The gym is a place to challenge yourself, hit PBs and feel accomplished. But it can be an intimidating place for some, especially if you’re new and getting used to it. So how do you build the confidence to get into the gym and start your journey?
One person whose advise is worth hearing on this topic is Farah Fonseca — three times England’s Strongest Woman and one hell of a motivator. Farah sat down to talk all things confidence and give her top tips for feeling like a badass in and out of the gym.
“You have to be strong to be a strongwoman”
Farah started her strongwoman journey at 20 when she first started going to the gym regularly. She began by just going to the gym when she felt like it and doing whatever she felt like doing that day — simply going with the flow. That was until a suggestion from her partner sparked something in her.
“My partner tried to push me to get out of my comfort zone, to become more confident within a gym space. I found strongwoman, I found lifting and I found lifting heavy."“My partner told me to join a local novice strongwoman competition at 21-years-old. At the time I thought “but babe, you’ve got to be strong to do strongwoman”. From there my confidence just completely excelled.”Farah’s Tips
Get a PT to show you the ropes
Farah’s first tip is to just start. All right, easier said than done. But getting someone who knows what they're doing in the gym, like a PT, is a great way to build confidence in the movements you’re doing.
Once you’ve got that reassurance and knowledge that you’re performing movements correctly and with great form, you can walk into the gym with the confidence that you know what you’re doing.
Start looking after your nutrition
Farah’s next tip is all about feeding your body right. Nailing your nutrition will leave you feeling stronger in body and mind, adding to that confidence.
Self-care
Step three for Farah is self-care. Making those lifestyle changes for your mental health. Whether that be heading out on regular walks, daily meditation, yoga or even just making sure you make time to have a relaxing bath every week. This will help build your confidence outside of the gym as well as in it.
Take home message
Starting out in the gym can be intimidating, but Farah knows from experience it can help you build confidence and put you in a strong place. Literally. So start by getting someone experienced to show you the ropes, put yourself first and focus on your nutrition, and make time for real self-care that makes you feel your best.
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