Fearless Fitness: Overcoming Gym Anxiety

When I told my wife that I wanted to write about gym anxiety, she said, “OMG, that’s what I have. I’ve never heard that term before.” I don’t blame her; English is her second language. She then went into detail about the anxiety she feels about going to the gym. I can relate. It took me years to overcome my gym anxiety. I still suffer from anxiety in almost all aspects of my life, but luckily gym anxiety is one that I have truly conquered, and I want to share with you how I did it.

Here are five simple things you can do that will help you overcome gym anxiety:

1. Know what you are going to do before you get there

The quickest way to build your confidence in the gym is to learn about what is the most effective fitness routine and go into the gym with a plan. Before I go to the gym, I will go to YouTube and watch certain compound lifts and listen to experts discuss the form so that when I get to the gym, I can focus on performing the lift to the best of my ability. This gives me purpose before I get to the gym, so when I am there, I am not listless. Research what’s the most effective use of your time in the gym. When you get there, execute that plan. I am a firm believer that the most effective use of your time in the gym is to do things you cannot do outside or at home. This means barbell and dumbbell work. Ironically, this is the area that intimidates people the most. The quickest way to establish yourself as someone who knows what they are doing in the gym is to do the optimal lifts. That means hit the squat rack every time you come to the gym and the bench press second. Deadlift once a week and alternate incline and overhead presses. Watch experts on YouTube perform the lifts and go into the gym and do your best to emulate them.

2. Go during off-peak hours

Saturday mornings at 9 am are heaven to me. There are three people in the gym. Every time I try to fit a workout into the weeknights, I regret it. Some guy is doing vanity calf raises, and a girl has taken the bench press bar for her hip thrusts. Navigating a busy gym is a nightmare. Picking times when others aren’t using it makes it much easier to get familiar with your gym and feel confident to perform the work you need to reach your goals.

3. Go with a gym buddy (if that’s your thing)

I used to have a shipmate that always wanted to work out together. I am a complete introvert. The last thing I want is to work out with someone else. I want to do the work and leave. It’s not a social event for me. However, like I said, I am an introvert. If you are an extrovert, then you will find reward in going to the gym with a buddy. Going with someone who is more advanced than you will help you to develop a routine and perform the lifts properly.

4. Seek professional help

Trainers can be your best friend or worst enemy. I am an introvert, so the thought of hiring a professional just gives me all kinds of anxiety. I would rather watch a bunch of YouTube videos and then go to the gym and try to emulate what I saw. As I advance in my fitness, I am noticing imbalances that I don’t know how to overcome. So lately, I have considered hiring a trainer to help me work on issues (ankle mobility) so that I can better perform lifts. I would just caution that you emphasize with any trainer that you hire that your goal is long-term fitness, not quick results. If they kick your ass in just a few sessions and it’s such a miserable time that you never go back, then they are working against your best interest and ironically theirs.

5. Start Small

Every time I fall out of my intense workout sessions, I always start back small. I will go to the gym and squat, bench press, and lat-pull, then go. In and out, and it usually leaves my hamstrings and chest so sore that I have a hard time walking. The truth is, that if I had done any more than that, I would be working against myself. That was all I needed. Just spark the fire. As my workouts progress, I increase the intensity. I’ve gone to the gym, walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes, and left. The simple act of going through the trouble of going to the gym helps to develop the habit. I went to the gym one time and put 5lb weights on each side of the squat bar, did 3 sets, and as I was leaving, a friend said, “that’s the weakest workout I’ve ever seen.” I said, “And I will barely be able to walk tomorrow from it.” A few weeks later, I had two plates on the bar, and I was going “ass to grass”. Start small and work yourself up.

Conclusion

Above are five steps that will help you overcome your gym anxiety. If there is anything I can impart to you, it’s this: nobody cares what you are doing, unless you misuse an important piece of equipment. By following my first suggestion, you can avoid this. Even then, they aren’t paying attention to you. They just want to use the squat rack and are wondering why you are doing some unrelated workout there instead. Go to the gym with a plan, a buddy, or a trainer, and you won’t even realize there are other people there. Everyone in the gym is focused on themselves, and if they are not, they are not worth focusing on. As the old saying goes, “those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.”