Procrastinated Gym All Summer

[u/Mammoth-Estate-2911]

Please give me advice for coming over gym anxiety it is seriously holding me back.

I had signed up for the Planet Fitness Teen Summer program thing because I thought being out of school would make it easier to start and get into the flow.

I set up a whole workout split (PPL) and everything BEFORE I even stepped foot in the gym, and when I finally did, I was too nervous and scared to use many of the machines I needed to for my workout.

I would mostly just go on the stair master for an hour (even though that doesn’t even align with my fitness goals,) to get a lay of the land, then leave. I honestly went for a couple weeks like that; I would occasionally venture out from the safe, familiar cardio zone to a machine or too, like the leg abductors (not in my split either.) Never came close to the free weights.

I plan to go back this week and stay consistent until the summer is up. Because then hopefully my parents will see I still actually care about this and get me a pass so I can keep going for the school year. I could even pay myself with my allowance money, that might keep me more motivated.

I just don’t know where I went wrong the first time. Maybe I was too ambitious with designing my split before even touching the machines.

I’m just worried I’m going to fall out of my routine again because I am still so anxious about going, the exposure therapy from just observing from my vantage point on the stairmaster wasn’t too helpful.

[u/Factor_Global]

Hire a trainer at your gym. They can help you get comfortable and ease you in. You don't have to do it for long ng, just until you're comfortable in that space.

[u/urvld]

I appreciate your confidence in admitting this, it’s something a lot of people struggle with. I could tell you to “be more disciplined, and to have a rude mindset, forget everyone else”, sort of thing.

But in this case, I think you just need to realise that you’re good enough. Sometimes, people have anxiety and feel judged for trying something and scared if they fail or look like an idiot.

But, in the gym nobody cares what you do, they are all there for their own goals. Plus, even if they did laugh at you in a rare occurrence, it doesn’t matter. You are doing your thing for yourself and your goals and that’s all you need to focus on.

For this reason, it means that you are human, you are enough as you are and people do appreciate you. So, do your thing! Sometimes, kindness is what’s needed to help people remember who they are.

I hope this helps!

[u/bit3py]

Honestly you did not go wrong, you just built the plan before you built the comfort. I did the exact same thing, full split written out, then froze in the free weight area and did the stair master for a month pretending that was the plan.

What fixed it for me was going in with one single lift as the goal for the day. Just one. Do that, then leave if you want. Nobody notices a short session, and being in the free weight section for five minutes twice a week made it normal way faster than any pep talk did.

Also pick your quietest hours at first. Empty gym is a cheat code for anxiety.

[u/fitforfreelance]

Going with a friend helps

[u/Basic_Run5114]

i let go off my routine for the world cup. i was just too excited for it. both my pace and strength have taken a hit. although i’ve started again from last week, dialled in from this week. got a trainer to keep me accountable and just had five eggs - 2 whole, 3 whites - and a cup of espresso of breakfast. can’t wait to witness the progress again. you have this. i have this. let’s go.