Skip to content
WarriorBabe
Apply now

Answered in 7 episodes

How do I get over gym anxiety?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Start by remembering that almost nobody is watching you. Nikkiey says most of the judgment lives in your own head. Then make it easier on yourself: learn the exercises on YouTube before you go, wear a hat as blinders, start small in a quiet corner, and walk into the weight room anyway, even scared.

Hear it from the show

Tap play to start right where it's answered. It keeps playing while you browse.

  1. Nikkiey on why nobody is watching you as much as you think at the gym

    Plays from 10:44 · Ep. 348: How to Stop Fearing Judgment at the Gym After 40

  2. Nikkiey's night-before YouTube routine for walking in knowing the exercises

    Plays from 17:36 · Ep. 72: How to Track Macros and Beat Gym Anxiety as a Beginner

  3. Alicia Erickson on getting a front desk tour and starting in the back room

    Plays from 22:38 · Ep. 300: Lifting, Under-Eating and Perimenopause: Truths After 40

  4. Nikkiey on hiding on cardio until she finally walked into the weight room

    Plays from 16:50 · Ep. 48: How Strength Training Builds Confidence After a Breakup

  5. Nikkiey on the hat, YouTube prep and remembering her why

    Plays from 29:44 · Ep. 156: What Are Macros and Why Do They Matter for Fat Loss?

The full answer

Nikkiey has been exactly where you are. On Ep. 48 she describes sticking to the cardio machines for a decent amount of time because she was too scared to walk into the weight room. Then she decided she was not someone who was scared, and that weights were what would change her body composition. On Ep. 348 she explains that women are socialized not to take up space, so that prickle of self-consciousness makes sense. But she promises that everyone in the gym is far more focused on their own workout, body and insecurities than on you.

What actually helped, according to the show:

  • Study your plan ahead of time. On Ep. 72, Nikkiey says she looked up every exercise on YouTube the night before, or in her car or the locker room, and that knowing the moves was about 50% of feeling secure.
  • Wear a hat. Her Nike hat worked like blinders so she could not see the people around her.
  • Ask for a tour. On Ep. 221 and Ep. 300, Alicia Erickson asked a front desk staffer to show her where everything was, started in the back room with barbells and dumbbells, then branched out to cables and machines. She also mentions hiring a personal trainer to get familiar with the gym.
  • Remember your why. On Ep. 156, Nikkiey says knowing cardio alone was not going to get her to her goal, plus some positive self-talk, pushed her through the door.

The last piece is not overthinking it. On Ep. 48, Nikkiey says fear ruminates, and the longer you think about how scary something is, the more energy you waste. Confidence is a skill you build through action. Alicia adds that anything you start is hard at the beginning, and pretty soon people will know your name. Feeling nervous is not a flaw in you. It is what starting something new feels like.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Strength Training for Women

    Will lifting weights make me bulky?

    No. Nikkiey explains that building significant muscle as a woman takes years of intentional, progressive heavy training plus eating in a calorie surplus. It does not happen from lifting three days a week. What you get instead is a leaner, more defined, stronger body that is more metabolically efficient.

    Read the answer →

  • Strength Training for Women

    How often should women in menopause lift weights?

    Two to four sessions a week, depending on who you ask on The WarriorBabe Show. Esther Blum and Dr. Stacy Sims put the minimum at two full-body sessions, with three to build more muscle and bone. Nikkiey suggests about four, or three, up to an hour each. Everyone agrees: not every day, because recovery builds muscle.

    Read the answer →

  • Strength Training for Women

    How should a beginner start strength training after 40?

    Start small and start now. Nikkiey says you don't need to go full bore in week one: get to the gym twice a week or buy dumbbells for home, then train about three times a week doing 8 to 15 reps, with the last three reps challenging and proper form. A plan or coach helps.

    Read the answer →

Watch the full episodes

More episodes →

Free Body
Transformation Assessment

Apply now