Feeling Intimidated

I recently started going to a different gym. My job requires me to move around a bit so I’m very grateful for NYSC and the passport membership. I love this gym because it’s new, fairly large and has a pool that is always empty. Yesterday, my workout consisted of a 15 min run = 1.5 miles (going easy on the knee and still having pain at the 15 min mark ughhh), 15 min stretching session, 30 mins lifting and 30 mins swimming. During my lifting session, I felt intimidated. The male to female ratio in the weights section was about 10:1. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating but it felt like that. Why do I feel intimidated? I guess I feel like they are all looking at me like “what is this girl doing here” and I don’t like that feeling. I tried to zone out the feeling because I did not want it to affect my workout. Well I was not very good at it. Whenever I hit the gym, I always attempt to do a couple of chin ups. I know the only way I will be able to do more is by practicing. Yesterday, I dilly dallied around the weights section until I finally got the courage to go over to the chin up bar. It’s not that I was afraid of the chin ups; I was afraid of all the meatheads looking at me. I picked the bar that was in the back of the gym so no one could really see me. I pulled myself up three times and then I was done. (Yes I can only do three chin ups, which isn’t much but a couple of months ago I could barely do one on my own. I’m trying to get to four.) I walked back to the locker room, put on my swimsuit and hit the pool. I love the pool because it really helps to clear my head. When I’m in the water and my ears are submerged, all I can hear is my breathing. It’s wonderful. As I was swimming, I thought about my moment in the weight room and laughed to myself. I am so silly sometimes. I shouldn’t be intimidated. I shouldn’t care if they all looked at me and laughed at my 3 chin ups or little weights. I should be proud. Most people can’t even do one chin up. I found myself laughing more about the incident today when discussing it with a friend and how ridiculous it was that it took me a while to get myself to the chin up bar. It’s funny how I think when I’m at the gym. I wonder what guys actually think about. Do they get intimidated when surrounded by a bunch of women on treadmills or ellipticals? What about those few guys who take the Total Body Conditioning class and have to shake their hips with a classroom full of girls? (PS: I always find this hilarious and have to hold myself back from busting out laughing. I know I know it’s mean but come on, it’s funny).