As I am a member of various Facebook workout groups and a strong community of fitness lovers on Twitter, I read a lot of comments that are a cry for moral support. There’s this ever-struggling debate between yourself and others. Who do you trust- your own opinion or others? Do you ask them for advice on how to eat right and how to look a certain way but not trust them when they give you corrections on your form and workout ethics? Are you offended when people correct you in the gym and try to show you the “correct” way to do an exercise? Honestly, for a long time, I struggled in this area. I would walk in the gym thinking I looked the part and I felt like I really knew what I was doing…but then somebody would walk up to me and say “can I show you how to do this more effectively?” They would then proceed to take my weights away and show me the “proper” form. How do you deal with this? Are you he kind of person to march off, annoyed and frustrated that somebody had the gall to correct you…or would you humbly say thank you- I really appreciate the help. It’s not about being perfect. Nobody is perfect at anything. When I started out, I needed that help. I needed somebody to show me the correct way to do a deadlift or a squat, because if they hadn’t I might have injured myself or I could STILL be doing bad form to this day. Heck, now I’m marching up to people and saying “hey will you watch me do this and tell me if it looks right?!” If I’ve learned one thing from my journey to better my body, it’s that you need to stay humble. You may have a rocking body and perfect form but you weren’t always like that. Somebody had to teach you those things. And now it’s your turn to teach somebody else.

Another thing I’d like to talk about is stepping out of your comfort zone. A huge part of getting in shape is walking into the gym. That first step can make ALL the difference. It shows you have courage. It proves you are humble. It means you know you have work to do and you’re there to get that work done. Whether you are overweight, skinny-fat, muscle-less, or already beefed up, there is nothing shameful about going to the gym and giving it all you’ve got. I hear so many girls say they’re too intimidated to go into the weight room with the boys and that’s why they hang around all the cardio machines. Well guess what- the magic happens OUTSIDE of your comfort zone! Don’t be afraid to pick up a weight and try to work something out. Don’t be offended if somebody tried to correct you. That’s the beautiful thing about people who are into fitness- they want to help others. Nobody is “ahead” or “above” anybody in the weight room. EVERYBODY has room for improvement. There’s no one goal, that’s why people are in there day after day after day. There’s always room to grow..room to improve…and room to better yourself. Inside and out.