Do you think influencer culture is helping or hurting bodybuilding?

[WV0224]

Social media is flooded with:

• Ultra-lean, year-round physiques
• Lightning-fast transformations
• “No-supplement” bodybuilders with pro-level muscle mass

But let’s be real, most of what we see isn’t natural.
Filters, angles, lighting...even AI-generated fitness content is now blurring the lines.

Unrealistic expectations are diving beginners into gear too early, chasing influencer physiques.

Which is why forums like ours have a responsibility to bring in honesty and transparency from people who have actually lived this for decades.

What do you guys think? How can we do better?

 

[Tim_2019]

Totally agree. The hype online is louder than the truth and too many beginners are chasing physiques built on shortcuts.

The best way we can do better? Share real timelines, real struggles and call out BS when we see it. This forum should be a place where lifters learn what’s possible and what’s not without smoke and mirrors.

 

[Mark_training]

What annoys me is these influencers also show/teach a lot of wrong stuff. A 5 min HIIT workout everyday doesn’t get you six packs yet that’s the kind of BS that goes around!

 

[Matty]

Terrible state of affairs. The problem, if you'd call it that, is anyone can now have a platform, gain traction and spout all kinds of nonsense as being gospel. See it all the time.. you must do this, don't do that, don't eat this at this time... ffs it's really not all that complicated. Not taking into account the guy with the massive chest or crazy biceps, has that in his genetics (Or is using Olympia levels of gear).. and not because he only presses incline bench or only does incline curls. People can't see past it and will probably end up following a routine that isn't doing shit for them. One I seen the other day saying don't eat oats in the morning because of insulin spike... ok buddy.

I agree with Tim, real stories showing the real process would be nice. The thing is though, even when you see commentary calling out influencers for their bs, its still engagement for them and just further fuels the fire.

I do like Joey Swoll though. That guy's been draining the swamp of awful influencers and their outlandish behaviour for a while, mainly addresses their entitled behaviour but still - helps!

It's a shame this seems to have replaced the forums, as people can have more of a reasonable discussion around expectations and get a lot more input from experienced people. Social media is full of trolls, bots and echo chamber followers.

 

[xuledywo]

Social media is flooded with:

• Ultra-lean, year-round physiques
• Lightning-fast transformations
• “No-supplement” bodybuilders with pro-level muscle mass

But let’s be real, most of what we see isn’t natural.
Filters, angles, lighting...even AI-generated fitness content is now blurring the lines.

Unrealistic expectations are diving beginners into gear too early, chasing influencer physiques.

Which is why forums like ours have a responsibility to bring in honesty and transparency from people who have actually lived this for decades.

What do you guys think? How can we do better? get the idea from https://lightinfitness.com/

We can do better by being honest about what’s natural, sharing real progress over time, and calling out unrealistic content. Beginners need to see what consistent training and nutrition look like without the filters and lies. Transparency from experienced lifters is key.