Why do I feel so anxious about weight training in the gym....

From personal experience, the only people who will even notice someone else is in the gym at all is when that person is using the equipment they need, LOL! However, I feel you on this. I still struggle with it even though I know no one cares, outside of the occasional thumbs up, or busy body telling me I'll "lose weight in no time" - people are people, and most of these people are slackers just hanging around and not working. I have actually had a couple of people stop me to tell me I'm doing something wrong that I know I was doing correctly. But that's a couple of times out of several hundred visits. They got the point quickly and now just go about their business, ignoring me like I want. The best advice I can give is to get into your own zone so *you* don't notice *other people*. Frankly, the more serious the other people in the gym are, the more likely it is they won't even know you exist. They just want to focus, just like you.

As others have said, I do not want to diminish how you feel but I would encourage you to love yourself more! I am an old lady of 53 with my head high in that weight room. I am so focused on my goals, my safety, watching my *kitten* go below parallel in a good squat that I forget there is anyone around me. Live your life girl! Its the only one you got and nobody elses opinion is going to change that! Enjoy!

I can completely understand the feeling. Having a workout buddy (his strength is pretty similar to mine so we can usually use the same weights) helps me feel a little braver to use the full range of equipment. I've never had too much issue using dumbbells, but it took some convincing myself to move up to using the full size barbells as those are mostly used by the obvious heavy/regular lifters in the gym.

Once I do it one time, however, it gets a little easier, and after a couple times, it's not that big of a deal. Usually it's that first time that is rough for me and I need to talk myself into it!

It's all in your head. With the exception of an idiot or two, no one gives a crap about you or what you're doing at the gym.
Most people will even try to help you correct the exercises if they see you're about to get hurt.

In any case, if you want to lift, youtube it.
How to Squat? How to Deadlift? How to bench press?
Study it, emulate it. That's how you learn.

And if anyone looks at you funny, a good "GO F&^% YOURSELF" always works.

Your form is fine. Multiple people have told you so. But let's face it, if someone looks at you and thinks your form is bad, you will not die. What's the worst that could happen? Someone you don't know or care about will think you are less than perfect. It's not a bad thing to be less than perfect. Don't tell anyone, but I am not actually perfect myself.

I am incredibly shy and the least confident person ever and I go to the gym and lift weights. It was intimidating at first but I got over it I love my gym time.

I got over it by jumping in feet first. My first real gym (besides a tiny campus one) was a bodybuilder gym complete with constant rock blaring rock music. I put headphones in, max volume, and set to work. I started simple with moves I practiced at home. Simple stuff, like dumbbell bench press and bicep curls. I was petrified to squat, but I wanted to to get the results I wanted. My best advice is to watch tons of videos. The Art of manliness' video on squats on youtube helped me so much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhVC_AnZYYM He also has excellent deadlift ones. If you're ever unsure even at the gym, pop open your phone if you can and look for form help, or observe others while doing a simple move.

Now I go to the YMCA, but I miss and love my old bodybuilder gym and will be joining it again in the future when I no longer get financial assistance form the Y as a student. and at my old gym I only ever had one person talk to me about form and he was very kind and his advice helped a lot.

Best of luck! I hope you can channel your anxiety at the gym into motivation. I sure loved being surrounded by my goals after some time.

yanno what . . . everyone i've come across/talked to/lifted alongside in four years since i took up lifting has got something they're not happy with, some challenge they're trying to rise to, some 'failure' or 'weakness' or form fix that they struggle with. everyone. and always.

that's what strength training is. you identify something, you improve it, you get better, you identify something else, you make it a project to improve that . . . . 'continuous improvement' isn't just about lifting more weight. it's about this kind of internal 'invisible' thing. if you have things you want to work on and things that you'd like to improve, your self-consciousness is a shame because you're absolutely in the right place doing the right things in the right company. you're a lifter i would say you belong.

I felt like this too. I joined a gym a year ago and it just took time to feel comfortable. Now I'm probably too comfortable.

I totally get this. I've been lifting for six years and I usually lift at 5 am. If my schedule gets thrown off and I have to go at a different time, I feel super awkward and nervous... even squatting or deadlifting 200+ lbs. A new environment always freaks me out. Just have a plan and get your stuff done. No one is paying attention to you. Trust me!

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

How can I get over that feeling of what others will think of me.

I wish there were a good answer for this. You just have to do it.

I had the same reaction when I stepped foot into my gym for the first time almost 6 years ago. I was terrified; terrified of people would think about me, the new fat guy, terrified about what they'd think of what I was doing, how my form looked, etc. I had all the same anxiety you did.

The first big thing to understand is: no one cares about you. Honestly, they don't. They're too concerned about their own self. They're all there for their own goals and improvement. If they're judging anyone, they're judging their own self. They're worried about how they are progressing and they are definitely not worried about you.

The second thing to understand is: most folks at the gym are actually really good, cool people.

I've been at my gym for 6 years now and I know a lot of the regulars. I learned to talk to them (briefly; people are there to workout after all, not have conversations) and get to know their names. The gym becomes a comfortable place when you know who people are. All it takes is a brief introduction and swap of names, and pretty soon you're saying "hi" when you see them walk in. The gym can be a really friendly place. Give it some time.

And a final thought for a little encouragement: people are not judging you, but they will pay attention if you become a regular. And that can lead to some really encouraging events. For instance, a few weeks back a lady at my gym bumped into me (figuratively) and mentioned how she couldn't believe how much I'd changed since she noticed me first coming to the gym. She said I looked a lot different and she was impressed by the change (I've lost 20 lbs. since July and acquire some muscle over the past 6 years). It was a really nice thing for a near-total-stranger to say. But that's the kind of people that gym folk are: They're there to work on their own self, and they know you're doing the same, and everyone just wants to see everyone else make their goals.

It's a positive place, a gym. Embrace it.

No one cares. Lol, most people are worried about what they look like and not what others do.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition