Going to the gym can spark a lot of emotions for people. It can garner a very positive or negative reaction. Regardless of how you feel, here are my favorite gym workout tips to keep me confident, consistent, and feeling good.
Gym Workout Tips for Building Confidence
I often find the hardest part of going to the gym can be willing myself to go in the first place.
For many, the act of going in itself is based on confidence. If you don’t feel confident in the gym, it can be an uncomfortable and scary place.
The good news is that building confidence does not have to be hard and you can take little steps to be a regular gym goer in no time!
Tip #1: Look Good, Feel Good
Despite vanity, every person deserves to feel good in their skin. That can come down to simply how you dress or style yourself.
I find that when I’m wearing what I think is a cute and flattering outfit I feel excited about going into a public place. Not that I want to impress anyone, but I have this natural confidence in feeling like I belong.
It is a weird psychological concept but it works for many and can help you too.
So my first gym workout tip is to find outfits or styles (be it hair, makeup, shoes, etc.) that you love to wear and feel good in. It can significantly improve your confidence.
Tip #2: Go With a Friend
If you are nervous about going it alone, you are not alone. Especially if you are new to the gym. It can be a scary place.
Find a friend or loved one that is happy to go with you so you don’t feel alone. It can make the experience seem far less intimidating if you have someone to join.
Tip #3: Start in the Corner
This sounds a little sad but it actually can help immensely when trying to build up your gym confidence.
You can usually find some type of equipment in a corner or more hidden area where you can feel at ease knowing few people are around.
While you are still getting comfortable in the gym, working in an area less out in the open is a great gym workout tip to boost your confidence.
At some point, you will naturally start to break away from the corner and feel more confident working in more visible areas.
Tip #4: Lift Like Nobody Is Watching
Remember, nobody is watching. Yes, you will see people looking around, sometimes aimlessly. But think about two things:
- How often are you staring at people? Hopefully not a lot.
- See how many people are busy performing their workouts or on their phones between sets? Yeah, they aren’t interested in watching you.
As you try these gym workout tips, you can begin to see that nobody is paying attention to you. Knowing that can be a huge confidence builder because it can take away the stress of judgment and feeling like you don’t belong.
Everyone belongs in the gym and had a day one, too. Just getting to the gym and walking on the treadmill is an accomplishment and a step towards building your confidence.
Gym Workout Tips for Achieving Your Fitness Goals
Now that we have covered building confidence, let’s talk about the physical stuff. Yes, how to achieve your fitness goals!
Tip #5: Plan Ahead
Have a goal or goals in mind. They don’t need to be specific like you want to hit a certain PR or get to a certain body composition. However, they can be.
Likewise, they can be more generic like overall functional improvements such as being able to pick up your growing kids, or puppy.
With that being said, have a plan of action for going to the gym. Be sure to take into account realistic expectations that are sustainable.
If you set out to workout 6 days a week starting day one, that is a huge shock to your current routine let alone your body.
Understand a cadence of working out that you can stick with. Maybe it’s 2 days a week to start out. You can build up more with time based on how your body responds and your schedule.
Then, get a workout plan. There are thousands of free or paid plans you can find by searching online.
My tips are to use keywords to search for a plan for you. Here are some tips:
- Gender: not that important but can help with gender-related limitations (i.e. upper body strength, flexibility, etc.)
- Type of Gym: home gym, apartment gym, commercial gym, Olympic gym, etc. This also is not crucial but can be helpful
- Workout Type: Functional/Cross Training, Weight Lifting, Sport Specific, Etc.
- Cadence: How many days per week
- Any Other Preference: Goal specific, Age, etc.
Here are some examples you could search:
Women’s Apartment Gym Lifting Program 3 Days Split
Middle Age Women’s Gym Functional Workout Program
These are fairly long but it will help narrow down your search. You can keep it simple like Lady’s Lifting Program and still get great results. Keep in mind you may need to sift through them a bit more.
Tip #6: Have a Backup Plan
Now that you have a program to stick with, know that things can change.
Maybe the program was only 6 weeks. Or you go to the gym on a busy day and the equipment you need has a long wait.
Being able to adapt can keep your workouts going smoothly.
Here are some common problems and solutions:
| Problem | Solution |
| You finish your plan | If you pick a plan for a specific length of time, have a few others picked for when you finish your current plan. |
| A piece of equipment is not available | 1. Go to your next exercise and come back when the equipment is free. 2. If you cannot wait, substitute with a similar exercise or piece of equipment. Google substitutes if you aren’t sure and pick one. It doesn’t have to be perfect. |
| You don’t have as much time | If you usually have an hour and only have 45 min then do as much of the workout as you can. Don’t try to rush it. One workout that is cut short will make no difference in the long run. |
| You don’t like your workout program | That happens to everyone from time to time. You can easily find a new program and implement it immediately. |
Tip #7: Keep a Log
Progressive overload is a term that basically means you are progressively upping your workouts over time. That can be in reps, volume, workouts, etc.
In order to achieve this, keeping a log is key. I don’t know about you but I can hardly remember what I ate for breakfast let alone what I lifted last week.
There are so many methods to keep a log. I use an app but a good old-fashioned pen and paper works just as well.
The fun thing about tracking your workouts is you can see the progress you have been making.
Likewise, it helps to keep your own personal accountability.
Tip #8: Consistency
Part of progressive overload is to stay consistent. My coach reminded me of the 80/20 rule.
If you are showing up 80% of the time you will make progress in leaps in bounds than if you were inconsistent. It also gives you flexibility 20% of the time for days off and well-deserved vacations.
Remember that all good things take time. You won’t often see results immediately. But consistency will get you to where you need to be with time.
Gym Workout Tips for Feeling Good
Finally, you should feel good working out. It should never be a punishment. Here are my gym workout tips to make sure your efforts are paying off physically and mentally.
Tip #9: Rest and Recovery
This is so important. You can put in all the hard work you want but if you are not allowing your body to rest and recover your results may be stalled, or even worse.
Make sure you prioritize sleep and rest days.
This will prevent unwanted injuries and keep you at your best to progress in the gym.
Tip #10: Warmups, Cooldowns, and Stretching are Your Best Friends
I am guilty of not prioritizing these in the past. Now I make sure to do a light 5-10 minute warmup and cooldown after my workouts.
I also take just a few areas to gently stretch the muscles I exercised.
Incorporating this into your routine will improve your mobility and flexibility in the long run. It will also help get your muscles primed to perform more strenuous exercises.
Tip #11: Hydrate
By staying hydrated, your muscles will be able to not only perform better but also repair more effectively.
A general rule of thumb is half of your body weight in ounces. But if you are sweating a lot and exercising frequently, it is also important to make sure you keep your electrolyte balance up for training and recovery purposes.
Likewise, add creatine to your daily supplement routine to even better optimize your muscle repair through hydration.
Tip #12: Nourish Your Body Before and After
We’ve all heard how food is fuel. By focusing on whole and nutritious foods as the base of your diet, you will not only aid in your physical training and recovery but also mentally you will feel better.
Try eating a half dozen donuts then going for a run. Yeah, it sounds ridiculous because it is. I’ll let you imagine how the side effects will go down on that one but believe me they won’t be pretty.
This is not to say you can’t have a donut from time to time. But mindful eating with the goal to nourish your body will work wonders on your overall health. Thereby optimizing your gym-going efforts.
You’ve Got This!
Implementing some or all of these gym workout tips will help you to not only get your foot in the door but also crush your health and fitness goals.
At some point in time, I have practiced all of these and know from personal experience that they have made a huge in my gym workouts.
To this day I still follow a majority of these tips and hope you can find the same benefit.
What kind of tips do you have to help make your gym workouts better? Share in the comments below!
