Bob has spent years saying he’ll get fit.

Next Monday. Next month. When work settles down. When life gets easier.

Eventually, he runs out of excuses and walks through the doors of Iron Temple Fitness - where he immediately discovers that joining a gym and knowing what to do once you get there are two completely different things.

Welcome to Muscle Mayhem: A Hilarious Fitness Adventure.

Bob’s good intentions collide with intimidating equipment, bench-press disasters, treadmill panic, questionable protein shakes, leg-day regret and a collection of larger-than-life gym personalities who seem far more comfortable in this strange world than he is.

But beneath all the chaos and comedy is something more familiar.

Muscle Mayhem is about what it feels like to be the beginner. To compare yourself with everyone around you. To feel awkward, self-conscious and completely out of place - and still find the courage to come back.

It explores confidence, body image, friendship, belonging, resilience and the idea that progress doesn’t have to look perfect. Sometimes the biggest achievement is simply showing up again.

Written by Melbourne-based Greek-Australian author Dimitris James Iordanidis, Muscle Mayhem is a short, fast-paced Australian comedy for gym regulars, nervous beginners and anyone who has ever promised themselves they were definitely going to “start Monday”.

It’s not a fitness manual. It’s not a perfect transformation story.

It’s Bob.

And every gym has one.

Sometimes it’s you.