8 Ways to Feel Confident in Every Gym Workout

Hi friend, welcome to The Fit Flamingo Podcast! With this episode, I want to help you feel confident every time you start a gym workout. As a personal trainer, I believe you deserve to feel safe, empowered, and confident in every room you walk in — especially the gym. But often times, the gym is the place where we feel the most judged. And while we can’t always control our environment, we can choose how we show up. So let’s take feel good action as we find our people, shift our mindset, and feel confident stepping into the gym even when we don’t have it all together. If you’re ready to leave judgment and overwhelm behind, this episode is for you. Let’s dive in!

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01. Find your people

Not all gyms are created equal and every gym has a different culture. So if you don’t love the one you’re at now, don’t settle! There are so many options. Between box gyms, boutique gyms, studios, and community recreation centers, there’s bound to be something that speaks to you. 

Use the graphic below to compare the different types of gyms. Then do a simple Google search to see what pops up in your area! Ask friends, family members, and co-workers if they have a gym, studio space, or online fitness app that they love and recommended. If you’re trying out a new space, invite someone to come along with you and plan to have a coffee or smoothie date afterwards! You’re not alone :)

02. Reset your mindset

Before you walk into the gym, take a moment to reset your mindset. After you park, take a few deep breaths and imagine yourself walking into the gym with confidence. Notice if there are any insecurities or fears that come up. It’s okay to feel insecure and to experience fear! Our goal isn’t to sweep those feelings under the rug, but to call them out and move through them.

Visualize yourself walking into the gym with confidence. Imagine moving through your workout, asking for help if you need it, and making other people in the gym feel confident, safe, and welcome through your energy and presence. Even before you walk into the gym, feel proud of yourself just for showing up!

Confidence isn’t a feeling. Confidence is a choice! And when you choose to feel confident, you give women in your same exact position the opportunity to feel confident too!

03. Go into your gym workout with a plan

It’s helpful to know what exercises you want to do and what machines or pieces of equipment you want to use before you step into the gym. You definitely don’t have to have everything planned out perfectly! But even just a general idea will be helpful. That way, you can spare yourself from feeling overwhelmed by all the options! 

04. Know your first move

After you walk through the door, have one spot, machine, or exercise that can act as you “go to.” When I step through the gym door, I head straight for the elliptical. Not only is it a great full body warm up, but it also gives me time to give myself a pep talk and look around the room to figure out where everything is located. Your “go to” can be a cardio machine or a corner of the room to start a warm up routine.

05. Replace judgment with curiosity

The remedy for judgment is curiosity. When you notice yourself judging yourself or others, acknowledge it. Then, shift gears! Instead of judging yourself, look for opportunities to be curious. 

For example, how can you show yourself more gratitude and appreciation today? Is there anything new you can learn about fitness or yourself while you’re in the gym today? How can you grow and expand your beliefs about yourself today?

If you feel like you’re being judged by someone else, take a deep breath and remind yourself who you are. You don’t hav to live up to anyone’s expectations of you and you don’t have to control or monitor the way in which you are perceived by others. And who knows, maybe their gaze isn’t a gaze of judgment but one of curiosity! We can always choose to give people the benefit of the doubt.

06. You don’t have to have it all together

Let go of the belief that you have to fully know what you’re doing in order to feel confident. You don’t!

You can be unsure of what to do and still be confident. Because remember, confidence is a choice!! The more you show up and take action, the more confident you become. Over time, confidence compounds.

07. Self talk is everything!

Inevitably, self doubt will creep in while you’re doing your gym workout. Our goal isn’t to not ever experience doubt. The goal is to notice when we do so we can move through it. Acknowledge it but don’t stay stuck there!

Replace negative self talk with affirmations that are empowering and uplifting. If you want to be confident, think confident thoughts. You are what you think.

08. Celebrate every win

Celebrate yourself every time you do something hard! This builds confidence. You’ll feel so proud of yourself every time you show up and do the thing you said you wanted to do. Plus, celebrating wins helps build momentum. When there’s more momentum, there’s less resistance.

No matter how small the win feels, celebrate it! Focus on the things you’re doing right, and you’ll find it easier and easier to do show up confidently and consistently. 

Have a specific question? Send me a DM on Instagram!

Friendly reminder: You are enough.

Hi, I’m Madison Deaton. As a personal trainer, nutrition and self-love coach, I focus on the inside first, helping you get to the root of why you think and feel the way you do. Then I use things like functional fitness, holistic nutrition, mindset and self-love tools to help you connect with yourself on a deeper level, see things from a new perspective, and unlearn habits that no longer serve you so you can take up space, step into your power, and become the woman of your dreams (friendly reminder: she has been YOU all along). Welcome to The Fit Flamingo! I’m so glad you’re here.