Why We Don’t Fake it
There’s a lot of pressure in the fitness world to look like you’ve already made it.
To walk into the gym confident, composed, and polished. To move like you know exactly what you’re doing. To make it seem like effort is easy.
But here’s the truth: most people start somewhere far from that.
And if that’s where you are—you’re not behind. You’re exactly where you need to be.
The Problem with “Fake It Till You Make It”
“Fake it till you make it” might work in boardrooms (though not something I’d recommend). In the gym? It usually just leads to burnout or injury.
Trying to look strong before you’ve built strength…
Trying to appear like you know what you’re doing when no one’s ever coached you…
It creates more anxiety, not more progress.
And that pressure? That pressure breaks people. It stops them from asking for help. It keeps them out of spaces where they belong. It convinces them that unless they move like an athlete on day one, they’re failing.
We reject that.
Real Strength Starts with Showing Up
At Timber & Steel, we don’t expect you to come in knowing how to back squat, snatch, or swing a kettlebell.
We expect you to come in ready to learn.
Some days you’ll feel strong. Some days you won’t. Some weeks you’ll hit every session. Some weeks you’ll struggle to make it through the door.
That’s real life, and that’s real training.
The point isn’t to “look the part.” It’s to show up, just as you are, and give what you can. Because that’s how strength is built, through honest effort, not polished performance.
What Progress Actually Looks Like
Progress doesn’t always mean hitting a PR or mastering a new skill.
Sometimes it means:
Coming in even when you’re tired
Lifting with better form than last week
Scaling a movement and not feeling ashamed
Taking rest seriously
Asking a question you’ve been too afraid to ask
Growth happens in those moments—quiet, imperfect, gritty. The ones no one’s putting on Instagram. But the ones that matter most.
You Don’t Have to Pretend Here
You don’t need to be the fittest person in the room to belong here. You just need to show up with a willingness to try.
We’ll take it from there.
We’ll teach you how to move well. We’ll help you train with purpose. We’ll challenge you to push harder, but only when you’re ready. Because training is about more than just muscle—it’s about becoming someone who doesn’t give up.
And that starts with choosing effort over ego.
