I have a lot of anxiety over going to the gym. I know logically it doesnt make any sense and it’s something I need to get over but that’s a huge barrier for preventing me from getting more active. I always feel like I’m doing something wrong and then consequentially looking really stupid somehow, or some asshole will make a gym tiktok and i’ll be in it or something. again, i know this is illogical, but it’s just how i always end up feeling when i work out at a gym. not to mention, even when i do work out there, i have no idea what the hell i’m doing. I know i should have a notebook and a specific routine, but how do I make a routine? should i focus on individual muscles daily, or do several in a day? what do i do if i don’t feel like i need a rest period in between excersises, but if i add more weight or reps, i can’t complete it? how do i find a middle ground with that? any advice would help me so much, so if you’d like to add your two cents i would be thankful. happy new year, comrades. tia
you are exactly the market for a personal trainer. if you can afford to.
good luck finding one that isn’t a hog. if you have health insurance maybe there’s some deal where they’ll pay for some sessions.
as a fellow anxiety person i recommend never ever signing up for monthly recurring costs, though. especially not gyms.
It was useful for me when I first started to use an app.
On Android, I’ve used Progression and Strong, but anything works, even pen and paper. I just found the apps more useful because they have built in programs, instructions with visuals and videos, and previous history. Also, I felt like I blended in more just alternating between looking at my phone and lifting, like a pro, no awkward staring at the equipment and wondering.
Additionally I spent some time before starting any new program or exercise to watch videos on them to know how to do them correctly and safely. Jeremy Ethier on YouTube was whom I watched mostly.
As for programs, 5x5 was decent as a start to gain strength and confidence. Then you can explore more complicated ones after you get a hang of it. 3 days a week with at least a day in between is good enough IMO, and I still stick to it after many years.
Feeling sore is normal. Just don’t work out a sore muscle. Give it at least a day of rest. Also, don’t overdo it. There’s nothing wrong with lower weights and less reps when you are tired. Pay attention to your muscles, feel them working and listen when they scream at you to stop for the day. You always have next week to get back to it.
Things will take time. Follow through, and follow up with your diet and healthy habits. You’ll see improvement after a few weeks/months, and within a year you may look and feel like a different person. I remember crying in the shower the first time I noticed my muscles and actually felt strong for once in my life. Good luck, and I hope you have a similar experience!
don’t overthink, just grab a bar and start lifting
There probably are mean people at the gym, but generally, I feel like outside the gym people are generally meaner. Everyone’s there to try and grow and work on themselves, most don’t care for you at all. Don’t sweat how you’re gonna be perceived, just go there and work and sweat
keep it very simple until you’re in the groove (meaning you go regularly), then slowly start adjusting and/or optimizing for whatever you’re trying to accomplish exactly
listen to your body. When something hurts, try to really feel what exactly hurts and how. If anything but your muscles themselves hurt (joints especially), stop for now, you need either more time to adjust or you’re doing something wrong. Try to figure out which one it is, by taking it easy and giving yourself some time anyway
there’s a bunch of good resources linked in the c/fitness sidebar, you could take a look there for some of your questions - but I can’t stress enough, how the most important thing is to just get into the habit of actually going there, anything else comes second. If obsessing about your split/workout will get you to go, have at it. If you just want to go and not care much for what exact plan your following, that’s fine too, as long as you keep going. First few weeks/months is much more about building a habit and building the neurological capacity for certain exercises than anything else, really. Take it easy, keep going, listen to the signals your body sends you, keep refining and you’ll be golden. It takes time, be patient
bit in a rush, sorry if this is a bit disjointed
I don’t know anything about anxiety because I got one of my self-awareness glands removed as a condition of employment at Langley, but I do know about exercise routines. On the sidebar on c/fitness we have exrx which explains the form of a lot of lifts. I always recommend you ask somebody who looks strong for help with squat form because it makes them feel awesome and you’re going to hurt yourself if you load it up while putting weight on parts of the body that shouldn’t be load bearing.
As for routines, again in the sidebar there’s a couple to explore, but as a fresh beginner equipped with exrx, you could decide to do your own routine and make progress. It’s literally not fair how easy it is to make noob gains. I’d recommend 3 days a week, one day for lats and biceps, another day for chest+triceps+shoulders, and a third day for legs. If you did 2-3 exercises per muscle group for 3x12 (3 sets of 12) you’d probably make gains. Gains being lifting more weight the next week than you did the previous week.
And if someone ever records you, you can just say something positive about communism and the algorithms will probably make sure the video never gets shared with anyone. Nobody cares about how much you lift or what you look like unless you look like you’re going to hurt yourself.
