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Old 01-09-2007, 09:39 PM   #20 (permalink)
RacerBill
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sugar Creek, MO
Posts: 6,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sign

Well, everything you mentioned there is a nemesis of mine. I have major self-confidence issues and I am always second guessing myself. I avoid doing many activities and going out with friends. I am always worried that I am not performing exercises properly and that I am going to injure myself. My biggest nemesis is my self-conciousness. There have been so many times when I have simply bailed on my workout before getting through the doors because I see a lot of people at the weights and I am too embarrased/nervous to workout with my lighter weights or poor form. I am always afraid people are judging me and even though I shouldn't care, often times it is enough to make me skip my workout for the day.
I know the feeling. In school I was always the loser kid who was picked last for any team. I still lack any sort of athletic coordination or ability. When I first started going to the gym, I half-expected a replay of junior high PE class, with a bunch of jocks pointing at me and laughing and saying "you don't belong here!"

I'm glad to report that ISN'T the case and the people at my gym are ordinary folks, plenty of busy parents, and no one cares about laughing at anyone else. And no one gave me a wedgie in the locker room.

To learn form for new exercises, I often practice at home with a stick for barbell moves, or empty hands for dumbells, just so I have an idea what I'll do at the gym. And I almost always start a new program on Saturday mornings: I go there first thing in the morning, and it's always quiet and I often have the weight room to myself.

And LD's right -- I've met some of the nicest people in the free weight area. The cardio folks seem more interested in their reading.
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The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
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