anxious feeling and squat descents

[Bizarro]

I have two non-related questions but thought instead of making two seperate topics to just put them in one.

1. Is it just me, or is it normal to feel anxious and nervous before going lifting? If I think about it, as in a few hours before I lift, and especially if it's something like squats, I get a nervous feeling that I hate. Is this normal or is there something I can do about it??

2. Now when I'm squatting, I feel shaky when I am squatting down. Does anyone know what this is about? It happens if I am doing around 5 reps or more as well. Also it kind of has an urge to prevent me from going down as far as I want to.
ok thanks for any replies

 

[Brendon Katz]

sounds like u need a pyschologist. r u literally shakin on the squats? thats stabiliser muscles and technique.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Do you train at a gym? I may be stepping out on a limb here but if you train at a gym you might be suffering from Social anxiety disorder.

 

[Bizarro]

It's not as serious as you guys might think, but I get a little nervous. And yes I train at a gym. So it's weird? lol

 

[Henry Swanson]

It's not as serious as you guys might think, but I get a little nervous. And yes I train at a gym. So it's weird? lol

You might just be a little anxious because your anticipating a tough workout. Personally, I had anxiety issues in highschool where I would become overly anxious/nervous in social settings. The gym was one of the worst places for me to go because I felt like everyone was watching me lift.

 

[Bizarro]

Do you train at a gym? I may be stepping out on a limb here but if you train at a gym you might be suffering from Social anxiety disorder.

now that I think about it, I think something is wrong with me. I remember when I would be out of the gym for about a month or so, and then it would be hard for me to convince myself to go back. Like I felt uncomfortable about going or something.

 

[Bizarro]

You might just be a little anxious because your anticipating a tough workout. Personally, I had anxiety issues in highschool where I would become overly anxious/nervous in social settings. The gym was one of the worst places for me to go because I felt like everyone was watching me lift.

again, what's a little strange about that is that I usually tend to favor working out at night when there is less people there.

 

[Henry Swanson]

now that I think about it, I think something is wrong with me. I remember when I would be out of the gym for about a month or so, and then it would be hard for me to convince myself to go back. Like I felt uncomfortable about going or something.

That's how I felt, I started to dread leaving my house. I went to therapy and even took medication for awhile but I sort of let it brew for a long time. I eventually worked through it but it has manifested itself in different forms during different times in my life.

I'm not sure about your views on psychology/psychiatry so I'm not gonna push any advice on you.

 

[Barut]

Lifting is the highlight of my day. If you're feeling anxious, you should take Sonny's advice. Get some help man.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Definitely, trust your gut instinct. If you feel like something is wrong it's best to talk to someone sooner rather than later. Seriously, my life would be a lot different had I spoken up as a kid rather than waiting as long as I did.

 

[Bizarro]

That's how I felt, I started to dread leaving my house. I went to therapy and even took medication for awhile but I sort of let it brew for a long time. I eventually worked through it but it has manifested itself in different forms during different times in my life.

I'm not sure about your views on psychology/psychiatry so I'm not gonna push any advice on you.

Any advice you have would be appreciated. I realize that maybe it is ok to feel abit nervous if your going for some squat PR later in the day or something, but I do not thing what I go through is normal. Like other people would go work out for a day and would not think much of it, but for me, it starts to run in my head alot of when Im going to go, what Im going to do, etc.

 

[HULKAMANIA]

When I first started lifting in a gym, I remember being nervous about it. I didn't want to fuck up in front of everyone or miss a big lift and look like an idiot. I think that's pretty natural. You just have to remind yourself that it's not that big of a deal in the end.

I sometimes get scared when I am throwing around heavy weight, too. If I am going for a squat or deadlift max, I sometimes worry about breaking myself, you know? I know that Carnal talked about that nagging, back-of-your-head fear in his treatise. He just said it's something that you have to abolish over time.

I still have to make a conscious effort to focus on myself and not worry about people watching me in the gym; it gets easier with time. I'm still fighting the mental battle between me and the iron, too, and every time I win I get a little more confident, a little more mentally tough. I don't think there's anything wrong with these worries. I just think they're something that will make you grow into a better lifter; they're something you have to deal with and mature out of. Try fighting back for a few months; try channeling that anxiety into something a little more useful like anger or defiance. I would give that a shot long before I went into therapy about it (then again I am broke). Lifting is a mental game that you have to learn how to win.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Any advice you have would be appreciated. I realize that maybe it is ok to feel abit nervous if your going for some squat PR later in the day or something, but I do not thing what I go through is normal. Like other people would go work out for a day and would not think much of it, but for me, it starts to run in my head alot of when Im going to go, what Im going to do, etc.

Ok, well I would first go see your doctor and tell him the problem and how you've been feeling. He'll probably ask you some questions as well. You should ask for a referral to see a psychologist/phychiatrist. Medication worked to a certain extent for me but in the end I benefitted far more from cognitive/behavioural therapy, be weary of ANY doctor who tries to PUSH a bunch of different medications on you.

The important thing is to remember that this kind of thing is actually pretty common and that there's nothing weird about it. Be honest with your family and friends but don't let them influence your decisions, only YOU know how YOU feel.

 

[Henry Swanson]

My advice is based on the assumption that you DO FEEL there is something wrong with your thinking.

 

[HULKAMANIA]

Yeah, Sonny is right. I don't want to seem like I'm against seeking professional help. I just wanted to make sure that you know that nervousness about the gym and big lifts isn't some strange phenomenon which only you are experiencing.

If you think you have an unreasonable amount of anxiety (like if it is interfering with your ability to function normally) you might want to seek counseling.

And, any way you slice it, a short chat with your doctor won't hurt (unless you don't have the money, of course).

 

[Bizarro]

Hulkamania - thanks for the advice, but this has been going on for like, a year. I never really thought much about it until now when I realized others don't really go through this as much.

and Sonny, I think I will finally go see a doctor about this. This not only relates to the gym, but other parts of my social life as well.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Yeah, Sonny is right. I don't want to seem like I'm against seeking professional help. I just wanted to make sure that you know that nervousness about the gym and big lifts isn't some strange phenomenon which only you are experiencing.

That's an important point, sometimes it's natural to feel a certain amount of anxiety, we'd all be dead without it.

Some people feel that mental health problems are taboo so I'm slow to offer advice as these people don't want any of it. I respect their decision though.

 

[noahfor]

I would recommend NOT taking any medication unless it is a last resort in a serious situation. I feel like being put on medication was like opening pandora's box as far as my mental health is concerned.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I would recommend NOT taking any medication unless it is a last resort in a serious situation. I feel like being put on medication was like opening pandora's box as far as my mental health is concerned.

I took an SSRI for awhile and it seemed alright at first but I opted to stop taking it because of it's sexual side effects. The worst med I took was remeron which was VERY sedating, I was sleeping 12-14 hours at a time.

 

[Zeirhk]

I dropped out of high school this semester, and I don't ever want to come back.

Should I get therapy ?