Am I the only one who feels awkward squating?

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  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Yes I HATE it. :( There were two teenage-looking guys staring at me the last time I did them (which was months ago). I was facing the mirror but I could see them behind me in the mirror and it made me so mad. I wish I had the balls to turn around and tell them to stop looking. I don't know how to get over this.

    You have to identify why it bothers you.

    Is it your self-confidence?
    Is it your ego?
    Is it an agenda against men/assumed perverted thoughts?

    Self-confidence I think. I have been overweight my whole life until less than a year ago and I think I'm still adjusting to getting looked at. The attention makes me uncomfortable because I'm not used to handling it and I guess I channel the discomfort into getting pissed. It's stupid and I really just need to build a bridge and get over it! Like another poster said, it's a social norm to look at each other in the weight room, especially between sets because there's not much else to do.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Yes I HATE it. :( There were two teenage-looking guys staring at me the last time I did them (which was months ago). I was facing the mirror but I could see them behind me in the mirror and it made me so mad. I wish I had the balls to turn around and tell them to stop looking. I don't know how to get over this.

    You have to identify why it bothers you.

    Is it your self-confidence?
    Is it your ego?
    Is it an agenda against men/assumed perverted thoughts?


    Why does it have to be one of the above? It can be very uncomfortable doing workouts and looking and seeing guys with their eyes glued to parts of your body. If I looked like a fitness model, with the humility of mother theresa and thought all men could do no wrong, I would STILL feel awkward about being stared at in the gym.

    :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:

    Stare back at them???
    Go ask if they want to take a picture???

    I personally try not to stare, I just keep my head down and do my routine......
    So I think a lot of times people assume I am in a bad mood, or angry....or just not friendly.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Given that I rarely do normal squats, everyone raises an eyebrow when I do my leg work - Bulgarian squats and Jefferson squats.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    One time this dude sat on a bench RIGHT behind me while I was in the rack. He didn't even use the bench, just sat there. I'm like...I can see you creepin in the WALL TO WALL MIRROR.

    But then when he finally started lifting some things, my weights were higher than his, so I quickly got over it. :laugh:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    If those people looking at you are anything like me, they're just thinking, "right on...get some." In my gym, there is my wife and like 5 other ladies who squat...they are all awesome and I have far more admiration for what they're doing than I do the people (including guys) who won't set foot in the weight room because they're chicken **** scared of a frackin' barbell.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    You are not alone, but you just have to get over it. Do you care more about what people think about how you look when you are working out or how your *kitten* looks in your jeans? Hmmm?
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    I only feel awkward when the gym rats approach me to tell me how I'm going to blow out my knees "doing it wrong, bro" and I attempt to explain to them what powerlifting is.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    I did until I started seeing the results in the shape of my rear end. Now I don't care. It's worth it!
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    I squat in the comfort of my own home. And my inner dialogue is something like "Ok, let's have a seat...nope! just kidding! stand back up..." :happy:

    Haha, I like this!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Do some barbell hip thrusts. You will no longer feel awkward squatting.

    BB-Hip-Thrusts.jpeg
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Do some barbell hip thrusts. You will no longer feel awkward squatting.

    BB-Hip-Thrusts.jpeg

    ^^ 100%

    If you make eye contact while doing this you will truly know what awkward is lol
  • shutyourpieholeandsquat
    shutyourpieholeandsquat Posts: 1,394 Member
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    If those people looking at you are anything like me, they're just thinking, "right on...get some." In my gym, there is my wife and like 5 other ladies who squat...they are all awesome and I have far more admiration for what they're doing than I do the people (including guys) who won't set foot in the weight room because they're chicken **** scared of a frackin' barbell.

    PLEASE keep saying things like this. I'm SO trying to 'get over it' and do a complete workout on weights and I want to think that this is what guys are thinking. All I could think as I looked at myself squatting,(JUST the bar at that) in the mirror was "I LOOK LIKE A COW".
  • RobertHButler
    RobertHButler Posts: 50
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    Ladies: When you wear tight yoga pants, and panty lines reveal a thong, the men are wondering if you're getting a thrill doing your squats. We are compelled to watch the action.
  • creativerick
    creativerick Posts: 270 Member
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    Yes I HATE it. :( There were two teenage-looking guys staring at me the last time I did them (which was months ago). I was facing the mirror but I could see them behind me in the mirror and it made me so mad. I wish I had the balls to turn around and tell them to stop looking. I don't know how to get over this.

    You have to identify why it bothers you.

    Is it your self-confidence?
    Is it your ego?
    Is it an agenda against men/assumed perverted thoughts?


    Why does it have to be one of the above? It can be very uncomfortable doing workouts and looking and seeing guys with their eyes glued to parts of your body. If I looked like a fitness model, with the humility of mother theresa and thought all men could do no wrong, I would STILL feel awkward about being stared at in the gym.

    I was listing common reasons why people have problems lifting in the gym. Rest assured, everyone has some level of self-doubt or awareness of other people in the gym. You're assuming they are staring at your body parts, but when I see a female squatting I think, "Great to see her doing real lifts."

    I get stared at every day in the gym, by women, men, kids, whoever. I make sure my form is great, and continue my workout. I take the staring as a compliment and continue on my day.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Nah, I squat at home so only the dog is watching me :wink:
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Do some barbell hip thrusts. You will no longer feel awkward squatting.

    BB-Hip-Thrusts.jpeg

    I want to try these!
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I train at home, but I've done hip thrusts in a hotel gym. People were actually staring. Did not care. I knew what I was doing and why I was doing it.

    Same for Turkish get-ups. That's another one people don't understand.

    Honestly, you get past it. It's work. It has to be done, and if people want to waste their time watching me instead of doing their own work, that's their call. I'm not going to let their eyes make my decisions for me.
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
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    I train at home, but I've done hip thrusts in a hotel gym. People were actually staring. Did not care. I knew what I was doing and why I was doing it.

    Same for Turkish get-ups. That's another one people don't understand.

    Honestly, you get past it. It's work. It has to be done, and if people want to waste their time watching me instead of doing their own work, that's their call. I'm not going to let their eyes make my decisions for me.

    ^^Well stated....love your attitude!!!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Do some barbell hip thrusts. You will no longer feel awkward squatting.

    BB-Hip-Thrusts.jpeg

    ^^ 100%

    If you make eye contact while doing this you will truly know what awkward is lol

    I have 200 plus pounds on mine... I'll eye contact the hell out of someone if they try to stare at me.I do not care.

    very much like
    <see this... yeah this right here> I have a vagina made of steel- I will crush you like a wood chopper- stop staring you creepy mother effer.

    and then they stop staring because they are embarrassed I shamed with them my steel vagina and rock hard *kitten*.


    It's like reverse eye f*cking.

    Meh- I know people watch- it's what people in the weight room do.

    But I seriously have no idea how you can possibly tell whose watching when you are ACTUALLY lifting. All I can focus on is brace- breath- press.

    Edit:
    most people feel really uncomfortable because they A. aren't sure what they are doing or B. aren't super familiar with what they are trying to do. Both of those things tend to contribute to the uncomfortablness that happens.

    Having a plan- and going over mentally in your head what you are trying to do- makes a huge difference- practicing form at home so you know what you are supposed to be doing will help.

    making sure you know the equipment and how to adjust it will go a long way into helping as well.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Ladies: When you wear tight yoga pants, and panty lines reveal a thong, the men are wondering if you're getting a thrill doing your squats. We are compelled to watch the action.

    Ew.

    No. We aren't. Get your jollies elsewhere.

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