Should I Be a Fitness Influencer?
Image from hypefactory.com
Oh how social media and the rise of influencer culture has changed perspectives. If I hear one more time “I saw this exercise online,” I may just curl up in a ball and start shaking. First, I am all on board for someone posting their entire life online because they enjoy it, and they make money. In that sense, not all creators are created equal. Some I am sure are good, and some I am very sure are bad.
Either way, I am trying to not make this sound like an attack towards people. I am sharing my concerns about wrong information for individuals. I am super happy folks are enjoying their life on the internet. The workouts that they have been doing have worked for them, and that's great! Just because it has worked for them, does not mean it will work for others. Sure, a few people may benefit from that exact exercise program, but a lot of the time, people need something more individualized to their own abilities and levels.
Again, anything that gets people up and moving is a step in the right direction. But we have learned enough through the years that we can specifically design exercises programs for the individual. Many people exercise because they like how they feel afterwards. Also, many people stop exercising because they went too hard, too fast, or they started a program that progressed too fast or included exercises they were not ready for.
So, how do we sort the good, useful information from the potentially risky information? I have no idea how to put it into words. But I will try.
Here are examples of buzz words or phrases to watch out for:
“This is the ONLY exercise that targets the (insert muscle here)..”
“Have you even been lifting if you haven’t done this exercise before?”
“If you want to see results, you have to train like this everyday.”
“If you are a runner, this is the only plan you should be following.”
“Want to be a powerlifter? Follow this foolproof 8-week hypertrophy program.”
The ‘only exercise’ is a load of crap. It almost seems more like a marketing ploy, right? Trust me, I would rather use more colorful language to describe my feelings on this phrase… If I were to try and sell you on an exercise plan, I would present information on one thing, but pretend like I know EVERYTHING about the one thing. This is a known tactic to get you to buy more of my ‘products.’ In reality, certain exercises, movements, and variations come at a specifc time and place within a designed exercise program.
AND ANOTHER THING….What gives us (certified trainers and coaches) the edge? How do we convey that we know things and are a reputable source of information and experience? Well…years of experience for one. We did go to school to learn how the body actually works in a stressed environment. But I think what is more important and makes us a reliable source of information is our community at SomaVT and beyond, and the real people that continuously train with us everyday. We see and train people for not just a few weeks, but often times, a few years. In that time, we can put in some real work, and see real results because we listen, and adapt to what each individual requires for their own fitness path.
In an effort to conclude in a concise fashion, If you have an influencer you like to follow because they gained your attention, and trust, great. But, beware that there could be lies potentially lurking throughout their content, intentionally placed or not.
My advice would be to always question things: Is this really a movement I should be doing? If it hurts, stop and change the movement. Yes, sometimes working through pain is a necessary course of action, but only under guidance from a professional.
Dig a little deeper on the influencer or the person you are following. They may have had success in their own training. But maybe no experience working with other people. It certainly costs a lot less to follow a generic exercise program created from someone on Instagram, but if the plan does more harm than good, is that really a smart financial decision?
Again, if you are up and moving, and someone somewhere was able to get you to do that thing, great, we like bodies in motion. And if you are interested in starting a movement plan, gaining more personalized knowledge about certain exercises or looking for a supportive community to help you reach your fitness goals, reach out to the experienced team of coaches at SomaVT.
And, no, I have no intentions on becoming an influencer. If I can help it, I run away from the phones and cameras anytime our Social Media team is out and about.
