Day 1 in the Gym

There’s a guy I know who’s scared shitless of the gym. Mirrors everywhere. Jacked dudes and beautiful women with wandering eyes. There’s an unspoken pressure to lift at least as much as the person next to you. And an uncomfortable feeling of asking someone to spot you…and being so nervous that you just try to lift alone, drop the bar on your throat and somehow shimmy off the bench only to feel like an idiot and run far, far away from the gym.

Yeah, I used to be scared shitless of the gym.

There’s a certain point in a person’s life where they step foot in the gym, feel intimidated and walk out. You get home, upset at yourself, hate the way you look and feel about yourself.

 

Screw that. I’m going to tell you a little secret about the gym…Everyone feels the same way you do. Anybody who gives a shit isn’t worth your time.

So start with your goal. And it most likely begins with getting your ass to the gym.

Begin easy.

Begin with a simple routine that involves bodyweight movements. Squats, pushups, pullups (or rows), lunges, some form of walking/running and picking up heavy stuff. Hell, you can even go through the stuff you did in gym class in grade school. Pushups, situps, pullups and running. It doesn’t need to be complicated.

Two days per week, focus on doing more next time.

Look forward to your plan while staying honest with your food.

Keep track of  your workout.

As much as you hate it, snap a couple before pictures and invite a friend to workout with you. Social structure is CRUCIAL to changing lifestyle habits.

Lift some weights. Getting stronger will motivate you to get stronger.

Cardio becomes a way to challenge yourself. Going further will motivate you to go further. Going faster will motivate you to get faster.

Start easy. Start with fun. Sign up for a sports league. Give yourself a WHY if you don’t have one.

But most of all, show up. Two days per week for an entire year is equal to 104 workouts. Which is a hell of a place to begin.

Don’t overcomplicate it and don’t worry about what others are doing. Way too many folks will tell you what to do. They’ll tell you how to do it better. They’ll tell you how to get stronger. Everyone is an expert. But only YOU know if it’s good for you.