Nervous about going to the gym!

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leahwhite97
leahwhite97 Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This may sound silly but I've just joined a gym in the hope of toning my body up and loosing a bit of weight, but I'm really nervous about going! I haven't really been in a gym before and I don't have experience with the machines and I'm probably going to make a fool of myself, since I'll be clueless and quite unfit compared to others there.
Any tips for a gym newbie?

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Ask questions to the staff or trainers if there are some there. You say make a fool of yourselves. If I were to upload all the gym fails I would have a collection of thousands of videos. A lot of people do ridiculous things at the gym. 9 times out of 10 no one really cares how you are working out even if you are doing it wrong.

    Is there a way for you to take a tour of the gym with a staff member and have them show you how to use the machines and do the exercises?
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    just go and observe a time or two. feel the flow, see how people interact.
    ask for a tour and a tutorial on some of the machines that you want to use, or equipment
    and remember, everyone there is there to get fit. and no one is staring
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    Confidently walk in like you own the place. Fake it til you make it!
  • jmac4263
    jmac4263 Posts: 245 Member
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    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Confidently walk in like you own the place. Fake it til you make it!

    This, no one will know the difference.
  • Carnhot
    Carnhot Posts: 367 Member
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    The staff are there to help you - that is what they are paid for. You have paid for your membership so don't hesitate to make that outlay work for you. The staff at my gym are always very happy to help and never make me feel foolish, even though I am!
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
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    From my experiences at gyms, people don't really look. Most people at the gym are absorbed in their own worlds with their headphones on doing their own things. And just remember that they were once where you are, too. No one was born knowing how to use gym equipment!

    And plus, if it's any consolation, the weight machines aren't really that hard to figure out. If it makes you feel better, you can start out only by doing free weights. And every time you go to the gym try a new machine.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    HikeCyclist wrote: »
    From my experiences at gyms, people don't really look. Most people at the gym are absorbed in their own worlds with their headphones on doing their own things. And just remember that they were once where you are, too. No one was born knowing how to use gym equipment!

    And plus, if it's any consolation, the weight machines aren't really that hard to figure out. If it makes you feel better, you can start out only by doing free weights. And every time you go to the gym try a new machine.

    True. However the problem with free weights is that the form police can sometimes scrutinise you where as the machines are often pretty self explanatory and sometimes even have little diagrams on to show you how to perform the movement. It's hard to go wrong on most machines. Everybody seems to have an opinion on correct free weight form.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    There was only one time I went to the gym that someone gave me a dirty look. She was across the gym from me on a treadmill and just looked like she wanted to kill someone. Then I realized it was a mirror and I have a horrible resting b*tch face. :blush:
  • bdedi
    bdedi Posts: 9 Member
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    leahwhite97,

    I was the same way. When first started going, all I did was walk on the treadmill. I felt self conscious that I wasn't going fast enough/far enough, etc. Then one night a young lady got on the treadmill next to me. I proceeded to watch the young lady RUN the entire time I walked, at the time I was walking 30 minutes at a time. She got off all sweaty and then said to me "Keep up the good work". I was blown away, (bear in mind, I'm 50 and she was like 25ish). We started talking and she said it was great that I was working out and that soon I would be the one running 30 minutes.

    I agree with everyone else, just do what you want to do and don't worry about what anyone might think. You're there for YOU, not them.
  • babydull
    babydull Posts: 727 Member
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    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    There was only one time I went to the gym that someone gave me a dirty look. She was across the gym from me on a treadmill and just looked like she wanted to kill someone. Then I realized it was a mirror and I have a horrible resting b*tch face. :blush:

    HAHA!
  • YolliB2014
    YolliB2014 Posts: 104 Member
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    Anytime I started up at a new gym, I was given a tour of the place and the equipment. After that I spent about a week working out on equipment I knew and was comfortable with, not many, but the treadmill, bike, and the free weights and in doing that I was able to watch how the machines were used. The last gym I went to before moving, had some pretty amazing people in there that were always willing to help me out and offered me a lot of friendly, positive support.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Gyms are intimidating at first when they are new and strange

    But the staff is there to help you

    You will meet others that are nice and will help you

    I have been going to the same gym for over a year and a half. At first it was just like your feelings.

    Now I have a bunch of friends and a half dozen or so I work out with fairly regularly.

    It is a good place.

    You will fit in and hopefully have a great time!

    And at the gym.... We talk about diet and exercise and never have the silly arguments that abound on the MFP forums.

    I'm glad I went there for a year before coming to MFP. Much easier to get good advice. You actually see the people and know they really do workout and follow a nutrition plan.
  • KenziesFrenzies
    KenziesFrenzies Posts: 1,014 Member
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    When I was first starting out, I kept telling myself this, and it helped me out a ton.

    tumblr_nq9u66tthr1tch02so1_500.jpg

    The more you go, the more comfortable you'll get there. So don't be afraid to be a beginner!!!
  • thop83
    thop83 Posts: 47 Member
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    No one judges. At my gym, not only the staff help newer people, but if it's obvious that someone is new (it's a small community) most of the members will stop their workout or finish it and then help out the new person learning how to do workouts and how to "properly" lift free weights. Once you get in there, you just gotta feel it.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    In my country most gyms offer a free introduction where an instructor helps you for an hour, creates a schedule and explains the machines.
    Perhaps your gym offers something similar?
  • leahwhite97
    leahwhite97 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you everyone!! Lovely comments :)
  • mystgrl1604
    mystgrl1604 Posts: 117 Member
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    Book an induction if you're new to the gym experience. It's priceless. They tour you around the place and if you ask, they'll even show you how to use any and all equipment you're unfamiliar with. Take it slow and stick to stuff you're familiar with, but always try a new machine/equipment/exercise or two every time you go to the gym.

    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Confidently walk in like you own the place. Fake it til you make it!
    THIS. This is how I did it. Hahahaha! Plus a lot of surreptitious glances at people who seem to know what they're doing to figure out how to do stuff.

    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    There was only one time I went to the gym that someone gave me a dirty look. She was across the gym from me on a treadmill and just looked like she wanted to kill someone. Then I realized it was a mirror and I have a horrible resting b*tch face. :blush:
    Ahahahaha!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Confidently walk in like you own the place. Fake it til you make it!

    I did this with just a smidge of constant resting b!t@h face. Worked like a charm.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
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    Work with a personal trainer, watch some you tube videos. Most gyms will give you a free session, just don't fall for the sales pitch unless you really want it. And then set a time limit on how long you will work with them.
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
    edited July 2015
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    slideaway1 wrote: »
    HikeCyclist wrote: »
    From my experiences at gyms, people don't really look. Most people at the gym are absorbed in their own worlds with their headphones on doing their own things. And just remember that they were once where you are, too. No one was born knowing how to use gym equipment!

    And plus, if it's any consolation, the weight machines aren't really that hard to figure out. If it makes you feel better, you can start out only by doing free weights. And every time you go to the gym try a new machine.

    True. However the problem with free weights is that the form police can sometimes scrutinise you where as the machines are often pretty self explanatory and sometimes even have little diagrams on to show you how to perform the movement. It's hard to go wrong on most machines. Everybody seems to have an opinion on correct free weight form.

    What you are saying is true as well. What the poster should really do is hire a personal trainer. That's how I learned the most about free weights.

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