How hard is it to go in the gym for the first time?

32 comments

1. Not at all. Most people are very helpful and supportive. The staff on average will do a good job getting you on track.

2. Easy. You just walk in the door..

3. I mean we all had to start somewhere, man.. I think would try not to think about it so much

4. I’m 30 and still never been. One day maybe

5. It’s not the first time that gets you, it’s the third. Once you get started, KEEP GOING

6. Nobody is paying attention to you at the gym, so don’t be self-conscious. There will be elderly and disabled people there weaker than you; no body cares. It’s good simply that you’re there. So just go do it.

   If you have lifted weights before, well it’s not like weights are any different now than they were when you were in high school.

   But if you have a little bit of money to splurge, it may be helpful to take some fitness classes or hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to show you how to do a wide range of exercises properly. You can also watch training videos on YouTube, but they cannot provide personal feedback.

7. Try not to worry about it but I get it. Everyone starts somewhere. I stayed out the gym all of covid so when I went back recently I was again the weakest one there while all the other people I recognized from before were still really strong. You just gotta start and be consistent and ignore other people who probably aren’t even judging you at all, if they are, they’re trash. Give it 4 months, you’ll make good gains and love hitting the weights. Get a plan for your workout and grind the sets and reps and write it down. Keeping a workout log and tracking progress will help you see your improvements and work towards a goal. It’ll help stop you from quitting early and it’ll help you focus on the goal instead of other people’s judgment of you.

8. >and be the weakest person

   Dude, nobody cares. Everyone’s too busy counting their own reps and listening to podcasts to pay you any attention. My gym is full of fat, skinny,old,and young people, and nobody looks at them twice. Gym vets will sometimes approach you to give you some helpful advice, tho.

   Just walk in and start following a good training routine. Or, if you have extra money, get a personal trainer.

9. I know it’s hard for a 15 year old to hear this… because kids at that age can be notoriously ruthless. But, you just have to focus on what you’re trying to do and not bother with anyone else. EVERYONE started somewhere. I think you’ll also find that people in gyms tend to be much more of a “family” than you’d expect. I can’t call ever seeing someone get bullied at a gym. This isn’t a high school movie from the 80s. Most guys there would give you respect just for being there and giving your all.

10. Well, it gets harder the older you get, so might as well start now. And many people are willing to help out at gyms.

11. First step for anything is usually the hardest. You should be ok though, even if you are the weakest, you’re still 15. You’ll more likely find encouragement from the older gym goers. Also you shouldn’t feel ashamed about it in general. Fitness is a journey, and we all have different starting points. No one cares where you start but they will be amazed at your progress once you put several months of work in!

12. First time is easy. But comming back for another leg day is hard.

13. It’s all in your head. Nobody is paying attention to you. Everyone is focused on their own workout.

    I used to go there and lift above my weight because I was afraid of being judged, but you’re just cheating yourself out of a good work out. Form and time under tension are most important, so if you have to lower the weight to achieve better form for your sets, then just lower the weight.

    Those who mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind.

14. I signed up for a gym membership six months ago to lose weight.

    I haven’t lost a single pound yet. Going to go there in person tomorrow to find out what’s really going on…

15. That was me in 1979. You’ll be fine.

16. Just keep reminding yourself that every day you spend in the gym is a day that you grow stronger. Don’t go? You won’t get stronger.

    Just getting yourself there is the hard part. Once you’re in the gym, it gets easier.

    You do not need to be stronger than the guy next to you. Your only goal is to be stronger than yesterday. You are in competition with yourself and no one else.

17. The gym isn’t that bad tbh. If you keep going, eventually the worst thing youre going to dread is the traffic on the way there.

    Why compare yourself to others? The only person you *have to compare with*, is you, from yesterday. Go with a friend if it makes you feel better.

18. Not hard. If you can find a buddy to go with you, I highly recommend doing that. Great to have someone else doing the same and you guys can challenge each other and stay motivated that way.

19. I often see people getting help obviously starting out at my gym. Ask questions, not mid set, and guys love to show off….lol

20. Most people in there don’t give two poops about your ability. There will be meat heads alone who will just be hyped people are in there. There will be loud people who will (mostly) keep to themselves and bro it up with their bros. There will be people just in there to train

    The ones who judge you won’t stick around long enough for it to matter. They can be super cool places when you find a good one

    Good luck!

21. You need to stop and ask yourself why you feel like you’re in competition with a bunch of total strangers at the gym. Are you all vying for the same woman? Are you going to fight? Are you planning to compete against them in some athletic event?

    Why should it bother you to be the most out-of-shape guy at the gym? You’re there for self-improvement, not dick-measuring.

    If you believe you’re the most out-of-shape guy and it’s really bothering you, then lean into it. Every time you talk to someone, start by saying up-front that you’re totally out of shape and you’ve finally decided to do something about it. I think you’ll find that people are supportive.

22. I can guarantee you won’t be the weakest person there. There will be chicks and old men there that you can out lift already.

23. I just a year ago bro, a year older than you. I realized when I was in there that I was the only one who gave two shits about how much weight I was pumping. Poeple don’t care about how much you can do, poeple care about if you consistently show up. Whether your small or big, spending at least every other day in the gym earns you respect. Keep at it man, stay motivated!

24. you’re only 15. don’t be too hard on yourself. and nobody really gives a shit at the gym to be honest. go to the gym and do the work, blast music. you dont need to give a shit about anything else. and going to the gym the first time is hard but it doesn’t matter as long as you do it. and be consistent.

25. Nobody cares how weak you are. I’m more than twice your age and you portably lift heavier weights than I do. But I keep going anyway because I want to be stronger.

    What helped me with confidence was researching proper technique and equipment use in books, the internet, and on YouTube. That way when I finally arrived at the gym I wasn’t doing random shit aimlessly.

26. Its never easy. Discipline to go every day and commit is never easy. You just do it and it pays off.

27. As hard has you make it to be. I have been to different gyms in different states for the past 20 years and have never experienced nor have I seen anyone bother a new person. Infact most of us will go out of the way to welcome or help out

28. Most people at the gym are focused on their own lifting, they won’t even notice you. Also, most people realize that you gotta start out somewhere. it’s rare that people can just start out putting up heavy weight the first time. Finally, you’ll *always* find someone at the gym that’s stronger than you. My max bench I’ve ever done was 315 and 400 for squats and deadlifts. There were guys at my gym pushing out that bench for reps and then dudes who were going 500+ on the max rep. Don’t worry about what other people are doing, worry about your own gains. you’re not lifting for them, you’re lifting for you.

29. It’s harder to go the first time than it is to go the second time, and the third, and so on. The goal the first day is not to wreck yourself or go ultra hard, it’s to find your way around and start putting together a routine that works for you. Make sure you do some stretches and go light at first, focusing on getting good form on whatever exercises you’re doing. You’ll probably be going less hard than people who have been doing it for years, sure, but you can get there if you want to and keep at it.

30. Nobody at the gym is watching you or caring about what you do very much.

    It’s only your world that centers around you nobody else cares.

    If a grown man is comparing his weights to a 15-year-old there’s something mentally wrong with him anyway. Just do your thing.

    By the way, my suggestion is to only do one set of a few exercises every other day her body part.

    For example day one upper body one set of major muscle groups.
    Day two lower body one set per major muscle group.

    Try the workouts on http://yourworkoutcalendar.com

31. Nobody cares. And many buff regulars who are passionate about the gym will admire you, not judge you. Some of them were like you are now.

32. 120 at 15? Damn dude. Today I learned I was severely underweight at 15