From 120 lbs to 210.

mrodgers2232

I remember starting for the first time. I was using a pull up bar in my house . Counting sets and reps , not knowing what to count to, and why I had to pay attention to how many I was doing. There was no such thing as progress to me. It burned. I was sore . And I saw no improvement . I then decided to try a gym. The overwhelming factor of doing what I did not know in front of people I did not feel comfortable in front of. These guys were bigger than I was. And for some strange reason I felt like they were going to judge me every step of the way. He is only lifting the bar, or his form is horrible. My paranoid mind tricked me into reading the thoughts of people I never even knew. I struggled, and struggled , until I found that YouTube had a plethora of workout plans and tips. Realizing these guys teaching me online were the same people in my gym surrounding me. This is no place for judgement. This is a community. If you are in the gym , you are no better than anyone else in that gym, and they are no better than you. I eventually came to realize that my 100% was completely different than their 100% . And I was just fine with that. Knowing I was doing everything I could possibly do did just fine for me . I grew up with pulmonary disease, I couldn't run Without going to the hospital for a week. Taking medicine that deteriorated my bones and gave me osteoporosis , in addition to the scoliosis made it very difficult to stand straight . I've overcome every objection that was thrown my way . And by the grace of god I am healthy and still kicking it! If you are sick, underweight, overweight, have low self esteem, not very disciplined, whatever the case, I could not express enough how much the gym or even working out at home will greatly improve every aspect of your life. Do not let somebody else's judgement hold you back . Do not be afraid to be that guy or gal that is not putting out the exact same amount of work as that person next to you . If you go in with the mindset to try, you have the intention to fail. You go in, and you give it all you got . And don't worry about the stares. If they have time to evaluate you , they need to reevaluate their lives. For anyone going into the gym for the first time, I sure hope this helps. If I had this to read before I ever started , I would be where I want to be now.
I sure hope this helps !

vanessalillian82

That's actually one of the things that holds me back the most - my perception that I don't have as much right to be in the gym as everyone else does. Of course, I'm totally wrong about that, but it takes a while to wrap your head around it. Great post, and congratulations on your successes!

californiagirl2012

Awesome job achieving your goals. Yes we all have to ignore others judgements who who they think we are, and do what we need for our own selves. But yes, we are in the boat together and once we get to know people it's a great thing. We all have to go all in!

myfightforfitness

This is such a beautiful motivational post. Thank you for sharing your experience

janellsosajs

I felt the same way about the gym. Then I just said f**k it. They had to start somewhere too and they put their pants on the same way I do. Great post! Good luck on your continued success!