Fear.
It can stop you before you even start.
The fear of working out.
Where does this fear come from?
What is there to fear about working out?
There are many different reasons people fear working out.
Maybe you have experienced one or more of them..
Let me share a little story.
When I was about 20 years old I joined my first gym.
I had no idea what I was doing.
Most of the time I just got on the treadmill and ran for awhile, until I was sweaty and out of breath.
In the back of the gym, there were some guys who lifted weights that seemed to know what they were doing.
One day I got up the courage to go back there.
I just mimicked what they did, which was probably not the best idea.
I didn't want to anyone to know I was a phony.
It was scared they would know I was clueless.
So I just stuck to what was comfortable and safe.
I knew how to run on the treadmill and I could do the bench press and bicep curls.
Everything that was unfamiliar was off limits because I was afraid I would be judged.
No way did I want to be seen as the kid who is clueless about how to train in a gym.
It was bad enough I was skinny/fat.
Fast-forward a few years and I was joining a new gym. Bigger, more commercial. More people who knew what they were doing while I did not.
SCARY STUFF!
Again, I stuck to what I knew.
Running and benching and curls.
Then my dad came with me and showed me a few workouts. It's what he learned from bodybuilding magazines. Not what I would do NOW, or have any of my clients do, but It was better than what I had been doing.
Honestly, it just felt good to have someone with me. I didn't have to feel intimidated.
Plus my dad was a big, strong dude and I liked that mytraining partner knew his way around the gym.
By reading about my early exposure to the gym, you may think I was just a scared skinny kid who finally got over it.
Honestly, it didn't end there.
It took a long time for me to feel totally comfortable in a gym setting.
I stayed at that big health club 8 years. Only towards the end did I feel like I knew what I was doing and was no longer intimidated by anyone or anything there.
So when it came time to join a new hardcore strength gym, you would have thought my days of fearing a new gym were over.
Nope.
I had fear once again.
Maybe not as extreme, but joining this new gym was nerve-wracking. What if these guys thought I was a fraud?
What if they told me I didn't belong there? I wasn't strong enough.
What if I was rejected?
How ridiculous these questions may seem to me now, but thinking about the fear of exercise and of gyms in general, I understand the fear.
I never had the fear of being overweight and criticized/judged for that but I was skinny and clueless and scared. Just the opposite side of the same coin.
Why do people fear working out?
Is it the pain of exercise?
Or is it the pain of being seen in a public place while struggling to complete a workout?
Or is it the fear of not being good enough? Being rejected because you don't "belong"?
Whatever the fear is, don't let it stop you.
The only way to overcome this fear is to go right at it.
Take action.
Join a gym with a friend.
Take a group-training class. (I'm thinking of starting a women's barbell club btw)
If you have no interest in working out in a commercial facility, find a private studio. Shameless plug here- like where I train my clients. :)
777 Maple Rd. Williamsville, NY 14221.
Fear of working out is common. No need to feel bad about it. You just need to take one step to overcome it.
Commit to taking action this year.
You won't regret it.
This time next year you will be stronger, leaner, better able to enjoy your daily activities, and happier.
If you want to be notified when the new Women's Barbell Club starts up, let me know. @ strengthessentials716@gmail.com
It's going to be for Women of all ages who have never trained with barbells before. Small group training sessions of 2-4 women.
You will learn proper technique, programming and nutrition for your individual goals. 2-3 days per week. 30-45 minute sessions each.