Fitness Influencers
***Before I say some negative things about fitness influencers, I want to make sure that it is known that not all fitness influencers are bad and some do a great job of motivating and giving out great information.***
We all follow these people on social media because they’re really attractive looking and they’re in amazing shape. I strive everyday to be able to check just one of those boxes.
If I wanted to learn how to contour my face, I would likely go to a beauty influencer who teaches that skill; similarly people follow fitness influencers because they have attained a desired aesthetic and teach how to get it.
You are fooled by this mirage that this is a healthy lifestyle and what healthy people look like.
Fitness influencers often do not have daytime jobs or large families to take care of and they spend their days in the gym working on their physiques and at home with nutrition/diet. They have the time to look great year round, the average person does not.
Influencer livelihoods rest on the success of their image and as a result there are probably more that do not have natural physiques, than those that do and what makes it worse is you will rarely find an influencer that honestly reports what enhancing substances they use or enhanced parts they have gotten done.
This leads to the mirage.
This idea that this is what healthy looks like, it is not.
There are infinite ways to stay in shape and lead a healthy lifestyle, don’t be influenced into believing healthy is six pack abs and broccoli/rice/chicken meals.
It is EXTREMELY possible to maintain a nice physique year round. Sure, it takes some time to get to that point, with a lot of hard work and planning, but it is 100% possible. I don’t want to discourage anyone who wants to look great, just make your expectations not what you see online but rather what you see in the mirror.
The bottom line: Fitness Infulencers are not the pinnacle of health. Get your health advice from health professionals and remember that being healthy is personal and different for everyone.
Supplements
Want to spend money on a stack of crap, I’ve got some supplements I can recommend!
Don’t associate supplementation of things you may need with a negative connotation of supplements that are pushed by the health and fitness industry.
For example if you are not getting enough vitamin C, it is not uncommon to supplement your diet with a vitamin C drink or pill supplement.
You are fooled into thinking supplements are a requirement, but you can build muscle without ever drinking a protein shake.
You can have an incredibly effective high-energy workout without drinking a pre-workout.
You can get all the required micronutrients that you need throughout the day in your diet that you’re already eating or at least add some foods to make the diet more balanced. At the same time it is almost certain every single person you see going to the gym regularly is taking a pre-workout and is drinking protein after the workout.
This will be a common phrase on Fitness Scheme, but consult your health professionals on any supplementation you may require based on your health and fitness goals.
Bottom line: If you think you need a supplement, consult your health professionals, there are side effects.
Scientific studies
There’s this thing called the scientific method (more info here)
Scientific Method explained using Monty Python’s “We Found A Witch”
There is settled science. There are laws of science that will dictate aspects of life.
There are no secrets in the health and fitness industry.
If there is a study that showed a mere hint of truth, it has been exploited to the absolute max. It will be used to sell products, supplements, and exercise programs. An entire niche will result from a mere hint in a study that may be completed in a proper manner or not.
There are no secrets in the health and fitness industry.
How they fool you is by simply conducting a study and achieving positive results and not necessarily conclusive results, misleading their customers into believing their product is backed by science. These products can also be associated with being safe when they are rarely tested by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so their effectiveness and safety should be taken into question.
If you can find the study, read it.
Can’t find the study, you got your answer.
Bottom line: There is an abundance of science backed information available. Make sure the science is completed by the scientific method and read the small print.
Advertising tricks
A moment of gullibility for me was purchasing a bottle of muscle building supplements. I was being responsible and looked up reviews of the particular product and was not convinced that it wouldn’t help. The reviews were not that mixed, but had a strong sway towards DOES NOT WORK! I ended up purchasing the stack and was very excited to later find out it was just whey protein pills.
Just a few grams of protein too. I would have been better off just having a snickers candy bar.
This leads into the next way that they scam you is with fantastic advertising.
How they fool you is by targeting your emotions and desires. Advertisers know there is a large population that truly desires to lose weight easily or gain muscle effortlessly.
Buzz words are used to evoke a solution to your problem.
Weight loss fast
Gain 10x more muscle
Lose fat easy
See results!
Become a better you
Start today!
Don’t wait
10 % more less extra, IT’S SO EASY!!!
After they reel you in they slap you with the “back by science” bit and suddenly you are typing in your credit card information.
Bottom line: You should always be skeptical of anything that seems too good to be true in most aspects of life.
Cyclical Lies
Wait long enough between lies and you will have an entirely new and ignorant audience.
It seems odd that belly trimmers are still sold in stores, despite the product being well known to not be effective at targeting belly fat. You just sweat it out then when you drink fluids again it replenishes, if you were wondering. When you can so easily tug at the emotional desires of people, lies are easy to believe.
How they fool you is by lying.
Bottom line: Fool me once, shame one you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Conclusion:
There are plenty of helpful tools that should be utilized when getting fit.
Always remember:
- There are no secrets in the health and fitness industry.
- Be realistic in health goals.
- Do thorough research.
- Real change happens over long periods of time.