A Guide to the Gym
By Nyla Cherry
November 2, 2023
Image Credit: Photo by Samuel Girven on Unsplash
Many people are intimidated by the chaotic scene of a gym, especially if it’s their first time.
Eppley Recreation Center can be a tumultuous scene at times. It gets flooded with people and machines fill up fast. Everybody is seemingly in the zone–and some are lifting weights similar to a bodybuilder.
Cai Diggs, junior environmental science and technology major, was intimidated by Eppley because he found himself constantly looking around and comparing himself to others.
Diggs realized everyone focused on themselves and their personal goals, which helped him feel better about his workouts.
Several students who workout in Eppley felt the same way as Diggs and said having a gym partner and consistently working out increased their comfort levels.
“I had no idea what I was doing so I went with a friend,” said Morgan Pinckney, senior kinesiology major.
Experienced gym-goers said newcomers should create a routine. “Regardless of what you see around you, stick with your plan,” said Taizse Johnson, junior family science major..
Johnson also recommended newcomers eat adequate meals including protein before going to the gym.
“Don’t be self conscious, be confident,” Darius Grimes, freshman criminal justice major said.
“Everybody minds their own business,” Hannah Gidlewski, freshman economics major said.
The most consistent advice was to bring headphones because good playlists lead to good workouts, various students said.
Students offered some words of wisdom to adhere to while working out:
“Clean your racks off and put your weights back.”
“Try not to get on the machine directly next to somebody if there is another one available.”
“Don’t stare at other people.”
“Don’t judge the people around you.”
“Wear sneakers.”
“Don’t be scared to ask for help.”
“Just keep going, it gets better.”
“Try not to take too long in between sets especially if the gym is crowded. It can be frustrating to see people texting and chilling when you’re waiting to use a machine.”
Freshman psychology major, Kimberly Bucknor, followed these guidelines and now finds herself using the gym to “escape reality.” She looks around and tries to explore new things as she works out free from anxiety.
These tips helped people transition from being full of nerves to working out with ease. Now they see the gym as their home, follow these tips to make it yours too.
Eppley Recreation Center can be a tumultuous scene at times. It gets flooded with people and machines fill up fast. Everybody is seemingly in the zone–and some are lifting weights similar to a bodybuilder.
Cai Diggs, junior environmental science and technology major, was intimidated by Eppley because he found himself constantly looking around and comparing himself to others.
Diggs realized everyone focused on themselves and their personal goals, which helped him feel better about his workouts.
Several students who workout in Eppley felt the same way as Diggs and said having a gym partner and consistently working out increased their comfort levels.
“I had no idea what I was doing so I went with a friend,” said Morgan Pinckney, senior kinesiology major.
Experienced gym-goers said newcomers should create a routine. “Regardless of what you see around you, stick with your plan,” said Taizse Johnson, junior family science major..
Johnson also recommended newcomers eat adequate meals including protein before going to the gym.
“Don’t be self conscious, be confident,” Darius Grimes, freshman criminal justice major said.
“Everybody minds their own business,” Hannah Gidlewski, freshman economics major said.
The most consistent advice was to bring headphones because good playlists lead to good workouts, various students said.
Students offered some words of wisdom to adhere to while working out:
“Clean your racks off and put your weights back.”
“Try not to get on the machine directly next to somebody if there is another one available.”
“Don’t stare at other people.”
“Don’t judge the people around you.”
“Wear sneakers.”
“Don’t be scared to ask for help.”
“Just keep going, it gets better.”
“Try not to take too long in between sets especially if the gym is crowded. It can be frustrating to see people texting and chilling when you’re waiting to use a machine.”
Freshman psychology major, Kimberly Bucknor, followed these guidelines and now finds herself using the gym to “escape reality.” She looks around and tries to explore new things as she works out free from anxiety.
These tips helped people transition from being full of nerves to working out with ease. Now they see the gym as their home, follow these tips to make it yours too.