It seems as if the fitness industry has hit a new high in popularity over the last few years, especially with the rise of the “IG fitness Trainer”.
Many of us in the fitness industry are caught in the middle of this epidemic (quite frankly many are pissed off) because although we are happy it publicly promotes a fit and healthy lifestyle (which we like), we also feel like a lot of what the IG fitness culture promotes is incorrect, misleading, fake and unattainable.
Here are the 12 Notable Ways Instagram has Revolutionized the Fitness Industry:
1.Lots of fitness Instagram models are NOT qualified to even train clients.
But interestingly enough girls will go crazy over the “Basic Betty’s new BOOTY program” (cough cough Jen Selter) who isn’t even a personal trainer. Yet people stay obsessed with all of these IG personalities’ programs and even pay upwards of $300 for them, and people have the nerve to ask me for a discount on PT sessions.
2. They sell you a Dream
You will NOT get the body of your dreams in 30 Days. I repeat you will NOT get the body of your dreams in 30 days. It takes months, years of dedication for a lot of these fitness models to achieve their bodies, why would you all of a sudden get six pack abs after following Bye Felicia’s 30 Day Fitness Contest?
Related: Tips to reach your Fitness Goals
This is not to degrade the program itself (because I have written one), but more the promotion of the program, which can be very misleading. We already live in a culture where people expect results with little to no work (Fit Tea, Waist Trainer).
Everyone wants to look great but they don’t want to invest the money or the time. It’s funny because people will go out and spend money on a waist trainer (which is bad for your health) instead of paying an experienced professional like myself to help them reach their goals. They inadvertently end up paying the amount I charge for training, and wasting that money on gimmicks that don’t end up working.
Related: How I feel about Detox Teas
3. They aren’t Real and distort other people’s perception of reality
Anyone can spend hours of their day taking pictures at the right angle and photoshopping him or her to make themselves look better. I don’t like how these culprits are motivating people to look like Barbie Dolls. A lot of fitness competitors don’t even look that lean year-round. Have you ever heard of competition season and off-season? On their off season many fitness professionals gain about 20 lbs. because they aren’t following a cutting program.
Related: Body Positivity in the Fitness Industry
4. They have Hyper-sexualized the Industry
I have fewer followers because I’m not showing my ass in a thong on instagram or wearing my underwear in my squat video.
5. They take Away Business from Actual Fitness Professionals
How much money is Jen Selter making? How many followers does she have in comparison to some really great trainers that I know? It’s insane. She makes tons of money for arching her back and being genetically blessed or surgically enhanced to look a certain way. She’s just another basic skinny female who happens to have booty. I bet you she can’t throw some weights around though. I would love to see that. She’s also not certified.
Related: Why Abs Don’t Matter
6.It allows People to think they are Better Than they are
*I can actually attest to this personally because I have actually hit up a few fitness professionals to compliment them on their success and in turn ask for advice on how to reach their success and to this day out of the maybe 20 I wrote to, 2 have replied. Thanks Kaisafit and Anna Victoria!
7. Titles Almost Mean Nothing
YASSS BOO!! I’m so tired of seeing a girl who competed in a fitness competition all of a sudden thinking that she can just give all these women fitness advice. I have come across many clients who have followed a certain trainer online, and bought a program from a fitness competitor and guess what they were given even if they came from a non-fitness background? A fitness competition diet and workout program. Why? Because these peddlers. Yes peddler’s lol (yes I’m being petty) don’t know anything else!
And that’s the difference between a true professional and someone that is all about selling something. This isn’t really a trainer, they don’t realize that you CANNOT have people eat the same way and do the SAME workouts because not EVERYONE needs to be training for a competition.
8. It has inspired people to get into shape thus making the industry make lots of money
9. It has created lots of community
I love the community that all of this has created because people share their stories online and people support each other that way. When I first started studying to be a trainer I learned that support is one of the main things that will lead to the success of a client achieving their goals. I know some people get sick of others posting what workout they did that day, because honestly the fact that you worked out that day should be like, oh I just went poop that day, you should already be doing it anyway!
Related: My Personal Training Story
10. Let’s be real it has forced a lot of trainers (like myself) to expand their businesses and get with the times
A lot of what worked before may or may not work these days. We have to build and create websites, manage Instagram accounts, blogs, make workout videos, interact with followers. It’s a lot of work! And this is on top of training our clients and managing our own workouts. #IjustwannabeIGfamous (for the right reasons of course) You will not be seeing a naked booty picture of me on the Internet anytime soon.
Related:Why I started my Blog
11. It allows Trainers to Reach Clients that may not be able to Train with them in Person
12. It has created lots of Fitness platforms
Which I actually have my clients use. One of the things about being a secure fitness professional is that you don’t see other orgs or platforms as a threat but rather use them as tools for the success of your client. Because who really wants to train a client everyday? And lets face it not a lot of clients have the money for it anyways.
When I meet with clients we go over what activities they like doing, how often they will be training and if they have time to go to workout classes. I’ve even introduced workout classes to my clients that have felt awkward or nervous to try one and I even went with them. Because that’s what its about. Yes they do pay us for that HOUR session, but if they are a good client, they will become like my family and if they need something I will make myself available to them
Related: Fit Fusion, Daily Burn, JNL
See what other people are saying:
What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments
I’m a California girl living in London
Fitness, Lifestyle,Traveling and Living Abroad.
I’m sprinkling sincerity on it.
