Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 24th February 2020

So, what was your new year’s resolution this year? There is a 45% chance that your new year resolve was to lose weight or get in shape. Either way, you plan to go to the gym this year, or we wish you the very best of luck for your resolution.

Quitting the Gym for the Wrong Reasons 

And the only reason we are wishing you that is because we understand that a majority of people do not follow through with their resolutions. Why do we say that? Because we know (and also because we have statistics). On average, 71% of people abandon their new year’s resolution within two weeks of coming up with one. And you thought you only had commitment issues when it came to your relationships. But you don’t have to be too hard on yourself. It isn’t always the case that people abandon their gym routine because they are a couch potato. Reasons to quit the gym can be several, from the added expense to the added commute, or the little spare time. While these may be about priorities and may justify your reason to quit, there are problematic habits involved too. 

Sometimes, people may simply quit because of their anxiety issues. We understand that anxiety has many faces and many reasons. But the general idea is that people feel judged by others when they are at their gym, and that is what makes them quit. This is not just problematic behaviour, but it can keep you away from what you love too. And if there is anything you love; it is always worth fighting for! What's worse is that with time, you convince yourself that it is alright. That there is nothing wrong with this insecurity, and rather than fighting it, you learn to live with it! The sheer magnitude of people that stay away from the gym for these reasons is way too high to be ignored. According to Filtrated, 51.4% of people quit the gym due to anxiety or fear of judgement! More than half the people!

Keeping Your Confidence at the Gym 

Just because one out of every two people feels intimidated by the thought of working out at a gym does not mean that you should give up. We are here to help, and we promise we will make it work for you. Here are 5 tips to help you feel more confident at the gym: 

1. Have the Right Reasons 

The very first lesson in improving your confidence is to have your head straight. Have an aim in mind and go to the gym to get those results. Statistics by Real buzz tell us that about 50% of the participants go to the gym to pick up dates. If that is your reason to go to the gym, we are afraid there is nothing we can do to help you. Unless you have the right reasons e.g. a healthier lifestyle, it won't last.

2. Find Yourself the Right Gym wear 

Do you know why they say first impressions last? Because they do. So, just like you take the utmost care of your apparel while dressing for a job interview, take care of what you wear when you dash to the gym. You find the right men's underwear with pouch, the right sweat wicking t-shirt, the right running trainers, and everything else that makes up your sportswear. Research has clearly shown a relationship between your dressing and your confidence. Clearly then, one of the best ways of fighting off your anxiety at the gym is to buy the right sportswear. And it is not just about the confidence that these clothes give you. When you dress for the gym, you adopt the mindset of an athlete. This is the concept often called “enclothed cognition.” You work hard, and you put in everything you have. And if there is one way to achieve those gym milestones, it is to put in every ounce of work you are capable of. 

3. Gym Buddies 

You know how there is always that one friend at school or college that keeps you working hard. No matter how much you want to give up and how much you feel you are not worth it, he will always motivate you to achieve the hell out of your dreams. To give yourself that confidence boost, find yourself that friend at the gym. But if finding a new best friend sounds so challenging, just find yourself a decent gym buddy that will go and workout with you. Doing so helps you keep track of your gym routine and ensures you attend regularly. But most importantly, a gym buddy helps you feel confident in front of all the prying eyes. In addition, having a gym partner gives you that extra bit of competition and motivation to keep going. Having a buddy at the gym is the best thing that you can do for yourself.

4. Training Programs 

Simply just interacting with people around you at the gym is as good as going to the gym itself. Not only does it help to understand that you are not alone, but it also enables you to get a confidence boost. But everyone at the gym is all tough and macho, how do you even break the ice? Here is a hack: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. A training program helps a group of people go through the same number of activities to achieve a common goal. So, everyone in the program is very much on the same page. This helps you not only develop a healthy schedule for your gym, but also helps you benchmark your performance against all the other participants. Soon enough, you begin to develop a relationship with people around you. This helps you feel more confident in your abilities and help you to believe what you are doing is right. 

 

5. Ask 

Sometimes the biggest of our worries can be solved with the easiest of actions. When it comes to improving your confidence at the gym, you could follow a similar idea. You could just try and ask for help. The second-most common cause of people feeling judged is that they think they are using the equipment incorrectly. But you know what, nobody is born knowing everything. Be it gym equipment or simply tying a knot, you have to learn. And people very much understand that. That is why, when you do ask that tough angry looking muscular guy to help you out, they will turn out to be the sweetest of guys and guide you through everything. People are inherently designed to strive in groups, and that only happens when they follow the “each one teaches one” philosophy. So, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.

This blog post looks at guys who Quit the Gym for the Wrong Reasons. We provide advice on The Right Gym wear, Gym Buddies, and Training Programs for this article titled 5 Tips for Feeling More Confident at the Gym.