Anyone else get unmotivated by fitness accounts?

realsirji

Hey everyone, 
Just thought I put something out there, does anyone else get unmotivated by the sheer fitness accounts you follow on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc. ?
In the sense that it gives a sense of false reality, that you can actually achieve your goals. Because let's face it, most of those accounts with their perfect body is not something a lay person can achieve, in today environment. 
My experience has always been, get motivation from those accounts, go to gym, few weeks feel great, however always get unmotivated because basically I would never look like the people in the account!!

Can anyone relate?

Nervous Wreck

realsirji wrote: »

Hey everyone, 
Just thought I put something out there, does anyone else get unmotivated by the sheer fitness accounts you follow on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc. ?
In the sense that it gives a sense of false reality, that you can actually achieve your goals. Because let's face it, most of those accounts with their perfect body is not something a lay person can achieve, in today environment. 
My experience has always been, get motivation from those accounts, go to gym, few weeks feel great, however always get unmotivated because basically I would never look like the people in the account!!

Can anyone relate?

Don't follow them.

bladespin

realsirji wrote:

Because let's face it, most of those accounts with their perfect body is not something a lay person can achieve, in today environment.

Not true, you could struggle if you're following a Mr.Olympia contender but most fitness youtoobers etc have physiques that really are attainable but you have to put time in, and set smaller goals on the road to the main objective.
If you don't have the discipline it's hardly their fault.

H3llR4iser

Just leave them alone and do what is good for you and your health; Expecting everybody to be living up to these standards is like expecting any person who ever touches a football or a tennis racket to become as good as Diego Maradona and Serena Williams; The fitness fad has quite frankly reached ridiculous levels, plenty of top-condition professional athletes look positively slobbish compared to the guys and girls flaunting their abs on Twatter and Instadouche.

Unless you absolutely enjoy it, I don't see any reason to quite literally kill yourself to look like some (often fake) gym bunny on the 'nets. Just saying, as I type I'm cursing the heavens and beyond due to searing pain from an overtraining related knee issue...

SpaceCowb0y

realsirji wrote: »

Hey everyone, 
Just thought I put something out there, does anyone else get unmotivated by the sheer fitness accounts you follow on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc. ?
In the sense that it gives a sense of false reality, that you can actually achieve your goals. Because let's face it, most of those accounts with their perfect body is not something a lay person can achieve, in today environment. 
My experience has always been, get motivation from those accounts, go to gym, few weeks feel great, however always get unmotivated because basically I would never look like the people in the account!!

Can anyone relate?

Or follow the right accounts? There's loads of personal trainers who post great content, nutritional information, exercise ideas and before and after success stories of normal people they train getting fitter and healthier that are great inspiration.

I don't buy into this "not something a lay person can achieve" mentality? What even is that?? What exactly constitutes a "lay person"? If you have that attitude you are probably right, you will never look like those people because it doesn't happen overnight it takes dedication to commit to the type of lifestyle required to get to that condition. And for the "lay person" who doesn't work in a gym or the fitness industry it will obviously take longer to achieve those results but you can still obtain fantastic results if you really want.

I work a full time office job, therefore spend the best part of my day sat at a desk staring at a screen. Pretty sedentary, but I also choose to get up off my ass after work and drive straight to the gym for an hour or to get up early and go for a run, i also choose to prepare healthy food in bulk so i'm not eating crap all day in work. Now i'm no fitness model by any means but I have managed to get myself into pretty great shape with some self discipline and hard work. I don't drink too often anymore and i have to watch what i eat (because i'm a fucker for junk food) but realistically it's about which you want more, do you want to look like an instagram model, do you want to just carry on as normal or do you want to find a happy medium and be somewhere in between?

I think for fitness at least social media provides a great source for motivation. Just my two cents though, i guess everyone is different.

SpaceCowb0y

bladespin wrote: »

If you don't have the discipline it's hardly their fault.

This +100 :rolleyes:

Transform

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Don't follow them.

^^^ this plus this - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312299124_Objectifying_Fitness_A_Content_and_Thematic_Analysis_of_Fitspiration_Images_on_Social_Media

TIL - 2Furthermore, #fitspiration sexually objectifies the fit body, with text and images encouraging self-objectification and the distancing of the self from internal bodily functions in physical activity settings"

My opinion - the people you follow that actively encourage a large bias of aesthetics over health are the most damaging and encourage dysfunctional behavior and eating habits.
You only have to look at the number of them that are clearly unhappy, former (are they really former when they just swapped one addiction for another) anorexics or suffer from body dis-morphia yet set themselves up as coaches and someone to aspire towards.

Transform

Transform wrote: »

^^^ this plus this - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312299124_Objectifying_Fitness_A_Content_and_Thematic_Analysis_of_Fitspiration_Images_on_Social_Media

TIL - 2Furthermore, #fitspiration sexually objectifies the fit body, with text and images encouraging self-objectification and the distancing of the self from internal bodily functions in physical activity settings"

My opinion - the people you follow that actively encourage a large bias of aesthetics over health are the most damaging and encourage dysfunctional behavior and eating habits.
You only have to look at the number of them that are clearly unhappy, former (are they really former when they just swapped one addiction for another) anorexics or suffer from body dis-morphia yet set themselves up as coaches and someone to aspire towards.

sorry one more - https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201509/mind-your-body-body-conscious

Boepple also catalogued the captions that accompany fitspiration images and found them rife with problematic messages about eating and body image. The combination of visual and verbal information holds the potential, she says, “to make people feel guilty about their bodies and encourage disordered thoughts surrounding food and exercise.”

This will all come out and the people deepened this problem in the first place will pander to the change by saying - "i just hope someone takes inspiration from my videos/posts etc". without themselves becoming accountable to the fact.

Cake Man

OP your problem is talking about motivation when the reality is discipline trumps all. Motivation is great but only lasts and comes and goes, all well and good going to workout with motivation. Discipline is where you feel like sh!t, tired, p!ssed off....but still go to do the workout no matter what.

lawred2

realsirji wrote: »

Hey everyone, 
Just thought I put something out there, does anyone else get unmotivated by the sheer fitness accounts you follow on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc. ?
In the sense that it gives a sense of false reality, that you can actually achieve your goals. Because let's face it, most of those accounts with their perfect body is not something a lay person can achieve, in today environment. 
My experience has always been, get motivation from those accounts, go to gym, few weeks feel great, however always get unmotivated because basically I would never look like the people in the account!!

Can anyone relate?

If only there were a simple solution for this..

will56

This:
http://leeboycetraining.com/youre-supporting-get-rich-quick-schemes-21-year-olds-ruining-fitness/

Seen a couple of fitness/figure athletes that have placed well in competition become basically resellers for the coach that got them into shape in the first place. Nearly seems to be pyramid schemes.

They also use their recent success to flog their own "21day fat burn/6 minute abs" online courses even though they've been paying someone else to get them into shape.

harr

I know where the op is coming from but just as others suggested unfollow them...a huge fitness bug has hit my location because of a new very large gym...but the focus for all the trainers is the super fit 20 something year olds and that's all they ever post about in fact it's starting to turn people off seeking advice or even going to that particular gym...now the athletes that use it are in super shape and both males and females are doing regular competitions...I know 3 girls personally who had anorexia in past only to replace that with the gym obsession and are equally as miserable now and some of these so called PT turn down clients because they don't fit in with what they believe someone should look like...
I know one lady who eats nothing but this horrible looking oats chocolate cake combination 3 times a day ...yes she is very fit and looks well but she is miserable...even in the gym the focus is on the super fit and ever post they do on social media is of the fittest members, in fact I have seen crop people out of group photos.
The fact they behave in this way is stopping people who really need exercise from going...one girl who uses the gym is a power lifter and has won many a competition but because she is 16 stone and larger than the others she gets no recognition at all..

Asmodean

I follow a good few social media accounts, which personally help to motivate me an awful lot. It gives me a sense of belonging to a group who all have similar goals ,despite how far down the road to success some people have travelled. I'll admit that on hard days its nice to see that other people struggle too, as a lot of the people I follow share the bad along with the good! It always gives me the edge to put the chin up and keep moving forward.

I mostly follow people who are at the same stage of their journey as myself, or people who have had similar backgrounds. I post a good bit about my own workouts, purely because it helps keep me accountable and I get a nice bit of support from family and friends. Each to their own I guess.

Caliden

I get motivated by fitness accounts that aren't taking some form of steroid.

It's such a great motivator to see that it's not normal to walk around at 10% bf at year round and have chiseled abs in the depths of winter. Also if they post a picture of a pint, it's good to know that they cut loose every now and again.



Following fitness accounts that are just ripped 365 and never ever drink alcohol or eat anything 'unhealthy' is just a major downer.


It's still possible to be fit, muscular and healthy without living out of a tupperware container every day.

MightyMandarin

Caliden wrote: »

I get motivated by fitness accounts that aren't taking some form of steroid.

It's such a great motivator to see that it's not normal to walk around at 10% bf at year round and have chiseled abs in the depths of winter. Also if they post a picture of a pint, it's good to know that they cut loose every now and again.



Following fitness accounts that are just ripped 365 and never ever drink alcohol or eat anything 'unhealthy' is just a major downer.


It's still possible to be fit, muscular and healthy without living out of a tupperware container every day.

How exactly do you know which ones are and which ones aren't?

Mellor

I don't understand why people would follow somebody, or a group of people that they find unmotivating, depressing even.
It's seems like slightly defeatist behaviour.

Caliden wrote: »

Following fitness accounts that are just ripped 365 and never ever drink alcohol or eat anything 'unhealthy' is just a major downer.

It's still possible to be fit, muscular and healthy without living out of a tupperware container every day.

I'm the same as you. I consider my diet pretty healthy. But I also enjoy my food and having a drink. I feel the need to deprive myself of that.

But I don't understand the whole downer part. I'm aware that some people are insanely strict with heir diet/training. But I don't care, and don't see why anyone would.


FWIW, steroid use isn't limited to super-ripped tupperware-munchers. There are plenty of lads on gear who are full of burgers.
And plenty of people fully clean with abs.

RockSalto

Mellor wrote: »

I don't understand why people would follow somebody, or a group of people that they find unmotivating, depressing even.

I know someone who follows West Ham. Baffling.

Mellor

RockSalto wrote: »

I know someone who follows West Ham. Baffling.

Enjoys the taste of defeat I guess. To each their own.

SpaceCowb0y

RockSalto wrote: »

I know someone who follows West Ham. Baffling.

In fairness, it does take dedication to follow a crap team

Alf Veedersane

Most fitness accounts, as far as I can tell, are photos of abs, various poses and either all out greenery for food all the time or the occasional spoofer that talks about balance and shows a picture of a massive pizza they ate. They leave out the bit where they starved themselves and trained twice a day all week in advance of the pizza.

There are very few with anything informative or even vaguely useful to anyone else. So there's nothing to follow.

Nervous Wreck

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Most fitness accounts, as far as I can tell, are photos of abs, various poses and either all out greenery for food all the time or the occasional spoofer that talks about balance and shows a picture of a massive pizza they ate. They leave out the bit where they starved themselves and trained twice a day all week in advance of the pizza.

There are very few with anything informative or even vaguely useful to anyone else. So there's nothing to follow.

Agree. I just checked my instagram, of the 5 or so fitness/gym/pt profiles I follow, there's only one I don't know/haven't trained with. The one is Trojan Weightlifting, a WL club based in Raw, whom I follow because it seems to be a bunch of beginners/intermediate lifters who are giving it a good go, which is always inspiring to see.

I've no time for following some cnuts who just post pictures of their salad and abs. I've got my own salad and abs to worry about.

jive

What pîsses me off is most of the instafamous use drugs and their physiques are simply not attainable naturally or in the timeframe which they say it took them; essentially they are lying to their followers who will be in pursuit of an unattainable goal and will ultimately fail by quite some margin.

As far as I'm concerned they can do and post what they want but at least be honest about it and stop trying to make a living on a lie which leads to misery for others.

IronSteve

jive wrote: »

What pîsses me off is most of the instafamous use drugs and their physiques are simply not attainable naturally or in the timeframe which they say it took them; essentially they are lying to their followers who will be in pursuit of an unattainable goal and will ultimately fail by quite some margin.

As far as I'm concerned they can do and post what they want but at least be honest about it and stop trying to make a living on a lie which leads to misery for others.

90% of everything in sales and marketing is bull, it's just an extension of that. In the fitness industry it's about 99% bull.
One sucker born every minute

jive

IronSteve wrote: »

90% of everything in sales and marketing is bull, it's just an extension of that. In the fitness industry it's about 99% bull.
One sucker born every minute

Ah right, suppose it's grand then making a living off of false expectations and exploiting people who don't know any better

IronSteve

jive wrote: »

Ah right, suppose it's grand then making a living off of false expectations and exploiting people who don't know any better

I didn't say it was grand. Just reality

Mellor

jive wrote: »

Ah right, suppose it's grand then making a living off of false expectations and exploiting people who don't know any better

I don't think I'm following any of these frauds you're referring to.
Are they people selling the programs/supplements/magic beans? That they supposedly used to achieve results? I'd see that as very misleading, especially if they are actually working as PTs.

But I wouldn't consider anyone who uses steroids as misleading. E.g. Some Olympic level lifter posting training videos. He's not suggesting some average Joe can do what he does.

the_syco

realsirji wrote: »

Just thought I put something out there, does anyone else get unmotivated by the sheer fitness accounts you follow on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc. ?

I follow "Six Pack Shortcuts" on YouTube, as I find it handy for tips & workouts.

Transform

defo and i love a nice pint and have a fondness for bourbon - look fine come monday, every monday 365

Transform

RockSalto wrote: »

I know someone who follows West Ham. Baffling.

take a bow ^

Transform

jive wrote: »

What pîsses me off is most of the instafamous use drugs and their physiques are simply not attainable naturally or in the timeframe which they say it took them; essentially they are lying to their followers who will be in pursuit of an unattainable goal and will ultimately fail by quite some margin.

As far as I'm concerned they can do and post what they want but at least be honest about it and stop trying to make a living on a lie which leads to misery for others.

thats a huge bug bear of mine - why cant the be more honest. Yes i know some of what they take has legal ramifications in Ireland but if the guy is 35 and is clearly taking modest doses of e.g. TRT then say it, Joe Rogan has no issue talking about it but maybe he doesnt have to sell some BS 6 week cookie cutter program

Transform

IronSteve wrote: »

90% of everything in sales and marketing is bull, it's just an extension of that. In the fitness industry it's about 99% bull.
One sucker born every minute

Id agree but what ive found in my business running a PT company and gym is that we are now working with an increasingly older and more loyal client base and i think the reason why is because we dont present what we do as extreme (6 week rapid fat loss bootcamp), intense or limited to the younger audience.

The fitness industry is largely led by youth and inexperience but it is changing due to the fact that its the older clients that have the money to spend who remain more committed and loyal to the business.

We work with a very wide range of client ages but its just what ive noticed. Im continually working with clients that were formerly trained by a trainer that either pushed them too hard too often or trained everyone like a bodybuilder when the client had zero interest in bodybuilding. Both are a mistake for a number of reasons.

Hate to say it but id happily work with your dad or your mum all day every day and have the patience and care needed to do that work (older clients tend to be way more banged up and injury prone) than work with some 20yr old that personal trainer hops from month to month, is always on a cut and is constantly on the look out for the shinny new product or program thats going to ensure they keep developing their fitness at the expense of their health.

deadlybuzzman

Transform wrote: »

Id agree but what ive found in my business running a PT company and gym is that we are now working with an increasingly older and more loyal client base and i think the reason why is because we dont present what we do as extreme (6 week rapid fat loss bootcamp), intense or limited to the younger audience.

The fitness industry is largely led by youth and inexperience but it is changing due to the fact that its the older clients that have the money to spend who remain more committed and loyal to the business.

.

Has the age range of gym goers in general expanded over the last few years? Morning after morning I'm the youngest guy in my gym (and I'm definitely not young, I had a young fella call me sir on Monday and I don't think my deadlifting was THAT impressive!)
I'm in a bubble up here so I've no idea is that just a quirk of my gym or is it part of a more general trend?

Alf Veedersane

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Has the age range of gym goers in general expanded over the last few years? Morning after morning I'm the youngest guy in my gym (and I'm definitely not young, I had a young fella call me sir on Monday and I don't think my deadlifting was THAT impressive!)
I'm in a bubble up here so I've no idea is that just a quirk of my gym or is it part of a more general trend?

I'd have thought so. More and more people are coming round to the idea that the gym isn't just for the strongest and fittest. Anytime I trained in the 9-12 slot the demographics in the gym were quite different to the evening when I usually train.

No one had called me sir yet, though.

Transform

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Has the age range of gym goers in general expanded over the last few years? Morning after morning I'm the youngest guy in my gym (and I'm definitely not young, I had a young fella call me sir on Monday and I don't think my deadlifting was THAT impressive!)
I'm in a bubble up here so I've no idea is that just a quirk of my gym or is it part of a more general trend?

yes the gym going average age has increased due to people in their late 40s,50s and 60s choosing to not slide into golf (old joke about - "no i dont play golf as im still sexually active) and with some guidance can make the gym a little less scary.

Alf Veedersane

Transform wrote: »

(old joke about - "no i dont play golf as im still sexually active

Don't think Tiger ever heard that one

j@utis

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

<...>
I've no time for following some cnuts who just post pictures of their salad and abs. I've got my own salad and abs to worry about.

absolutely love it!!!

Mr. CooL ICE

the_syco wrote: »

I follow "Six Pack Shortcuts" on YouTube, as I find it handy for tips & workouts.

"TRAINERS HATE HIM!!!"

Transform

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

"TRAINERS HATE HIM!!!"

I love the rotating ways to come up with new methods to click bait

bladespin

Any opinions on Athlean X, personally I love Mike Diamonds youtubes, great insights.

CWF

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Don't follow them.

That wasn't what the op asked. This topic is generating a lot of traction lately, here is an excellent video on it made lately by the terrific Dr. Mike Israetel

https://youtu.be/HPsqkiBaPZk

JJayoo

I only follow Jason Bhlalalala

Alf Veedersane

CWF wrote: »

That wasn't what the op asked. This topic is generating a lot of traction lately, here is an excellent video on it made lately by the terrific Dr. Mike Israetel

https://youtu.be/HPsqkiBaPZk

It's related to the question though. Why follow people that make you lose motivation?

AllForIt

Mellor wrote: »

I

FWIW, steroid use isn't limited to super-ripped tupperware-munchers. There are plenty of lads on gear who are full of burgers.
And plenty of people fully clean with abs.

Too true. I have a friend in London that works in social care. He works in a center that caters for drug addicts and provides them with a 'safe place' to administer their injections.

You would not believe this but he gets stable youngsters using their service to inject steroids into their body.

He said that they were so clueless as to how steroids worked that they though the injection should be administered to the specific muscle that they wanted to get bigger. So if they wanted a bigger chest you stick the needle in the chest area.

CWF

AllForIt wrote: »

Too true. I have a friend in London that works in social care. He works in a center that caters for drug addicts and provides them with a 'safe place' to administer their injections.

You would not believe this but he gets stable youngsters using their service to inject steroids into their body.

He said that they were so clueless as to how steroids worked that they though the injection should be administered to the specific muscle that they wanted to get bigger. So if they wanted a bigger chest you stick the needle in the chest area.

That part is true, to prevent testicular atrophy it is often advised to inject straight into the sack

CWF

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's related to the question though. Why follow people that make you lose motivation?

But it's not the solution to the problem.

Alf Veedersane

CWF wrote: »

But it's not the solution to the problem.

It's part of the solution.

They're always going to be around. I'd people don't subscribe or follow or whatever, it removes the oxigen of attention. They have nothing without attention.

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it fall, did it even have abs?

Mellor

CWF wrote: »

But it's not the solution to the problem.

The OPs problem is that these accounts unmotivate him when he is following them. Stopping following them is absolutely a solution.

If he was unmotivated by their existence regardless of actively following them it would be a different story of course. But that's not the case.

Transform

AllForIt wrote: »

Too true. I have a friend in London that works in social care. He works in a center that caters for drug addicts and provides them with a 'safe place' to administer their injections.

You would not believe this but he gets stable youngsters using their service to inject steroids into their body.

He said that they were so clueless as to how steroids worked that they though the injection should be administered to the specific muscle that they wanted to get bigger. So if they wanted a bigger chest you stick the needle in the chest area.

The same problem exists in Dublin, look at the stats from the centres that provide this service

Transform

Mellor wrote: »

The OPs problem is that these accounts unmotivate him when he is following them. Stopping following them is absolutely a solution.

If he was unmotivated by their existence regardless of actively following them it would be a different story of course. But that's not the case.

Plus most people follow accounts not for the ass and aesthetics but mainly for the confidence they wish or want to have yet often the person they follow needs more help than they do

FTA69

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

No one had called me sir yet, though.

You're not punching them hard enough.