Around 6 weeks ago myself, my husband and a friend joined a local gym with the hopes of getting our bodies to where we want them to be. We all have different goals and are at different stages of our body journeys but it’s great to have awesome gym buddies who will push you when you need it.
Whilst on holiday at the start of May we used the lovely little gym that they had onsite and this gave us the boost we needed to carry on when we got home. It was also where I started adding weights to my workout which I’ve never felt too comfortable with before. This was because I felt like I didn’t know what to do and thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I think the fact that we had the weights room to ourselves helped me overcome the worry as I knew there was no one else around watching me. Now since joining the gym I’ve tried so many other new thing, including squats on a squat rack which I never thought my weak little legs could do!
Previously I’ve struggled to stick at the gym and never found the love that so many other people mention, I thought it was just not for me and that I’d never find that passion for exercise. I was so wrong, you just need to find the thing that works for you, for some this is cardio but for me it’s weights. I’ve discovered that I personally find cardio boring after 10 minutes and that it doesn’t give me the same feeling of strength and accomplishment as weights do.
I actually look forward to going to the gym and miss it when it’s rest day, which unfortunately due to illness been the last week. However I’m still keen and ready to go next week (which I was worried I wouldn’t be after such a break). I’m learning how to balance the gym with the rest of my life and ensure I don’t get burnt out. The most difficult thing for me is stopping and resting when I should because I want to do everything all the time and struggle to relax and sit still for more than 5 minutes!
My husband has been amazing support and has really helped build my confidence with weights. He has been planning our sessions and showing us the correct ways to do each exercise. This has dispelled any worry I had and I’ve learnt so much from him in the last 6 weeks, I now have the confidence to put together my own sessions and know I’m doing things correctly.
As well as this I’ve found online to be a great source of information on routines, exercises, motivation and tutorials (it’s always good to ensure you do weights correctly). Recently I’ve been watching and following a few people who I’d highly recommend – The Lean Machines, Carly Rowena & The Buff Dudes.
This is only the start of my journey to health, fitness, strength, confidence and loving my body. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me!
Claire Newbold 