Beware: Astroturfing
Astroturfing is the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product, cause, etc., undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion.
Astroturfing in the fitness industry is everywhere. “Lose 20 pounds in 10 days!” “Do this exercise to get abs without dieting!” “Take this pill, never exercise and lose weight!” These ridiculous claims are everywhere, they flood your social media feed, pop up in television ads and you’ll even find them on products in the grocery store. You see them, you watch them, and for some reason, you buy them. We are here to tell you, don’t fall for this bull***t. Astroturfing is misleading and unethical. It can manipulate consumers into purchasing products or services based on false information.
If you want results in your life, you have to put in the work. This is especially true in the fitness world when it comes to changing your body and the way you want to look. Too many people want the quick fix. They want to put in minimal effort and get results. They want the magic pill that changes their body. None of that works and none of that exists.
We created this article so that whenever you come across similar bulls**t, you are well informed and can just move on.
Over the past few months we have collected a few social media campaigns that we have come across. Do they work? What do you think?
Let’s start with the first one.
Oh wow! All you have to do is put your hands on a bed, hyperextend you back 100 times a day and you will have your girl figure back! No diet, no real exercise, no real movement, just hump your bed! Believe it or not, people fell for this.
The only way for you to look the way you want to look is to put in real effort with real exercise or real movement over a period of time, consistently. Or you can try crap like this because you don’t want to put in the work. Let us know how that turns out.
Moving on to the second campaign.
Beautiful fitness model. She must know what she’s doing! All you have to do is lay on the floor, pop your feet up on the wall and do some type of windshield-wiper sh** and you get a slim waist and abs! We’re in!!!
This one is sad. If you are being sold an exercise that promises results while laying on your back, avoid it at all costs. We are well aware that you can burn calories on your back, but if you want to burn any serious amount of calories, get up and get moving. This is yet another minimal-effort exercise and somehow 28K people liked it. WTF.
Abs are made in the kitchen. If you want a slim waist and abs, clean up your diet, start exercising on a regular basis, lower your body fat percentage to 15% or lower (depending on your gender) and only then will you have abs.
Moving onto campaign number three.
Sweet! All you have to do is swing your arms while rocking onto the balls of your feet. Do that 100 times in the morning and you’ll lose belly fat! Not fat in your face, legs, butt or arms. Just belly fat!!!
We have a better idea. How about you go for a walk every morning for the amount of time it takes to do 100 reps of whatever the f*** that is. You will move more muscles in your body and burn more calories.
No jumping, no running? How about no effort? Another horrible message being sent to the ladies about what it takes to lose weight and get a slim stomach.
In addition to just a bunch of crap, let’s just say this “exercise” somehow worked. We have news for you … you won’t just lose fat in your “belly.” You CAN NOT target fat loss. It comes off everywhere throughout the body. No exercise tells the body where to burn fat. If you do sit-ups, you’re making the ab muscles stronger, the fat in your stomach isn’t directly altered because of your ab exercises. It comes down to dieting, regular exercise and losing enough fat to see it melt off your entire body. This process takes time and effort. Real frickin effort.
Moving to campaign number four and five.
Let’s start with the Glute Stimulator. We honestly have no idea what the eff this is. It seems more like an adult toy than a piece of exercise equipment, but let’s dive in.
If you want a nice “peachy” butt, all you have to do is stick this thing on your tush and let it vibrate for a few minutes? Say no more!
This is an absolute joke. We have seen a lot of great glutes in our day and none of them were created by a vibrator. But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room! Using this stimulator is like squatting 20,000 times? Is that bodyweight squats? Is that barbell squats? Maybe it’s illegally house squatting? If you have ever squatted before then you know that 100 squats is brutal, so 20,000 squats is simply ridiculous and impossible to recover from.
There is nothing like a real squat. If you want a nice butt, actually squat. Squat over a long period of time, adding weight and reps along the way. Then, and only then, will you have a “peachy” ass.
The fifth campaign doesn’t need much of a rant. Look at it. If you want results, put in effort, real frickin effort over a period of time. Anything that says “lazy” or “laying down workout” is a disgrace to the fitness industry and the people who know what it takes to get results. If you run across crap like this, giggle and move on.
Lastly is campaign six.
So all I need is to eat one “GUM” every morning for two weeks and I’ll lose weight? Give me that GUM!
But hold the phone. I’ll be down 40 what? Pounds? Calories? Brain cells? Just checking.
The advertisement goes onto say that no exercise is needed. In fact, on day seven your pants will no longer fit you. Wow!
Let us remind you … there is no magic pill. None. The hard work you’re trying to avoid is the magic pill that you seek. Crap like this will always appeal to people because it is a quick, easy, no-effort way to lose fat.
Let’s pretend for a second that this pill does work. Does it also fix the lazy, lousy bad habits that made someone overweight in the first place? Does it shock your body into making better food choices? Does it inject you with motivation to go to the gym or exercise more often? No. No it does not. It doesn’t burn fat and it doesn’t do a frickin thing except fill you with false hope, steal your money and distract you from the effort you are trying to avoid.
Astroturfing is everywhere. If you see anything that resembles any of the things we listed in this article then you know it’s a bunch of BS. If you want to change your body and look better than you ever have, you have to do things you have never done. Put in the effort, be persistent and stay consistent. Ignore all the “get skinny quick” schemes that don’t work. Find an exercise approach that works for you and stick with it for 90 days. Improve your diet and on day 90 you’ll look and feel better than you ever have. As most successful people will tell you, it’s about becoming and not being. The journey to your goal changes you and turns you into the person you want to become.
