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Nervous about going to a gym

Started by Morgan, September 27, 2010, 12:04:47 PM

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Morgan

So I got a trial membership to a gym near my house, gonna take a tour of the facility tomorrow, but I'm really nervous. I'm not even sure what I'm nervous about... I mean I guess it's the possibility of my chest showing (D cup, I can't bind flat, I have to hunch a little), and maybe a bit of working out in front of other people.. I'm hoping to get a personal trainer, if I can afford it, and I'm nervous that I may have to tell them I'm trans, not female, so they don't try to make me do the wrong workouts or something.

Did any of you feel anxious about working out at a gym? I know the people there are just concentrating on their own work out, but I still feel really self-conscious.

On a side note, is it safe to bind while working out? I use an underworks binder so it has give, but I don't want to hurt myself.




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Nathan.

I used to be very self concious but after a few visits I don't care anymore, no one really pays attention to what other people are doing at the gym so I don't get self concious avout my weight, chest or scars.

My chest is large and doesn't get very flat but I deal with it and some how i've managed to pass there on both occasions people decided to talk to me (about my SI scars).

I bind while at the gym but it's over a year old and has alot of give, I wouldn't bind in my newer one. Both my binders are double fronts from underworks.
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Aegir

I just go to an all-hours gym later in the evening. Helps me ^^
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Tad

I go to the gym lots.. and I've seen a few older dudes (think like 50's) look at me funny, like they are trying to figure out exactly what I am.. however the younger guys refer to me as bro, and I've seen a few girls checking me out. I was really worried at first, that people would figure me out (more because for some exercises I'm not lifting as much as the average male.. and so I thought that might be a give away).. but no one really cares, and it turned out that alot of guys aren't really lifting all that much more or whatever... I've seen guys break sweat lifting 20 pounds at one machine.. and guys on the same machine doing 150 no problem.. so the whole. I may seem week for only hitting 70 on there when I see alot of guys doing 100 really wasn't a huge issue.
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Morgan

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I feel a bit better now that I've had a day to stew it over. Just gotta relax and concentrate on what I'm doin' while I'm there.

And Kvall, thanks, haha.. I did feel bad back when my girlfriend could lift more than me, so yeah. I do need to keep my ego in check XD I'll make sure to go at my own pace, not someone else's. (Because I AM 5'1" and underweight to boot, good guess lol!)

Cheers!




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notyouraverageguy

Quote from: Morgan on September 27, 2010, 12:04:47 PM
I'm not even sure what I'm nervous about... I mean I guess it's the possibility of my chest showing (D cup, I can't bind flat, I have to hunch a little), and maybe a bit of working out in front of other people..

I was really really nervous when I first started at a big gym. Cause there's so many ppl there. For the same reasons, passing and working out in front of others. I feel like they're watching me, but ehh.
Im really self-conscious when I go too. And I bind when I workout, but my binder hardly bothers me.
But I go to a smaller gym now, wayy better on the anxiety factor cause its wayy smaller and less ppl.
Gender expression is NOT gender identity.

Defective Catastrophe.
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kyril

On the personal trainer issue: just remember, they work for you. If you tell them what your goals are, they should be willing to help you reach them, and if they're not supportive or accepting, fire them and get another - it's that simple.

If your chest shows, your chest shows - don't let self-consciousness sabotage your workouts. The 350-pound guy sweating away on the treadmill in the corner is self-conscious too. Hell, even the ripped guy doing perfect bicep curls in the mirror is probably insecure about something (probably whether or not the other guys in the gym can tell that he's gay). They're all too self-absorbed with their own body/appearance issues to care much about yours.

In general, it's probably a good idea to out yourself to your trainer if you're not on T, because they need to know that your muscle growth will go slower and they can't increase your weights as fast. Also, your strength will develop in a different pattern - you might increase pretty quickly on leg and core strength, and even develop some pretty solid arm strength, but pullups and shoulder stuff will be a struggle for you and you'll need to start much slower than your weight and strength in other areas might suggest. But make sure they know you're trans and want to bulk up, not just "tone", so they don't keep you on the little baby weights forever.

If you are on T, the above doesn't apply. But if this is your first time training since starting T, you might want to emphasize that you want to use free weights and bodyweight exercises (as opposed to machines) as much as possible - machines aren't as good for developing the stabilizing muscles you need for your strength to be useful in real life. In fact, you might want to bring this up even if you're not on T. But it's a particularly big deal if your body is reacting as a male body, because targeted muscles will bulk up fast as hell on machines but the related groups (as well as your coordination and balance) won't keep up.


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notyouraverageguy

That's some great advice Kyril, im going to need to come back to this once I start T.
Gender expression is NOT gender identity.

Defective Catastrophe.
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Morgan

Thanks Kyril, femboy is right, that did help alot. I ended up not going that day, because eh.. I guess I was really too stressed out right then. But when I have the actual money to get a membership, I'll get one.




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Robert Scott

Well, I rejoined the gym last friday...today I plan to go & I am going to use the men's locker room.  I am done pretending to be a girl.  I think I have reached the point that I want to live my life out and open.

That being said ...it will be the first place I am going to start presenting totally as male.
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