New year, same you..but with a different mindset! You've decided to hit the gym more frequently than the-once-a-month 20 min elliptical session. You are focused! Driven. Read countless fitness blogs, binge watched Instagram fitness videos promising yourself that one day! One day, you shall conquer this gym business. You have a dream!

The only thing that shutters that dream is getting there and putting in the work. To be honest, I used to be gymtimidated. My favorite place in the gym was the stretching area after my 15-20 min treadmill session reading People magazine. I never looked at another machine. I thought people were judging me already. Those voices in my head were the worst! Uggh, just thinking about the gym had aneurysm inducing effects which I quickly avoided. However, I realized if I dispersed that loud negative meeting going on in my head. Shut the voices and stayed focused, gymtimidation was just another made up word! The gym became the boyfriend who I could just unload to, sweat, and walk out feeling like a million bucks. The biggest pay off was how amazing I looked after our frequent dates. Wink!

Here are five easy breezy ways that enabled me to muzzle the voices in my head , stay focused, schedule the frequent gym dates and  walk in the gym like a true boss. 

1. NO ONE CARES - Seriously, no one does! Everyone is busy doing their own thing. No one is focused on you. So wondering whether your visual panty line is showing or not should not get you worried. Do your squats. Go deep, go low. Ass to grass baby. Focus on your self!
2. JOIN A CLASS-  It could be Zumba, Pilates, Core... anything really. It's a great way to get you working out, shed those stubborn 10 pounds and also make great gym buddies. 
3. PLAN AHEAD - Figure out your workouts of the day. Are you doing shoulders or arms, back and biceps? If it helps jot it down. Planning will ensure you know what machines you will be using for your workouts, that way, you are not waltzing around the gym like a dancing with the stars contender. It will also save you from wasting precious time.
4. DO NOT FORGET YOUR HEADPHONES! The worst thing you can do is to forget your headphones. Playing music  you like allows you to really enjoy your workouts. You stay focused by cranking out that Konshens tune, or having Future yell things you do not comprehend in your ear. Either way, it's fun. Create a playlist with your iTunes or like me, download the mixx cloud app and listen to amazing mixes from your favorite Dj's I should probably do a post on some of my favorite mixes. Be advised, they will be dance-hall heavy. 
5. STAY POSITIVE - It's so important to remember why you are doing this in the first place. It's not for anyone else but for you. For your health, your mental state of mind, and well, to look damn good.  It does not matter what size you are, thin, thick, gymrat, heavy, et al. What matters is that you are there. You showed up. Remember everyone else pays the same monthly dues as you. They are there to work on themselves as well. Having a positive mindset before walking into the gym makes you a winner already!

Here's to owning it at the gym. Rock on!