Gym?

[andygates]

See, I spent years trying to get fit enough or strong enough or not-fat-and-wobbly enough to allow myself to go to the gym, and it was the one of the worst mistakes I ever made. All that time spent dicking around restarting time and time again. Terrible error.

YMMV, but the "get fit enough to go to the gym" meme is, to my eye, just stalling. The folks who do well by it don't need the gym at all.

[Hermione Gainser]

You can work out at home if that's what you want to do. But if you want to lift heavy weights then you need to get in the gym.

Like some others here, I'm a woman and I felt a wee awkward walking up to the squat rack and picking up that bar the first time. But I did it and now it's nothing. The key to feeling better about what you're doing:

1. Figure out a plan/routine.

2. Watch videos, read articles regarding proper form for each of the exercises in your routine.

3. Go in, do them and focus on your form.

4. Leave feeling more confident.

If it's convenient for you to go at not peak times, then do it. You'll see that after a couple dates with the weights you'll just be glad to see them, regardless of how many other fellas they're tempting at the moment.

It sounds to me like you want to get into the gym.. and I'm a big fan of doing what you want (rather, of you doing what you want. I will probably not do what you want..I digress).

Go get 'em!

[ETFnerd]

There's a lot we don't know here. I think that the OP is hinting in his original post that there is some bullying going on here. Either psychological or physical. If that's the case, just standing up for what you think is right may place OP at some risk. It is easy for us to armchair quarterback when OP will be bearing the consequences.

I experienced bullying in HS and it was more psychological, but I have met many people who were physically bullied. Mostly, for me, it was from kids who were athletic who had an attitude that they could make up for their low self-esteem and perhaps elevate it by lowering that of others around them. They used threats and intimidation, by placing me in embarassing public situations. My own low self-esteem enabled them and made their antics particularly effective. When I watch "the karate kid", "heathers", and "mean girls", these are surprisingly accurate caricatures of situations that I had experienced. In my generation, I've met a ton of people who, like me, were inspired to learn karate from watching "the karate kid". Along the way I met the right people and learned that it is hard work and an inward, honest look at yourself that sets the resolve to be the best you can be. Everything in life is an obstacle that, when conquered, forges a stronger you.

One of the best things I get out of sport is that it parses out the bulls**t. You can either put up 315 on the bench or you cannot. You can run 27 six-minute miles in a row or you cannot. There are so many people making claims that cannot be verified, aka bs artists, but sport is honest. You know when you've worked hard and met your goals. You can't fake it or hide it.

I hope that OP makes the right choices, but if you stumble, you will have other opportunities to make it right. Be strong inside and you will become strong outside. Making the most of your youth takes a lot. Itr is pretty complicated and is subject to a lot of personal circumstances, many of which are outside your control. I've accepted that I cannot control everything. I do the best at what I can do and hope that the right people recognize it and appreciate it. Those people become my friends and I've been pretty happy with that. Along the way, try to appreciate your successes, the people who helped you, cared for you, they are out there. When you find them, they will make your life better.

[GHJS]

Great shout by Tin man, it seems like a good way to acclimatise myself to the gym and the people there without encroaching on 'their turf' so to speak (and it will get some more exercise in).

I guess it is kinda stalling when I think about it, but as it is now, I'm rather weak, to the point that I feel it would be a bit embarrassing to go over to the free weights and pick the smallest one...

I was planning on doing a lot of reading and youtube watching to see how I'm meant to do things (I like researching things, its a habit) so I didn't feel quite so out of place when it came to starting the lifting, but I'm also hopefully going to get some pointers for the trainers at the gym.

@ETFnerd, there isn't any bullying going on at the moment, but I foresee some happening if I do start going to the gym at times when certain people are there (nothing physical, just some rather tedious comments). That said, what your saying is true, 200 pounds is 200 pounds (to quote the Henry Rollins article on this site) so no matter how they feel about me to start off, I will do my damnedest to make them feel that I belong there as much as they do.

[m00se]

I guess it is kinda stalling when I think about it, but as it is now, I'm rather weak, to the point that I feel it would be a bit embarrassing to go over to the free weights and pick the smallest one...

Everyone starts somewhere. You'll be the one laughing when you're benching a Volkswagen and they're still bicep curling 100lbs once and then looking at their biceps in the mirror for 20 minutes after.

just some rather tedious comments

MP3 player on loud, with something loud and obnoxious. I've found Mastodon to be a good motivational band recently. If you want to have some self-indulgent ironic smugness going on you can stick on some Kenny Loggins and pretend you're watching the other retards in the place in a music video. Either way just make it loud and lift whatever the hell you like.

That's if you have to go. I still advocate the lifting-at-home thing, although I'm probably a bit spoilt as I have a load of space that the missus doesn't mind me filling with heavy stuff. Really, the only reason I can see for going to the gym is if you can't fit any more olympic weights in your garage.

[aj_rock]

As a guy who plays rugby, I feel ashamed that other members of this sport would go out of their way to make people feel unwelcome.

If it's a bigger gym, I think you could stay out of each others way, and I hardly think that any gym staff with even HALF a brain would stand for one of their new members being intimidated by some juice heads.

You got people on your side use them! If anything, I know meat head prime time tends to be from 5-8 in the evenings, so you can always find a different time to go. I went to my gym from 9-11 all year before I started working.

[GHJS]

I thought I'd update those of you who might be wondering whats been going on with this (if there are any of you ),

I've found at least one time when the Gym at school is basically free (bad side is its after a games session so I move straight from squash to a workout which leaves me kinda tired but hey, go hard or go home) so I'm going to that, and will go to that every week.

I think there may be some other times that it is both free and basically empty but I'll have to do some more checking (and I need to find out if my membership card works or not or if I need to get a new one) and If I do then I'll go more, hell if I don't then I'm pretty sure I can get in on friday lunch times and in a few weeks on wednesday.

What I will say though is that I really enjoyed the workout, it was disjointed and kinda brief (I had a date later that day and needed to have a shower etc) but when I finished it I felt so damn happy I can't wait to get back in there

[zdub]

Yea buddy! I remember the first time going to the gym and squatting just the bar. Boy was I embarrassed. But I stuck with it and am glad I did.

Keep it up. Try to go at least 3 times a week and get in the routine. And in 6 months look back and it'll all be worth it.

And remember...Train like an animal, eat like a horse, sleep like a baby, grow like a weed.

[Maxine]

You could go to the gym and not do weigth training at first. I go principally to the gym for the threadmill Then if you seen that you feel confident (or that there is nobody around) you could try the weight.

My experience : During the week I never go to weight room but I do sometimes during the week-end because there is nobody around.

BUT strenght is not my main goal at the moment, and I do lot of yoga video at home. So it also depend of your goal.

[andygates]

Yay! Glad you're enjoying it

[mcdrew]

Enjoyment is the key to sticking to it! Great news! Well done.

[Knightwatch]

Awesome. Soon enough, you're gonna like the training way more than you're anxious about any social dynamic, and you'll just hit it regardless of time or people present.

Keep up the strong work!

[GHJS]

This is the reason why I love this site, you guys give so much support it really makes me want to work

[Dio]

The one caveat I will put on all of this is BE SAFE. Everyone is giving you the advice with the thought that all that might get hurt is your pride. If you find yourself at physical risk from the other people, get out of the situation quickly and reassess.

[GHJS]

@Dio, I really doubt there would be any problems at that level, they aren't the sort of people to act like that, and I'm not going to let it get that far if they do surprise me (which I doubt they will, I'm in a house with one and a bio class with another, the worst I'll get is mocking from the other two and others in the year, maybe some piss taking from the rest of the people in my house, but I've sort of gotten to the stage mentally that I don't really think I'll care too much if they do decide to act like that).