Female new to weight training..How do I lose the self concio

I feel the same way and I enjoy cardio because I feel like I am burning calories and I can eat more later. You are reminding me to get back out there and weight lift. I think people do watch you, I watch people, but its only because I'm curious about what they are doing, how to do it, etc. But I have to agree with the comment above regarding form, I have seen people lift different ways, so
I do watch videos on you tube and I did hire a trainer to help me with form, its so important....now I need to get back out there and do it!!!!

I can speak for myself, and people who I know who lift weights, your sense of being watched is only in you Most people are there to work hard, and tend to be inward focused on their stuff. If I look at people its mostly to judge whether it looks like they are about to be done with the station/machine.

I was very self-conscious when I went to the "dark side" of the gym, too. But what has worked for me is this:
I occasionally ask one of the guys who obviously know what they are doing for tips or pointers on form. I explain that I am new to lifting and don't want to develop any bad habits, because I want to be able to lift heavy and really improve my strength.

I have received nothing but the most helpful and courteous responses, plus great advice, AND encouragement form them. and now, when they see me they say Hi and often comment on how I'm improving and really "going for it." It's like they think of me as a bit of a mascot or little sister that they have now taken under their wings. I no longer feel out of place, unless I go at a different time than I usually do and don't know anyone. Then I just pick someone from the new crowd and ask them for a bit of advice. As a matter of fact, I am deliberately doing that tonight because I have a new move I cannot get right, so I am going in during the serious muscle-head hour so I can learn to do it right. These guys are actually much nicer than I expected, and they enjoy being able to explain something in their area of expertise to someone who is genuinely interested in learning and doing it right.

Good luck to you!

I have notes and information on the work out I want to do so I can do them correctly and I keep them with me while I work out to reference but I feel like I am just being judged by all the people there.

Well firstly, you're probably not as interesting as you think! If it's a half decent gym where people are actually working out, and not sitting around sipping health drinks, they're not going to focus on other people.

But having said that, maybe one way to think of it is to say to yourself

"Okay they're all looking at me, they're judging me, what judgement will they make?"
"They'll judge that I'm new to this, and that's okay because they're right"
"But I'm also smart enough to take notes with me, so I don't get it wrong and hurt myself"

Really, when I started working out at my first serious gym nearly 30 years ago, I felt exactly like you. But six months later, I was one of the people lifting heavy and no doubt unwittingly intimidating new members! :bigsmile:

Just do it anyway, you sound as if you care about getting it right, and that WILL earn you respect in the long term.
Far more respect than the blokes who grunt loudly every time they lift something whether it's pushing them or not, have lousy form because they are lifting beyond their capabilities and who clang the weights down every time then look round smugly as if to say "look at me everyone, look what I just lifted"

We laugh at those people.

We don't laugh at people who are new and taking it seriously.

There's a certain element of "just get it over with". I'm doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women plan and it calls for barbell squats. I did dumbbell squats for 2 weeks before I could finally work up the courage to tackle the squat rack in the weight room. Basically, I got to the point that my legs could handle way more than my hands could hold and I knew I had to go to the barbell. I happened to get in early on a Sunday when it wasn't busy. Baseball cap went on (I have this theory it makes me look tougher, it doesn't, but it makes me think I do, lol). I walked up to the rack, got under the barbell, lifted it and... nothing happened. No one even noticed what I was doing. Since then, I'm totally confident with the weight room. I just go in and do what I need to do.

So my two pieces of advice are:
1) No one really cares/notices what you're doing, and even if they do think something about you, they probably won't say anything to you.
2) Fake it til you make it. If you can temporarily fake the self-confidence to tackle it, the real self-confidence will follow.

Just do it. I'm fairly certain that no one is looking at you and snickering. No one is pointing and chanting: "Newbie Newbie! Check out the NEWBIE!" Everyone started where you are at one time. After a while you'll be comfortable and you'll look around and realize that every one is in their own little world and you're the last thing that they're thinking about.

Don't be intimidated or feel self conscious. There's no need to. Most of the people who lift weights are very nice.

I do circuit training at home, and I love it. No one's looking at me and I don't feel self conscious at all. I use Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, and all you need is a set of hand weights. Cardio is great, but honestly I have felt a whole new level of empowerment and fitness by doing weights too. It's like anything else- the more you do it, the more confident you feel. Good luck!

I remember feeling like that my first day back at the gym....for about all of 5 minutes.
Then I just focused on learning to do my circuit training properly. I was too busy trying to remember to keep breathing to worry about what others think. Now that I've got a better handle on it, I just crank up my tunes and get to work and get lost in my own world. Part of what helped me get over it fast is remembering that everyone was new at some point. That, and I have the mindset of 'strangers have no right to judge me, they can get bent'. Then it don't bother me none

I'm trying to teach my daughter how to ice skate. But I'm a total beginner also. So if I'm willing to get on the ice and look like a newbie on the ice, you ladies can get into the free weight side and start pumping some iron