Guy down the gym asked me if I’d heard of some bodybuilder who is apparently blowing up on social media.
My response?
“No”.
It’s actually been years since I last sought out fitness content on social media.
Sounds frightfully arrogant, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing: Basically everyone who has a big following in the fitness space is a drug addict or else has some serious mental condition like orthorexia, which renders their “advice” utterly irrelevant to the general population.
Unless, of course, they want to partake of the fruit of Johnny Juicehead’s bathtub or start carrying a set of measuring scales wherever they go.
That’s why I don’t bother listening to any of these guys, and instead learn from books and certain blogs that still exist in the dark corners of the internet.
Talking to people – particularly older people who have trained since before the internet and, in some cases, the proliferation of PEDs – is also a great way to get high-quality information about training, diet, and so on.
For example, much of my formative education on training was provided by a man called Don Styler (the original proprietor of the appropriately named “Don Style Physical Training Centre” in Gosport – one of the oldest gyms in the UK that has played host to many famous figures in bodybuilding and athletics, as well as several film and TV stars).
He was staunchly “anti-drugs”, training 100% naturally for, I think, five decades – maintaining a powerful physique into old age. My most enduring memory of him is watching as he trained shirtless one summer (the gym had no air conditioning or heating) flabbergasted at how a man in his late 60s or early 70s could be so lean and muscular.
The lesson?
Choose who you get your information from carefully, and avoid getting it from social media as a general rule.
Anyway, I’ve nothing to sell you today.
However, I have been “allowed” back on LinkedIn by the powers that be after being banned last year for upsetting the Empowered Feminist Brigade.
So if you fancy watching me cross swords with DEI cultists, powerful victims, and deranged communists, send me a connection request.
I also respond to DMs. So if you want to shoot the proverbial, feel free to message me privately. (Fair warning: I won’t answer questions about training, diet, etc, unless you’re subscribed to The Phil Tyreman Letter).
Here’s my profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipjtyreman/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman