Joining a gym soon..., Tips to get over the fright? Options

[Dreamers]

Ay.

Within the next three days my mother and I are undoubtedly joining a gym to get in shape! Yay!

I'm excited as, I do quote the Disney movie 'Cars', "A tornado in a trailer park." but... I'm scared.


When I think 'gym' I think of beautiful perfect people in an unshakable world, with perfect people looking down on me for being out-of-shape, and perfect people telling me exactly what to do, and being frustrated and judgemental when I don't do it right.

I'm the paranoid type that feels all eyes are always on me, and I'm just scared for some reason...

Can anyone help me get over this unfounded fear?


Of course there's always the typical, "What's it matter what others think?! you're there for yourself!" But that phrase is easier said than put into action.

Help peeze?

I have the voices of a million encouragements driving me, but the shyness is my problem.

[brooklyneast05]

i don't get what you are scared of exactly?

nobody cares about anyone else at the gym, seriously. i go once a week and i never care/look at/notice anyone else. everyone is pretty much in their own world with their ipods and stuff.

[Insurmountable]

Gyms are full of fat people that don't know what their doing and think that if I'm working out for a straight hour I'm going to lose weight.

In which their wrong, because their body freaks out because their working out to much so their body saves all their fat preserves.

So in reality, the gym is full of fat people. Thats why they go to the gym to be healthy and lose weight. I've never seen a perfect looking person in the gym. Its more or less really old people too.


Anyway, just remember. Don't care what others think. If your going to walk or run, only go for 20 minutes at a time, then possibly cool down by lifting some weights or something and then go walking again. There are to many idiots that don't know this.

Personal trainers are fun too :D


Oh and the gym i go to most people are tuned in on the tv. Or listening to music.

[Dreamers]

<3

Hehe... Yea... What you guys say makes sense! ^-^

Insurmountable--
Thanks for the tips o.0
I'm not obese or anything, but I'm sure my body might do a 'flip-out' thing. It'll be handy to have that information in mind

[Reidar]

I've been lifting since age nine, and I've never had a semblance of care about what other people are doing in the gym.

To come into conflict with the above advice, avoid personal trainers, unless you want to pay money to balance on balls for thirty minutes. Plyometrics are good, but what these quacks do to people continues to astound me. To quote Westside powerlifting guru and strength coach, Louie Simmons: "Please ignore mainstream fitness sources. They have participated greatly in destroying practical strength training in the United States."

Also, you should not do cardio and weightlifting in the same session because they require contradictory nutritional criteria, which I can easily go into detail for. It also instigates catabolism, which is when your body oxidizes muscle mass for fuel.

[DoubleJ]

I am going to join a gym too. I need to build back up my quickness and strength, just in case I get into the academy this summer.

[brooklyneast05]

I am going to join a gym too. I need to build back up my quickness and strength, just in case I get into the academy this summer.

cause you're black and you gotta be able to hop them fences runnin from the feds.

[DoubleJ]

You are such a clown LMAO! Naw, but I need to get back into hella shape. I went from looking like a physical specimen, to looking like I am preggers.

[TheWinterBones]

Aw, don't be afraid. If there were any of these, as you say "perfect people" at your gym, they wouldn't look down on you. If you were out and about with your french fries, then they would! Atleast that's what I'm like. I'd like to see all those slobs on a diet and going to a gym 3 days a week!!

(I am not saying that you are.)

Just makes me so angry.

Just remember, nobodies perfect. People who look up to me; if they had any idea. MY figure isn't perfect. I suffer from anorexia which branches out to all kinds of issues. I'm so far from perfect.

Keep in mind that people who look good are probably mentally screwed up anyway!

[illriginal]

While I agree with everything Reidar said, there's one thing I could say that is allowed. Granted that you're prepared. You in fact can do cardio and weight lifting in the same session (weight lift right before or after cardio) Between the two, you need to drink protein... this will feed your muscles, but on top of that you'd also need carbs, which will feed your body energy.


There's nothing to be afraid of, the only thing you need to worry about is your training and your diet.

Go to this site, and sign up for their forum board, you will get PLENTY of information. Remember that diet is most important. Don't be scared of the word diet either, it's not a form of suffering what so ever. You'll get plenty of info, trust me:

www.bodybuilding.com/forum


These are very very respectable people who would never give you wrong info, if they did... people will call them out on it and would further inform/help you.

[Reidar]

You would need to wait a while to taper the carbs over a span of time to create an insulin spike for the recovery processes (biochemical supercompensation). That's not really one session.

[illriginal]

You would need to wait a while to taper the carbs over a span of time to create an insulin spike for the recovery processes (biochemical supercompensation). That's not really one session.

O.O I dunno I just drink a protein shake, and a "Ripped Fuel" and I get through it well. I just never do leg work outs and cardio on the same day.

As for insulin spike, I keep that in the morning (which is also when I go to the gym) as a wake up call/energy booster.

[DoubleJ]

Insulin spike?

[illriginal]

Insulin spike?

in·su·lin (ĭn'sə-lĭn)

1. A polypeptide hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans and functioning in the regulation of the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, especially the conversion of glucose to glycogen, which lowers the blood glucose level.
2. Any of various pharmaceutical preparations containing this hormone that are derived from the pancreas of certain animals or produced through genetic engineering and are used in the medical treatment and management of diabetes mellitus (type I).

A way of getting an insulin spike is having something sweet, naturally sweet especially.

Could you agree Reidar?

[Reidar]

Yes.

In short, insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting glucose and amino acids through the bloodstream and into the muscle cells. It also suppresses cortisol, which catabolizes (eats away, basically) muscle mass. After your workout, your insulin levels are drastically depleted, so, to compensate, you drink your protein shake with the carbohydrates over a longer span of time to continually cause the pancreas to surge insulin levels, which is "spiking" your insulin.

Anyways, cardio depletes liver glycogen, which requires fructose for replenishment. Lifting depletes muscle glycogen, which requires glucose. The problem is that after weightlifting, your body is in a critical recovery situation, and having both fructose and glucose unnecessarily prolongs digestion.

You're not going to become a fat slob by not following that (I'm sure you've had success with what you're doing), but it is more scientifically sound. Some people will suffer from being lenient more than others. Me, I practically lose 10 lbs. if I miss a meal, so I pay attention to detail.

Now, obviously, the topic creator isn't looking to be a bodybuilder, and she doesn't need to memorize all of this (although, the way I look at it, knowledge is always good), but the fundamentals are there anyways.

[LoveToMySilas]

Well, this topic kinda reminded me of Ice Princess, where her coach gave her a set of ear plugs so that she could "block out" the rest of the world. I guess you could find a group of people who aren't too diesel and work out next to them. I'm sure its not as bad as you make it seem. Just see how its like when you get to the gym.

[DoubleJ]

I didn't need the definition. I only needed to know what would give you a spike.

[Teesa]

Aww.

I agree with what everyone has already mentioned, but I'll just reinforce the truth of the matter: people are seriously in their own worlds, just caring about their OWN body.

Sure, people glance up and look around once in a while (I love to look around and see if there's anyone there I know), but then they go back to focusing on themselves.

If you have an i-pod or some other listening device, it's definitely helpful because you can focus on something else :)

Just try your best to think confidence

[stephinika]

^^
I completely agree with Teesa. While I'm no good with actual work-out tips, I go to plenty of drop-in dance classes and I brought a friend who was worried because he wasn't at the same level but honestly...no one is paying attention. People at gyms and these sorts of things just pay attention to themselves and don't look at others, so trust me. Don't worry about it.

[illriginal]

I didn't need the definition. I only needed to know what would give you a spike.

W.T.F. That was the point of me posting the definition. -.-

[DoubleJ]

W.T.F. That was the point of me posting the definition. -.-

I meant like the examples. In response to whether or not I am dedicated, I am going to be, to reach my goal.

[DoubleJ]

Yes sorry to double post, just found out my mom got me the total gym thing and should be here this week. Now I can work out until 6 in the morning without having to be bugged!

[Reidar]

You should sell it on CraigsList. You can get a better workout with calisthenics.

http://www.trainforstrength.com/workout1.shtml

[DoubleJ]

Damn thanks for that site. I am definitely going to start doing that workout asap. I might keep the gym for a while just to build up my strength and what not.

[swishersweet]

go with a friend =]