Fitness influencers have carved a space of their own in the social media landscape, populating millions of TikTok and Instagram feeds with exercise-related content. Ab workouts to attain a snatched waist, curl variations to maximize bicep growth, protein-packed meal plans—the stream is unyielding. And, as audiences up their consumption of this content, fitness accounts have amassed greater followings and expanded their influence across the board.
But, amidst the chaos of gym vlogs and cardio circuits, serious concerns about influencer transparency and individual mental health have called the intentionality behind fitness social media content into question.
From concealing the use of drug enhancements in their training routines to marketing fraudulent exercise courses, prominent fitness influencers have come under blast for misleading their followers. Furthermore, the idealized depictions of the human body that they portray on their social media platforms have shown to be linked to the development of body image concerns, eating disorders, and poor mental health.
Cristian Salinas ’26, avid Brophy weightlifter and gym enthusiast, says he has learned to differentiate between transparent and misleading gym content on his social media feed.
“I like to watch a lot of people, like Jeff Nippard and Mike Israetel, because I think they’re really reputable sources,” Salinas said. “They base their advice around science, not personal experience like the ‘I did this, it worked for me, so it must work for you’ sort of thing.”
However, Salinas acknowledged that there is a flip-side to this corner of trustworthiness that he has carved out for himself in his social media feed.
“You know, Alex Eubank claimed that he was natural, but he turned out to be enhanced, which I don’t really think was a shocker, but still. Also, people like Liver King who claimed to be natural and promised that you’d look like him if you followed his course, followed his diet—that guy was completely on steroids. So, I think influencers need to be transparent or else they’ll be giving their own audiences a false sense of reality. You’re not gonna be 280 pounds lean, you know, that’s unrealistic. You have to be on steroids for that kind of stuff.”
In spite of the abundance of misleading fitness content that inhabits the online space, Salinas says it hasn’t really detracted from the way he trains or the way that he views his body.
“My training has definitely changed a lot from watching this stuff online. I mean, when I first started training I would do ridiculous stuff. I would do bicep curls with a super light weight and just crank them out for fifty reps. I’d have really bad form, you know, that kind of stuff. So over the years, I’ve really learned a lot and improved my form, getting a deep stretch in my muscles, not focusing on ego-lifting when I lift heavier weights.”
“I guess if you were to compare my own body to an influencer, it obviously wouldn’t be shredded to the bone or anything like that, but I’m quite happy with my own progress. Looking back, I’ve made enormous progress, both mentally and physically, and it’s something I’m proud of. If I can keep on doing that, I think that would be great.”
Currently, Salinas says his only concern in the gym is being able to lift as much weight as he safely can.
“I don’t really care about the looks too much. Maybe once I get to college, I might compete for shows and that kind of stuff, but right now, it’s more about strength.”
