Without a doubt, gyms are a convenient invention for improving our physical fitness. Most gyms offer a wide variety of equipment that people of all levels can benefit from. It is also easier to track your progress and implement progressive overload in a gym environment.
However, gyms can be intimidating to people who are relatively new to exercise. Feeling uncomfortable and even stressed in a gym environment can make it more difficult to build a long-term exercise habit. While there is no guarantee that you will ever enjoy the gym environment, there are a few things to try to make yourself feel more confident in a gym.
1. Start with home workouts
When it comes to introducing exercise into your life, initially you can achieve a lot at home. It’s absolutely fine to include some popular cardio-based home workouts if that’s what you enjoy. However, you also want to include simple workouts that can help you get better and more confident at doing fundamental exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, hip hinge etc.
Learning exercises at home, when no strangers are watching gives you the freedom to mess up without feeling awkward. You’ll get to learn your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the exercises you enjoy more. Becoming more confident in performing various exercises in a safe home environment will make the gym less intimidating. At the end of the day, you will be performing similar movements but using gym equipment.
2. Do your research on exercises
Books, magazines, the Internet – there are a lot of resources available to learn about exercises for different muscle groups. When you get comfortable with bodyweight exercises, you can look into what gym equipment you can use to increase difficulty. Choose exercises based on your fitness level, the equipment available at your gym, and how confident you would feel doing those exercises.
If you are unsure about some of the pieces of equipment, make note of what they are called and watch tutorials on how to use them. Furthermore, you don’t need to use every single machine/free weight in a gym. Stick to the things you know and feel comfortable using. You can always progress to other equipment when you gain more experience.
3. Have a plan
Having an idea of what exercises you are going to do during your session will make you more confident walking into a gym. Furthermore, having a structured approach to your training will help you achieve long-term results. A while ago, I wrote about what to consider when selecting exercises for your programme. But if you are struggling to come up with a plan yourself, try to find a good quality beginner programme. This can give you a better idea of how to structure your session so you can do it yourself in the future.
Having a plan also means it is easier to track your progress. Imagine doing random exercises every week as opposed to performing the same ones but increasing the difficulty (e.g more reps/weight). The latter will help you achieve progressive overload and build muscle.
4. Learn equipment alternatives
I too used to wait for a particular machine to become available in a gym. Nowadays, I would simply do the same or a similar exercise using an available piece of equipment. Knowing what alternatives are available for you is an important skill should you encounter a busy gym. You can substitute a lot of machines with free weights or a cable. Worst case scenario, you can always do bodyweight exercises. In fact, pushups and TRX body rows are both quite challenging exercises for your upper body.
Spend your first few times in a new gym doing some light cardio and taking note of all the space and equipment available. When you are putting together your training plan (or using the one you got online), think of a few alternative pieces of equipment or exercises. This will be very useful and will allow you to have a good session despite a busy gym. Furthermore, this will help you learn more about exercises, equipment and will challenge your muscles in different ways.
5. Wear gym clothes that make you feel good
What we wear can significantly affect our confidence. Choose gym gear that not only allows you unrestricted movement but also makes you feel good about yourself regardless of your current physique. Luckily, there is no shortage of gym clothes available nowadays in all sizes, colours and styles. Invest in activewear that you look forward to putting on. Wearing your favourite clothes can also increase your motivation to go to the gym.
6. Keep learning
Knowing your stuff is the ultimate tool for feeling comfortable in the gym. And it’s not only about exercises. It’s also about knowing your body’s strengths and limitations, knowing when to push harder and when to take it easier, knowing how to progress and regress exercises. It doesn’t matter how fit or unfit you think you look. Heading into the gym with knowledge on how to train your body safely and effectively will give you the confidence to just do your thing.
Of course, there are a lot of other things you could do such as choosing a gym that suits you best or trying to go at less busy times. There is a big difference between training at an all-inclusive gym compared to a commercial gym full of Instagram “models”. Similarly, even the nicest gym can be very unpleasant during after-work hours. Most importantly, coming into a gym armed with the knowledge of what you are doing is the best confidence boost you can find.