Weights at gym off putting

2

Replies

  • rfrenkel77
    rfrenkel77 Posts: 103 Member
    size102b wrote: »
    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
  • Boxingbexter
    Boxingbexter Posts: 10 Member
    I was the same at first but if you just ask I'm sure someone will point you in the right direction
  • tlpina82
    tlpina82 Posts: 229 Member
    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.

  • Stockholm_Andy
    Stockholm_Andy Posts: 803 Member
    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.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    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 😊
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    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.
  • snowprincess502
    snowprincess502 Posts: 103 Member
    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.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    size102b wrote: »
    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.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    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).
  • midwestj
    midwestj Posts: 4 Member
    Go here:https://startingstrength.com/podcast/quality-of-life-and-barbell-training-for-women
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,012 Member
    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.
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
    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.


  • hmkiesel
    hmkiesel Posts: 27 Member
    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!
  • riellymaher5512
    riellymaher5512 Posts: 1 Member
    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!
  • mrlee3674
    mrlee3674 Posts: 11 Member
    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.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited February 2019
    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)
  • Lottieehlers
    Lottieehlers Posts: 30 Member
    Hello

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