5 Gym Related Myths That Need Busting
Written by Greg Marshall, The Gym at City Creek, Salt Lake City
Getting in shape is hard enough without making things harder for ourselves by buying into certain fitness myths. Many of these myths revolve around the gym. We often psyche ourselves out with stale stereotypes about the gym environment. Speaking as a personal trainer, I want to put some of these myths to rest.
You already have to be in shape to work out at the gym
This is a common belief because people do not want to be embarrassed and they think that everyone is in shape at the gym, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. Everyone has started from scratch, so in order to get the results that you want, just take the leap of faith and join. It takes courage to put yourself out there but it is well worth it. Ask yourself where do you want to be a year, five years, ten years from now and what you want your health to be like? This question should give you some clarity; start now.
Everyone is staring at me
This is a common perception when working out. I know it can be intimidating to see someone who is in great shape in the gym, and you naturally think they are making fun of you or laughing inside at the lack of knowledge you have. But I can assure you from training hundreds of clients that this is a concern almost everyone has, including the ones who are in shape. So if you think about it, if everyone feels this way that means no one is really looking at you because they are too concerned about people looking at them. So get comfortable and go for it, because it will change your life.
Weight training is for men and body builders
Weight training is not only for men; it can be extremely beneficial to women as well. Weight training is often viewed as only for bodybuilders or people who want to get massive muscles, but weight training is a core fundamental in overall health. It is crucial to make sure your muscles are strong especially as you age. The older we get the more risk we have of losing muscle mass, which is the key ingredient in keeping our metabolism high. And if you do not know what metabolism does for you, in its simplest definition, it keeps your body as lean and healthy as possible. If you want to fit better in your clothes or look better in a bathing suit or shirt off, then lift weights.
Weight lifting will get me bulky looking
For the record, lifting weights does not automatically “bulk” you up. If it was that easy, there would be no steroids or muscle building supplement industry. The only way to bulk up is by intentionally trying to bulk up. The way you do that is by your nutrition, rest, and how much cardio exercise you do. In other words, you are in full control of how bulky you get, so do not let that deter you from incorporating weights into your routine.
You can stick with a routine forever
Do not fall in love with the theory that once you find that “special routine” that you can just stick to that and get results forever. There is no such thing as a special routine. In fact the more you follow a routine and don’t change it up the worse it is for your results. Your body will plateau if you keep doing the same things over and over again, and once you plateau, historically, people quit because they are frustrated with not getting any results. A rule of thumb, switch up your workout routine every few weeks to maximize your results.
BIO
Greg Marshall is the sales and personal training manager at The Gym at City Creek, Salt Lake City, and The Gym at Station Park, Farmington, UT. He has run the personal training departments in up to eight locations at once, owned his own personal training company and has been in the industry five years. To contact Greg for a free consultation email him at gregmarshall17@gmail.com
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