Does anyone else feel like they look incredibly stupid at the gym?

[mickcee]

@crucisdecristo Never question your appearance in a gym or allow other’s to effect your perception of yourself. Even if you do look silly doing something, who cares!!? Just be you in your own way

 

[shouldn%E2%80%99tbethishard]

@crucisdecristo Don't worry so much about being afraid of looking stupid: as you gain confidence over time, that will go away naturally. You're (no blame- we all do this!) projecting your own thoughts directly into other people's heads. I mean, for all you know, they could be thinking about tacos.

There was a time when I'd be on the treadmill and openly weeping, because I was going through something really shitty. Fuck it.

One thing that's helped me when starting something new is just telling myself, 'you gotta start *somewhere* with a kind of mental shrug.

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo Hahaha I def do.

I (23F) usually do weight training at the gym, but I like to warm up with cardio on the track they have outside (nothing crazy, just light jogging). I listen to all the 90s R&B songs I loved in middle school and I sing along, make faces, and dance with my hands as I run. I’m sure other people on the track see me and think “oh man here she comes again” lol.

I think that you eventually learn everyone feels like they looks stupid - whether they be a beginner or a regular for years. When I started lifting, there weren’t that many women at my gym and I was SO insecure. But I came to terms that it’s all the Spotlight Effect - everyone’s there to better themselves and nobody was looking at me!

 

[anned]

@crucisdecristo I used to get bad gym anxiety after I transition from doing a sport to just gym workiouts. I usually try to reflect before the gym if I remember anything anyone else has done at the gym. 99 times out of 100, I can't remember anything about anyone else at the gym, because I am not looking at anyone else at the gym. When I remember that, I remember everyone else is there doing the same thing.

 

[perlaspedraza]

@crucisdecristo Yes, and it's a major barrier to me working out, especially to me lifting weights. It seems really stupid when I write it down but I have anxiety and I just feel like I look like I have clue what I'm doing and everybody is laughing at me. I end up not working out as hard because I'm so anxious.

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo My default reaction to stuff like this is to be like nah, I don't think about it, I don't care because that's mostly true.

But the reality is that I wear exclusively neon and obnoxious patterns, I dance around between sets, and I look like I'm twelve despite being in my mid 20s. So I'm actually pretty sure I look stupid. I've been trying to lean into that in all areas of my life instead of trying to change myself and I think it's been for the better.

 

[a_aron1011]

@crucisdecristo Concentrating on my form the whole way through a set - focusing on doing each rep as perfectly as possible - helps distract me from the social anxiety aspect of the gym. Plus it makes you look like You're Taking This Seriously.

Also, podcasts.

 

[chaseatlanta]

@crucisdecristo Absolutely understand that. I admit I‘ve dropped some exercises from my routine that had me kind of writhing on the floor right in front of the weight-lift guys. Didn’t want to do it.

However, I personally haven’t ever looked at another person at the gym and thought, “wow, they look stupid and weak“. If I ever spot someone who appears weaker than me (rarely happens), I’m just proud that I am better at this particular exercise than someone.

 

[petronoris]

@crucisdecristo You're too concerned with what others may be thinking. They all probably feel the same or similar. Go in there and get to work, screw what anyone thinks. Do you!

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo I remind myself that everyone else in the gym looks equally stupid, and also is more interested in their own workout than in paying attention to how dumb I look.

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo LOL

Everyone looks ridiculous at the gym, you just put your music up louder and focus on your reflection.

The only time I have ever looked at what someone else is doing is when it looked like a bomb exercise and I wanted to learn it too, and everyone has always been polite in teaching me.

 

[inquiringmind]

@crucisdecristo Honestly, I hate exercising around other people. You aren’t alone. A lot of these comments will probably say, everyone feels self conscious, don’t worry and keep going to the gym.

But I don’t go to the gym if my routine is something I can do in my living room.

My body weight exercises, 10lb & 15lb free weights, kettle Bell, and resistance bands, don’t really make use of the gym equipment. I can use those in my bedroom or living room. I have a bosu, and a step up box too.

So, unless I have to use the squat rack, or deadlift, or the fancy weighted cable stuff, or the TRX bands, I don’t bother with the gym.

I bought the basics, so I don’t have to leave my house to do a few circuits.

And as soon as we move I’m buying some TRX Bands and a rack.

I understand that people go to the gym to make time and head space specifically for a workout, and because they don’t have all the equipment at home. But if you really hate it, you can get around going everyday.

I added to my home gear over a few months and it only cost me about $350 to get the important stuff.

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo Everyone does. Nobody cares. Just keep doing it!

 

[anteaterzot]

@crucisdecristo I couldn't understand from your post, are you still using any of the machines or weights at the gym? You could always do bodyweight stuff at home. I don't mean this as a self-conscious thing, but more about the cost of the gym membership.

I basically have my own gym at home, and it all started with a mat, some small dumbbells, and a resistance band. Saved me a lot of money and I didn't have other annoying people in my personal space.

 

[crucisdecristo]

@anteaterzot I’ll occasionally do some of the leg machines like the leg press or hamstring curls, but it’s mostly body weight. I’m locked into a year-long contract with the gym so I want to use it so that I’m not paying $30/month for nothing haha I also am a student and our campus has an incredibly nice gym that I really want to take advantage of while I can.

 

[anteaterzot]

@crucisdecristo In that case, I know you said you want to wait on doing more resistance training, but I suggest starting to use it sooner rather than later. Even if it's only a set of 5 lb dumbbells. Not only will you be getting your money's worth, but you'll feel changes faster in your strength, I promise you.

Good luck, and remember, everyone else is there to workout too, they're busy with what they're doing, they're not paying that much attention to you. Everyone has to start somewhere, just be careful with your form whatever you do so you don't hurt yourself.

 

[normanlunderwood2010]

@crucisdecristo Worked in a gym and have chicken wing arms with the strength of cooked spaghetti - I know your feels!

However, after speaking to many of our members because I was curious - do they watch other people while working out? Everyone said they’re too worried about themselves to be looking at other people

 

[ronaldsaved]

@crucisdecristo Everyone looks stupid.

 

[godandstuff]

@crucisdecristo People do weighted neck extensions and elevated frog pumps with a straight face. Everyone looks stupid but it doesn’t matter.

 

[dawn16]

@crucisdecristo Honestly for me after I got really really settled into the gym and had been going consistently every week for close to a year, I didn’t even notice it but I stopped really worrying about looking stupid. Just overtime with it becoming something I do in the way I go to work and I go grocery shopping and I go to my friends house etc. Once it became such a normal part of my life I really lost all of that gym related nervousness. I don’t even think it was through additional confidence, I just got used to it.