Beginning a gym membership: possibly one of the most terrifying tasks that most people face. I’ve worked in many different gyms, and I still believe this to be true. Signing up for a membership and getting started into your journey is possibly the most daunting experience that most people have, especially if they do not have much knowledge on working out. Hopefully, with this blog post (more like a rant) I will be able to ease some minds and make more people feel comfortable with the fact that it’s ok to be nervous at the gym! Everyone goes through it, but it is possible to overcome.
From my experience from working in different positions in a gym environment, I hear a lot of excuses. Most of these excuses come from fear, while some are legit. I want to start off by saying that I, myself, have had a lot of these fears. Fears of judgement from other trainers or girls who were in better shape than me. Fear that my fat would jiggle too much during some exercises. Fear of even going into the gym, hoping that no one looked at me or talked to me. In this post I’d like to go over some excuses or fears I hear often and shed some light on conquering those fears!
“I’m too fat”
I hate this fear. There’s a quote that I like to day back to people when I hear this… “You are not fat, you HAVE fat.” Everyone has fat, if we didn’t then we would die, simple as that. You’re here, in the gym, because you want to better yourself in some way. You want to lose some of that fat. That’s your purpose for being in the gym. You’re never “too fat” to workout, that just doesn’t make sense. When I first started to really workout, I would pinch my sides all the time, feeling the love handles and basically hating myself for getting so big. I thought to myself “why should I even try. I’m going to look ridiculous doing these exercises. All my fat is going to jiggle. Everyone is going to look at me”. Then I realized, this is the only way to get where I want to go. This fat isn’t going to just magically disappear, I have to work for it. I have to go outside of my comfort zone, not give a darn about what others are thinking, and just do this for ME. Eventually, I didn’t grab at my love handles or shift around uncomfortably in my gym clothes. Eventually I was confident and got to the place I am now. So, if you find yourself repeating this fear in your head at the gym, check yourself at the door. Everyone had to start somewhere. You are on YOUR journey. Once you’ve been consistent at the gym for a couple weeks you will start to see progress mentally and physically. At this time your mindset will change, you just have to push yourself to get to that point.
“I don’t know where to start”
As a trainer, this is my favorite thing to hear because that means I get to help you! If everyone was born with the knowledge of exactly what to do in the gym, how to work all the crazy machines, and understand the human body and how to work every muscle, then we would be a lot more fit as a human race! No one is born with this knowledge, it takes practice, studying, and a lot of trial and error to know what to do in the gym. One thing that I hate seeing is when people are clearly lost in the gym and all they do is walk on treadmill. By doing this you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Not only will you not reach your goals, but you’ve taken away the chance to learn something new, meet new people, gain confidence with yourself, and who knows what else you miss out on by not asking for help. If this fear describes you, please ask for help. Ask for help from the gym staff, or an Online Trainer (hint hint). The gym doesn’t have to be a scary maze of weird machines to you. Educate yourself, ask for help, get the results you deserve to get. If you’re too stubborn to ask for help, then I’ll give you a basic overview of what you should be doing. Start with cardio 2-3x a week for 20-30 mins. Add in weight training for 2-3x a week, working full body with dumbbells and body weight. If you need more help than that, then you’re just going to have to ask! …See what I did there? 😉
“People are going to judge me”
Are they going to judge you? Or are you judging yourself? Everyone has to start somewhere. Making fun of overweight people in the gym who are trying to better themselves just doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re overweight and unhappy with yourself, then that’s why you’re at the gym. You wouldn’t make fun of a homeless man at a job fair trying to find work. It’s the exact same concept. Everyone at the gym is working towards the same goal, and once you join a gym then you become a part of this great community of people all working towards the same things! One thing to consider if this is your fear, is that everyone you see is at a different point in their fitness journey. They could’ve been in your shoes a year ago and you have no way of knowing. So why would you compare yourself to someone who has been working towards their body for 6 months, or 6 years? You are not on their journey with them, you are starting your own. Check this fear at the door, take pride in what you’re doing for yourself.
“I don’t want to get bulky”
Ladies, I’m calling you out on this one because mostly this phrase comes from females. That’s okay that you don’t want to get bulky. It’s your body, your journey, your goals. One of the biggest misconceptions is that lifting weights or doing any resistance training will make people bulk up. If that was the case, what happened to me? Where’s my bulk? If you do not want to get bulky, then do not train like a body builder, it’s a simple as that. Don’t take steroids, that’s my advice to you! Lifting weights will increase your lean muscle, which in turn will speed up your metabolism and burn more fat. Eat in a calorie deficit and you will not have to worry about gaining weight where it’s not wanted. If your goal is overall fat loss, weight training is crucial for obtaining your dream bod.
“I’m old, I’m going to hurt myself”
Believe it or not I hear this all the time! Age does matter to a certain point in the gym depending on how you’ve taken care of your body for your whole life, but it shouldn’t stop you from weightlifting or working towards your goals (Unless you have existing injuries and restrictions of course). We’ve all seen those videos of 80-year-old individuals breaking power lifting records or doing some crazy cardio exercise. Why can’t you do it? Of course, if you are scared of hurting yourself in the gym, or feel like you do not know how to use equipment, ASK SOMEONE! It’s not worth it to hurt yourself in the gym, and it’s also not worth it to skip exercises because you aren’t sure how to complete them. Ask for help. That’s what people are there for!
The fears above are all very common when it comes to fitness, especially in a gym environment. The biggest thing to remember is that everyone has to start somewhere. Even the fitness models on Instagram had to start somewhere. Your journey is just that… YOUR JOURNEY. Don’t waste time comparing yourself to others or using negative self-talk. Do what you can to improve your life, get over your fears, and start achieving your goals! Heck, you might even find that the gym is your new happy place.