Joining a new gym is scary. You haven’t done anything in a while, and might feel self conscious about the way you look and current level of fitness. I’m sure thoughts have popped into your head like “I don’t want to embarrass myself” or “I can’t do that” or “everyone else is going to be so much further ahead of me.” There are so many other things that can cause fear and anxiety when looking for a new gym, so I understand why you might be feeling this way.
I can relate to these feelings when I signed up for three months at a boxing/mma gym. I had never done any sort of boxing, jiu-jitsu or any martial art ever in my life. I can still remember waking up the morning of my first class. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was! I had zero experience with this stuff, so I knew everyone was going to be way ahead of me. When I pulled up to the gym, I was early and didn’t know if I could go in or not. I didn’t want to “look stupid” so I just sat in my car and waited until other people walked in.
The class began and as it went on, I started meeting people who gave me tips and pointers. It was then I realized that all of the people were there to help me. I had zero experience with this, so I needed a lot of help. As the days went on, I started becoming more and more confident in what I was doing, and I felt more comfortable with just being there. I am thankful I was getting tips from people who knew what they were doing. If I were just trying this on my own, I wouldn’t have known any technique and would have just created bad habits that I would have had to break, which would have been a big waste of time.
The point of sharing my experience with you is that the same is true when joining a new fitness gym. Please don’t feel as though you need to get in shape to get a trainer. That is what the trainer is for! It is the trainer’s job to meet you where you’re at with fitness, and challenge you appropriately. You should feel good when you leave the gym, no matter what fitness level you’re at. Fitness is never about getting through the toughest workout. It’s about getting better.
Find a coach who is willing to work with you and meet you where you’re at. A good coach should always be asking you questions to make sure that what you’re doing isn’t causing you any pain, and isn’t too challenging. Also, the other members of the gym should support you as well and make you feel more comfortable. If you find a gym like this and trust the process, you will build momentum over time, and be able to do more and more with every workout.
So again, please don’t feel like you need to get in shape to work with a trainer. A good trainer will save you a ton of time and frustration from not getting results as well as prevent you from creating bad habits. The trainer will help you create a plan that is best suited for you and where you’re at and put you in the best position for success.
I hope this helps! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think, or if you have any questions!
Have a good one!
-Steve
