A friend told me about an article she read recently, which had helped her to woman up and get over the fear of going to the gym. It was called Gymtimidation.
This was great news. My friend had felt self-conscious and out of place walking into the gym by herself, and now she was feeling braver. But a part of me was annoyed.
This word gymtimidation troubles me. I think it’s a bad word and I’ll tell you why.
When you go somewhere new and try something where you’re a beginner, surrounded by people who’ve been doing whatever it is longer than you have; where everyone around you is probably more advanced and looks at ease with themselves in their environment, it can highlight to you how far behind them you are.
This is normal. We’ve all felt that pang in our stomach and that hot feeling in our faces as we realise we are the least able person at something in the room. What must everybody be thinking about us? Why are we here? Who are we kidding? That’s when you have a chat with your ego and remember why you turned up.
I know that it can be hard building up the courage to come through the doors of our gym, where everyone seems to be competent, confident and in very good shape; especially if you’ve never lifted weights before and you’re not happy with your body. But, once you’re through those doors, you’ll discover that everything is going to be alright.
See how we can help you achieve your health, fitness and physique goals with our world-class Personal Training Plans, guiding you every step of the way.
I’m sure that there are plenty of horrible people in the world who think that the way to stay at the top of their game is to keep others down. We all know about them and we know who they are. I’ve never seen anything like that at Ultimate Performance and I can’t imagine that ever happening here. Nobody like that would get a look-in.
My problem with the word gymtimidation is the use of the word intimidation in its construction. To be intimidated requires somebody to intimidate you. Intimidation is done on purpose, it’s a form of bullying. Most people who are good at something aren’t intimidating you though, they’re just being good at something.
Being aware of your shortcomings is actually a good thing. It means you can do something about them. Everybody – and I mean literally everyone – at Ultimate Performance will be pleased to see you when they meet you and they will possibly be more excited for you than you are, because they know the life-changing things you can achieve here.
Please don’t feel intimidated by our rippling muscles and incredible strength. We’re just itching to get you to join the gang, share in the experience and help you achieve things you never thought you were capable of. We know you can do it and we want to show you how.
The Real Results we help our clients achieve speak for themselves – you only have to read some of the inspiring transformation stories from our successful clients to see that there is no limit to what anyone can achieve on their fitness journey with us. And just remember, even UP founder and CEO Nick Mitchell was a beginner once too!
So, if you’re worried about what people will think of you if you walk into our gym, let me assure you that there is no gymtimidation at Ultimate Performance.
When you meet your trainer for the first time, acknowledge how you feel and don’t worry. You’re surrounded by experts who practice what they preach and you can rest assured that they’re all on your side.
We all know the feelings you’re likely to be experiencing and we’ll all take great care of you, because we love what we do and we want you to shine.
It’s not where you start on your journey, but where you end up. See how we can help you achieve your health, fitness and physique goals with our world-class Personal Training Plans, guiding you every step of the way.
