So you want to know how to overcome gym intimidation huh?
You want to head into the gym, use the weights, and change your body but it is just too intimidating.
There is one guy over in the weights area who is grunting and has muscles popping out of his neck.
Another guy and girl couple doing some intense hiit workout that they are seemingly breezing through.
Therefore A + B = Not going to the freaking gym thanks though!
Listen, I got you.
By the time you get done reading this article you are going to be ready to tell the muscle guy in the weight room to get the hell out of your way because you got changes to make to your body.
Well, in a polite way of course because we don’t want to be rude now.
Just be sure to fully understand every concept, strategy, and tip I am going to give you here.
Cool? Cool. Let’s figure out how to overcome gym intimidation.
How To Overcome Gym Intimidation
You Have To Realize…
Before I get into tips and tacts, or strategies and surefire ways to make sure you are confident in the gym, you must understand this.
No one cares what you are doing in the gym.
At all.
Whatsoever.
Wait a minute, clearly they do, doesn’t everyone who goes to the gym sit there and wait for newbies like you to wander in so they can make fun of and judge you?
Re read that back to yourself, does that even make any sense?
People don’t care about what you are doing in the gym for two main reasons.
Number one, everyone in the gym is doing the exact same thing you are doing and thinking the exact same thing you are thinking.
“ I hope I don’t come in and make a fool of myself and I hope no one is looking at me or judging me”.
You are thinking that, and the person next to you is thinking that as well.
Therefore you are both too busy worrying about you not judging one another, neither one of you has time to judge one another!
You aren’t judging them and they aren’t judging you. You both just want to get in, get your workout in, not make a fool of yourself, and get out.
That goes for every single person in the gym.
The Second Reason Is…
The second reason no one cares what you are doing is the average persons attention span won’t allow them to even get through reading this entire article.
I bet yours was challenged already by checking your messages, checking instagram, tending your kids needs, and so on.
Do you really think anyone has time to study your every move in the gym and wait for you to do something wrong so they can judge you?
The jacked guy in the weights area who is grunting and has muscles popping out of his neck is entirely too infatuated with his biceps to even notice you are there.
The guy and girl couple who was breezing through their hiit workout is too busy taking selfies to put on instagram to take the time to notice what you are doing right or wrong.
Simply put, there are not these people that are designated gym judgers who sit there waiting for people like you to come in and judge you.
Now, let’s say there is someone in there who is judging you.
They are like man is she doing her push ups wrong or wow that guy does not know how to lift.
Two things for you here.
Number one, even if that was the case, which it is not, who cares?
You don’t know that person. That person has no impact on your life. You don’t interact with that person on a daily basis.
Therefore why are you letting some random person opinion stop you from losing weight, getting stronger, or feeling better about yourself?
Would you really let someone you don’t know nor care for opinion dictate how you are going to live your life?
I hope not because you deserve way better than that. Don’t let that happen.
Number two, if that was the case, they have something wrong with them, not you.
They are the ones that is doing something wrong.
You could be the most out of shape individual in the world, doing the worst form on every exercise, and completely lost in the gym.
They are still the ones who would be taking time out of their day to negatively judge someone else, making them a complete and utter loser, not you.
To sum up, the number one thing I would tell you on how to overcome gym intimidation is to realize right off the bat, it is not nearly as bad as you are making it out to be in your head.
Everyone doesn’t want to be judged just like you.
Now beyond that, let’s talk about some actionable, practical tips you can take with you as you make your new trek into the gym shall we?
5 Tips On How To Overcome Gym Intimidation
These are my top 5 favorite things I tell people on how to overcome gym intimidation. There can certainly be more, but I promise if you do these 5 things, you are going to feel confident and ready to take on the gym.
#1 Have A Plan
The number one obstacle you could face that could cause gym intimidation is not having a plan.
Often times when people tell me why they haven’t gone to the gym it is because they don’t know what to do when they get there.
Tell me if this has happened to you before.
You get to the gym and get on the cardio machine because you know how to do that.
Then you try to make your way over to the weights and machines area to try something else out.
You walk around for a little and stare at the machines. Other people knowing exactly what they are doing on them and you are well, clueless.
This then leads you to walk right on back over to the cardio machines and then on home.
You get home and say “well if I am going to do is the cardio machines why even go at all?”.
This leads you to not go back because you will just walk at home (if that happens at all).
Sound familiar?
What did all of this stem from? This stemmed from you not having a plan, from you not knowing what to do when you got into the gym.
You didn’t know what exercises to do or how to do them properly. You didn’t know how the machines worked or how to do them properly.
There was no confidence on your part, only anxiety and the feeling of being unsure on everything.
The number one tip I have for you is to have a plan for what you are going to do when you walk into that gym.
Know exactly what exercises you are going to do and how you are going to properly perform them.
Understand how many reps and sets you will do for those exercises.
Go in knowing what equipment you will use and where it is located.
Have. A. Plan.
I cannot stress to you enough how important this is.
Well, I am Not A Fitness Professional, I Don’t Know What To Do
I get it, this is not what you do for a living like myself.
I don’t expect you to know exactly what exercises to do or how to do them properly on your own.
This is where I will say one of two things.
Number one would be use this thing called the internet.
You know the same way you found this article.
There is so much information out there whether it is form videos on YouTube, articles on how to develop your own strength training program, or podcasts on how to ensure you see progress in the gym .
There is a plethora of information out there.
Which, can actually be a positive or a negative.
The information is endless on the Internet which can lead you down a path of getting quality information, or it can lead you down a path of becoming more overwhelmed and confused.
Therefore, number two is hire a professional.
The internet is great, but how do you know if any of the information is truly right?
Also even if it is right, is it right for you, the individual?
There is a reason people like myself make our entire livings off of coaching individuals. This is my life. I live and breath fitness and I am able to teach it to you as well.
Now I am not saying you have to hire me and join my coaching program, though if you want to I will link the application form here.
I am saying hire a professional who knows what they are doing to at least get you set up on the right track.
In this case you should not only get a plan but also learn something from said individual so you can continue to develop on your own.
Either route you go, if you want to know the best tip I have for how to overcome gym intimidation, it would be to have a plan.
#2 Take Videos Of Yourself
Okay I know this probably sends your anxiety through the roof even reading that.
“You want me to not only go into the gym, but also take videos of myself while I am there?! In front of all of those people?! No WAY!”.
Hear me out for a second I promise it’ll be worth it.
I am not saying take selfie videos for instagram, although if that helps you get into the gym in the first place I am all for it.
I am saying take videos of your exercise form so you can go back and re watch it to see if you are doing it right.
Candidnly, I struggled a ton with this early on in my career. I didn’t take videos of myself because I didn’t want people thinking I was some self centered guy just taking videos of myself as I workout.
Two things then happened. Number one I realized what I told you already above, that I wasn’t going to let some random people who I didn’t even know or interact with dictate how I would live my life.
Yet also number two, this is the way I think of it.
Professional football players watch game tape. They watch their games to see what they did right, what they did wrong, where they could improve upon, and so on.
This is no different. This is your game tape.
You are getting videos of you performing exercises so you can see if your form is correct and or what needs to be worked on.
This done many things.
First off it allows you to stay healthy an injury free.
Beyond that is also ensures you are using the right muscles to see the best progress while you are in there.
Yet most importantly for the content of this article, it makes you confident.
If you take a video of yourself and you know your form is on point, that gives you a sense of calm. You won’t have to worry about people looking at you for doing the wrong thing because you already know it is right.
Again, if you need to, hire a professional or go on YouTube if you don’t know the proper form.
Point being, it can give you a ton of confidence and strength knowing that what you are doing is right.
If you are asking how to overcome gym intimidation, I know this one sounds scary and may make you uncomfortable at first, but I promise it is worth it.
#3 Tell People You Are A Newbie
This one also may make you think “why the hell would I do that?! I don’t want people knowing that!”.
Again, hear me out.
Everyone who is an avid gym goer lives to help newbies.
Why?
A few reasons. Number one is because it makes people feel good.
They are able to share their knowledge and opinion with you, which normally always makes someone feel good.
Think about when people come to you for advice and take what you have to say to heart, makes you feel good doesn’t it?
Second, no matter how fit or experienced someone is, everyone started somewhere.
That ultra fit person was once a beginner too therefore they know what it is like to be one.
I can tell you first hand with myself I wish I had someone pointing me in the right direction when I first started off, which is why I take to my social media platforms and articles like this to help people like yourself reading this.
If someone gave me this advice early on it would be game changing for me.
Therefore if people know you are a beginner they will want to do nothing but help you.
They’ll be friendly and make you feel welcomed, which will help when it comes to how to overcome gym intimidation.
#4 Get Outside Support
This one can really be a game changer for a lot of people.
One of the biggest things is you don’t want to be alone. This can come in the form of two ways. Either hiring a professional to work with you like we mentioned above, or joining a community or group.
This can help you feel connected, accepted, and empowered.
This could be your local friends, your spouse, your teachers at school, a class in the gym, etc.
Another option could be an online group you can interact with.
I run an online group myself and I have to tell you the interaction, support, caring attitude, and accepting of everyone in that group is absolutely amazing.
One thing I have seen is that because it may not be a ton of people you truly know in real life, you are to go in and really speak your thoughts.
Tell the group how you feel, what you are going through, or the questions you have.
Sometimes when it comes to being in person or asking friends, you may hold back because you don’t feel 100% comfortable or want them to judge you.
In an online group that is nothing but support, caring, and kind, this does not hold you back because you can be open and honest.
Either way, joining some type of group so you are not alone is a great option for how to overcome gym intimidation.
#5 Go At The Same Days / Times
Rounding out the tips would be create a routine and stick to it.
Head to the gym at the same times on the same days week after week.
Why?
You will see the same people, the same faces, and follow a similar routine.
People know you and you know them.
This will help you settle into things a bit more and get comfortable with what you are doing.
The first week or two is going to be uncomfortable because it is new.
Yet if you can push through that first initial time period and go on the same days and same times, this can help really solidify your confidence going in there.
Final Word : How To Overcome Gym Intimidation
When it comes to the question of how to overcome gym intimidation I want to leave you with this one thing.
Remember, everyone that goes to the gym is there for the same reason you are, and that is to get better.
The guy who has muscles popping out of his neck and is in the weights area grunting, he is there to make a better version of himself.
The couple who is doing the crazy insane hiit workouts and taking selfies, they are there to better themselves.
You, a beginner and someone who is looking to overcome gym intimidation, you are there to better yourself.
The gym is a beautiful place because it is one of the only places on this plant where everyone is there for the sole reason to better themselves.
The more you realize that, along with everything mentioned in this article, I promise you you will win.
I hope this article helped and I hope it got you confident to not only step foot into the gym, but kick some ass while you are there.
If you want and or need any help feel free to leave me a comment below or shoot me an email at coacheric@ericrobertsfitness.com.
If you want to apply to work with me, you can head to the application form here.
Until next time, happy gym going, and we will talk soon.
-E.