Often, many girls come up to me saying that they want to get into a fitness routine in the gym, whether it is weightlifting, bodybuilding, or cardio. Along with this, many girls tell me that they get nervous or scared to work out in a college gym because they feel that others are judging them when they do not know what to do. As someone who has been in a gym setting for almost 10 years and powerlifting for the past 3, I am here to give you some tips of encouragement on how to be your most confident self in the gym!
- Do not worry about what others may be thinking:
This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can suggest because once you stop thinking about what others are thinking and focus on yourself, you will feel more comfortable at the gym. Almost 100% of the time, no one is even paying attention to you because they are too focused on what exercise they are doing for themselves, so I promise you no one in the gym is looking at you and judging you for being unsure of what you are doing. Lock in, do what you came to do, and focus on yourself.
- Put on a cute gym outfit! Look good, feel good!
I truly believe that if you put on a cute gym set, whether it is leggings or shorts with a matching sports bra or oversized T-Shirt with Converse, you will feel more confident because you will love the way your gym outfit looks on you. For example, I have had many bad workouts simply because I hate the way my outfit looked on me, and then it got into my head for the entire workout. On the other hand, when I wear an outfit I absolutely love, I have an awesome workout because I love the way I look while working out. If you look good, you feel good, and thus you workout good!!
- You have to become uncomfortable to get comfortable.
This is a motto I have lived since I started weight lifting and eventually powerlifting. To me, it means that in order for me to achieve a certain goal, I have to do things that I may not be comfortable with, which pushes me out of my comfort zone. This can be applied to starting a fitness routine as you may have to do certain exercises you may not have attempted before, so it can feel uncomfortable until you adapt. For all my girlies who play sports, think of going to the gym as sports practice. You get better at your sport by going to practice multiple times a week, and the same goes with the gym. The more you go to the gym, the easier exercises become and the more confident you feel with them, thus building confidence in yourself at the gym. So step out of your comfort zone, do something in the gym your not used to, and I promise it will not only get easier, but you will see results too!
- Do not be afraid to ask for help.
Many times I see people in the gym who may not understand proper technique for a certain exercise, and they keep doing it the way they are, even if it is the incorrect form. I am here to tell you to not be afraid to ask a more experienced gym-goer or personal trainer for help on form because most people are always happy to help, and when you are taught the proper form, you can prevent injury and see better results as you are performing your exercise the correct way. Asking for help also shows that you actively want to get better at what you are doing and are willing to take advice from others, which is the perfect mindset to have in the gym!
I hope these tips helped in becoming more confident in the gym! It took me a long time to get confident in the gym myself, and even though the confidence may not come overnight, the more you go to the gym, the more comfortable you will become. I know it may sound scary and too hard right now, but I can assure you that once you step out of your comfort zone and see what your body is capable of, you will not want to stop going to the gym!!