Intimidation at the Gym

[Triple T]

yea so i've been going to the gym now for about 2 weeks.
Only problem I have is the intimidation from some of the other bodybuilders.

Since most of the people at my gym are 20+ and are huge, they seem to not like the idea of a 15 year old little guy working out at the gym. They always give me stares like I shouldn't be there and a few ask me how many sets i have left and when i tell them they just roll their eyes and cross their arms.
It really intimidates me and a few times already, I have skipped a set so that the line waiting behind me can go on the bench or something.

Other times I walk into the gym, see alot of big guys just working out in the free weights area...and I'm scared to go over there and do anything. They always give me stares...
and it gets a big crowded.


Its really messing up my routine and slowing my progress. I just don't know how to deal with it...sometimes I feel like I don't belong there with all of them just looking at me pump a 70 lb. bench while they do 200lb ones.

How can I deal with this?

 

[Quiksilver]

You have to believe that what you are doing is not wrong, and that instead, it is they who are being immature.

Just forget about them.

And also, when you see those guys benching 200+, just remember that when you're their age, you'll be twice as strong as they are. However, you won't be if you wimp out

 

[Nip/Tuck]

yea so i've been going to the gym now for about 2 weeks.
Only problem I have is the intimidation from some of the other bodybuilders.

Since most of the people at my gym are 20+ and are huge, they seem to not like the idea of a 15 year old little guy working out at the gym. They always give me stares like I shouldn't be there and a few ask me how many sets i have left and when i tell them they just roll their eyes and cross their arms.
It really intimidates me and a few times already, I have skipped a set so that the line waiting behind me can go on the bench or something.

Other times I walk into the gym, see alot of big guys just working out in the free weights area...and I'm scared to go over there and do anything. They always give me stares...
and it gets a big crowded.


Its really messing up my routine and slowing my progress. I just don't know how to deal with it...sometimes I feel like I don't belong there with all of them just looking at me pump a 70 lb. bench while they do 200lb ones.

How can I deal with this?

Locate your balls if you have any. Do you really think they started out benching 200 lbs? Or weighting more than 150 lbs? No everyone has to start sometime, stop making excuses and get in there. If you can't then just get yourself a home gym and start working out there. If a bigger guy looked at me in the gym, I'd stare back until he breaks the stare. I never gotten an attitude from any of them, most of them are all talk.

 

[New2Town]

Pick the biggest guy and whoop him! What works in prison works in the gym.

 

[oneshot]

perhaps im in a different situation than yours considering that most of the people in my gym are pretty skinny... but staring back at them until they break the stare is a good idea since i do do that pretty often.
if i were you, i'd start getting majorly pissed at their attitude, and be even more determined to obtain the strength and size to be able to beat the living sh1t out of them in the future--this makes you train harder.
i can't help being stupid like this--but i've never allowed anybody who is older/bigger to intimidate me...which is probably the reason i pissed some bastards off in the past and started to fight with them :box:

 

[Bling]

Bro, I know how you feel. All of us little guys have been there. Just remember not to do it to the little guys when you're big.

 

[shaunuk]

If guys are pressuring you etc (ie rolling their eyes at you etc), they're out of order. Just remember why you're there: to train. Who cares what a few gym boys think, one day you're gonna be bigger than them (as long as you stick at this).

I've found that a lot of guys who LOOK intimidating the "tough" in the gym are often nice guys when you get talking to them. In my gym most of the guys don't have an attitude like their look suggests, they're quite friendly. Just my experience tho..

Don't let it affect you, put your iPod on, do your routine, then go home..then by time you're 18 and you've trained for 3 years you'll be one of the biggest guys in your gym

 

[frivolousz21]

stare at them back like ur ready for some heads to role.

who cares what some roided up insecure pyssys do

 

[joekerr31]

if you are aware of what is going on around you at the gym then you aren't focused enough on your work out.

you have to go in there and totally block out everything going on around you.

as for any of them who look down on you .... the ones who do that have low self esteem.

which may not make sense to you becuase they are so much bigger than you, but remember, they probably know lots of guys who are bigger than them.

so they like to look at you and think 'hah! look how wimpy he is. im da man compared to him!"

you should just laugh to yourself that after all their efforts in the gym they are still so petty.

mature, confident body builders would be encouraging you and telling you to 'keep it up.'

are you working out at a cheap gym - YMCA type of thing? i've found the gyms that are really cheap get a lot of the 20 year olds who are really immature.

maybe think of asking your parents for a few bucks so you can join a gym with a better clientel

 

[MrS]

Everyone starts somewhere!
People might play it smartarse, but noone cares.

 

[Triple T]

are you working out at a cheap gym - YMCA type of thing? i've found the gyms that are really cheap get a lot of the 20 year olds who are really immature.

maybe think of asking your parents for a few bucks so you can join a gym with a better clientel

Actually my gym is smaller than a YMCA one. It has cardio upstairs, then free weights and machines downstairs...its not too small but its still pretty small.
Its the closest and the most convenient gym for me so I can't really switch.


But yea, I guess I see your guy's point now. I'll focus more for my next workout. Thanks.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Pick the biggest guy and whoop him! What works in prison works in the gym.

Your banning cometh soon.

 

[Fuglydude]

In my experience, most of the big dudes in the gym are pretty nice guys. I actually love working out in gyms with more powerlifter/hardcore bodybuilder types because like Epsi said its totally motivating! You'd be wise to follow his advice.

Just focus on yourself and your workout, train with high intensity, and eat eat and eat some more!

 

[SayWord?]

take your time with your workouts. dont pay them no mind

btw, them dudes might have some sugar in their tank, for eyeing you

 

[swifTy]

:rockon: good on you bro for goin down there at 15. takes balls imo espec if these guys are huge. pay them no mind and KEEP GOING. keep using the weights. keep using the space. tell them your gonna be more ripped than they are. point at their body fat. :rockon: then bolt.

 

[BringTheNoise]

I'm new here (well sort of, have been reading for a while) but I agree with the other guys. I'm not huge by any means but when I'm at the gym all of the big guys seem intimidating, but when you begin to talk to them they are usually really cool guys. Just stay focused and remember why you're there. No worries.

 

[(JJ)]

bring a baseball bat. lol :trouble:

 

[mrRuckus]

In my experience, most of the big dudes in the gym are pretty nice guys. I actually love working out in gyms with more powerlifter/hardcore bodybuilder types because like Epsi said its totally motivating! You'd be wise to follow his advice.

It's not motivating to me, but it sure makes me concentrate on form so I don't look like an idiot.

Last thing I want is for bigger guys to have the thoughts I'm having about most dudes in the gym doing weird stuff in terrible form.

Today I saw a guy doing speed biceps. I swear he had 15 lb dbs and cheated like crazy on every rep bouncing everywhere for like 50 reps. He was obviously going for as fast as he could. What the heck! It looked like he was trying to pedal a bike the way his hips were gyrating.

 

[frivolousz21]

It's not motivating to me, but it sure makes me concentrate on form so I don't look like an idiot.

Last thing I want is for bigger guys to have the thoughts I'm having about most dudes in the gym doing weird stuff in terrible form.

Today I saw a guy doing speed biceps. I swear he had 15 lb dbs and cheated like crazy on every rep bouncing everywhere for like 50 reps. He was obviously going for as fast as he could. What the heck! It looked like he was trying to pedal a bike the way his hips were gyrating.

4 years ago I was a regular at the mens health weight training forums...it was hell going to the gym watching most people lift improperly.

 

[KarmaSutra]

2 months ago I started really hitting the gym hard and the built guys would look at me, the fat guy, with impunity and contempt.

I paid them no attention at all. One jagoff was pacing around huffing and puffing and had the nerve to ask me when I'd be done with the squat rack. I slowly turned around and told him: "When I walk away from here, is when I'm done." Square in the fvcking eye. He looked like I had kicked him in his c0ck. As if I didn't have the right to talk to him that way since he was the king of the ring.

He walked away though. I never paid him another second of my time. A few days later he comes over and asks me to spot him on the incline. Out of all of the people in the gym he comes to me to spot him. It's precisely because he EARNED my attention and was gracious for it.

He and I are buddies now. Violence begets violence and proves nothing. Standing your ground and having a decisive opinion means everything.