Weights at gym off putting
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I do C25K at the gym and Zumba classes I would like to start lifting I’m female 49 and just feel awkward in lifting wrong as so many men are watching ... our gym doesn’t offer much help and no women’s only slots.
Any advice ?
Maybe I should just be brave and do it 😂
I’ll train with you, Planet Fitness, commerce township, Michigan
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I was the same at first but if you just ask I'm sure someone will point you in the right direction0
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Best option would be to have a personal trainer to prescribe and show you the workout for the first time.
But those are expensive and I am not qualified to prescribe a workout, so i can only tell you how I would start.
With the push and pull method.
For every push, one pull..
Example: If you Bench Press, do Seated cable row... If you do Incline Bench press, then do a Lat Pull Down and so on.
As far as learning how to do it, YouTube it.
"How to Bench Press properly", "How to squat properly" and so on.
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Interestingly in the gym I train in at weekend there are far ladies in the free weight section than men.
Not messing around with little pink dumbbells either. Most are focusing on big compound lifts: Deads, Squats, Clean and press, even Jerks. I think it's amazing. Really Positive.
It's completely different to when I first started training in the early 90s. To be honest you'd hardly see anyone doing deads never mind the girls out numbering the boys.3 -
Many thanks for all your help
I live in the uk so wish I could take up the training offer in Michigan 🤩
Yes it’s me I hate to think I’m not doing it right and get told off lol
Thanks again much appreciated 😊0 -
I hope you come back and tell us how it went after trying it!
If you can't get a trainer for one session it can help to take a gym buddy the first time. My experience is that guys in gyms are mostly nice and the really big pro looking guys tend to be some of the nicest to new people. Watch some videos for form as others have suggested, smile and relax, if you do have trouble with your form at first it's not the end of the world, a lot of people take time to master form.0 -
I made the same mistake by only doing cardio and no lifting weights for about 4 years because I was intimidated by the weights. Finally I have lifting in my every day routine. Go lift weights and try it. Don’t worry about what others think.1
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I do C25K at the gym and Zumba classes I would like to start lifting I’m female 49 and just feel awkward in lifting wrong as so many men are watching ... our gym doesn’t offer much help and no women’s only slots.
Any advice ?
Maybe I should just be brave and do it 😂
yeah, you're just going to have to do it because people will watch and stare at others regardless if they're doing something correctly or incorrectly. people that do things correctly tends to get watched, stared at, and stalked by many people at the gym i go to because they wish to learn how to do the exercise but too shy to ask the person for advice for help or they could be just admiring, or for whatever reason.
if you're minding your own business, say you're doing conventional or sumo deadlifts, and a guy stacks on a bunch of weights on the deadlift platform next to yours, constantly looking at you with a conceited smirk, purposely trying to intimidate you by grunting, yanking on the barbell, and etc., just remember that you're a paying member too, and you have every right to be there and use the equipment as much as other members. you're there with your own purpose and we all have our own fitness journey to walk on. just put on your headphones and let him waste his time. the more you ignore him, the more butt hurt he will get because he's not getting your attention and he's being ignored by you, and i highly doubt he will physically assault you, as most of these guys are like chihuahua all bark and no action but if he does touch you then you can sue him for some money lols.
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I do C25K at the gym and Zumba classes I would like to start lifting I’m female 49 and just feel awkward in lifting wrong as so many men are watching ... our gym doesn’t offer much help and no women’s only slots.
Any advice ?
Maybe I should just be brave and do it 😂
Whoa!!! Seriously, don't worry. No one is ever going to look down on you. Sure, they may notice you, but they're not thinking that you don't belong there. Though I know the voice in your head may try to tell you otherwise... Don't listen to it.
Lifting weights is one of the best workouts you can do. My only advice.... Keep It Simple. Focus on the simple compound lifts and don't worry about the goofy isolation exercises, like trying to target backside of your rear delt.
Pick 3 of the following each time.. rotate them around. You'll get a feel of what's working after awhile
Bench
Overhead Press
Rows
Deadlifts
Squats
Use barbells or dumbbells... or even kettle bells. Whatever you're comfortable with.
Add of couple of iso exercises if you're still feeling strong afterward. Like some curls, tri extensions, fly's, etc...
Start light... lighter than you think necessary and work up each time.
Seriously, you got this and after a couple of weeks, you won't even be paying attention to us meatheads unless you're trying to get us to get off the bench so you can use it.5 -
I do C25K at the gym and Zumba classes I would like to start lifting I’m female 49 and just feel awkward in lifting wrong as so many men are watching ... our gym doesn’t offer much help and no women’s only slots.
Any advice ?
Maybe I should just be brave and do it 😂
That is just about how I initially felt, except the women slot part. I’d done classes, tried the cardio equipment, hated it, and didn’t feel strong enough to start lifting heavy.
The first thing that happened was a realization that lifting heavy was lifting what was heavy for me. (I was imagining starting with a bar that was half my weight almost.)
That was a simple bodyweight (Nerdfitness) routine and a simple beginner dumbbell routine (Hasfit)
Once they were done, it was time to move to the ‘heavy’ side of the gym.
Here is my ‘happy dance’ story.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10463651/happy-dance-bench-press-confidence-in-the-gym/p1
Find the programme that suits you,
research how to do the lifts,
Take note of what the good folk here say/recommend,
practice at home (broomstick and mirror),
have your programme written out,
Go to the gym.
Cheers, h.2 -
middlehaitch wrote: »The first thing that happened was a realization that lifting heavy was lifting what was heavy for me. (I was imagining starting with a bar that was half my weight almost.)
good point. Yeah- for most of us, the bare full-sized olympic barbell is quite likely going to be too heavy for some of the arm work. It took months before I could overhead press the bare barbell. Most gyms will have at least 1 or 2 junior bars - which are closer to 25 lbs instead of 45).0 -
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I was lucky enough to find a "Weight Training for Women" class at a local community education (high school weight room) site, taught by a successful powerlifter. (Yes, there was also a ". . . for Men" class, and an intermediate for both sexes together.)
Not available everywhere, but might be worth a look around for folks in an area where community centers, schools, etc., offer classes.1 -
They're not watching I promise, everyone is getting on with their own stuff. It's a common theme amongst women assuming we're 'on show' but in reality no one's looking.
I was 42 when I took up bodybuilding and started with a YouTube video part 1 and 2 upper and lower body and took my phone to the gym and followed it.
As I became more comfortable in my surroundings, read more on lifting form and science from the likes of Athlean X, Alan Thrall, Erin Stern and Jeff Nippard I moved onto a more intense and volume loaded programme.
I'm 44 this year and wish I'd started years ago but health issues prevented me from doing so. I believe as a health professional that strength training, especially as a woman, helps us as we age. I have clients with no upper body strength who complain of back and shoulder pain and the advice I give them is to lift weight in one form or another.
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I suggest sticking with weight machines to start if your gym has them, I found them much less intimidating than free weights. As you get more comfortable you can try out the other equipment. I also like to observe how others lift if I am unsure how to use a particular machine or perform a specific lift. In the end, try not to worry about other people because they aren't worrying about you!0
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Hey you got this! As someone who has been working out for 6 years not very consistently I can 100% tell you that no one cares about what other people are doing lol. And if you feel awkward because you don’t know what your doing form wise with an exercise just google the exercise that your doing or ask some one if you doing it right. Usually I have a program all set up so I already know what exercises I’m doing anyway. Let’s goo!
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Occasionally I look at other people in the weights area - the reasons are typically...
- I am killing time between sets and have to look somewhere
- someone is doing an exercise I haven't seen before
- someone has a technique and/or physique which I look up to
- someone is lifting *heavy* and it's interesting to watch
Women in the weights area are unusual enough to warrant a bit of idle curiosity; the other day a girl who must have been under 5 feet, 50 kilos and 20 years of age smashed it with weighted squats (doing heavier than I - a 38yo man - can do). I noticed, but out of surprise and admiration at her form and weight lifted.
It's true that the weights area tends to feel a little 'macho' (it's mostly full of buff guys lifting weights - natch) - but that's not to say that women are in any sense unwelcome, not at my gym anyway.2 -
Barely pay attention to others when lifting; other than paying attention to who is using what, someone is looking for a spot, & the occasional, that looks like an interesting exercise/variation/why am I not doing that anymore?
If concerned about others oogling you just go "gorilla mode" (don't wear anything revealing, baggie clothing/not skin tight, long sleeves, hoodie, earphones in, etc.). I generally gravitate towards areas of the gym less crowded (adapting & knowing lots of exercise variations is helpful...you can do pretty much anything with cables). I'm not intimidated or fearful/anxious of others; I'm just a huge believer in personal space (nasty when people are so close he/she breathes on you)2 -
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