How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others at the Gym

Walk into any gym and it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it all figured out. Someone’s lifting heavier, running faster, or looking like they stepped straight out of a fitness advert. And there you are, wondering if your warm-up counts as a workout.

Here’s the truth: comparison is the quickest way to kill your own progress.

What you don’t see is the full story:

• The person deadlifting double your weight? They’ve been training for years.

• The runner sprinting on the treadmill? They probably couldn’t jog a kilometre when they started.

• The person with the “perfect” body? They’ve got insecurities too — they just hide them under good lighting.

How to break the comparison trap:

• Focus on your numbers — your reps, your pace, your progress.

• Keep a workout journal. Tracking your improvements is more satisfying than staring at someone else’s.

• Remember: everyone started somewhere, and most of them felt just as awkward at the beginning.

The only person you should compete with is the one you were yesterday. Because comparing yourself to others in the gym is like comparing your first driving lesson to Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 lap.