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"I worried everyone would be looking at me"
Ignacio discovered that being nervous to start was the exact reason he needed to
Walking into a gym for the first time can feel intimidating.
You wonder if everyone else knows what they're doing.
You compare yourself to people who have been training for years and question whether you belong there.
It's a feeling many people experience before they start a new fitness journey.
Including Ignacio.
Today, Ignacio has trained consistently at ATTIKA for over a year. He's become stronger, built muscle, and gained confidence in himself. But like so many people, that's not where his journey began.
Why Ignacio started
When Ignacio first joined ATTIKA, he told us that he was struggling with his confidence.
He told us he had never felt very comfortable in his body and that then translated to disliking himself.
While his initial goals were to build muscle and become stronger. Behind all of that, his main goal was to build self-confidence.
Like many people starting strength training, he knew where he wanted to get to.
He just wasn't convinced that he belonged in the gym… yet.
The fear all beginners go through
Although Ignacio had clear goals, he also had the same worries that many first-time gym-goers experience.
He didn't feel confident in how he moved his body.
He was worried about training in a gym where people could be watching him or judging him.
Looking back now, he realises those fears are far more common than we think.
In his own words:
"Feeling unsure is totally normal. I think everyone feels that way before they start training (even the people who now look confident or strong). We all start from the same place."
What he actually found
Like many members at ATTIKA, Ignacio expected strength training to change his body.
What surprised him most was how much it also changed his mind.
When asked what had changed the most since joining, his answer was this:
Confidence.
Not just for the way he looked, but because every workout became proof that he was capable of more than he believed.
"Most times I have an inner saboteur that tells me, 'You can't do this.' But actually I can, and I beat this inner saboteur.
The power of the mind during working out is crazy. I thought it was more about being physically strong, but the mind plays a big role as well."
Each session became another opportunity to challenge that voice.
One more rep. A slightly heavier weight. Another moment he proved that his mind had underestimated what his body could do.
That, more than the physical changes, became the source of his confidence.
What his coach saw
Ignacio´s Coach, Emily, reflects on his one-year journey.
"When Ignacio first started, he needed much more encouragement during sessions. He wasn't always convinced he could do it when it got hard. Now, he just gets on with it. He walks into the gym with confidence. He knows what he's there to do, and he knows he can do it.”
“And through it all, he's kept an incredible sense of humour. Every session is full of laughs, which has made it a real pleasure."
For Ignacio, strength wasn't just built through lifting weights.
It was built through repeatedly proving to himself that he could do hard things.
More than just training
Another part of Ignacio's journey has been the people around him.
His boyfriend has kept him motivated on the days when he didn't feel like training.
The ATTIKA Coaches encourage him when he walks through the door.
And his Client-Trainer relationship with Emily has grown into a meaningful friendship.
The gym has stopped feeling like a place he had to overcome.
But a place filled with encouragement, banter, and recognition of people on their own journeys.
Ignacio's advice
If Ignacio could speak to someone standing exactly where he once stood, this is what he'd say:
"Don't feel embarrassed if you can't lift a lot of weight or do a lot of reps. Nobody starts at the top. The first few months are all about building consistency, and the strength will come with time.
Focus on learning proper technique before trying to lift heavy.
And most importantly, don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 10. Focus on your own progress, celebrate every win, and be proud of every step forward."
So what can we learn from Ignacio´s story?
Many people believe confidence comes before they start.
That one day they'll feel ready enough, fit enough or confident enough to walk into a gym.
Ignacio's story shows the opposite.
Confidence wasn't what got him started.
Showing up despite feeling unsure did.
And being capable has brought him far more confidence than appearances ever could.
Walking into a gym for the first time can feel intimidating.
You wonder if everyone else knows what they're doing.
You compare yourself to people who have been training for years and question whether you belong there.
It's a feeling many people experience before they start a new fitness journey.
Including Ignacio.
Today, Ignacio has trained consistently at ATTIKA for over a year. He's become stronger, built muscle, and gained confidence in himself. But like so many people, that's not where his journey began.
Why Ignacio started
When Ignacio first joined ATTIKA, he told us that he was struggling with his confidence.
He told us he had never felt very comfortable in his body and that then translated to disliking himself.
While his initial goals were to build muscle and become stronger. Behind all of that, his main goal was to build self-confidence.
Like many people starting strength training, he knew where he wanted to get to.
He just wasn't convinced that he belonged in the gym… yet.
The fear all beginners go through
Although Ignacio had clear goals, he also had the same worries that many first-time gym-goers experience.
He didn't feel confident in how he moved his body.
He was worried about training in a gym where people could be watching him or judging him.
Looking back now, he realises those fears are far more common than we think.
In his own words:
"Feeling unsure is totally normal. I think everyone feels that way before they start training (even the people who now look confident or strong). We all start from the same place."
What he actually found
Like many members at ATTIKA, Ignacio expected strength training to change his body.
What surprised him most was how much it also changed his mind.
When asked what had changed the most since joining, his answer was this:
Confidence.
Not just for the way he looked, but because every workout became proof that he was capable of more than he believed.
"Most times I have an inner saboteur that tells me, 'You can't do this.' But actually I can, and I beat this inner saboteur.
The power of the mind during working out is crazy. I thought it was more about being physically strong, but the mind plays a big role as well."
Each session became another opportunity to challenge that voice.
One more rep. A slightly heavier weight. Another moment he proved that his mind had underestimated what his body could do.
That, more than the physical changes, became the source of his confidence.
What his coach saw
Ignacio´s Coach, Emily, reflects on his one-year journey.
"When Ignacio first started, he needed much more encouragement during sessions. He wasn't always convinced he could do it when it got hard. Now, he just gets on with it. He walks into the gym with confidence. He knows what he's there to do, and he knows he can do it.”
“And through it all, he's kept an incredible sense of humour. Every session is full of laughs, which has made it a real pleasure."
For Ignacio, strength wasn't just built through lifting weights.
It was built through repeatedly proving to himself that he could do hard things.
More than just training
Another part of Ignacio's journey has been the people around him.
His boyfriend has kept him motivated on the days when he didn't feel like training.
The ATTIKA Coaches encourage him when he walks through the door.
And his Client-Trainer relationship with Emily has grown into a meaningful friendship.
The gym has stopped feeling like a place he had to overcome.
But a place filled with encouragement, banter, and recognition of people on their own journeys.
Ignacio's advice
If Ignacio could speak to someone standing exactly where he once stood, this is what he'd say:
"Don't feel embarrassed if you can't lift a lot of weight or do a lot of reps. Nobody starts at the top. The first few months are all about building consistency, and the strength will come with time.
Focus on learning proper technique before trying to lift heavy.
And most importantly, don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 10. Focus on your own progress, celebrate every win, and be proud of every step forward."
So what can we learn from Ignacio´s story?
Many people believe confidence comes before they start.
That one day they'll feel ready enough, fit enough or confident enough to walk into a gym.
Ignacio's story shows the opposite.
Confidence wasn't what got him started.
Showing up despite feeling unsure did.
And being capable has brought him far more confidence than appearances ever could.
