Hey hey, good lookin’
The gym. Some of us love it, some of us try to love it, and the majority of us?
Hate it.
I personally, hated the gym when I first started working out. I hated that I didn’t know what I was doing, the sweat, the effort of going in and showering after, but mostly I hated the men in there.
I felt pressured to look like I knew what I was doing, to be faster on the treadmill, lift more weights, look better. But I now feel so stupid thinking back. How could I let myself think like that? Ugh!
I found a beautiful relationship with the gym over a year or two. It’s still not perfect. I do have off days, but the majority of the time I’m in there I do enjoy it.
I know from just talking to my friends and work collegues, how intimidating the gym is. I got lucky and did 2 years in college of a health and fitness related course, so I wasn’t totally lost.
But for you ladies who are in need of some help, keep on reading!
#1 Set (realistic) goals.
OK, this one is the toughest for me, because I struggled with it too, and I see my friends every day struggle with it aswell.
A silly goal is, I want to look like Adriana Lima.
A realistic goal is, I want to lose 2 pounds by next month.
You see the difference? By creating stupid, unattainable goals is setting you up for failure. Nobody can look like Adriana Lima over night, and going into the gym thinking you are going to look like her in a week, is just mad talk.
My advice is to measure yourself. See what you weigh, look at yourself and tell yourself what you want to change, then break it down.
So you want to lose 10 pounds over all? Start by trying to lose 1 pound a week.
You want to lose 2 inches off your bum? Try to lose a few cm a week or fortnight.
You want to run a 5k? Start by walking a 5k.
Everything you want is attainable. Just be patient and work it out reasonably.
#2 Get help!
If you have no clue how the weight section works, or even looks like, then ask for help.
DO NOT, and I repeat, do no, venture into a section of the gym you are unaware of!
Doing so is asking for an injury, never mind the humiliation of breaking equipment. Gyms are full of gym junkies just waiting to tell you all they know. So ask one. If you are uncomfortable asking a guy, and if there is no female workers that day, maybe approach a fellow lady gym goer.
Do not have fear in asking for help, because it will be your biggest asset when you do!
#3 Do not be afraid of the men.
I am speaking to the 99.9% of the female gym population that are intimidated by the hormone fuelled, sweating, grunting men around the gym. I still struggle to this day with my self – esteem around the guys.
I’ll let you in on a little secret though.
Half the men in there don’t even know what they are doing either!
Men are egotistical, and hate asking for help. I’m not being stereotypical here either, I know this because I worked in a gym for 2 1/2 years! I would see guys just asking for an injury or running the risk of injuring another person because they didn’t have a clue what they were doing.
And do you think they ever asked for help?
Nope.
So just own it when you are in the gym around the guys. Just put in your earphones and do your own thing.
I’l let you in on another secret too.
Guy’s love a girl who knows what she’s doing in the gym.
Don’t believe me? Just go ask any guy friend. You will be amazed my love.
#4 Get a routine and stick to it.
If you have a set schedule every week, sit down some night and work the gym around it.
If you have a less than set schedule (like me) then sit down every Sunday night and fit in the gym when you can.
For example my workout schedule is:
Gym 3 times a week
Swim 1 day
Run 1 day
Rest 2 days
And every Sunday I just stick in those days whenever I can. If you have a set routine, it is a lot harder to break. Same goes for the actual workout itself. Get a trainer or find one on line (a legit source) and make out a workout programme. Bring it with you to every session and stick by it. Not only does time go by faster when you are ticking it off bit by bit, but it also gives you structure, keeping your head clear and focused.
#5 Get a gym buddy!
This one has helped me a lot! I hate working out alone now, even if I’m on the other end of the gym to my buddy, just knowing they are there is a big boost! If none of your friends like the gym, just ask them if they would like to try. None of my friends liked the gym when I started, and now they come in with me all the time because I just asked them to come one day!
Doing exercise classes is a big help too. You are not alone and it helps to know that other people are in your position too.
You can even make it into a weekly catch up thing! Go and grab a coffee after or go for a little shop!
So that is all I have for today ladies! I hope I do help and if you need any advice or have any questions please leave a comment below I would love to help!
Thanks for reading! x