GYM ANXIETY? GOOD. THAT MEANS YOU GIVE A DAMN.
So you walk into the gym and boom — it hits you.
Everyone’s bigger, louder, sweatier. Machines look like medieval torture racks. Some dude’s curling in the squat rack while flexing at a mirror, and you’re standing there thinking, “What the hell am I doing here?”
Good.
You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
1. ANXIETY ISN’T WEAK — IT’S A SIGN YOU CARE
You feel anxious because you want to do it right. Because this matters to you. That ain’t weakness, champ — that’s fire. The key is learning to train with it, not run from it.
2. NO ONE IS WATCHING YOU
You think people are judging your form? Your outfit? Your face? Newsflash: they’re not. Most lifters are too busy checking their own pump in the mirror to care what you’re doing. And the real ones? We respect the hustle — whether you’re benching 200 or just learning where the dumbbells are.
3. START SIMPLE, START SMALL
You don’t need to conquer the whole gym on Day One. Pick 4–5 exercises. Master your space. Bench. Squat. Row. Walk on the damn treadmill if that’s where you need to start. What matters is you start.
4. MAKE THE GYM YOUR TERRITORY
Go at off-peak hours if you need to. Bring headphones. Wear the hoodie. Build your routine. The gym isn’t a stage — it’s your forge. Own it. Day by day, set by set, it’ll start to feel like home.
5. REMEMBER: EVERY BEAST STARTED AS A BEGINNER
Every strong, confident-looking lifter you see? They were once terrified, too. Everyone has a Day One. They just didn’t quit. And neither will you.
You’re gonna feel awkward.
You’ll mess up a machine.
You might drop a dumbbell or use a barbell backwards.
WHO CARES.
You showed up. You’re doing the work. You’re becoming someone stronger than fear.
So walk through those doors, anxious or not, and do what you came to do. Reps don’t care how nervous you are — they still count.
You belong here.
– Mr. Krowbar