Please Don't Get in Shape Before You Get in Shape

You ever brush your teeth before you go in for a dental cleaning?

You ever clean your hotel room before the housekeepers come?

With fitness, come as you are. If a facility has an intimidation factor, then find another one. But I have to tell you that at even the most showy places I’ve been, where everyone has makeup and spandex and is wayyy too into themselves, there is little about which to be intimidated. The fact of the matter is that those people are so into themselves that they barely notice anyone or anything else at the gym. The most judgmental you may think others are, I can tell you with the utmost confidence that they are 100 times more judgmental toward themselves, usually pathologically so.

That all said, there are such good arrays of options available that you need not let a facility dictate your start of program. Most initial exercises can be done without equipment. And when we view strength as a lifelong skill, like practicing an instrument or language or artwork, you need not get wrapped up in how advanced anyone appears to be at any point in time.
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Just work the practice. Please don’t get in shape before you get in shape.