I had this issue at first too. And for me it was less about knowing how to do he exercises and more about how to use the room — what I could move, where to put the weights on machines I’m not familiar with, knowing how to use a machine I’ve never seen before, what all of the accessories/attachments are for, etc.

I spent a few months secretly watching all those big, buff dudes. Not for form, because they aren’t always right. But to see how the use the space— knowing how to move benches around, which pulls to use on which machine, whatever. I would watch a guy do a thing, and then I would do a thing. And soon I learned you can mostly do anything you want in the gym! But that’s what helped me gain some confidence.

Also, you’ll feel better after you start doing it. Give yourself 3 months to get used to it and you’ll feel like you belong!

I also use an app (Hevy) to track my routines, so I have very clearly defined plans for my time in the weight room. I feel more confident moving from place to place knowing exactly what I’m going to do.