A common gym problem

B

Blue58

0
Well,
Im 5'9 160 and I would like to start adding some upper body bulk to go with my leg muscles. The problem is, I am very weak above the waist. I have no arm bulk to speak of and almost no chest. I would like to lift in my gym after my cardio, but I cant even step foot into the weight room. Its a testerone factory and those guys are benching 225,250, etc and what am I gonna do.. go in there and bench 90? I'd get laughed out of the room. Whats the best way to add a little bulk without having to endure that?

Thanks
 
let them laugh.. i know you're gonna say that i don't understand, but i do. i was tiny, i was 5'8 130-140.. and i got laughed at, but i just put up with it. you're bettering youself, no one else matters @ that point.
 
Blue58, I'm in a similar situation. I'm 145lb. and 5'7, when I go to bench, I'm only pushing up 135 or so. Don't worry about the other people in the gym, fat, skinny, buff, all people belong in the gym. You can't knock someone for trying to better themselves. Egos don't belong in the gym. Don't get discouraged.

-Mark.
 
The only dudes that will laugh are the insecure ones. When i started lifting in the testosterone factory free weight section, I was a stick benching well under 100. Most people dont look twice, and the ones that do are probably just remenising back to when they first started. On top of that, if you show up a consistantly and work hard, you will earn your respect pretty fast. Keep in mind that most people, not quite everyone, but most started weak, have weak friends, and would love to help u out and give their advice if you ask.
 
Mithamo said:
On top of that, if you show up a consistantly and work hard, you will earn your respect pretty fast. Keep in mind that most people, not quite everyone, but most started weak, have weak friends, and would love to help u out and give their advice if you ask.
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Very true. At my old gym, I was the only girl ever in the free weights section and I could tell the boys thought I wasn't serious. After a few weeks, though, and them seeing what I could do, they definitely had a different opinion.

And yes, most people in the free weights section would be more than happy to help and give advice -
aawww... one time there was the cutest old lady who asked me to show her how to use the leg press. I don't use any of the machines, so I couldn't show her properly and I had to ask one of the boys to show her - more than happy to do so, he was.
 
people laughed at you guys? that's messed up. when I was tiny (5'10'', 175 lbs), the huge guys ignored me. honestly, all those guys are just going to be too busy concentrating on their own work. dont worry, and pump hard! they wont notice and you and therefore wont bother you. soon you'll be huge like them =D

Then... they will challenge you in battle.
 
When I was younger and went to the gym on campus, the big dudes were great - they'd really encourage me to keep pushing the weight - there was no me against them sort of thing.

Make sure that's not your context that you're bringing to the gym.
 
MCarley - you hit the nail right on the hammer. now go do some hammer curls LOL

come2me - i consider that tiny because I'm now 5'10''-5'11'' and 205. Also, the only people I considered "huge" are the guys like schwarzenegger, stallone, vin diesel, batista (wwe) etc... it depends on what your goals are.
 
Yeah, I'm going to reaffirm what everyone has pretty much said: once you show that you're not dicking around, you feel more comfortable in the freeweight area. I don't know if it's because people actually respect you more, or if it's just because you feel more comfortable, but that's how it is.

I was never small - I was more of a fatty when I started lifting there (5'8", 250 lbs), but man - nothing gives you more confidence than doing flys and military presses in front of those big mirrors with the freeweights.

Your muscles explode.
 
whenever i visit my parents down in texas, i will usually go up to the local ymca to workout. when i was down there for winter break, which is about 3 weeks long, i went about 4 times a week.

anyway, whenever i was there, there was this smaller guy, maybe 17 years old, always working out the same time i did. he wasnt real strong, but man, whenever i saw him in the gym, he was giving 110%. he may not have been moving a lot of weight, but he was putting everything into it. as a guy who has been going to the gym for a few years, i have a lot of respect for this guy. hes a newbie, but hes more dedicated than a lot of guys who are bigger and stronger than he is. he leaves his ego at the door, goes in and works out for the right reasons. thats what its all about.
 
like i said before...

at the gym, no one is going to notice you, and no one would go out of his / her way to bother someone.

shinra, when i was about that size, i thought i was big. its all relative. and besides, anyone who is 5'10-11'' isnt tiny, just because of their height. they will either be skinny, built, or fat. well, variations of those of course.

blue, hope you're having a good time at the gym, gain' muscles, and making spotter friends at the gym.
 
Ive never seen somone laugh at somone else before. ive meet a guy who sounds just like you. he couldn't lift the bar 10 times and he was expecting me to laugh at him or somthing, but I just told him, you know everyone thats 100% of the world starts some where. remeber your doing this for yourself and most people will respect you for putting effort into your health and keeping with it rather than just staring in the window. so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
All very well said!

Most people at the gym are on a voyage of self-improvement, and we respect other people who want to put the effort in to evolve.

Keep at it, its a personal thing for everyone.
 
if they laugh they laugh, your their to build on you, not in impress anyone right. Trust me i get plenty of looks when i go and bench only the bar.
 
If they are busy watching you instead of following their own program you'll probably pass them in no time anyways. I honestly don't notice what anybody else is lifting unless they ask me to spot or for help with form.
 
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