good afternoon! today is my rest day so i should be doing homework BUT i’ve have had a lot of time to think about how i’ve changed since the start of winter break and it really taught me a lot…so here is some advice i think could be useful even beyond the gym!
when you are starting new things besides the basic cardio & abs at the gym, it is SO intimidating. it is hard to figure out how to do things like shortening the leg press 🤣 or even picking out which weight dumbbells to start with! i felt stupid walking on the treadmill if i’m totally capable of running…but the thing is, even if you are capable it doesn’t mean you are obliged to do it or do it perfectly! so this is what changed my whole mindset:
you don’t stare at other people and judge at the gym, so why would they have time to do the same thing? it may feel like others are looking, but who cares! everyone starts somewhere and showing up to the gym is an accomplishment in itself.
ALSO, start with lighter weight if you’re not sure what you should do! you will feel better moving up in weight rather than hurting yourself or being halfway through and panicking because there is no one there to help you! dramatic but hey it is the truth. picture this: would you rather bench press heavier weight at first and have it fall on you, or bench press lighter weight and realize you are strong enough to move up?
when I moved away from the floor mats and treadmills, i started doing simple things like a seated leg press. i started at 55 pounds. i honestly was scared because i got knee surgery and everything i do with it ends up hurting. my left leg is somehow STILL smaller than the right because of how much muscle i lost recovering! so i was proud when i moved up to 80 pounds, then very proud at 100 pounds. Now, I WARM UP with 145lbs, more than i could imagine a few months ago. another example is the dumbbell overhead press. i used to HATE upper body days. now they are my FAVORITE. i used to overhead press 10lbs each side, and i knew that wasn’t heavy but i wanted to make sure my form was right before moving on. i moved to 15lbs about 2-3 weeks ago, and now i’m doing 30lbs each side.
i was proud of myself not for the increase in weight, but because i didn’t give into my embarrassed, discouraged, and nervous thoughts as a beginner. i worked through it and figured out upper body days are my favorite. Now, i increase weight gradually and make sure to eat to fuel my workouts!! it becomes more of a game adding weight & seeing how you can do.
muscle grows FAST! but ONLY if you don’t hurt yourself. something as simple as adding 10lbs more than you are used to or simply just not warming up, can cost you weeks of going backwards because you are too sore or injured.
i’m not telling you that there aren’t bad people at the gym that are judgmental, but i am telling you that everything is always worse inside your head than it is in real life. SO, don’t let anticipation stop you from trying new things and discovering something you could LOVE.
it took me years…literally years to go to the dumbbell section, where all the men in the mirrors are (lol) and once i got there, i realized i love it and can block out everyone around me and just have fun.
give yourself time, you will feel results quicker than you think, and see your own self confidence grow. block out negative thoughts and get comfortable with your own abilities and goals because once you do that, you will feel more comfortable at the gym!
Growing Healthies 
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