Gym Anxiety

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SheoriLovell
SheoriLovell Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello all. I was just wondering how you guys conquered your fear of going to the gym because at this point I am running roughly 2 miles on Monday Wednesday and Friday and then doing 30 minuets of Pilates on Tuesday and Thursday and then resting all weekend with intervals of yoga at the end of everyday. Problem is I feel like my upper body is being neglected because I am terrified of doing anything at the gym except for using the treadmill. So my question is how do you guys deal with anxiety at the gym what machines are you comfortable on? And can you share with me :)?

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  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    Schedule some time with a trainer at the gym (or staff member) to learn a quick routine and how to use the machines. That will make you more confident when you go into use them. Other than that, just go and keep going. Your anxiety will decrease over time.
  • bear2303
    bear2303 Posts: 252 Member
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    If you have a level of gym anxiety I would consider getting a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to help you with the machines. You may not even have to pay for it as a lot of people that work at the gym will gladly help you use the machines properly. There are a ton of great cycle workouts available online that you can tailor to the items that are available at the gym.

    GOOD LUCK!
  • mom2mcjc
    mom2mcjc Posts: 89 Member
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    I agree, a trainer really helps. It's also good to go at 'off' times, like Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, when there are few people there.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    What is your gym anxiety from?
    -If you're worried other people are watching you, don't worry because most people are doing their own thing not paying any attention to you.
    -If it's from not knowing what to do, look at this website (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/) for an idea of what you can be doing. It breaks it down by muscle group so you can build a workout for you based on which muscles you want to work.
    -If it's from something else, say so. I'm sure someone here can help you with whatever it is :smile:

    As for what machines I use, I don't use many. I use the free weights for 95% of my weight lifting routines. Every now and then I'll use one as an accessory lift, but I don't find them necessary in my workouts.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    I am glad I have never had the slightest bit of gym anxiety. To be afraid to workout in front of people should not be a concern, it is all in your head.

    I am sure glad I played high school football and had an excellent strength and conditioning coach, I have always been comfortable in a gym being that I knew what I was doing for the most part, so maybe work with a trainer.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    The best way to get over your fear is to do it.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I have felt anxiety there, too, esp when I started lifting weights. The things is, you just gotta do it. Walk in there like you own the place, whether you feel that way or not. People will most likely ignore you. Except for the one time I caught a guy looking at my butt while doing barbell rows, I've never noticed anybody noticing me.

    Also, for me it really helped to know what I was doing and to go in with a plan. I did quite a bit of reading and watched videos on good form before I start weight lifting, which helped my confidence. I still had some dumb noob moments, but it still helped a ot.
  • v_woolf
    v_woolf Posts: 33 Member
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    find a training partner! If you are spending your time talking to one another and figuring things out yourselves, you won't be worried about other people and what they're doing or looking silly.

    In order to combat my own gym anxiety, my training partner and I hired a coach to train us to train ourselves. She was *amazing* and she sat down with us, figured out what our goals were, wrote us a three-day split gym plan, and taught us (over 3 sessions) how to properly do the exercises and use correct form. Then, when my training partner and I went to the gym, we had each other for support and we also had a plan on paper to follow so we always knew what to do.
  • DannehBoyy
    DannehBoyy Posts: 546 Member
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    I'm sure a lot of people in your gym feel the same way. The best way to overcome your fears is to face the fear and do it anyway and feel like a boss after you've done it!

    I remember when i started going to the gym i hated sitting in front of the mirror by the free weights during rest periods because i didn't know where to look and didn't want people to think i was staring at them... :P But because i made myself do it and didn't make a big thing of it, i'ts a thing of the past! Hope you can do this too :) Good luck

  • v_woolf
    v_woolf Posts: 33 Member
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    ** addendum: hiring a coach to train us to train ourselves was much, much cheaper than hiring an ongoing personal trainer or a personal trainer for just a few sessions. The objective at the beginning was very clear, we wanted to be able to train ourselves and we wanted a plan to do so. This is different from just seeing a personal trainer for a few weeks because we left the experience feeling informed and with a concrete strategy.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    You might like to read this post. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1169757/i-am-the-woman-in-the-freeweights-section-of-the-gym
  • Jesssamesssa
    Jesssamesssa Posts: 116 Member
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    SheoriLovell wrote: »
    Hello all. I was just wondering how you guys conquered your fear of going to the gym because at this point I am running roughly 2 miles on Monday Wednesday and Friday and then doing 30 minuets of Pilates on Tuesday and Thursday and then resting all weekend with intervals of yoga at the end of everyday. Problem is I feel like my upper body is being neglected because I am terrified of doing anything at the gym except for using the treadmill. So my question is how do you guys deal with anxiety at the gym what machines are you comfortable on? And can you share with me :)?

    Watch People. There are also pictures on the machines how to use them. Start off with the lightest weight and go up if you can. :)
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    xcalygrl wrote: »
    What is your gym anxiety from?
    -If you're worried other people are watching you, don't worry because most people are doing their own thing not paying any attention to you.
    -If it's from not knowing what to do, look at this website (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/) for an idea of what you can be doing. It breaks it down by muscle group so you can build a workout for you based on which muscles you want to work.
    -If it's from something else, say so. I'm sure someone here can help you with whatever it is :smile:

    As for what machines I use, I don't use many. I use the free weights for 95% of my weight lifting routines. Every now and then I'll use one as an accessory lift, but I don't find them necessary in my workouts.

    That link to bb.com also has clips that show form along with a write-up for each move. I use it a lot.

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