Nervous about going to Gym

[kourosh89]

I'm in college right now, and I really want to start working out. The only problem is that I'm nervous about going to my school's gym. The school I go to is full of retarded frat kids, and everyone who walks into the gym is super buff. I, on the other hand, used to be extremely thin (I was the skinniest kid in the class - 59 pounds in 6th grade) until I was around 16 when I started turning into a fatass (now 190 pounds at almost 6 feet). I don't care at all about losing weight, because I still look pretty normal, but I want to start bodybuilding as a hobby.

I'm just afraid that other kids will laugh or make fun of me. I've never lifted weights before, so I'll be lifting lighter weights than the girls. I'll have to start out benching with only the bar, no weights attached.

What should I do to ease the embarrassment of being an unfit person in a room of alpha males???

[Kenjisama]

dont be a pussy brah. just go in a lift Phuck them.
and dont worry about what other people think.
or you can grow some balls and ask them to help you out then they will respect you.

[ThePinsir]

You're in college. People should me more mature and have better stuff to do with their time than harass a new guy. Don't worry too much about being ridiculed. Just start lifting, and you'll be on par with a lot of guys at the gym in a couple months.

You got this!!

[Jeune-jaune-jea]

no one is born looking like Greg Plitt (if they did that would be total murder on that vagina lol)

but yeah everyone's gotta start somewhere

just create the set that you want to do at the gym before you go and look at videos so that you will have the proper form

[Smitty6123]

If you need to, use music!

I use to be self concious that I was hella skinny but once I got the ball rolled I don't care who is judging me, just lift and lift dude no problem

[Arsenic]

Come on bro. Stop sizing people up, when you do that kind of **** people will size you up in a hearbeat. Walk with confidence, like you're ready for the world and dont give a fawk about nothin'. You're in there TO LIFT HARD AND TRAIN HARD. YOU AINT GOIN TO THE FAWKEN GYM TO MAKE FRIENDS OR SOCIALIZE!! GET IN THE ZONE BRA AND STAY IN DAT MOTHERFAWKER UNTIL U BECOME THE MAN YOU KNOW DEEP DOWN YOU"VE BEEN YOUR WHOLE LIFE, IN THE PHYSICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF PEOPLE LAUGH AT YOU BRAH, THEY'RE LAUGHING AT THEMSELVES... ANYONE WHOS A MAN WOULD NEVER JUDGE ANOTHER MAN AND LAUGH AT HIM, THATS WHAT BlTCHES DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOUR THING BROTHER MAN.....NO SURRENDER, NO DEFEAT, PUT IN WORK!

[alex2363]

dude, are you seroius, your not 12 any longer. your an adult. now go in that gym and kick some as@!#. in 6 months they will see you getting bigger and then they will shut the heck up. JUST DO IT!

[uflcook]

Just go, quit spreading stereotypes or being self conscious, go in there put some music on and do work, know you are only wasting time thinking about going, the day you start is a day closer to your goal. Every day counts don't waste them.

By the way not every frat guy is retarded if you believe that then you truly are the ignorant one.

[josevelas]

I'm in college right now, and I really want to start working out. The only problem is that I'm nervous about going to my school's gym. The school I go to is full of retarded frat kids, and everyone who walks into the gym is super buff. I, on the other hand, used to be extremely thin (I was the skinniest kid in the class - 59 pounds in 6th grade) until I was around 16 when I started turning into a fatass (now 190 pounds at almost 6 feet). I don't care at all about losing weight, because I still look pretty normal, but I want to start bodybuilding as a hobby.

I'm just afraid that other kids will laugh or make fun of me. I've never lifted weights before, so I'll be lifting lighter weights than the girls. I'll have to start out benching with only the bar, no weights attached.

What should I do to ease the embarrassment of being an unfit person in a room of alpha males???

Dude, you're a grown up now. Act like one.

I'm sure you're just a regular guy, like 95% of the world's population. Just go there, love the gym, be yourself, HAVE FUN, make friends.

Even douchebags (those suppossedly super buff frat kids) are nice persons within. It's you who's giving them the chance to be nice people. It they are nice to you, good for them, if they're not, **** off. (Chances are they'll probably become some of your best friends)

[apojacks]

I'm one of the biggest (i.e. fattest) guys that goes to my gym. And you know what? Nobody judges! Everyone that goes to my gym encourages me every time I enter, and they all know me by name and tell me to keep up the hard work. If a muscle headed moron tries to make you feel bad for working out, they have self esteem issues. I tell people all the time, I can only control myself. Everything else is beyond my control and I am surprisingly OK with that. You just gotta go in there and DO it. You can only change yourself. Are you gonna sit there and mope around and say; "I can't go to the gym because of what others will think of me" or are you going to have the attitude and heart of a champion and say; "I'm doing this for me and nobody else." You make the ultimate decision as to whether or not you will do it. At my heaviest of 395 pounds, I knew that I had to make a change for me! Weighing in at 320 now, I view it as the SMARTEST decision I have ever made. Do it for you, and who cares if some retarded frat boy who pays to have friends thinks you are a loser or whatever. Just go in, jams some tunes and rep it up!

[UpInSmoke]

Don't sit there and play out all that negativity in your head, because you will never do it if you keep thinking of excuses. You have the right to be there just like everyone else. It's not like high school gym class. Breathe, and then do it. Your making it seem harder then it is. No ones going to make fun of you, if they do they need to grow up. I doubt anyone will care how much your lifting, or what you look like, as long as your doing the best you can. Put on some music and ignore everyone if you have to. Once you start going your going to be like "Oh this is not bad at all, I actually like going. Why did I make this such a big deal?"

[nevereon]

I know how you feel bro. I felt (and still feel for that matter) really skinny and scrawny and as such it took me almost an entire year (I kid you not!) to work up to courage to buy a gym membership. Before then I'd just workout in the privacy of my own home, under sub-par conditions and with weights that I had "out-grown" only a week into starting. I'll admit, the first week or two was quite intimidating being at the gym and feeling like everyone was staring at you, but it gets better. Once you familiarize yourself with the gym you realize that it isn't about you and that most people who go really only care about what they are doing themselves and not what someone else is. As soon as I realized this, I kicked myself for waiting so long to get a gym membership and thought about how much more I would have gained had I just had the balls to go sooner. Don't make the same mistake I did brah

Also, it helps a lot to start working out away from campus if you don't want to meet people you know. Imho it's totally worth the extra 30minutes or however long it will be for you to feel more comfortable.

[GC29]

The best way to ease your nerves and anxiety is to go in prepared. Know what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and what order you are going to do it in. Do your homework. Do NOT walk in there like 90% of people and do whatever looks fun in no particular order. You need to be on a mission. You need to have goals. Within a week of being at the gym, that vision will become clearer and you will be motivated to keep it alive.

[Phil0911]

Everyone has to start somewhere.

Nobody is born shredded.

Set out what you're going to do in your first session before you get there, stick some music in your ears and go in and bust your guts until you've finished.

[Clewallen11]

I'm in college right now, and I really want to start working out. The only problem is that I'm nervous about going to my school's gym. The school I go to is full of retarded frat kids, and everyone who walks into the gym is super buff. I, on the other hand, used to be extremely thin (I was the skinniest kid in the class - 59 pounds in 6th grade) until I was around 16 when I started turning into a fatass (now 190 pounds at almost 6 feet). I don't care at all about losing weight, because I still look pretty normal, but I want to start bodybuilding as a hobby.

I'm just afraid that other kids will laugh or make fun of me. I've never lifted weights before, so I'll be lifting lighter weights than the girls. I'll have to start out benching with only the bar, no weights attached.

What should I do to ease the embarrassment of being an unfit person in a room of alpha males???

Get your swag game up....Leave your ego at the door!

only advice i can give...

tell em.... "Come at me brahh"

[WillBrink]

I'm in college right now, and I really want to start working out. The only problem is that I'm nervous about going to my school's gym. The school I go to is full of retarded frat kids, and everyone who walks into the gym is super buff. I, on the other hand, used to be extremely thin (I was the skinniest kid in the class - 59 pounds in 6th grade) until I was around 16 when I started turning into a fatass (now 190 pounds at almost 6 feet). I don't care at all about losing weight, because I still look pretty normal, but I want to start bodybuilding as a hobby.

I'm just afraid that other kids will laugh or make fun of me. I've never lifted weights before, so I'll be lifting lighter weights than the girls. I'll have to start out benching with only the bar, no weights attached.

What should I do to ease the embarrassment of being an unfit person in a room of alpha males???

(1) grow a pair
(2) do your own thing, ignore others
(3) if you care what others think, you will never succeed in life.
(4) get in gym

Or

(5) join Plant Fitness where people intimidated by others are encouraged to strive for mediocrity.

[wjb316]

Remember in the gym you all have something in common. No homo but I feel a bond with people that I see on a reg basis even if we have never shared a word. Nobody is gonna LOL at you for going to the gym.

The amount of weights other people lift means less than nothing. People have to start from somewhere, other people are trying new routines, some people might be re-habbing an injury. If someone LOLs at your weights, the jokes on them.

And yea, give the other people a chance. They might not be d-bags after all.. they might just be in really good shape. It's not a cake walk to look like that.

[Skyline89]

People are nicer than you think.

Everyone likes helping others in this world but if you have a negative thought that everyones against you then it will feel like it but thats not reality.

Everyone is focusing on gaining results at the gym and could care less about what you are doing. Even though at times they would like to randomly help you.

For example I was in the middle of my set of bench press and another person saw me struggle a bit, so he came over without me asking him and he spotted me till I finished my whole set. We ended up being workout partners and hes a friend now.

If it bothers you so much, get a friend to go with you so that you wont feel bad and also he can spot you as well.

So the main thing I want you to learn from this is to have a positive mental attitude about life. People in this world are here to help you and are generally nice people.

Also the big guy you see at the gym was once skinny. So you eventually have to start somewhere. I would have more respect for a skinny guy working out than a skinny guy sitting at home playing ps3/internet all the time. Good luck.

[brian1570]

my experience in the gym so far is that ppl are going to be more willing to help and give advice before they harass you. personally i have no problem spotting a complete stranger, but thats just me.

i think everything else has already been said. but i would say research your sh!t, especially form. if your form is perfect you have absolutely nothing to worry bout. now go lift!

[Arockac2011]

Well, just try to tune out those thoughts. I always listen to music while I lift and that just tunes out all my minds negativity.

The thing that I've learned about life is this: Everything....EVERYTHING...is awkward in the beginning. And, everything is much more scary in your head than when you actually set out to do it.

Until you nail down a routine, it's going to be weird and a bit funny feeling. But, if you go hard enough, I promise you won't even think about that come post-work out time. And then, you'll start to build confidence because your lifting more, running more, swimming more than you did the previous week. ---> All of this will build until you look forward to going to the gym. And then, you'll look back and laugh at your insecurities.

--Accept the fact that your going to make mistakes. But also know that other people have made the same mistakes (if not MORE) than you are going to make. It is true that people are not naturally born shredded or as big as the cookie monster; they had to work to get to that point.

Be open to the notion that people may judge you based upon your outward appearance. But, in the long run, who really cares? People are going to judge you based upon every little nuance that you may (or may NOT) be aware of. And YOU cannot control that. The only thing you can control is how you respond to that judgement (be it good or bad).

So what if your not the strongest, leanest, or biggest guy there? Whose keeping track? There isn't some magical sign-in sheet or prize given to the most 'buffiest, frattiest' looking guy in the gym.

So, just formulate a plan and then work that plan. --> Yes, growing a pair of testicles helps but isn't necessarily required.

Good luck, man. I've been there too, before.

[Hoop_Dreams]

Go at obscure times.

I used to have this problem. My solution? I started lifting at 1 AM.

I'm not embarrassed anymore but I still go at obscure times because I love being able to do what exercise I want, when I want.

[ta1588]

I agree with what most everyone has said so far. Don't worry about it. It's not HS. Most people should be really cool about it, and if they're not then screw 'em. Just get in there and DO WORK!

[iballin08]

Man **** being nervous... I used to wear wife beaters at 5'11-6'0 when I first started working out at 115 pounds.

if u dont give a **** and you walk like you mean bussiness people will take you that way.

balls.... balls are what gets u places.

[heavybreaker]

Don't worry about those kids OP, just get in there and get your ass moving.

I still think I hear people laughing at me, talking ****, or whatever, but I use it... I get pissed, and I use that focus to push through the next set.

Good luck bud, get in there and just go for it

[Iceman50]

just go in there an get it done, dont be afraid to go out there and lift, most guys are too busy doing there own thing to even care what anyone else is up to.

Remember everyones gotta start somewhere, dont be afraid to ask help either.

[916stang]

it takes years of determination, skill, practice, pain. if you dont do it you are ony holding yourself back and will hate yourself later on. start early move on. most people in the gym wont give 2 ****s what you do but it depends how you act.

[Clewallen11]

After post here this morning i went to the gym and there was a kid about 14 or 15 and i was doing barbell curls with the 50 i think and i put it down and walked away came back and he is heaving this thing with everything he had..and i didnt even think about laughing at him and then gave him so advice helped him with a couple sets a let him do his thing..most people rather help then hurt...

[MooseLaddin]

I'm in college right now, and I really want to start working out. The only problem is that I'm nervous about going to my school's gym. The school I go to is full of retarded frat kids, and everyone who walks into the gym is super buff. I, on the other hand, used to be extremely thin (I was the skinniest kid in the class - 59 pounds in 6th grade) until I was around 16 when I started turning into a fatass (now 190 pounds at almost 6 feet). I don't care at all about losing weight, because I still look pretty normal, but I want to start bodybuilding as a hobby.

I'm just afraid that other kids will laugh or make fun of me. I've never lifted weights before, so I'll be lifting lighter weights than the girls. I'll have to start out benching with only the bar, no weights attached.

What should I do to ease the embarrassment of being an unfit person in a room of alpha males???

no one will say/care or do anything to you bro. everyone is in there for themselves and their own workout plan. i go to a university and workout there, im like 6'0 and 130 and in some excercises i lift really light weights cuz im weak and trying to build strength meanwhile there are really really buff guys/athletes in there lifting heavy as fuc*k no one does anything or says anything to me. if anything they will help out and be positive and/or socialize with you. the gym is a place full of nice guys for the most part atleast in my experience.

[zbrownlee]

shut up and get in the gym bro. If I see someone at my gym who appears to be starting out I never think badly of them, I respect the fact that their making a great lifestyle change

[Ed-B]

Just get in there and CRUSH IT!

C'mon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gujB7A5ycew