To preface this blog post, I want to go over a conversation that happens all too often as newcomers think about going to the gym. When people go to the gym, they often suffer from a feeling of “gym-timidation”, and when a friend, colleague, or even family member asks if someone wants to go to the gym with them, the response is almost uniform:

“I’m just scared.”

According to a study done by IHSRA, or the global health and fitness association, “Even those who said they do visit a gym still feel a sense of intimidation, with 47% saying they were still uncomfortable, especially while working out next to someone extremely fit.”

With this daunting number of individuals feeling nervous about going to the gym, how are people supposed to change this epidemic and make the gym a more approachable place to newcomers?

Mike Tornabene, also known as Dom Mazzetti, has been uploading content on YouTube since 2011 where he posts as an exaggerated meathead trying to give “Bro Science” advice in order to make the gym seem as sweaty, intimidating, and over the top as a newcomer might think. As a result of his satire, Tornabene was trying to be funny and make people laugh on the internet. However, more notably, along with the popularity that he has gained on the internet people have shockingly found new motivation to go to the gym and even stating that Tornabene’s ridiculous videos made the gym seem less scary than it was before. 

In an interview with a channel called “Just Kidding News,” Tornabene comes out explaining his character and how it has affected his viewers: “It’s not real fitness advice. It’s just my character being stupid in front of a camera, and because of that and the humor that goes along with [Dom] it makes the gym more approachable to people.”

People have written to Tornabene thanking him for his videos because they have motivated viewers to start going to the gym more often. In the interview, Tornabene accounts for one viewer that wrote him a thank you letter telling him that his videos helped motivate the individual to lose over 100 pounds.

The strange sense of reverse psychology is almost perfected by the character of Dom Mazzetti. The viewers know that Tornabene’s character is supposed to be an extreme exaggeration, and because the most fit and active guy in the gym is willing to make mistakes, take risks, and embarrass himself in a public commercial gym, it makes the viewers realize that the gym isn’t there to “get them” or a place to be intimidated.

Throughout Tornabene’s character of Dom Mazzetti, Tornabene has taken a different angle on weightlifting that makes the gym more approachable and motivates people to become the best version of themselves. Although Tornabene’s character is supported by weightlifting, his character notions towards the general statement of doing the things that might be scary but might be rewarding in the end. Tornabene shows humanity in something that seems intimidating, and whether it be through lifting, or applying for an internship, or even going to a social event, Bro Science shows the importance of acknowledging the humanity of not just oneself, but those around us.

Throughout his journey on youtube, Tornabene’s character and YouTube channel called BroScienceLife has amassed over 2.5 million subscribers, and he will continue to motivate people to achieve greatness throughout his satirical videos that seem to make the gym just a little less intimidating.

Throughout the first semester at PSU, there has been a new emergence of an influencer that is taking TikTok and social media by storm. Brad Kraut, a senior at Penn State, is taking a new approach to motivating others on the internet. He doesn’t do crazy feats, or show off his strength and motivate people to go to the gym throughout his own figure. Instead, he motivates his audience by telling them to “Kick the Sheets” and win the day.

The positivity that is spread from Kraut is a breath of fresh air compared to influencers in the past. Social media bodybuilders like Bradley Martin often try to motivate their audience through posting workout content and imploring their audience to do the same and go to the gym. Kraut, on the other hand, posts videos of him waking up at 5 in the morning, kicking the sheets off his bed, and doing jumping jacks in front of a camera while blaring music.

The new approach to motivation seems hilarious and stupid, which is why it works.

Students both at Penn State as well as across the country then get motivated to try the “kick the sheets” technique, and once they try it and get along with their day, they might find new motivation that they might not have found before trying Kraut’s method of starting the day.

Another way that Kraut has positively influenced college students is through the idea of becoming an “Academic Weapon”. This term coined by Kraut was made popular after he posted a video about him sitting in the front row of a 700 person lecture hall.

As students watch Kraut’s content of positivity and encouragement, it almost feels as though waking up early and going to class is considered “cool” again, and as a result Kraut is spreading a positive influence to his viewers by encouraging students to do the things that people often don’t want to do. It is often incredibly easy to skip class, sleep in late, and live every day with a “survival” mentality instead of a mentality that makes an individual feel like they are winning each day that they are on this planet.

With new positivity along with a new resurgence of going to class, working out, and waking up early with new lingo like “academic weapon”, learning and motivation seem fun again. Too often are influencers employing the same facade to their viewers as they say things like “look at me”, and “if you work hard enough, maybe you will become popular just like me!” Although this seems encouraging at face value, people often watch this content and feel discouraged. How am I, a 5’9 145 lb college student, supposed to become a 6’2 200 lb weightlifting machine? It’s just not realistic.

One thing that makes Kraut stand out from the rest is his acknowledgement that he is human just like the rest of us. He doesn’t brag on social media. Instead, he posts videos of him interviewing students on campus and congratulating them for waking up early and going to class. He sells flags that say “kick the sheets” in order for students to put his flags into their dorm room to have a constant motivation to win the day. Kraut’s angle towards motivation is new and fresh, and above all else it is surprisingly the motivation that college students needed the most.