Even if you do not recognize the name “Vince Sant,” you probably know his shredded abs, bulging pecs, staggering good looks, and overwhelming social media presence. Better known by his fitness alias “V Shred,” Sant is a symptom of this decade’s rise of fraudulent influencers facilitated by the proliferation of the internet and the niche fitness and health subcultures that reside there. His handheld selfie videos, empathetic scripts, and I’m on your side mentality almost make you forget that he is nothing more than an attractive dude with a great physique who was strategically chosen to be the frontman of the multi-million dollar company “V Shred.” Yet, he remains at the forefront of the virtual fitness industry. How?
To get a feel for one of Sant’s youtube videos, they almost invariably begin with his patronizing sympathy toward the viewer: “there is nothing more disheartening than to be on that neverending cycle of diets and training your butt off, but never really getting the look you want” (V Shred). Then, for about fifteen minutes, he gives a series of incorrect fitness claims, such as that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio is an “industry secret and cheat code” for losing weight (V Shred). Finally, he reveals the real purpose of all of his garbled information: “Let me introduce you to our ripped in 90 days program” (V Shred). Sant presents himself as a fitness industry Robinhood, stealing industry secrets from the top trainers and benevolently distributing them to the everyday man trying to improve his body. Still, Sant’s only real secret is that he has no secret knowledge about fitness. He is a quintessential practitioner of Broscience, or the circulation of fraudulent fitness advice perpetuated by fitness influencers sometimes due to ignorance, or other times, commercial incentives. But this is the current model used by most male fitness influencers: creating content that leaves just enough erroneous advice that you’re tempted to buy the rest of the random puzzle pieces. Luckily, this shirtless charlatan does not go unchallenged.
Greg Doucette, a prominent fitness influencer who assumes the role of Youtube’s garbage collector, makes a living by calling out all of the bad advice and false claims that other virtual trainers make. In response to Sant’s promise: “In a minute I’m going to give you access to the very best HIIT workouts, and easiest” (V Shred), Doucette responds: “That’s a freaking oxymoron; the best HIIT workout is the hardest one, not the easiest!” (Doucette).
Unfortunately, this problem is much more widespread than just V Shred. A study conducted by the University of Glasgow found that out of “nine of the most popular fitness and weight-loss influencers in the United Kingdom . . . only one of them provided accurate, trustworthy information” about weight management (Twarziak). Many influencers feel the need to generate new weight-loss tactics to carve out a place in the fitness market for their career to reside. This tactic usually involves romanticizing fad diets like keto, paleo, low-fat, and intermittent fasting. However, a meta-analysis conducted by Appelhans and Pagoto found that “diets differing in macronutrient compositions (e.g., low-carbohydrate, low-fat, Mediterranean)" have no consistent or significant differences in weight loss results (Appelhans, Pagoto). The study further confirmed that the factor “most strongly associated with weight loss and improvement in disease-related outcomes” was adherence to the diet, not the diet itself (Appelhans, Pagoto). The fundamental reason fad diets even work is that they arbitrarily remove entire food groups or meals from the diet, leading to less food consumption overall. Eating less and exercising more is objectively the only ‘natural’ way to lose weight, and any significant removal of macromolecules and nutrients will only result in health problems down the line. Influencers do not achieve their bodies by doing the magical programs and taking the supplements they prescribe to their fans; they usually opt for actual shortcuts that can have grave consequences.
In the popular magazine Muscle and Fitness, Michael Weinreb highlights many fitness professionals’ dangerous reliance on steroids and other synthetic hormones to achieve their looks. In such an appearance-driven society, athletes view performance-enhancing drugs in the same way they view plastic surgery or cosmetics are (Weinreb). Especially in the online fitness world where your body is your success, many professionals abuse steroids to grow a following (Weinreb). But, a culture based on physical appearance does not come without a cascade of negative externalities. Firstly, “exposure to bare-chested and muscular images” on social media platforms directly leads to a significant drop in body satisfaction (Tiggerman, Anderburg). Furthermore, “for most bodybuilders, steroid use is a real addiction” that comes with an endless list of associated health risks, including testicle and brain depletion (Weinreb).
Where, then, is the future of the fitness industry? How can we reinvent it so that it no longer fails the average man just trying to be healthy and active? Not all fitness influencers offer misleading advice, and it would be unfair to discount the number of people that even bad influencers have gotten off the couch. But how can fitness be portrayed attractively, accessibly, and accurately, so the world can see a fitter tomorrow without the hindrances of gimmicks and quick fixes?
The male fitness industry must move toward a model that displays a valid, unbiased, and raw look at what health and fitness genuinely mean. This ultimate goal must be accomplished through two means: firstly, we must dismantle and debunk the claims made by broscientists, and secondly, we must catalyze and support the careers of influencers who are transparent about their jobs. The rest of this paper will describe this transition, why it must be done, and how each level of it operates. The following case study analyzes David Morin, a fitness influencer spewing false claims; Greg Doucette, a regulator of influencers like Morin; and Anna Victoria, a female influencer who exemplifies the direction that the male fitness industry must go. Each of them uses distinct rhetorical strategies and has vastly different interactions with fans but achieve opposite goals.
Let’s first look at David Morin, a fitness influencer who introduces himself as a father of four, international fitness cover model, and actor appearing in hundreds of ads. He is traditional masculine ideals personified: the epitome of pure male fertility, sex appeal, and success. Like many other shredded shirtless men, his Snapchat advertisements are shown to users who have demonstrated an interest in the male fitness community. The video that all of his ads link to, “Three Fat-Burning Tricks w/ David Morin,” is stylized such that it is undeniably reminiscent of V Shred’s techniques; but, in contrast to Sant who merely spews ineffective and untrue fitness advice, Morin goes the extra mile in this video and makes statements that directly incentivize unhealthy and counterproductive habits.
As a self-proclaimed dietician, trainer, and health enthusiast, Morin claims in the video to maintain a “no-nonsense approach to fitness” (Morin). He disguises his broscience as valid research by building his arguments on the jargonistic and oversimplified premise that low concentrations of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine are the sole cause of stubborn belly fat. The video pairs these claims with flashy graphs and distracting statistics to sell the whole illusion. Broscientists love this strategy of inventing a new subtly confusing and mystifying approach to fitness while simultaneously giving the antithetical impression that they are actually demystifying fitness and cutting through the b.s..
To get an idea of Morin’s rhetorical appeals that make him so convincing, observe the following tricks that his video offers as legitimate fitness advice. Morin’s first fat loss tip is to avoid long sessions of cardio as they increase norepinephrine levels, leading to increased fat storage, and instead recommends High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio. Many athletes prefer HIIT over Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio as it is generally more fun and takes less time; however, its benefits are massively over-inflated by Morin. HIIT has no corroborated improvement over LISS for fat-loss or aerobic and anaerobic capacity (Foster, Guidotti). Furthermore, HIIT is actually less effective for people who aren’t already fit enough to engage in such high-intensity training.
Morin’s second point is that fat loss plateaus when men don’t take enough cheat meals. Paradoxically, he claims that eating high-calorie cheat meals at “strategic times” will trick the body into thinking it has more food available and burning more fat. Unlike his first tip, which was merely arbitrary and baseless, now he is permitting men to engage in unhealthy practices like eating high-calorie cheat meals which are invariably loaded with added sugars or saturated fats. Yes, cheat meals can increase caloric expenditure, but that will never outweigh the number of new calories in the body. But by quickly changing between shots of hamburgers and shots of shirtless Morin and his attractive wife running on the beach, it is impossible not to associate being ripped with eating unhealthy meals.
By the time Morin gives his final weight loss tip–to take his weight loss supplement called Blade–he has already built enough rapport with his impressionable audience that they might actually be tempted to trust him into buying what is essentially a caffeine pill. Morin exploits society’s need for instant gratification to sell ineffective quick-fixes and magic bullets. In contrast to his other two vague and muddled tips, consuming his pill once a day is the only easy and concrete solution that people were dying to have, which is why this sales tactic is so persuasive and pervasive. But despite his facade of fitness mastery, Morin’s career, as compelling as it may be, is built on fabrication and deceit.
The effect of his information on his fans is startling. Instagram recently banned Morin from holding live videos for some unknown reason, but the comment section of that post clarifies how deeply his virtual presence has embedded itself in people. One commenter said, “they can’t handle the truth,” with another saying that “if you move to a different platform, we’re with you” (Morin). People have become attached to the idea of Morin himself because of the literally sugar-coated quick-fixes and shredded body that he displays on his Instagram. Morin is a perfect example of how commercial incentives have overrun the fitness industry, which no longer prioritizes its consumers’ fitness. Suppose the end goal of fitness influencers, ignoring commercial incentives, is democratizing health and fitness information for the general population. In that case, Morin’s information falls short of that aim, and some is even counterproductive to the degree that it actively calls for unhealthy habits.
However, this recent rise in fallacious fitness influencers did not develop in a vacuum. Another genre of online content has paralleled its success: fitness debunking videos. Greg Doucette, one of the most popular content creators in this realm, is not a natural athlete, but he is very open about his past, and he grew to fame by using that experience to call out fitness influencers spouting broscience who falsely claim that they do not take steroids. Although his videos are intended to be entertaining because of his mocking and ironic interpretations of various influencers, they also offer a lot of decent fitness and diet information that displaces the claims made by influencers like Morin and V Shred.
To understand the appeal of his content, look at one of his most viewed videos, “Vendetta Against VSHRED - Is He Natural AND Is there ANY Truth Behind His Programs?” (Doucette). Doucette’s primary rhetorical strategy is highlighting the ridiculous nature of V Shred’s claims by hyperbolically exposing the irony in them. Unlike many other debunkers who calmly dismantle V Shred’s claims with an academic and cold undertone, Doucette surpasses V Shred’s over-the-top production style using exaggerated movements, sporadic yelling, and a satisfying distaste for V Shred. Satire is a far more successful method of critique in this genre because it is intriguing, humorous, and not very difficult, considering that many influencers are already so outlandish that their content alone exists as an ironic commentary on themselves.
For example, look no further than V Shred’s argument about HIIT cardio: “You need to do certain HIIT workouts on certain days of your training, at a certain intensity, and if you’re not doing the right ones on the right days, it won’t work” (V Shred). Doucette responds by extending V Shred’s amusing unclarity and constructing a brutalist rendition that delineates a huge number of random things you have to do right for HIIT to work (Doucette).
Doucette is entertaining, and his exaggerated absurdity unveils V Shred’s nonsense, but more importantly, he also responds to false claims with accurate fitness advice. Doucette’s credibility comes from not only his degree in kinesiology and experience as a trainer but his experience as both a natural bodybuilder and an enhanced bodybuilder. As much as Morin and Sant talk about eating high-calorie meals like pizza and peanut butter-covered snacks, they never actually show themselves eating them; however, Doucette has made countless videos that walk through everything he eats in a single day as he prepares for a competition. Furthermore, Doucette makes it very clear that there are no shortcuts to having your dream body and health. He discourages crash-dieting and loathes diets that cut out food groups but encourages healthy habits like drinking water and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The effectiveness of Doucette’s approach is evident when looking at the interactions from his viewers. One commenter wrote: “I really despise those v-shred ads. it feels like he's trying to get you to join a pyramid scheme..” (Doucette). Another comment with five and a half thousand likes says, “this made me smile” (Doucette). A different commenter, imitating Doucette’s critique style, quotes V Shred’s claim that not eating enough “makes your metabolism crash to a screeching halt” and mockingly responds, “bruh that’s literally just dying” (Doucette).
Doucette’s videos not only help combat the trend of misinformation in the fitness industry, but they also instill a critical spirit in his viewers, so the effect is exponential. He even cultivates a more authentic space in the fitness world by being open about his own experiences with steroid use and exposing other fraudulent influencers who falsely claim they don’t use anabolics.
There has been a similar trend of increasing vulnerability in the female fitness world, but it has manifested itself in a much different manner. A new phenomenon has arisen of women “posting unedited or ‘realistic’ visuals of the body,” and promoting discussions “about topics such as mental health and body image” (Reade). Female influencers give these displays of vulnerability which “cultivate digital intimacies between Instagram users” and, if employed in the male fitness industry, would bring an overall sense of reality to a digital world corrupted with false idols (Reade).
Anna Victoria, an Instagram fitspo model with 1.2 million followers, is one of these influencers who has used her platform to spread authenticity. She does so by posting unedited photos, sharing unposed photos alongside her model pictures, and starting wellness and mental health discussions.
Instagram has a culture that encourages users to curate their feed such that they appear attractive and happy. But consumption of post after post of picturesque men and women with society’s ideal body type is exceptionally draining for mental health and self-image. Victoria combats this phenomenon by posting almost exclusively unedited photos–her pictures go straight from her iPhone camera to her Instagram. All of her uneven skin tones, stretch marks, and pimples– human attributes that most models would photoshop out of their posts–make their way onto Victoria’s social media. Her online presence demonstrates that beauty is found in our humanity, not in romantic versions of beauty standards.
She also goes even further by sometimes posting a secondary picture that shows what her body looks like when she isn’t posing. When she is posing, she looks like any other genetically-gifted Instagram model: picturesque, tall, and with an hourglass figure. However, in the unposed photo, her relaxed stomach and suboptimal photo angle and lighting make her body look realistic, like how most humans look. Her exposed body rolls and less-curvy appearance demystify what models look like in everyday life. People enjoy following authentic fitness influencers because they are raw, unfiltered, and “just don’t care as much about aesthetics” (Reade). It is so much easier for Victoria’s fans to accept their imperfections (imperfect according to unrealistic beauty standards) because they know that even models don’t always look like models.
Victoria’s comment section mirrors these findings with reactions like “this post helped me a lot, I feel more confident with myself” and “this is the first account I ever followed that showed her amazing body at different stages. I love it!” (Victoria). She further interacts with her fans by posting their progress pics with encouraging yet helpful captions like “don’t try to be perfect. Just trust the process, put in work, and be patient,” and “you have to focus on making this a lifestyle vs. looking for ways to ‘lose weight quick’”(Victoria). The combination of her uniquely raw and revealing photos with her positive community engagement makes her a friend in the industry–one who promotes healthy fitness advice.
There is very little of this kind of authenticity in the male fitness sphere. Doucette cultivates transparency by being open about his steroid use, but still, men are hesitant to post shirtless pictures with bad lighting or a bloated stomach. Opening up Instagram and invariably seeing a shirtless man who looks like a greek god has quite negative implications for men’s self-esteem and it does not even inspire men to integrate a healthier lifestyle (Tiggermann, Anderberg). Therefore, fitness influencers like Vince Sant and David Morin, who only offer their bodies and flawed fitness advice to begin with, have a net negative effect on their viewers.
The culture that exists around the male fitness industry was constructed to appeal to and to support traditional masculine ideals. But despite living in a male-centric world, society fails men by placing them into a box that encourages “stoicism, competitiveness, dominance, and aggression,” qualities that ultimately silence discussions around men’s mental health and self-image (Pappas). Under this system, “men are often reluctant to admit vulnerability” which has led fitness influencers to put on facades and abuse performance-enhancing drugs in order to appear ideally masculine in front of their audience (Pappas). If the industry truly cares about men’s health and does not exist purely for commercial and traditional masculine appeal, then it must adapt to be transparent, process-driven, and supportive of men’s body image.
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