What is gym-timidation? It is the intimidation, hesitation or anxiety one experiences when going to the gym. How many times have we been in this scenario? Let’s imagine it. You have watched your favorite influencer’s workout on YouTube and have it bookmarked and saved so that you can follow along. In the video, your influencer is confidently lifting weights, twisting herself up in those colorful looped bands, and sprinting on the treadmill. Her butt looks extra bubbly in her rainbow Gymshark leggings, her makeup never moves and her ponytail never droops. Determined that you, too, will be joining her in being effortless hot and unshakable in the gym. But when you arrive at the gym, you see the groups of sixty-plus year old men who have occupied the same bench for the past thirty years, the college athletes, the jacked twenty to thirty-somethings in their revealing stringers. Not one lady is to be seen. You feel like all eyes are on you. Your legs take control and before you know it, you have walked yourself walking yourself to the elliptical, your comfort zone.
What is gym-timidation? It is the intimidation, hesitation or anxiety one experiences when going to the gym. How many times have we been in this scenario? Let’s imagine it. You have watched your favorite influencer’s workout on YouTube and have it bookmarked and saved so that you can follow along. In the video, your influencer is confidently lifting weights, twisting herself up in those colorful looped bands, and sprinting on the treadmill. Her butt looks extra bubbly in her rainbow Gymshark leggings, her makeup never moves and her ponytail never droops. Determined that you, too, will be joining her in being effortless hot and unshakable in the gym. But when you arrive at the gym, you see the groups of sixty-plus year old men who have occupied the same bench for the past thirty years, the college athletes, the jacked twenty to thirty-somethings in their revealing stringers. Not one lady is to be seen. You feel like all eyes are on you. Your legs take control and before you know it, you have walked yourself walking yourself to the elliptical, your comfort zone.
This is not a phenomenon exclusive to women by any means. Men experience it, too, but it is most acutely experienced among women. Even with the surge of fitness in social media and public awareness of health, the gym is a very male-dominated arena. If you have little knowledge or experience with the weight section of the gym, it can feel like everyone is watching you and judging. How do we overcome this?
1. Familiarize yourself with the environment.
It is typical that when you sign up for a gym, you are given a tour of the facility. If you have never been at that particular facility, accept the tour. Use the tour to your advantage and learn about the practices in the gym. Notice the layout, where the bathroom is, if people are wiping down equipment, if the staff is alert and friendly, if weights are being slammed? Different gyms cater to different demographics. Are you inspired by the group of powerlifters achieving PRs or would you rather go to a commercial facility? Do you want to go to a gym where many people are socializing because it feel communal or do you thrive when everyone just put their headphones on and gets to business? Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the staff member who is guiding you. Does the gym have a particular busy time of day? Do you need a lock for the locker room? You should be the one interviewing the fitness staff, not the one being pressured to sign up immediately. If you are unsure of how the facility fits you, many places offer free trials, sometimes for one day, sometimes up to a week. This will let you “test drive” the gym before committing.
.http://www.lafitness.com/Pages/freepass.aspx?clubid=901
2. Do your homework.
With all the fitness content on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, many of us may feel like we have absorbed all that we need to know about the gym before we arrive. I know that is exactly what I did. I had watched a million videos of all the girls who were popular in 2016, and thought I would immediately know what to do. In retrospect, if I had done some more thorough research, I would have been much more effective with my workouts. As you begin exercising, take the time to learn some basic anatomy (for instance, what part of your leg is your quad, where your tricep is, where your lats are). Look up the names and techniques for some of the fundamental exercises such as bent over row, bench press, squat, lunge, deadlift, plank, lat pulldown. Read and ask to learn the names of the general equipment like dumbbells, barbells, machines, and cable. Yes, lifting weights is a physical activity and that requires doing the physical activity to learn, but having some basic, background information will help you feel more comfortable.
3. Ask for help.
If you are confused how to set up a machine, or where equipment is located, you can always ask for help. Many people, especially those who love what they are doing, are happy to help. If you are need a second opinion about form and technique or more personal, nuanced tips, be discerning. Just because someone loves to exercise, it does not make them an expert or qualified to teach others. My jaded, cynical self would go as far to extend this towards fitness staff. Some of them may be very educated in personal training or hold college degrees in exercise science, and some may just have played football throughout college and indirectly meets the job requirements. The fitness industry is highly unregulated, even in professional settings. Do your research and use discretion. A qualified trainer should be up to date on their certifications, be able to explain their why with exercise selection, and give you appropriate workouts for your fitness level and goals that can be sustained.
4. Have a plan.
Unless you have lots of experience, do not just come in to a gym without a plan, whether that plan is a saved video or a professionally written program. This will help narrow the scope of equipment so you have specific machines or weights to use and avoid being overwhelmed. It will also help with remembering what exercises you did and the weights that you used. I use the Excel app in my phone for programming for myself and Google Docs for my clients. There are so many ways to write out your workouts, whether it is through an app, your phone’s Notes or an old-fashioned pad of paper. Having a focus will make you feel more task oriented, focused and reduce all the wasted time where you are wandering, wondering what to do.
5. Dress comfortably.
This is tip may be a slightly smaller in importance that the first four, but it is important all the same. Many times on social media, we see girls in little sports bras and tight, semi-transparent leggings in an Easter egg assortment of colors with jewelry, makeup and flowing hair. I admit, unless I am training early in the morning, I do wear makeup when I workout. I know how to keep it in place, and I wear a bold lip and eyeliner almost everyday anyways. I like a crop top. I like my clothes to match and to feel cute in the gym. I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing so. But, if you hate feeling sweat and makeup running together, don’t do it. If you need supported shoes, wear them. If you want to wear sweats and a tee shirt because you’re self-conscious, do it. If it will impede or distract from your workout, nix it.
6. Have a workout playlist.
Again, it seems so obvious, but it will make a difference. If you have a playlist that makes you excited and takes you to another zone, you can then relax and forget about other people. Yes, you come to the gym to work, but this is the time for you. Everyone has their preferences, but there is no right or wrong music for the gym. Creating that zone will bring your focus on yourself. And, if you are in your zone, headphones on, it is a clear signal to others to not bother you. You can workout peacefully without worrying someone will come up to correct you or interrupt.
7. Bring a buddy.
If your partner has been working out for sometime, ask them to workout with you. If your best friend got into the gym after she finally kicked that guy to the curb, go with her. The other woman in your mom group wanted to make some changes, too? Bring her. Your child started? Bring them. Having another person present not only give your that accountability factor, but can help buffer any anxieties.
8. Pull a Nike and just do it.
It has been said time and time again, but it remains true: the hardest part is starting. Everyone, not matter how fit or how old or how experienced, are all in the gym to better themselves. Everyone is also human, and makes mistakes. I did not look super fit nor did I have the best form when I started, but I learned as I went and the result began to show. Start where you and build from there. Maybe on the first day, you try some machines. Then, you start increasing the weight and trying other machines. You try out the cables and one day you pick up a dumbbell. Six months later, you can go up to the squat rack and start warming up without a second thought. Of course, I must throw in the caveat that weights and the gym are not for everyone. Some people prefer classes or sports leagues or running or just living an active life. It is perfectly fine to acknowledge this and pursue another arena of fitness after you give weight training some time. But you will never know until you try, and you cannot try if you don’t take that first step into the gym.
Happy lifting!
xoxo
Kat
Kat The Trainer 