How to overcome the fear of going to the gym

Intro

Going to the gym can be one of the best decisions you ever make in your life, but can also be scary and overwhelming for the first time.

The aim of this post is to put your fear and worries at rest, and assure you that you really have nothing to lose and be afraid of.

Common fears

Here’s a list of the most common types of fear people have when thinking about joining a gym, and how to tackle them.

People will judge me

This was one of my main sources of fear.

When I started lifting properly at 19, I was a borderline-anorexic 53KG that could barely even bench press the bar.

In my head I was convinced people were looking and staring at me. In reality this was just my own insecurity being projected outwards.

I’ve been lifting for over a decade now and whenever I see a new person at the gym, I don’t judge – in fact I respect their decision to make a positive change in their life.

This is what the majority of people will think, only someone who is insecure themselves will judge others… but nobody cares about this persons opinion anyway.

I dont know what I’m doing so I’ll embarass myself

We’ve all seen those videos of people doing stupid shit at the gym. To a newcomer a understandable fear is that you’ll become one of them only to be recorded and infamously immortalized on the internet.

This is completely irrational. First of all, unless you’re doing something crazy – nobody gives a shit about you in the best possible way, everyone is there for themselves. Typically 90% of people have their earphones in and are completely focused on what they’re doing.

If you are paranoid you can start with using machines only, these are typically very straightforward to use and doesn’t require much thought to be put into proper form or technique.

Typically, long-term gym goers are more than happy to help if you want to ask them.

I’m too out of shape, so I dont feel comfortable exposing myself to other people

Whether this is true or not, and you don’t feel good about where you are currently at – the thought of putting yourself in an environment full of people who are in better shape than average can be scary.

Even though rationally knowing the vast majority of them will respect you for being there, or at least will be completely indifferent and not care.

If you are underweight like I was, one solution can be to start working out at home first. This will help you build some initial strength and allow you to practice form and technique in a safe, judgement free environment.

When I was first getting into fitness at 19, I trained 4 days a week in my house using a set of dumbbells. I’d do shoulder press, push-ups, bicep curls, walking lunges, tricep extensions and sit-ups. Doing this consistently for 2 months helped me build a small foundation of strength, and made transitioning to a real gym where I could progress properly much easier.

There’s many reasonably priced, adjustable dumbbells you can find on Amazon to get you started… They might just be the best investment you can ever make.

If you are overweight you can start dieting and doing other forms of exercise like simply walking to lose some weight, before you even step foot inside a gym to build muscle.

Check out my ultimate fat loss guide for help and more information

Another way to tackle this if you are insecure about your body, is wearing clothes that keep you more hidden, such as joggers and a hoodie – this will naturally make you feel less exposed than a tank top or t-shirt and shorts will, because people won’t be able to see what you actually look like.

How to baby step going to the gym (action steps)

If you are really nervous and think it’s too much to just go and start, these are some practical baby steps you can do to help making the first gym visit as easy and stress-free as possible. Feel free to skip, or repeat steps as many times as you need.

Day 1: Search online for local gyms in your area, and make a list.

I’ll even do the first step for you. Ain’t I sweet? https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=gyms+near+me

Day 2: Travel to one or more of the gyms on the list and look at them from the outside.

Day 3: Travel to one of the gyms, go inside and ask if you can look around. Most gyms will allow you to do this before signing up. Look around, then leave.

Day 4-5: Do this with the other gyms on your list. If you don’t have proper clothes to workout in, go and invest in some. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Simply joggers or shorts, with a t-shirt and hoodie will do.

Day 6: Travel to the gym you liked the best and sign up. If possible, get an induction then and there. (This basically means a member of staff will give a short tour and show you the equipment).

Day 7: If you couldn’t get an induction, arrange one and get it set up.

Day 8: After you’ve signed up, go to the gym and use one machine/piece of equipment then leave.

Day 9: Go to the gym and try and stay there for 30 minutes before leaving.

Day 10: Go to the gym, try and stay for an hour before leaving.

GET IT GOING!