A Gym Membership Won’t Get You Fit
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| A Gym Membership Won’t Get You Fit |
It is super cool to go gym. And it is even cooler to have one or two gym memberships which you never use. Most of us get a gym membership hoping financial commitment will increase your motivation. As you know by now that doesn’t happen, and it all ends up being a waste of money. But it leaves you with the belief that fitness is the wrong way to lose weight. Which is not true, as I am about to explain.
How many of you have gotten a gym membership and only visited the gym once or twice before giving up? Have you ever asked yourself WHY? Why do you keep doing that to yourself when you know how much you want to lose that extra weight?
The answer is simple:
Lack of confidence
Lack of results.
Lack of confidence is the main reason people hate the gym environment. When I first stepped in a gym I felt even fatter, lost, did not understand what to do, intimidated, stared at, anxious somebody will make fun of me. I can’t say I had experienced any positive feelings. Like, F*UCK YEAH, TODAY I START A NEW LIFE! After a few sessions on the treadmill and a few attempts to use the machines, I concluded: fitness is not for me. With random, unstructured workouts it was impossible to get any results at all: weight loss, stamina increase, strength increase, something, anything.
A week later I was done going gym. This shit is not for me. The gym environment is intimidating. You have fit ladies, big bum ladies, muscly guys, people making animal noises when lifting weights and the people who have no clue what they are doing. It is a jungle if you think of it. But that is not why I stopped going gym. I stopped because I was lacking knowledge.
My lack of confidence was the outcome of my lack of knowledge. I did not understand what to do, and that put me off every time I’d get a gym membership. I didn’t know what to do to lose weight. I didn’t know how to structure my workout. I didn’t know how to use the free weights. I didn’t know how long to train for. I didn’t know at which intensity to train. I didn’t know how often I should train. When there are so many unknowns, you will stop. Because you are scared people might realise, you don’t know what you are doing and they will make fun of you.
I was obese until the age of 23 years old. I had never worked out with a personal trainer or a coach. I was convinced fitness is easy and if I commit to going gym by myself, I can get results.
After 7 years of training, I want to say one thing: don’t underestimate fitness.
I learn new things about exercise, nutrition and the body, constantly. It never stops to surprise me how much science is behind body and fitness.
If I had to invest my money wisely and prioritise on my health, I would have worked with a coach much sooner. And get results much sooner. I would have saved lots of time, money, frustration, disappointment and self hate.
What is really costing you living this way? Poor relationship and poor sex life? Self hate and low self esteem? Isolation and shame? Being too scared to go for your wildest dreams? Living a life you despise?
Because of your deep belief that fitness is easy because of most shredded people being stupid…don’t deny it…you are refusing to work with a coach. It is very unlikely you will succeed by yourself. Major changes are tough and extra help is always welcome.
Second, unstructured workouts will not provide results. So when you get angry for not losing weight and blame it on the fitness machines, redirect that anger. You don’t know what you are doing. Your body doesn’t understand what is happening. The risk of injury is high. Incorrect form is the number one cause of major injuries. Your choice to go cheap and try to do it by yourself might be a very expensive way. And your health could pay the highest price.
Finally, a gym membership won’t get you fit. If you don’t have the knowledge, you don’t have the confidence. Without these two, you will not commit to your transformation. Fitness is not something cool, fitness is a science and your body deserves the right application of its principles. Invest in yourself now and learn how to care for yourself.
