Experts” 🤭describe the term “gymtimidation” as the apprehension & fear of judgment when working out in front of people (at a gym).  Men & women can often feel pressured when walking into a gym or using machines or free weights at a gym, especially when they are just starting working out.

Fitness can be an EXCELLENT way to combat fear & anxiety.  When you’re working out, you can’t think about anything else but the task at hand. This can be a great way to clear your mind & focus on something positive.  But for some, it can be a mental struggle to physically get yourself in the gym to enjoy the positive benefits.  Fear, anxiety, & insecurity are all normal emotions that surround going to the gym, especially when first starting out.  Learning new machines, perfecting our form, judging our own bodies & worrying if everyone else is seeing the same, all of these are normal & all of your fears are valid.  I have found that building confidence around what you are fearing or insecure about is the best way to start overcoming it.  It is very hard for fear & anxiety to exist with confidence.  So, if apprehension, fear, or anxiety of the gym is something that affects you, start implementing any or ALL of the following mindset strategies to BEAT YOUR GYMTIMIDATION!

1. SEPARATE exercise & “The Gym”.
   One of the benefits of working out, besides building your body, is building your confidence.  If anyone ever tells you, “You NEED a gym to get fit”, they are WRONG.  Start by building YOUR body & YOUR confidence in a place where YOU are comfortable.  There are plenty of options when it comes to training outside of a gym; your living room, your garage, the local park.  You don’t have to start working out in a gym to work on YOU.  This will help separate the anxiety from the gym & anxiety from the actual workout parts, you can get familiar with movements & exercises on your time & where you feel most comfortable & move to a gym IF & when you are ready.  Remember fitness is fitness, no matter where you are.
2. Go in with a PLAN.
   This is one you can really plan out in advance or you can just plan out 1 workout at a time.  Decide what body part(s) you want to focus on that day or week, write down exercises that fit that body part or movement pattern.  Find videos that show you how to perform those exercises, I would find someone reputable in the fitness scene.  I recommend you stick with SUPER BASIC movements with mostly DB’s, dumbbells are a pretty standard piece of equipment so your gym will have them & the videos you watch will not have much variation like a machine workout would, as machines are often different depending on the gym you are in.  Watch those videos BEFORE even going into the gym so there is no question about what you are going to do. Once you have the exercises & videos down, stick to those & do NOT veer off your plan!
   Online coaches, like myself, often offer programs that have the exercises & videos already uploaded into a convenient app so ALL of the work is done for you!
   Once you have your plan & have reviewed it, go in & execute it!
   
3. Stick with what you KNOW.
   This one really branches off tip #2.   If you can develop a PLAN before you get to the gym, familiarize yourself with BASIC dumbbell movements, make sure you have videos watched ahead of time or save to a section of your phone for easy access.  Eventually, familiarize yourself with the names of machines they have at your gym (names should be on the side of the equipment), then YouTube those machines & watch videos when you are in the comfort of your home so you can eventually add those to your workout as well, & that will become part of WHAT YOU KNOW.
4. Get in the “Zone” BEFORE the gym.
   This one is my FAVORITE.   Your “Zone” is yours, no one else’s.  This is your MUSIC time, your podcast time, whatever it is you like to listen to during your workout get this on BEFORE working out.  Get your headphones on, bust your speakers & jam out on the way to the gym.   Use this time to create the mindset you want to fuel your workout.   Also, this is the time you want to take any pre-workout supps, roughly 20-30 minutes before going into the gym.  This pre-workout drink is going to be as much a part of your mental game as it is your physical.  It is going to give you the energy you need to fuel & pump up your workout, but you can also use that first sip to let your mindset for the gym get started, this is your cue to FLIP THAT SWITCH!
5. Remember that everyone was a beginner at some point.
   Everyone started out not knowing what they were doing at the gym & everyone started out to improve themselves in some way. The people who look like they know what they’re doing have probably been going to the gym for a while.  To be completely honest, the gym veterans who seem intimidating, are typically the most willing to help you out!  These people have been in your shoes, they developed the skill & discipline it took to get to where they are, so they appreciate seeing a newcomer putting in the work & are typically humbled to be able to help.  

Building confidence in yourself is the KEY to creating a mindset that can beat “Gymtimidation”.

When you face your fears head-on, they start to lose their power over you. The more you do something, the less scary it becomes.  This is why it’s so important to practice things that make you uncomfortable. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at it, & the more confidence you will have!

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Glute development is a hot topic nowadays & for good reason. Strong glutes are essential for a variety of reasons, including improved posture, balance, & stability. They also play a role in everyday activities such as walking, dropping it like its hot, & even things as simple as sitting & standing. Additionally, strong glutes can help to improve your appearance & make you feel more confident.  Strong glutes are essential for a variety of reasons, including:

• Improved posture: When your glutes are weak, your body compensates by using other muscles, such as the lower back muscles. This can lead to pain and injury. Strong glutes help to take the pressure off of the lower back & keep your spine in alignment.

• Balance & stability: Strong glutes help you to maintain your balance & stability, which can help to prevent injuries.  

• Everyday activities: Strong glutes are essential for everyday activities such as walking, twerking, jumping, & as mentioned before; sitting & standing. When your glutes are underdeveloped, these activities can be difficult & sometimes painful. 

• Appearance: Although this one is somewhat superficial, let’s be honest it’s true.  Well-developed glutes can help to improve your appearance by making your butt look more rounded, typically making you feel more confident.

• Improved athletic performance: Glutes help to power movements such as squats, lunges, & deadlifts, as well as many movements in sports.  Additionally, stronger glutes will help your explosiveness & velocity for running & jumping movements.

With regular exercise, you can develop strong, healthy glutes that will improve your overall balance, stability, posture, & hopefully confidence!

Now that we have gotten the importance of glute development out of the way, let’s get down to the application!  Here are a few uncommon exercises that can add to your routine to help you build strong & well-rounded glutes:

• Single-leg Romanian deadlifts: 

• • This is a great isolation exercise for your glutes & hamstrings without having to worry about moving a ton of weight. 

• • To do them, stand on one leg (or stand in a staggered stance & use that leg as a “kickstand”) & bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight. Lower the weight until your thigh is parallel to the ground, then drive back up to the starting position.

• Hip thrusts: 

• • Hip thrusts are an excellent compound exercise that work primarily the glutes, but also hit the lower back & hamstrings.  This is an excellent exercise to add weight to with a lower risk compared to other barbell exercises.

• • Sit on the floor with the back of your shoulders against a bench, roll a barbell up to the crease of your hips, drive both feet into the floor & squeeze your glutes while bridging your hips up.  Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, with your feet about hip-width apart.  Lower your hips back to the starting position & repeat.   

• Glute bridges:

• • Glute bridges not only target the glutes, but they are also very effective at improving hip mobility & strengthening the lower back.

• • These are similar to hip thrusts, but you start with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push your hips up off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for a second, then lower back down.  You can do these weighted with a dumbbell or band across your hips, or you can do them with just your body weight.

• Sumo Deadlift:

• • The sumo deadlift is another barbell exercise but a kettlebell or dumbbell can be subbed as needed.  

• • A sumo deadlift is a variation of the conventional deadlift that uses a wider stance.  To perform a sumo dead; stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing out, bend your knees & squat down until your hips are below your knees.  Grip the bar, with your hands slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.  Brace your core slightly, & lift the bar, keeping the bar close to your body, with a straight back, until you are standing upright. Lower the bar back to the ground with control.

These are just a few of the many uncommon exercises that can help you build strong, round glutes. Experiment with 1-2 different exercises to find what you enjoy & add them to your routine.  Make sure you are changing out the exercises every few weeks & changing up your sets & reps to keep progress continuous!  Enjoy those toned & firm glutes 😜.