Muscle Dysmorphia in Men and Boys: The Fitness Influencer Effect

It was around grade 9 or 10 when I first started going to the gym on a very casual basis with my friends. We all played sports and spent plenty of time outside—the gym was by no means our primary source of activity, but it was a good way to stay healthy while being social. I'm sure we cared to some degree about our appearance and hoped the gym would get us ‘jacked,’ but looking back, going to the gym was really just a ‘thing to do.’ Other than professional athletes or the one or two older guys at the gym who were in really good shape, there were no real standards we felt we had to aspire to.

Over the past few years, this has changed drastically. If you use TikTok, Facebook, or YouTube and fitness is a hobby of yours, the algorithms of these platforms will inundate you with images and videos of men with physiques akin to Greek gods (see Sam Sulek or Alex Eubank). Naturally, men—and more importantly, impressionable teenage boys—will view this content and want nothing more than to look like their online heroes. As a personal trainer, few things are more important to me than taking care of your body and exercising regularly. But when does an activity meant to improve your physical and mental well-being become an unhealthy obsession that can, without exaggeration, take over your life?

We're all familiar with anorexia—an eating disorder characterized by restricting food intake due to a desire to be thin or a fear of being overweight. While not an eating disorder, Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) is a type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) where individuals are preoccupied with the belief that they are not muscular enough. Casually referred to as 'bigorexia,' it is more prevalent in men, according to a recent study. Although I don't have concrete evidence in the form of studies or research papers, I can reasonably assume that cases of Muscle Dysmorphia increase with greater exposure to content produced by fitness influencers. There are many risks associated with MD—let's take a look at them:

Low Self-Esteem This is fairly self-explanatory. If we're constantly exposed to people whom we consider superior and struggle to reach their level, we'll develop feelings of shame. Due to a variety of reasons, which will be discussed later, the physiques of fitness influencers are mostly unattainable.

Isolation & Anxiety I mentioned before that the gym yielded social benefits for me when I was younger since I would go with my friends. These days, I make solo trips to the gym; however, if you go to the same gym around the same time of day, you'll start seeing familiar faces. Before you know it—whether through someone asking you to spot them or exchanging favorite exercises—some form of relationship will be built. This is perfectly healthy behavior. When I talk about isolation, I mean sacrificing life outside of the gym. This is a common theme pushed by fitness influencers, particularly those in the bodybuilding community. The 'no days off' attitude is anathema to me. Should you exercise regularly? Absolutely. But you should also find time to have coffee with a friend, see your parents, and live a healthy, fulfilling social life without feeling guilty that you 'missed' a workout, which is a major source of anxiety for fitness enthusiasts.

Desire to Use Steroids It needs to be understood that your favorite influencer is 'enhanced' in one way or another. They are either open about their steroid use, lying about it (like the Liver King), or taking photos and videos under flattering lighting with high-quality cameras when they are at their most 'pumped.' As an aside, for any women reading this, I recently discovered that many female fitness influencers use 'butt pads' to make their glutes look bigger. All of these scenarios are very deceiving and can lead to undesirable consequences. Open steroid use makes the practice less taboo, leading individuals who might have otherwise never considered it to use, misuse, or abuse these substances. Lying about steroid use or presenting oneself under peak conditions may also tempt gym-goers to use performance-enhancing drugs. As for 'padding,' I have no comment—it's just ridiculous.

Neglecting Proper Nutrition Far too often, I see fitness influencers place all the emphasis on calories and not on the quality of food. Sure, if you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn. That said, if you're eating excessively, you're going to put on a significant amount of body fat relative to muscle—good luck losing it later. The concept of the 'dirty bulk' is essentially that you can eat whatever you want as long as you hit your calorie goal and get enough protein. This is terrible advice being broadcast to millions of men. Not to mention, we're exposed to every fad diet under the sun, many of which contradict one another! Eating a balanced diet that includes protein, whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and water as your drink of choice may be boring, but it works.

So when does a healthy activity become an unhealthy obsession? When the focus shifts from well-being to appearance. Don’t get me wrong—it’s important to be confident and comfortable in your own skin. But think of your training this way: if you exercise for health, a good physique will be an outcome; the same can't necessarily be said in reverse. I never used to warm up, cool down, or stretch—those activities took precious time away from lifting. I was very happy with my physique, but I paid for it with tight muscles and constant soreness. Since creating a well-rounded fitness routine for myself, I'm more flexible, less sore, more mobile, and even though I may have trimmed down a bit in terms of muscle mass, I'm still perfectly confident.

Thanks to fitness influencers and our culture of vanity, everything we do is centered around appearance. Historically, women have been more affected, but I’ve noticed a significant increase in men obsessing over their physique, which is why I felt it necessary to write this. If I may throw another piece of advice into the pot of online self-help stew, I recommend living a life of balance. Make room for fitness, but don't let it consume you. As both Aristotle and my dad say, "Everything in moderation."

P.S.: Girls don’t care as much about your physique as you think they do. ;)