Increasing Gym Confidence
Let’s face it, gyms can feel like a daunting place, kinda like walking to the back of the school bus and sitting with all the cool kids hoping that no-one tells you to stand up and take your Spider-Man lunch box with you! It really doesn’t need to feel like this and more often than not, this stems from your own confidence levels or misconceptions (fear of the unknown), rather than the environment you are in and the peeps that are sharing that environment with you - they are probably really friendly and maybe feeling the same as you.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the gym is THE BEST place for body recomposition (ie getting hot A.F.) but I do get clients that are reluctant to join a gym and I can absolutely understand why. We’ve all gotta start somewhere though right, and most of my clients that are allergic to the gym, usually gain the confidence to go, they go, they love it, they get even better results and that gives them even more confidence. Win, win, win, win, win.
How do we go about entering the gym walking tall?
Look the part - we all feel sooo much more confident when we have sparkly new clothes. Get yourself some new trainers, a new hoodie or some sick leggings. Hell, why not buy it all, it’ll get plenty of use. There are some incredible sports retailers popping up who provide the most practical and flattering products, there are great sports clothes out there now for all shapes and sizes, go check them out.
Have your induction and take it in - if you are new to gyms or even taking the leap back into a gym after a long break, you really should have an induction and you should take it in. It gives you a chance to scope out where the equipment is, the busy or quiet areas and it means your first time on the gym floor isn’t all by yourself (I’ll have Celine Dion on loop in my head all day now, only myself to blame for that)
Follow a plan - A plan means you have structure, you know where you need to go next and you aren’t just meandering around feeling a bit lost. Most gyms will provide a basic plan on induction if required
Take a buddy - I’ve spoken about this extensively over the years, having a mate with you at the gym not only takes away that feeling of being alone but you’ll also have a laugh, will be more likely to be consistent and there could be some good old healthy competition there too
Try to go outside of peak hours (easier said than done, I know) - quieter times may be better for you until you are feeling really confident, but we are also busy folks, so this may not be possible. If you deploy all my other tips though, you’ll still kill it at peak times
Enjoy it & smile - have fun, don’t take yourself too seriously and most of all smile! Smiling will make you more approachable. You never know, all the gym goers may smile back and they may also be feeling a bit afraid, so your smile will spread the good vibes
Do not compare yourself to anyone - be your best you, not striving to be the same as the person next to you. Conserve that energy you would use focusing on other people and let it explode out during your squats ;)
Get a PT - this will undoubtedly improve your confidence. Having a PT will ensure that you enter the gym armed with all the knowledge you need to carry out an effective session. You’ll have a plan, know the correct exercises for your goals, the optimal order in which to carry these out and the correct form. You can forget all those fears of looking silly and who knows, you may even really enjoy it.