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Likely the latter, honestly. Why more of these influencers aren't open about their usage is the elephant in the room, but I suppose they don't do it to ruin the precious sponsorships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-msbKxAsec
Above is the thumbnail and link to the video. I haven't watched the whole thing (it's 17 mins), but it seems she is strictly talking about common supplements you can buy at most nutrition stores.
What do you guys think? Is she being completely honest about what she takes? Or is this just a 17 minute advert for her sponsors?
I am involved in strength sports and have experience with nutrition and supplementation.
It reminds me of those Bowflex informercials back in the day where they got this insanely ripped spokesmodel, had him demo some movements, and claimed that the Bowflex alone got him that physique. This was a man who I guaranteed was not only more than likely on PEDs, but was doing actual weights to get like that and wasn't exclusively using the Bowflex, if he even did at all.
Her saying that those supplements helped her get her physique would be like me saying that 400m runs helped me win my CrossFit competition. Yeah, I do a warmup run before every workout, but I also do strength work, metcons and AMRAPs, mobility work, technique drills, have my nutrition dialed down, make sure I sleep at least 8 hours a night, and so on. Like you alluded to, this is mostly a 17 minute advertising promoting all her sponsors. She might take them, but they probably have only a very minimal, if at all, impact on her physique.
The vast majority of supplements are bullshit. You really only need two at the most: a protein powder (and that's honestly more for convenience: you can get the same amount of protein in a can of tuna for much cheaper than a protein shake), and maybe a creatine and that's it. Test boosters are bullshit. Pre-workouts are a waste of money (just have black coffee,) and mass gainers are unnecessary (just eat more). Ida is on PEDs. Even with great genetics, you cannot look like that without PEDs. Supplement companies are also not dumb and they know that, but they don't want their audience to know that, and if she was honest about her PED use, I guarantee they would drop her (Muscletech did when that fitness model admitted to using in the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster.)
I take all those "what I eat in a day" "here is my supplement regime" "how I grow my biceps" videos with a grain of salt. They're often nothing more than glorified ads.
Edit: so I watched a little of it, and they’re ALL 1stPhorm supplements, and she also has links to all those supplements on the video’s description. She is sponsored by them,
1stPhorm is probably the spiritual successor to Shredz when it comes to fake natties as sponsored athletes. This is a 17 minute ad and should not be taken seriously.
What do you guys think? Is she being completely honest about what she takes?
Fitfluencers and honesty are incompatible with each other. In fact, being dishonest essentially is a prerequisite to becoming the former.
Or is this just a 17 minute advert for her sponsors?
I doubt she's even taking half of what she's advertising, simply because she's likely fully aware that it's all useless snake oil. In this particular case it's all from a single sponsor (1stphorm), so fundamentally, this is sponsored content and should in fact be disclosed as such.
Likely the latter, honestly. Why more of these influencers aren't open about their usage is the elephant in the room, but I suppose they don't do it to ruin the precious sponsorships
Problem is, if you lie ppl thinks an unachieavable physique is possible with just training/eating/taking expensive bullshit like the above, if you tell the truth there will be some dumbasses doing cycles of PED on their 1st day at the gym thinking that alone will make them huge ruining their health, especially because most of them aren't followed by any medic, trainer, nutritioner... In the end it's a loss/loss situation where the only winners are GWM enjoyers (like myself and many other here) and the few BB/FBB that obtain incredible results making a living out of their "hobby" without having too much health problems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-msbKxAsec
Above is the thumbnail and link to the video. I haven't watched the whole thing (it's 17 mins), but it seems she is strictly talking about common supplements you can buy at most nutrition stores.
What do you guys think? Is she being completely honest about what she takes? Or is this just a 17 minute advert for her sponsors?
Random thought: I hate arrows being used on thumbnails.
As much as nice person I feel that she "seems", I can't help but feel she is causing more damage than good. I follow a couple of female bodybuilders that are open about their PED usage and believe me when I say it is eye opening. PED use is such a taboo talking point that influencers have to prepare themselves how to address the subject when it is brought up. I watched through the video you just posted and it was uncomfortable having her explain science terms with no clear background in it. She starts talking about nutrient deficiency based on sweeping generalizations which has caused hyper fixation and eating disorders.
She goes on about the gel capsules and how it assists with antioxidants such as CoQ10, probiotics, multi vitamins, and so on. There is a lot of research out and not all of it is conclusive. Probiotics are allegedly meant to assist with our gut microbiome, but there is not any clear evidence to that supports it. There are studies on CoQ10 that have shown to lower high blood pressure and have positive effects on people with heart disease which she chalked up as good for your heart. She goes on doing her best to explain other subject which she doesn't really understand or "seems" like she doesn't.
With that being said, I do feel that she is a good image for female bodybuilding even if she doesn't compete. She is beautiful and feminine while also carrying a decent amount of muscles on her body. I just wish she didn't have to lie to her audience out of fear of losing sponsorships and being trolled by people(mainly men) who think anyone on PEDS will look like her. The fact of the matter is the supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA and can imply claims without outright stating and get away with it. In the future, I hope more people open up to their use of PEDS because I feel that informing an audience of the realities of the fitness industry can help them adjust their expectations.
I also hate that font that I see on a lot of YouTube thumbnails.
It all lacks creativity and all the thumbnails look the same.
@H3rcules: You make some excellent points. To be fair to Ida, however, she isn't doing anything that other popular fitness influencers have been doing since bodybuilders were posting their "routines and how they got their physiques drug-free" articles in bodybuilding magazines in the 80s. Being able to make a living in the fitness industry means having to promote supplements that are more than likely not effective or questionable workout equipment and gear (like CrossFitters and toe spacers). It's kind of the whole "don't hate the player hate the game." Like you said, she probably doesn't understand the subject, and I'm pretty sure she is only going by a script that 1stPhorm gave her.
Problem is, if you lie ppl thinks an unachieavable physique is possible with just training/eating/taking expensive bullshit like the above, if you tell the truth there will be some dumbasses doing cycles of PED on their 1st day at the gym thinking that alone will make them huge ruining their health, especially because most of them aren't followed by any medic, trainer, nutritioner... In the end it's a loss/loss situation where the only winners are GWM enjoyers (like myself and many other here) and the few BB/FBB that obtain incredible results making a living out of their "hobby" without having too much health problems
I have thought this too, but honestly, I think people who want to take PEDs are going to take them regardless of if more athletes are honest about their use or not. I have seen plenty of inexperienced lifters almost immediately jump on a cycle, and I have also seen many look like complete dogshit because their training sucks and they eat like shit.
I think the problem lies in our culture behind PED use. Most cultures have depicted PED use as "well, if you take this you are a lazy cheater who doesn't want to put in the effort to get results.” And most of the general public falls between two sides: they either believe that the vast majority of athletes and lifters are natural except for the biggest bodybuilders, or they think while sitting on the couch double fisting Doritos that all that's stopping them from stepping on the Olympia stage or CrossFit Games is PEDs (I am a CrossFitter, but I know that even if I take all the PEDs in the world I doubt I'll be good enough to get to the Games.) Far fewer realize that to make it to the top, you need to take those drugs but you also have to put in a lot of hard work AND also have the genetics to them. As long as PED use is stigmatized in our culture, you'll never have honest conversations about them from the fitness world.
It's not an elephant in a room anymore, it's more like a woolly mammoth in a closet. Even bikini girls are on gear. If her delts are popping, if her bf% is so low you could cut her skin with cotton, if her traps look like an exotic snake hugging her neck, if she has any amount of noticeable muscle, she's on gear. Plain and simple. When women lift naturally they look like Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow or at most like Jessica Biel on Blade Trinity, and I'm not even sure Jessica was natty. If you see someone like that blonde french girl with the ridiculous ass or Vanessa Serros and think they're natty, you've clearly never touched a dumbbell or been in a gym before. And the reason literally all of them lie about it is because they'll lose their precious sponsors if they tell the truth. Most supps are also a huge scam. If you're looking for a little extra energy and a good pump, eat a boiled potato 1.5 hrs before your workout, down a shot of espresso right before you walk into the gym and drink lots of water. Don't waste your money on snake oil powders. What matters is your diet, sleep and consistency. And no you're never going to look like the girls and guys in the magazines unless you hop on the juice. The best genetics in the universe won't make your rear delts look like cherry tomatoes. It's all gear.
If she says she is using steroids she is going to get a visit from the cops. the sups are probably useful
The supplements aren’t useful.
And given that she lives in LA, the cops aren’t going pay her a visit if she admits to using. In most jurisdictions, law enforcement doesn’t give a shit if you use PEDs. They only care if you’re distributing (or if you get busted doing something else and you happen to have drugs on you.) if they did, they would be camping out of the Olympia every year,
It's not an elephant in a room anymore, it's more like a woolly mammoth in a closet. Even bikini girls are on gear. If her delts are popping, if her bf% is so low you could cut her skin with cotton, if her traps look like an exotic snake hugging her neck, if she has any amount of noticeable muscle, she's on gear. Plain and simple. When women lift naturally they look like Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow or at most like Jessica Biel on Blade Trinity, and I'm not even sure Jessica was natty. If you see someone like that blonde french girl with the ridiculous ass or Vanessa Serros and think they're natty, you've clearly never touched a dumbbell or been in a gym before. And the reason literally all of them lie about it is because they'll lose their precious sponsors if they tell the truth. Most supps are also a huge scam. If you're looking for a little extra energy and a good pump, eat a boiled potato 1.5 hrs before your workout, down a shot of espresso right before you walk into the gym and drink lots of water. Don't waste your money on snake oil powders. What matters is your diet, sleep and consistency. And no you're never going to look like the girls and guys in the magazines unless you hop on the juice. The best genetics in the universe won't make your rear delts look like cherry tomatoes. It's all gear.
So the new maximum natty potential is Jessica Biel who never consistently trained for mass? "eVeRyboDy Is oN gEar" is just as ludicrous as "I sWeAr hER 18 inches bIcEPs aRe nAttY!".
Hypothetically, if PEDs became "legal" tomorrow, would the stigma still be there? Would there be any reason to keep up the facade?
That's a pretty good question. Honestly, I think if PEDs were hypothetically "legalized" tomorrow. you'll have a bunch of influencers who are on them, but promote themselves as fake natties, say things like "even though they're now legal, I STILL don't take them and will not take them and I look like this naturally!"
The whole stigmatization of PEDs is based on the fact that the general public as a whole is ignorant of physical fitness and the science of exercise. People as a whole (we have seen it here too!) have a vast misunderstanding on the limits of the body in how it responds to exercise and what is achievable naturally versus enhanced. Look at how many people thought that Liver King was natty. Hell, a shockingly large number of people believe Dwyane The Rock Johnson is natty. Making them illegal contributed to stigmatizing them, but people's ignorance is what's keeping it going, and unfortunately legalizing them won't make that ignorance go away any time soon.
My guess is that the only way the stigma ends is if there are actual successful attempts at reforming the whole fitness industry. Focus more on actual health versus being insanely shredded, or thin, or being able to deadlift a car. But that won't happen unless people change what they want to see and if they are willing to educate themselves. But if that doesn't happen, things will still be as they are in the influencer and sports realm even if they are legalized tomorrow.
Honestly, I think if PEDs were hypothetically "legalized" tomorrow. you'll have a bunch of influencers who are on them, but promote themselves as fake natties, say things like "even though they're now legal, I STILL don't take them and will not take them and I look like this naturally!"
Yeah, pretty much this. It seems like a lot of people think that influencers lie about being natty because they are afraid of being prosecuted, but I think the main reason is they want their followers to think that they achieved their dream body purely from hard work and nothing else. And that just goes back to the stigma of PED use, that it's a form of "cheating," and these influencers dread having their name dragged through the mud more than anymore else.
What's interesting though is how slow it's been to catch on... those who are actually honest about it (Vladi Galagan, for example). She hasn't lost any popularity over it, and in fact may have gained some new admirers as a result. It would be nice if others followed suit. Unfortunately I think a lot of them are past the point of no return though, because they've dug their heels in and keep digging their hole deeper with the whole "lifetime natty" stuff.
There's another thing that seems to go over many people's heads and especially when talking about setting "realistic expectations": most people won't reach the physique of their favorite ACTUAL natty pro/influencers. If you assume that you can be like Jeff Nippard because he's natty, well you might be disappointed. Perhaps ever more that if he wasn't natty, because then you could tell yourself that the only reason he's bigger than you is because he's been taking PEDs.
Yeah, pretty much this. It seems like a lot of people think that influencers lie about being natty because they are afraid of being prosecuted, but I think the main reason is they want their followers to think that they achieved their dream body purely from hard work and nothing else. And that just goes back to the stigma of PED use, that it's a form of "cheating," and these influencers dread having their name dragged through the mud more than anymore else.
What's interesting though is how slow it's been to catch on... those who are actually honest about it (Vladi Galagan, for example). She hasn't lost any popularity over it, and in fact may have gained some new admirers as a result. It would be nice if others followed suit. Unfortunately I think a lot of them are past the point of no return though, because they've dug their heels in and keep digging their hole deeper with the whole "lifetime natty" stuff.
Indeed once you've started falsely claiming that you were lifetime natty there's no turning back, unless you're ok exposing yourself as a liar.
Yeah, pretty much this. It seems like a lot of people think that influencers lie about being natty because they are afraid of being prosecuted, but I think the main reason is they want their followers to think that they achieved their dream body purely from hard work and nothing else.
otherwise how could they sell mediocre programming? the same thing that "got them to where they are now"!
no way are they going to risk everything selling roids so they'll sell a lie instead
if you think its appropriate to pay someone 19-21 years old 200-300 a month for "custom" programing i have a bridge to tell you
they make their money in bulk, no way they are custom writing people plans for 100 clients. almost none of them are qualified to speak on nutrition, either. most of it is IIFYM.
you can find more cohesive programming and better diets online for $0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-msbKxAsec
Above is the thumbnail and link to the video. I haven't watched the whole thing (it's 17 mins), but it seems she is strictly talking about common supplements you can buy at most nutrition stores.
What do you guys think? Is she being completely honest about what she takes? Or is this just a 17 minute advert for her sponsors?