Overcoming Gym Fears
Hey friends! Hope your weeks are all going by swimmingly. I had a stellar day at work today. Spent it in the office and blew through the to-do list that’s been looming over my head. Felt good!
So I totally sucked as a food blogger today. Most of my meals were packed today and I forgot to take a photo! So tonight’s post will be light on pictures and heavy on words. Go fetch your reading glasses ;)
I’ve been growing a little bored of my workouts lately, so I decided to switch it up this morning. Instead of sticking to the treadmill for my cardio, I branched out and tortured myself on a few other machines.
Elliptical
| Minutes | Level | Effort |
| 0-3 | 8 | low intensity |
| 3-5 | 12 | medium intensity |
| 5-6 | 16 | high intensity |
| 6-8 | 13 | medium intensity |
| 8-9 | 17 | high intensity |
| 9-11 | 14 | medium intensity |
| 11-12 | 18 | high intensity |
| 12-14 | 14 | medium intensity |
| 14-15 | 17 | high intensity |
| 15-17 | 13 | medium intensity |
| 17-18 | 16 | high intensity |
| 18-20 | 12 | low intensity |
| 20-21 | 16 | high intensity |
| 21-23 | 13 | low intensity |
| 23-24 | 17 | high intensity |
| 24-26 | 14 | medium intensity |
| 26-27 | 18 | high intensity |
| 27-29 | 14 | medium intensity |
| 29-30 | 17 | high intensity |
| 30-32 | 13 | medium intensity |
| 32-33 | 16 | high intensity |
| 33-35 | 12 | low intensity |
Rowing Machine
| Minutes | Grip | Intensity |
| 0-2 | overhand | medium |
| 2-4 | underhand | medium |
| 4-6 | overhand | medium |
| 6-8 | underhand | medium |
| 8-10 | overhand | medium |
Stepmill
| Minutes | Level |
| 0-1 | 6 |
| 1-2 | 10 |
| 2-3 | 6 |
| 3-4 | 10 |
| 4-5 | 6 |
| 5-6 | 10 |
| 6-7 | 6 |
| 7-8 | 10 |
| 8-10 | 6 |
I loved this workout! So fun to switch it up sometimes. The elliptical can be kinda boring, but the intervals kept me interested. Then the rowing machine and stepmill threw in some extra upper and lower body resistance in there for good measure ;) Overall, it was 55 minutes and I burned a mega 500 calories. Perfection.
Then I went straight from the gym to work. I am so far liking this routine much better than coming back home in between. It requires more preparation the night before, but it leads to a less rushed morning for me.
I had to work again tonight, so I didn’t have long to come home for supper.
A random duo of food, but both elements were absolutely delicious!
First, grilled turkey stuffed with laughing cow cheese and raspberry jam.
And because I didn’t get enough fibre in the leftover chili I had for lunch…
Sweet potato stuffed with black beans and salsa. Yum yum :)
I just had to sit in on a communications class tonight for work. They were doing something neat that I’m going to follow up on. So weird being back in those classes!
I had one thing on my mind when I came home – one of April’s protein cakes!
I made it in a mug with a heart indent on the bottom – can you see it?
- 15g chocolate whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp splenda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp banana baby food
- 2 tbsp egg whites
- sprinkle mini chocolate chips
Stirred into my heart mug and popped in the microwave for one minute.
Slathered in peanut butter! These are really growing on me as a night-time snack. While I don’t really subscribe to the whole “no carbs at night” line of thinking, I do find fat and protein is what I crave at night. It also keeps my belly the most full until morning. Think it’s time I start experimenting with what kind of different flavours I can come up with!
Gym Fears
I got some great comments on my last post about how to deal with the “social” aspects of the gym. Especially when it comes to being assertive, or even just putting yourself “out there.” Hallie noted the weight room isn’t really all that scary because most of the beefy guys are more into themselves than those around them. This really struck a chord with me. It reminded me that at one point, I too was scared of the gym.
In the past, I’ve delved a lot into my social anxiety disorder. It’s something I’ve struggled to get a handle on ever since being diagnosed with agoraphobia at the age of 15. While I am great in small groups of people, being in big crowds, or exposed to large groups of strangers, terrifies me. There are some things, like going to the mall or school, that I’ve learned to deal with. Other things, like going to big concerts, still hold me back. At one point, this fear translated into going to the gym. Just think of it – an anxious me exposed in my workout clothes, sweaty, red faced, in a big room full of people I don’t know. Of course, in my head, the strangers were staring at and judging me too.
I overcame this fear by coming to the same realization that Hallie mentioned – people at the gym are so into their own workout, they don’t give a damn what you’re doing. Really, who cares if I’m sweating buckets, so long as I’m not interfering with the person beside me. Who cares if I do something incorrectly, so long as I’m not going to injure myself. Ever see what people are looking at when they lift in front of a mirror? Themselves!
One big step for me was venturing to the intimidating “weight area.” When I started the New Rules of Lifting For Women program, I had never lifted free weights in front of other people before. It took me three visits of playing around with the moves before I finally took the plunge and did a whole workout in the weight room. One thing that helped a lot was bringing notes of what I was supposed to do and reminders on how to keep my form. That way I couldn’t get there and blank on what I was supposed to do!
For a period of time, each workout was challenging. I always felt embarrassed, even when I wasn’t doing anything that would be classified as “embarrassing” (although, I’ve had a few of those too!). Weeks and months passed, muscle was built, miles were run, and I slowly started to gain confidence in the gym. All I had to do was realize that 1) I’m a crazy paranoid person, and 2) I had to keep pushing myself to get through it. Now, not only do I look forward to my gym visits, but I LOVE every moment spent there. On top of that, I hope to work in one!! I’ve gone from someone who could barely spend 20 minutes in the place, to a person who now wants to train and pass my knowledge along in the same environment.
I share this story because I know there are a lot of people out there who are scared to make fools of themselves in the weight room, exercise class, or new machine. There are some people who feel too “fat” or “out of shape” to even show up at a gym full of “fit” people. I get these feelings, but sitting on them isn’t going to make anything better. You have to take that first step to confront them, and I promise it is all downhill from there. Remember, every person in that gym did not come out of the womb fit, muscular, and running 8-minute miles. They all started somewhere, and will not judge you for where your start may be :)
So another evening, another rant. Now my bed (and the Biggest Loser) beckons. See ya tomorrow!
Questions of the Day:
1. What’s one thing that intimidates you? How will you overcome it? I’m awful at “mix and mingle” type events. I’ve started hyperventilating at them before. What I usually do is track down an organizer and get them to put me to work so I don’t feel too pressured to socialize!
2. What sweet treat should I bake for my birthday? I’d like to make something special, last year was carrot cake, and the year before that was cheesecake. My mind so far has gone to chocolate pie, chocolate chip cookie cake, or blondies. But suggestions are welcome!
Posted on January 19, 2010, in Health, Workouts and tagged anxiety, black beans, cardio machines, elliptical, gym, jam, panic attack, protein cake, protein powder, rowing machine, stairmill, sweet potato, turkey. Bookmark the permalink. 33 Comments.
those are some great workouts on the machines!!
i gota try aprils cake.. have you tried her new protein bread? i just made it and i LOVE IT!!
I almost made the protein bread for this week! But I needed to buy almost all the ingredients for it and the initial investment was too much for one week… soon though!!
1. Racing intimidates the hell out of me. So, honestly, I tend to have a glass of wine or two before I register for races. I know I want to do them, and I can do them, but sometimes I need a little liquid courage, you know?
2. CAKE BALLS. Duh.
The spice of life..is mixing it up … good on you.
Ok…A vegan chocolate cake (recipe on my website) and make it into a german chocolate cake.
oh.my.heavens
That protein cake looks delish! Hmm, how about a cookie cake? I love those!
How about a cookie cake?
I made a version of your bars tonight that I’m going to post about tomorrow. They’re great, but I think they are more bread-like than yours. I made a lot of substitutions though, so I’m not sure where I went astray.
I wish I had this post 18 months ago when I started at my gym…
I used to be intimidated by the weight room too. It’s so true- no one is paying attention!
If I were you, I’d make blondies for my birthday :D With chocolate chips…and icing…(basically a ton of sugar)
I think some sort of decadent layered peanut butter/chocolate mousse pie would be good.
I still get intimidated at the gym even now at times, but I realized that whether or not someone judges me (you know they do) – that I just don’t care. I am not going to let what I think someone may be thinking stop me from doing what I need to in order to be healthy. I have to remind myself of that after I drop the barbell on the rack with a big clang next time :D
I’m completely with you on the “mix and mingle” front. When I was in college pretending to be an artist, the absolute worst thing was going to a gallery opening. This also coupled with the fact that I don’t drink alcohol makes me feel really awkward and nervous, to the point of panic.
To be quite honest I haven’t faced this one in a while and have turned down lots of shows I would have otherwise wanted to…perhaps I should start facing my fears? I think Jillian would say so!
Oh I suck at those “networking” events….and I’m in PR! Something that helped me is knowing that everyone there often feel the same way, and as someone pointed out, when it’s a professional thing, I can talk about my job, and being that I work at a museum, I do have fun things to say. If that makes sense.
Talking to boys also intimidates me, but luckily Mitch never had problems talking to girls.
Thanks for the shout out! I think it also helps to belong to the right gym. My gym has people of ALL ages and shapes but for example, my bootcamp class took place at a gym geared towards bodybuilders, which was pretty intimidating. Now I’m back at my “neighborhood” gym where I feel much more at home.
ugh i HATE the weight section of our gym. our schools known for having really fit college students so the guys are all jacked lifting hundreds of pounds so i’m too afriad to go over and end up using 5 or 10 lb weights in my room.
i love laughing cow! and sweet potato! delicious eats :)
blondies sound great for your bday!!! i love blondies, brownies and cookie cake. anything with chocolate lol
“There are some people who feel too “fat” or “out of shape” to even show up at a gym full of “fit” people.”–I get this about 50 times a week with yoga. People want advice b/c they are new, out of shape, etc and I just tell them you’ve got do it, take the plunge. Nothings gonna happen on the sidelines sitting on the couch, just go!
Your Bday. Well, what do you feel like. I mean, I’d love to weigh in on everything from chocolate mousse to bananas foster to red velvet cake to creme brulee. And since you have no dietary restrictions or food allergies, you’re a dream come true :)
Right on! Thanks for the words about the gym. Right now I am on a streak of not wanting to go to the gym. I guess it just seems easier to get my workouts in at home. I am a shy person and have several intimidations. I know how good it feels to go to the gym, just need to put that into motion, even if it means getting up earlier or packing a bag :)
My Birthday is at the end of the month. So far I am thinking of something to go with Coconut Bliss ice cream. I have been dying to try that! Something warm to go with it, like chocolate chip cookies, brownies or hot fudge.
I’ve been having the biggest craving for red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. The Martha Stewart recipe is yummy, as long as you don’t look at the actual ingredients – it’s like 75% sugar and oil. But it’s a treat!
I get really scared of “not finishing”. I can’t count the times I’ve started my “healthy living” process with working out 5 times a week, and making good food choices, only to slip back into bad habits few weeks later. This has resulted in me creeping up to almost 200 lbs, and I’m terrified of falling off the wagon again.
great looking dinner! I love idea of stuffing the turkey with LC and jam. and that sweet potato looks amazing with the chili on top!!
thanks for addressing gym fears. I often fee intimidated by people on machines next to me, but just try to be myself and do whats best for me at the given time!
have a wonderful day!
I totally get the gym fear, since hurting my back exercise has been tuff and I’ve put on weight as I’m not being as active but I was told to start swimming all I could think of was the shame I felt to get a swimming costume on, but I faced the fear and went and feel so much better for it!
I think you should have a chocolate torte yummy! x
Yummy stuffed chicken!!
Aprils muffin looks great!
As an avid people watcher I’m ridiculously terrified of going anywhere by myself. I know that I’m watching and analyzing everyone I see so doesn’t it make sense that others do the same to me?? I’ve always been that tall, lanky girl that *everyone* has a comment toward or about. I’ve gone so far as to call people out when they stare and asking them to stop. Embarrassing. But if I’m with someone I don’t even notice anymore, it definitely helps to have a companion.
I’ve never set foot in a gym – I don’t know if I ever will. I don’t even like my husband to be in the same room as me when I work out. I’m a bit of an uncoordinated klutz so that might explain why…
I’m a people watcher too! But just because people are thinking about you, doesn’t mean it’s bad. And most of the time the thoughts are fleeting and insignificant. Chances are you’re thinking more about them possibly thinking about you, then they are actually thinking about you. Ha, hope that makes sense :P (also, I think you’re gorgeous you crazy girl!!!!!)
I have been hooked on chicken, laughing cow and jam wraps lately…so good :)
I don’t go to the gym, but used to get really intimidated at the dance studio- they were hired out to west end musicals/TV shows so not only was I getting changed in front of professional dancers, but often lurking camera crews! Haha. I also liked going to advanced classes because they pushed me further but I was really self-conscious being an amateur… I soon realised that for the most part, people were more concerned with their own form/style than mine.
ANYWAY…long ramble over!
1. What’s one thing that intimidates you? How will you overcome it? speaking in front of new people- that was what yesterday was about when I was tweeting…I dived right in. Okay, not quite. I turned up, met people, got the “lay of the land”. I’ll be with them for at least 6 months (up to 2 years) so am sure it will get easier. I’m really glad I went :)
2. What sweet treat should I bake for my birthday? BANOFFEE PIE! OMG, the best dessert ever. Graham cracker base, layer of dulce de leche/toffee, layer of sliced banana, real whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
“I soon realised that for the most part, people were more concerned with their own form/style than mine”
As they should be!!! There’s a prblem if you’re falling over doing lunges cause you’re too busy looking at the 20-something girl next to you :P
P.S. Is this a job we’re talking about??
1. I’m intimidated by almost all new situations. I usually overcome this by having someone accompany me. Sometimes that’s not possible so I try positive self talk. lol!
2. Rum cake. I’m made one for my friend’s b-day and it was the best thing ever. I’m making one for my b-day next week!
35 min on the elliptical, i salute you. ah i LOVE the stairmill though. i think if i had to pick one piece of cardio equipment for my house, it would be the stairmill. im excited to do my cardio today now that i have my mom’s HRM watch! wooo. mmm jam with laughing cow is so so yummy. i havent paired the two with chicken though~ yum! too bad i didnt see this last night. i had chicken with laughing cow and corn salsa. those raspberry preserves would have been a nice touch!
great thoughts on overcoming gym fear. i think everyone should take full advantage of the weights.. i mean, you pay for that membership~ may as well get your money’s worth! and actually the gym goers can be quite helpful. yesterday i was in the “mens” lifting room (there is a womens only one that i am usually in and then a big one that is co-ed but only dudes go in there usually!) and this big huge meathead gave me some pointers on how to isolate my back muscles when using a machine! i was so grateful that he was watching me (not in a creepy way!) and gave me that tip. he said i was pulling down too much and engaging my triceps. when i thought about it, he was TOTALLY right! see, being an idiot in the weight room can pay off :)
okay, this became longer than intended. sorry. love you!
p.s. i saw on twitter that you picked red velvet w/ beets. good choice!
CARROT CHEESECAKE. i dare you.
I was intimidated at the gym until the day I actually stopped to realize how plugged in to their own world everyone else was. iPods on, watching the TVs and focusing on their own form, not me!
YES! I completely agree that everyone at the gym is so concerned with their own workouts and the way they look that no one is looking or judging you! And as for people outside of the gym looking at you…well, they’re probably thinking, “I should be in there!”
I get intimidated when I know people are judging me and my choices. I always feel like I need to give everyone a justification for what I am doing and why, which is just silly!
I;ve been eating protein/fat at night too.. it doesn’t weigh me down or give me heart burn!
And awesome workout! I can never burn that many cals during workouts.. so 500 calories is a lot!
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looove the stuffed chicken breast and the protein muffin. i have a feeling that’s going to be a dorm room microwave staple! :):)
Oh yum! Definitely going to try the rasberry jam and cheese stuffed chicken! Thanks for the idea. Great blog!
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