As someone who’s looking to get into weightlifting, the gym can seem like a scary place.
I mean, everyone looks like they know what they’re doing and have so much experience right? So they’re going to judge you as a beginner? Wrong!
It’s understandable to think this way, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Even though the weights section of the gym can seem very intimidating at times, it ends up being very welcoming.
Gym anxiety is extremely common, especially among beginners.
Don’t feel like this is something you’re alone on. Know that it’s a step almost everyone in your gym has had to overcome at some point.
Because of this, I’ve put together a guide of some tips that helped me become more comfortable in the gym.
Here are some tips to help you calm your gym anxiety to kickstart your weightlifting journey.
Start small
If you’re someone who’s very intimidated by the gym, don’t expect yourself to be able to jump into a full blown workout on the first day.
Instead, you can begin by simply walking around your gym to get a feel for the layout.
You can even test out some machines that seem interesting to use.
This will help you be more familiar with where things are.
Take this time to find machines you might want to use and become more comfortable with the space.
After you gain your initially comfortability, you can start by doing small workouts in the weights section.
Pick a machine that looks simple to use and give it a try. Or, pick up some dumbbells and find a space for yourself to do an exercise.
Once you do your first exercise or use that first machine, things become much less scary. Overtime, you’ll learn how to use all the machines and realize things aren’t as complicated as they may seem.
No one’s focusing on you as much as you think, so focus on yourself
The root cause of our gym anxiety is that we think everyone else is judging us. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Almost everyone in the gym is there to better themselves. Because of this, they love to see you bettering yourself too.
People who have been in the gym a long time understand the struggle of being a beginner. A lot of people will even go out of their way to give you tips and help you feel more comfortable.
There are very, very few people who are going to care what you look like or what you’re doing at the gym.
By the very slim chance someone is actually judging you, you really shouldn’t care what they think.
Anyone going to the gym and judging other people is one) clearly not there to better themselves, whereas you are. And two) a very insecure person who is projecting their insecurities onto you.
Trust me, anyone who’s secure in themselves and who’s there to improve themselves, is happy you’re there and will not judge you.
Plan what you want to do beforehand
Going into the gym without a plan usually leaves me standing in the middle of the floor not knowing what to do.
Although this used to stress me out, it doesn’t anymore. So what if you’re standing there looking confused? If you’re not in anyone’s way, then there’s no reason for anyone to judge you.
And believe me, it’s more common than you think to have a brain fart mid workout and not know what to do next.
Not having a plan certainly adds to the stress and confusion of a workout, especially if one of your fears is looking like you don’t know what to do.
But, there’s a simple fix to this. Have a plan in mind beforehand of what you want to do. Plan things like what muscle groups you want to work and what exercises you want to do.
Eventually, you’ll have a gym split for yourself and have a plan for each day.
Be able to adapt
Sometimes, we go into the gym with a plan, but the circumstances that day require us to change these plans.
For example, maybe the gym is much busier than you thought it would be. So maybe it’s not the best time for something like a leg day.
Or, maybe you walk into the gym with the plan of squatting first, but all the squat racks are taken. Now you might need to pick something else to start with.
It’s best not to get too caught up in having to change up your workouts. This relieves a lot of stress when things don’t go to plan.
Remember, the gym is a shared space between many of us. There will be times we’ll need to compromise and adapt so things work for everyone.
Bring a workout partner
When I was first starting out at the gym, I would always go with my best friend.
She made the gym so much less scary and made working out so much more enjoyable.
If you have a friend or anyone who you think might be interested in working out with you, then you should definitely bring them with you.
I think being able to work out with my friend was one of the main reasons I became so interested in the gym.
Doing this made me so much more comfortable with the gym and realize that it can be such a fun, calming space.
Think about it, if you have a friend with you, everything you do becomes so much better.
For example, you can figure out how to use machines together, plan your workouts together, and laugh it off together if one of you ends up embarrassing yourselves.
So bring a friend if you can.
Don’t go at the busy hours
It might take some time to figure out, but there are usually very clear times when the gym is busiest and when it’s quietest.
If you’re someone who has gym anxiety, it’s best to go at a quieter time. If you think people are judging you, you’ll definitely feel much more comfortable when there are less people around.
It’s much easier to feel overwhelmed when the gym is busy. Especially if you’re a beginner who’s not fully comfortable yet.
I’ve figured out that the times my gym is busiest are between 9-11 am and 4-6 pm.
My workout time is usually around 9:00am. But only because I know my way around the gym so the bigger crowd doesn’t bother me.
If I had more anxiety about the larger number of people, I’d likely go at a time when I know it wouldn’t be as busy.
I think this is a good strategy too. It might take a few days to figure out the busy times, but there will definitely be a clear difference between busy and not busy.
Start working out!
The gym is a safe space where everyone should feel comfortable to come and better themselves.
It might take time, but eventually you’ll gain your confidence in the gym.
Keep in mind that everyone starts somewhere and you have no reason to feel self conscious.
Take that first step, conquer your anxiety, and begin your weightlifting journey.