biggest weights. The New York Times, describing Nelson’s demo, says “unlocking higher weights requires working out and a mastery of technique,” and that success “has a material effect on the character.” Nelson told TGG the lifting feels consistent across exercises and that “it’s a little bit of balance to get through your set before the stamina drains.”
That makes stamina your limit in the gym, which is why the pre-workout drink matters. Our guide to increasing stats in GTA 6 covers how to raise stamina outside the gym.
Train With Your Partner
Bring your partner along and both get the workout. “You can go to the gym alone obviously, but if you go together, they’ll both start working out, and you can get a 2-for-1 to manage their stats,” Nelson told IGN. TGG recalls Jason heading to the lat pull-down machine while Lucia took the bench press.
It also counts as time together, which builds their relationship. Our guide to going on dates in GTA 6 explains why a gym session is one of Rockstar’s own date ideas.
How to Keep Your Muscle
Muscle fades if you stop. Nelson told TGG “you’ll lose muscle if you have a lot and you stop maintaining it,” so plan on regular gym visits rather than one long session. That mirrors San Andreas, where CJ’s muscle dropped when he skipped the gym; our guide to losing muscle in San Andreas shows how it worked there.
Diet matters too. Overeating puts on weight, but Nelson told TGG you have to eat “quite a bit” before it shows. Our guide to gaining and losing weight in GTA 6 covers the food side.
What Muscle Does for You
Two benefits are on record: the look, since exercise visibly builds and tones the body, and health, since Nelson ties working out to higher health and told Famitsu three days of training levels up health and strength.
What isn’t on record is whether more muscle hits harder in a fistfight, as it did in San Andreas. If you want the GTA 5 version for comparison, our guide to increasing strength in GTA 5 covers it.
The gym is also optional. TGG says Nelson stressed you can play through the entire game without setting foot in a gym.
Working Out Outside the Gym
Rockstar’s footage shows training in more than one place. The Extended Look shows Lucia on a bench press, and creators point to a shot in Rockstar’s second trailer of Jason working out on the beach. Whether outdoor workout spots count the same as a gym hasn’t been said.
What Isn’t Confirmed Yet
- The controls for lifting and the gym menus.
- Membership prices and whether one membership covers every gym.
- How much muscle each day of training adds, and how fast it fades.
- Home gyms. Claims that a safehouse has workout equipment trace back to leaked footage, not Rockstar.
Every other GTA 6 guide is on our GTA hub, and our list of every confirmed GTA 6 activity has the rest of what to do between missions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you gain muscle in GTA 6? Yes. Rob Nelson says working out at gyms lets you go up in levels of muscularity or strength, and the change shows on Jason and Lucia’s bodies.
How do you get muscle fast in GTA 6? Do your three exercises a day and come back on consecutive days; Nelson says three days in a row levels up health and strength. Drink something for stamina first so you can finish your sets.
Can you lose muscle in GTA 6? Yes. Nelson says you lose muscle if you stop maintaining it.
Do you have to pay for the gym in GTA 6? Yes, you need a membership first: preview reports describe buying one at the front desk. Rockstar hasn’t shown the price.
Can Jason and Lucia work out together in GTA 6? Yes. If you go together, both work out at once, which Nelson calls a 2-for-1 for their stats.