The Number 1 Reason Why You Should Stop Listening To Fitness Influencer`s Advice.
Do This Instead.
Last week I was watching a Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon, the former boss of World Wrestling Entertainment.
He`s the brain behind the multi-billion dollar business.
A few minutes into the documentary I saw similarities between the staged performances of the larger-than-life personas in the ring and present days fitness influencers.
But before I come to that, follow me to the year 1994, when I was 12 years old.
I was on the height of my love for wrestling.
After weeks of persuasion, my dad gave in.
Christmas was around the corner, so what better way to start the peaceful time of the year than to attend a live wrestling event.
Christmas Brawl - the name of the event. Together with a good friend, we would laugh about the title years after.
My dad hated wrestling, so hats off to him for dragging himself to this unpleasant event.
Whenever he entered the living room and I was glued to the TV while the Undertaker performed his finishing move, the tombstone, (who remembers?) he mumbled something along the lines of "Ooh, Not this shit again".
He also never got tired of convincing me that wrestling is fake.
After a while, I stopped caring what my dad thought about these allegedly dumb wrestlers and fans.
What I didn`t stop caring about were the characters, the storytelling, the incredible physiques.
"What does it feel like to be in incredible shape?" - that became a recurring thought.
At the time I was 12 years old - not ideal to build muscle, let alone try.
It wasn't until years later when I read Bret the Hitman Hard`s autobiography that I came to realize that the price wrestlers pay is heavy.
Many former wrestlers die an early death.
Why?
Behind the canvas of the brightly lit arenas are personas who use PEDS to get in insane shape, swallow painkillers to deal with the constant bruises, cocaine to keep up with the crazy schedule, and abuse alcohol to calm down from the almost daily matches.
2024: Fitness influencers have stepped into the much bigger arena of social media, portraying a 24/7 fitness lifestyle.
Some of their bodies are even more impressive.
Their physical abuse might not be that extreme, but the year-round "photoshoot-ready bodies" they market are often built on steroids.
Muscular development and leanness are beyond what is realistic to build for the average gym person.
If we zoom out, here`s the most evident similarity between wrestlers and fitness influencers:
They entertain, but don`t educate.
Any person who has an above-average body can open an Instagram account and pretend he/she is an expert. If you have the physique, people will follow.
With more followers coming along, this creates the perfect illusion.
Supplements that get you to your dream body fast.
Before and after photos are immediately attention-grabbing.
The perfect lifestyle is full of fun, happiness, and health.
The not-so-obvious thing: Likes, comments, and shares over long-term health strategies.
I`m no stranger to that: The person having the body of my dreams gets my attention. At worst, this can turn into wasted money and time without lasting effects.
Remember, 80-95% of all weight-loss attempts fail in the long run.
It freaks me out to see people sign up for standardized programs with no interaction.
I get wrinkles from people buying fancy gear and supplements without a proper exercise routine in place.
The biggest obstacle between your health goals and a fitness influencer: There is no interaction.
No interaction = no personalization.
No personalization = no sustainable results.
How could a fitness influencer with thousands of followers deliver individualized programs - impossible!
This leads to frustration, confusion, and mistrust.
What should I do?
Who can I trust?
Does this mean there are no trustworthy influencers in the health and fitness space?
No.
There are many who go the extra mile to back their claims. They put out accurate information.
Here are a few names I recommend, based on my personal preference.
1) Longevity - Peter Attia
2) Wellness - Andrew Huberman
3) Fitness - Jeremy Ethier
4) Health - Dan Go
They are great to start the wheel spinning, but not enough to keep the wheel spinning.
Here`s my advice:
Whet your appetite for personal transformation with fitness influencers but have your food served by a person holding the qualification and having a proven record of client transformations.
P.S.
Believe me, I have made many mistakes in my personal health journey:
From fad diets to overtraining, undereating protein, and being stuck in my training journey. I am not blaming fitness influencers for that.
They showed me the results that I wanted, but they were vague, and sometimes dishonest about how to get them.
These days I use their influence intentionally, to give me a motivational boost, but I do not open my purse.
Here`s the truth: In order to achieve sustainable results, it requires a level of competency that takes time to build and discipline to follow through.
If you cannot or do not want to follow this slow-lane process, it is best to draw upon the experience of a training partner ahead of you or a coach.
Let me share a recent experience with a former client:
1,5 years of interrupted periods of working together didn`t bring the desired results to him.
This is the exception, not the rule. Still, it sucks.
The advice I gave - he ignored.
I was frustrated, he was frustrated.
My gut feeling told me he was not going to lose the weight in the near future.
But I was wrong.
He reached out to me 4 months after our program: "Hey Phil, just wanted to let you know I joined another Gym. This time I go 4 times a week. This is because of you, thank you."
He wasn`t ready, but now he is.
Together we planted the seeds of a slimmer version of himself in his head.