Gym Intimidation
How many times have you walked into the gym with the best of intentions, only to find the racks full, the free weights area full of people looking intense, drinking coloured drinks; just to turn around, jump on a treadmill and do what we know best? Let me tell you a secret, 90% of people in the free weights area don’t know what they’re doing. They’ve seen something online, or are copying their friends, and apologies, but; men are the biggest culprits!
The gym is an intimidating place, but always remember that everybody is there for a different reason. That guy who never comes off the treadmill? Maybe training for a marathon. That guy who always seems to shout and yell? Probably a powerlifter, or he’s having a bad day. The girl who looks all scary and intense? Maybe she’s hitting personal bests. The ones hogging the equipment? Yeah, they’re just rude. It’s impossible to know what everyone is up to in a gym. Baring this in mind, nobody will know what you’re up to, and more often that not, people aren’t really looking! When you’re in the zone and you’re focused on your workout, you’re very rarely looking at other people, and if you are, get working!
As females, we tend to be the worst for hitting the cardio, believing that lifting weights will make us bulky. Well, let me tell you a secret, it takes a hell of a lot of work to get bulky. Think about top athletes, lets take Serena Williams for example. She has spent most of her life playing Tennis, focusing on the goal, achieving twenty-three Grand Slam Titles, does she have an enviable figure, absolutely! Would we call her bulky, absolutely not. So why do we believe that lifting weights two/three times a week will have us wake up suddenly unable to button our blouses for fear of ripping out of them?! It takes years of dedication, tiptop nutrition and consistency to become ‘bulky’, it is a conscious choice to build that much muscle, so don’t be scared of the weights room! Unless somebody hits you with some kind of super steroid, you’ll come out a little fatigued, that’s all.
If you still feel a little nervous, look into your gyms inductions and sign up. Find a trainer you admire and ask about their inductions, most personal trainers are in the business because they want to help people, the fact we can make money doing what we love is great, but our primary purpose is to help. So use that! Ask questions, take classes, use inductions to learn. Knowing about form and technique will do so much good for your confidence, and you can stride into that weights area and know exactly what you’re doing. Drop me a message, I know I can help.