Growing up, I was a very unathletic child. I spent my summers in my backyard reading books or writing in my journal and my days after school watching my favourite TV shows and eating my favourite snacks. And while I enjoyed those things, they didn’t create the healthy habits I might need later in life. I attempted to begin at-home workouts or going on long walks, but nothing stuck and nothing allowed me to gain the love for working out that so many others have. I became discouraged for years and accepted that I was unathletic and not made for the gym.
When I entered my first year of university, the gym was first closed due to COVID and then it was appointment-only. I was intimidated by the idea of working out surrounded by so many people who were so much more fit and athletic than me, but the fact that there was limited capacity lowered my fears. I waited almost my entire semester to finally book the gym for the first time with my roommates, and when I did, something crazy happened. All we did was the treadmill, but it was an amazing experience. We had a fun time, which was something I never experienced while working out. From then on, we booked more and more days and began to gain confidence to try to use different equipment. One tip I have for beginners is to start by going with friends.
For the entire second semester, we went to the gym at least three times a week, typically doing random exercises and just having fun. It was a place we could go to clear our minds and not think about school for an hour a day. Once school ended, I did not want to lose that escape place. So when I moved home in April I joined a gym near my house and got a deal on a personal trainer for a few weeks. She taught me the basics because at that point I was simply doing dumbbell exercises and using equipment wrong. During the training sessions, a five-pound dumbbell was too heavy for my chest presses. I admitted to her I had “noodle arms” and she gave me the encouragement I needed to push through and not get discouraged.
The motivation was the most difficult part of the journey. It was so easy to say I didn’t have time or wanted to skip a day. But the more I went, the more I began to gain strength I had never felt my body have before. The five-pound dumbbells turned into ten, then 15 and eventually 20. I had never been consistent with something in my life, as a person who craves constant change. The beginner gym gains became addicting. I started doing my own research into workout splits for my specific goals and attempted to follow them. It was all trial and error; some things worked for me and some didn’t but I kept in mind that it was a journey, not a start-finish scenario.
There were some weeks that got quite busy and I was physically unable to get to the gym. But I also had to remember to listen to my body and know when I had to push through versus when I needed a rest. The next change I made was making sure I ate enough protein for the gym, as muscle cannot be built without supplementary protein intake. I found that foods like Greek yogurt, protein bars, salmon and chickpea pasta were easy swaps to my regular meals that were high in protein and kept me full. I felt stronger, more awake and more in the power of my body for the first time in my life. My noodle arms were no longer and eleven months into my gym journey, I can confidently say it is my favourite hobby and something I look forward to doing daily.
My gym journey went from once or twice a week to now going five times and for longer amounts of time. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone is on a different timeline and as a beginner, you’re not going to be able to lift heavy or have the same stamina as someone who has been working out for months or years. With this in mind, the gym can become a healthy, regular part of your life even if you’ve never worked out. As someone who has never considered me as athletic, I can confidently say I could define myself as an athletic person who trains five days a week and eats appropriately to supplement my workouts. Starting is the hardest part, but once you push past the beginning, start to see results and feel better, you’ll realize how worth it the gym is.