Lift Weights With Confidence

How to strut into your gym and lift weights with confidence, like you own the place.

Everybody has to start somewhere. I remember when I started lifting, even though I was at Planet Fitness where “everyone belongs”, I still felt so awkward. Was I doing the exercise right? Was anyone watching me? Am I making weird faces when I lift?

Because I know how it felt when I was first starting out, I made up a list of things I found helpful when working out as woman in a predominantly male section of the gym, the free weights. Read on if you want to lift weights with confidence, like the boss you are!

Learn the Exercise

There is no exaggerating when I tell you I had no idea how to lift weights beyond a bicep curl. I didn’t know how heavy to lift. I didn’t know how many repetitions to do. And don’t even ask me about proper form! (My left knee still hurts occasionally from mistakes I made early on.)

So, it didn’t take me long to gravitate to YouTube for guidance on weight lifting. I found it so helpful to find a fitness influencer that was focused on demonstrating proper lifting techniques rather than showing off his results. I believe the first person I took advice from was a physical trainer, but now I also like to watch physical therapists give lifting advice online.

When seeking out advice from online resources, just make sure you are getting information from a trustworthy source. Anybody can make a YouTube video and post workout videos, just like anyone can start a blog and give wellness advice 😉. Double check the information with another source and if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

Practice at Home

Practice makes perfect and aids to build that confidence you are striving for.

Get up…… Go on……. Stand in front of your mirror and practice the motion of the exercises you learned. I don’t care if you have weights at home and you practice with those, or not! I want you watching your technique in the mirror and focusing on what the exercise feels like, so you can replicate that feeling at the gym.

You may want to practice the proper technique for a few days before you go out in the wild and actually perform the exercise. PRO TIP: utilize things around the house to help you, like soup cans for bicep curls, or a gallon of water for weighted squats.

Trust me. You will feel A LOT less awkward if you practice these body motions prior to going to a public gym. Watching someone demonstrate the proper form, and having practiced it before arriving will have you lifting weights with confidence in no time!

Make a Plan

Alright, now that you know how to perform the exercise using proper body mechanics, next plan out which exercises you will do today. Is today a full body lift day? Or are we focusing on just arms?

Go in with a plan, shoot, write it down if you have to! I had a note in my phone with a list of 5 exercises I wanted to complete for each day. The gym is already overwhelming if you are new to going, so make it easy on yourself. Know what exercises you want to do, so you aren’t wasting time trying to think of what to do next.

PRO TIP: Have a back-up plan for the day’s exercise. This is just in case the gym is busy and there are people using equipment that you planned to use. You will avoid becoming flustered and defeatedly climbing on the treadmill when you initially had the motivation to lift sh*t.

Wear Comfortable Clothes

Look good, feel good, right?! I know I workout a little bit harder when I have new athletic clothes to wear to the gym. I don’t know the psychology behind this, but it’s the same excitement as when we were kids and wanting to wear all of your new clothes for school in the first week!

That being said, yes you’ll likely want to buy a new outfit to wear at the gym, but be reasonable when if you do. Try any athletic clothes on first to make sure you feel comfortable bending, squatting, leaning, pushing, pulling, and maybe even running in them.

Does your shirt cover where you want to be covered? Is your sports bra itchy? Are your clothes loose enough for you to move? Do your leggings stay put on your hips? ARE YOUR LEGGINGS SEE-THROUGH?!?!

I recommend you figure out how comfortable you feel in your workout clothes before heading out to the gym. I’d hate for you to cut your workout short or decide not to continue exercising because of a wardrobe malfunction.

Start Light or Get a Trainer

If you have the extra cash, great! Maybe consider hiring a trainer? Trainers are educated in knowing where a beginner should start with weight lifting. They can guide you on the proper way to perform exercises and help you make modifications if you have injuries.

I highly recommend hiring a trainer if you have an old injury. Note that I said old. New injuries need adequate time to heal before you put that area of your body under stress from resistance training. Having a bum knee or back pain does not exempt you from working out. You just have to modify your workouts now. Find what works for you and do that.

With inflation like it is, I am not surprised if you do not have the extra money to pay a trainer, no biggie. Just start light and gradually work your way up in weight over time. I first started with body weight squats, then upped it holding a 10lb dumbbell, then using the bar with no weights, and now I’m able to squat 95lbs for 10 reps.

More than anything, you have to maintain proper form before increasing weight. Read that again, please. If you are lifting and you compromise your form, you greatly increase your risk of injury. Go down in weight and try the exercise again. Maintaining proper form regardless of weight will exponentially boost your confidence when weight lifting.

Bring a Friend

Safety in numbers! Having a friend by your side might just give you the motivation you need to breach the ominous free weight section. Especially if that friend has been weight lifting for some time. They can offer some pointers and even spot you if needed. Plus the chit chat in between sets can make the workout seem to go by faster.

So, meet with a buddy and hold each other accountable. If the person you bring along wants to talk more than exercise, maybe try someone else next time. We are at the gym to work, not procrastinate.

Go During Dead Hours

My gym is busiest when everyone is getting off work, usually from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. I don’t love working out at this time because I usually have to wait for pieces of equipment to become available. But there is no way in heck that I am getting up any earlier than I already do in the mornings (5:30 m-th, 4:30 f). No way, not happening. I won’t even do it for coffee.

However, if you happen to be a morning person, by all means go to the gym when you wake up. I bet you’ll be pretty lonely there at that time.

When I was first starting out, I loved when the gym was vacant. I felt comfortable to try new exercises without the fear of being watched/judged. Gradually build that confidence with weight lifting by getting comfortable being in the gym, using the equipment, and practicing your form.

Pep Talk

I’ll admit it… I’ve had to do this from time to time. I am so good at coming up with a list of reasons NOT to workout each day. Sometimes I need to kick my butt in gear by bossing myself around a little bit. You should try it sometime, it’s quite effective.

Look in the mirror and point to yourself and say, “you are going to the gym today, no excuses”. Repeat it as much as you need to in order to get the message to soak in. Sometimes I’ll be getting dressed for the gym while telling myself, “you’ve been doing so well this week, finish strong and tomorrow you get a rest day”.

Whatever you need to tell yourself in order to manipulate your mind into agreeing with the words you are saying. Your brain only knows what you tell it. Keep in mind that you want your pep talks to be just that, peppy. No negative self talk. Notice how I didn’t tell myself, “you are going to the gym today because you are lazy”. None of that negativity.

We are working out today because we want to be healthy and happy!

Set Small Goals

If your goals are easily attainable, you are more likely to be successful in achieving them. If you truly have very little confidence weight lifting, maybe you start by just doing one resistance training exercise per day.

Do that for a week or two, and then make the next goal to do two resistance training exercises per day. And so on and so forth.

By achieving your smaller goals, you will gradually be building the confidence to lift weights!

Remember Why You Are Doing This

Everyone at some point in time walked into a gym for the first time. Everyone at some point in time also picked up weights in a gym for the first time. We were all beginners at some point. It’s ok to be new at doing something. It’s not ok to not try something new because you are worried what others might think.

Remember why you want to weight lift in the first place. Build muscle or strong bones? Improved strength and functional capacity? Lose weight? Increase endurance? Lower your risk of premature death? …..seem like all good reasons to me.

Whatever your reasoning, keep that in mind when working out. The gym and especially the free weight section can be intimidating at times. I’ll still occasionally grab my weights and move to a less crowded area of the gym to finish my workout. But I find that I do that less frequently over time.

And most people I’ve encountered at the gym have been really nice people. I’ve even made a couple of friends! I have found that as long as you are courteous to others, they will generally be kind to you as well.

Final Thoughts

Well, there ya have it. All the tools I found helpful to lift weights with confidence. Everyone should be doing some sort of resistance training. I believe it is a myth that we lose muscle tone BECAUSE of getting older. I think what is actually happening, is that we are no longer using our muscles as much as we get older, and the result is a loss of muscle tone.

Weightlifting throughout our lifetime will make getting older easier, keep us healthier, and keep us independent longer. My job exposes me to way too many people unable to take care of themselves because they never worked out or ate healthy foods.

Do a favor for your future self. You won’t regret it. Till next time….

Disclaimer: The health and wellness advice provided on this platform is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.