You know you should be in the gym but you have no idea what to do. You’ve probably thought at least one of the following at some point:
- Is my form good enough to perform certain exercises? Will I look stupid? Are people watching?”
- “How much weight should I use?”
- “Should I even use weight?”
- “How difficult is this supposed to be?”
- “Should I do circuits?”
- “How many times should I repeat the exercise?”
- “Which muscles do these exercises work? Should I even be working these muscles?”
- “Should I even be lifting weights if I just want to get lean and toned?”
- “How the *&%^ do I set up this machine?”
These stressful questions seem to be the reason most of us never attend a gym. However, we are bombarded with the above questions that cause enough stress to have us wish we were back in our comfort zone … on the couch watching television.
Being intimidated in the gym is a real thing – so real that the combination word of “gymtimidated” was invented.
You probably won’t enjoy coming to the gym until you feel confident. You probably won’t feel confident until you feel comfortable.
Here are 6 steps to help take you from “Gymtimidated” to “Gympressive”
- Ask for Help– Any trainer or gym owner should have no problem assisting you in your journey from having no clue to being competent. A lot of gyms offer complimentary sessions. If not, hiring a trainer for a session or two is a great investment in your future health.
- Show Up– If you are currently not attending the gym at all, showing up just once a week is a huge step in the right direction. Work your way up to your desired weekly attendance slowly but you need to just start with what’s not overwhelming for now.
- Perform Enjoyable Exercises– Most of us with minimal experience like to do what we have been told is most effective. The most important first step is to enjoy what you’re doing. Don’t stress yourself over things like how much cardio vs. lifting weights you should be doing.
- Keep Workouts Short– Most of us try to make up for years of lost time in the gym in a few sessions. This drastic increase in activity of going from nothing to everything can have tons of negative effects and if the sessions are time-consuming it will be seen as a lengthy chore that inhibits your ability to get other things done that are also important. Get in and out in thirty minutes, over time we can increase this.
- Simple Exercise Selection– Choose 4-6 total exercises that you want to perform. When starting off and trying to create a habit, do your best off trying to stick to these. The exercise boredom bug shouldn’t hit you just yet considering you’re just learning. Improving on these few exercises should be stimulating enough to keep you showing up at first. Pratt Performance Systems helps busy adults achieve amazing results through Small Group Personal Training, an expert coaching staff and a fun gym environment.
https://www.prattperformance.com/