The number one thing that girls tell me when I tell them to hit the weights is that they’re scared. They’re intimidated. They’re worried of being made a mockery of. 50kg of untoned, feminine flesh in the raw, male-dominated arena of barbells and dumbells – surrounded by grunts affirming masculinity and rippling, sweaty pectoral muscles vying for mirror space.
When I first started lifting a year ago, I couldn’t go by myself. I walked in, took one panicked glance at the heaving mass of bodies that was the weights area and jumped right home – onto the treadmill. And so I paced for half an hour, furtively darting glances to the back of me, to what could have been. The one thing that helped me overcome this was to have an experienced guide teaching me form and basic exercises.
I had a male friend teach me all the basics – what to do on what days, how to manoeuvre the complicated looking machines and setting a basic plan for me. Having his presence there to guide me was the most helpful thing to ease me from weightphobic to holding my own in peak hour at the gym. How to get over first-weights fear:
- Ask someone who regularly lifts weights and is confident to teach you the basics of lifting.
- Have a plan. Set aside a plan of what exercises you want to do and how many reps/sets you plan to complete – it gives you a basic guide to follow so you don’t stand there like a gaping fish wondering just what the hell to do with your tricep and what even is a tricep?
- Wear comfortable and flattering clothing. Wearing a too-big top that keeps slipping to and fro or too tight pants that dig into your booty does not make for a comfortable gym sesh and will only make you feel out of your element. Spend the money to look legit, and the rest will follow.
- Which brings me onto my next point – do your research. On form, on musculature, on body composition.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help – everyone is there for the same reason as you and we were all in your position once. Everyone starts off somewhere.
- DO NOT GIVE UP. If you fail, try again. There’s always tomorrow.
- Remember that nobody is looking at you – they’re too busy looking at themselves in the mirror!
Does anyone have tips of their own?
One More Rep 