The Unfiltered Health Podcast
The Unfiltered Health Podcast delivers real, authentic conversations about health, wellness, and longevity. We break down complex health topics, sharing evidence-based insights, practical advice, and personal experiences. Our mission is to educate, inspire, and build a supportive community committed to living well and thriving together—no filters, just the truth about what it takes to achieve lasting health.
The Unfiltered Health Podcast
80 - BBLs, Social Media's Workouts & Group Fitness Deadlifting SUCKS
What if your favorite social media fitness influencer is more about curated aesthetics than genuine advice? Today, we unravel the complex relationship between social media and workout routines, revealing how the flood of online fitness content can be both a blessing and a pitfall. By delving into the world of digital fitness, we uncover the discrepancies between influencer portrayals and reality, especially for those who may not be showcasing natural physiques. We promise you'll walk away with a new perspective on the importance of discerning the content you consume and recognizing the potential drawbacks of trying to emulate unfamiliar techniques without professional guidance.
Join us as we tackle crucial topics like the impact of improper form in weightlifting and the hidden challenges of group fitness classes. Through personal training insights, we highlight how minor technique adjustments can elevate performance and stave off injuries, making a strong case for personalized coaching over the often misguided intensity of group sessions. We'll shed light on why individualized attention is key for sustainable fitness goals, particularly as we age. Also, get a sneak peek at the buzzworthy Redefine conference that promises to shake up current fitness industry norms. Tune in to discover how these insights might reshape your fitness journey.
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Welcome to episode 80. Today we're going to dive into the impact of social media on your workout routine and your progress, and why those picture perfect exercises that you see on social media might not be helping your progress. We're also going to dive into the rise of group classes and why, for some, they might not be the ideal choice of your training.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's get into it, do it so recently I've had two consultations with people in regards to social media, workouts and things they're following online and they're learning their workouts online. But I must say, your it's really. It's really interesting, to be honest, because you've got this world of social media, which can teach you so much and it can actually educate you so so much like the information is abundant, we are in the information age and everything is quite accessible. It's so easy to learn things, it's so easy to try new things and be able to do it at home. But, of course, there's the downfalls, where there are things that are in a dependent on the person and dependent on that individual person's needs that might be missing, which we do talk a lot about on this podcast, and how everything you know needs to be quite tailored to someone. And you know there's the general population, I'd say, where you know it applies and it works, but then there's also another side of the population where it doesn't really work or it doesn't make sense or the execution is really wrong.
Speaker 2:So, when it comes to the workouts and exercise routine, I do think it can get you started. It can definitely if you're learning from the internet, learning from social media. It can actually get you started if you're quite scared, and I think that's what I've seen in the gym is that there are a lot more females willing to try things and come in because they're watching it online. They're seeing it and it is quite popular. Training for females is quite popular, which is good. I, I love this.
Speaker 2:But there is that other side where you know, the compound lifts, squat, bench deads do get neglected a lot and whilst I think there is a lot of information out there on how to do them, I still think then they're not getting done properly if you're just learning from them online. Same with an RDL, same with a 45 degree back extension, or some people know it as a hyper extension, which I don't call it that because I don't really believe that you can actually extend. It's just extension. Um, so I just I just wanted to talk about today because I really think there's the pros and then there's the consides, and like how important is to differentiate between the social media workouts and your workout.
Speaker 1:And I definitely think often when you're trying to learn a technique and you're watching it online, how it looks and how you think it looks may not always be how it actually looks. So you might think you're doing it correctly, and I see this with a lot of clients. They'll say you know, I've learned my squat pattern from the internet, from this trainer or videos or whatever it may be. And then I'll have a look and they'll say can you double check my technique? And I'll look at the technique and there's a few things where I'm like oh okay, we need to fix this, this, this and this. And they're like oh, I really thought my technique was good because I didn't feel it. And they're 100% right. Like, if you don't know what you're looking for, you don't know what you're supposed to feel or the position you're supposed to put yourself in, well then you're going to think it's right, even if it's not.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I think that's true for when clients are looking for extra feedback and they're not feeling like they're doing it quite correctly. I think that's definitely one of those pink orangey flags that goes you might want to get some extra assistance on someone who can pull it apart a little bit and see. I know for you and me, we probably get people to do body weight assessments all the time. We just like instantly, can see things straight away. It's like okay, this is this, is this.
Speaker 2:I had a girl come in last week and she has a trainer and over the phone she's like I just feel like something's missing. And I was like hmm, sounds like you don't trust your trainer. I really want to meet you. Come in, let's have a look. Showed me some of her movements within like three, three seconds, just doing a simple movement. I'm like okay, yeah, this is this is not where we need to be, this is what we need to get, this is what needs to happen. This is why it's looking like this and you're not feeling this. And she was like whoa, this is exactly what I needed.
Speaker 2:And I was like yeah if you feel like there's something missing, you're probably right probably, you're probably right.
Speaker 2:Um, there she was doing a 45 degree back extension and she was doing it the way Instagram promotes it for booty growth and it's that really hunched over, rolled over, curved over, isolating hamstrings and glutes completely. But the thing with this exercise is that you want to engage your upper back. You want to actually engage that muscle to carry load and use your entire body, your core, upper back, your lower back. You're missing an important muscles when you just constantly isolate. It's good to isolate, but you need to do things that are compounded because they all pull on each other.
Speaker 2:I think when you're wanting to grow a muscle, if you're isolating constantly, it works to a point, but then the other structures lag. And if the other structures lag then it's not going to necessarily express what you're trying to isolate better. So for glutes and the 45 degree, I just hate seeing that over extension just avoiding, avoiding lower back, avoiding every upper back muscle, no core. I just feel like it's it's not using that exercise to its full potential and that's what she was doing and like I was like training her and changing that form and just having that conversation and be like we don't have to just do it this way. Like you, should expose your muscles to other ways of doing it as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and it's just. It's that thing of if they don't know, then you know. If they don't know, they don't know. And it's our job to educate and to guide.
Speaker 1:But if clients are seeing it online and they're you know, especially with Instagram, and you know potentially influencers or for going down the trail of booty building, you see a lot of Instagram accounts where their programs are directed on building glutes, but then you see them doing banded exercises. You know walking, you know crab walks, clams, anything with a band. You know clients are looking at that being like, oh this is really good, I'm gonna do that. And there's there's that lack of education on how to actually grow a muscle, what's going to be beneficial for you and how you progress it and create progressive overload, and that can't be taught through an instagram account and that can't be taught through videos, because they're all cookie cutter and everyone's going to be different in the exercise you prescribe and how much you progress them and or how quick you progress them, but also how long it takes them to get the results particular with muscle growth.
Speaker 2:I think when I'm on Instagram and I see booty builder stuff come up and this girl's like my glutes went from this.
Speaker 2:When I tried this exercise, it went to this and I was like you just gained 10 kilos of muscle. You literally have got the. The body shape and the angle that you've shown us is perfect because you've literally just gained so much more weight. Like it's not that exercise. I just want to explain and express when you are wanting to build a muscle, it also needs food, and glutes look really good when you're eating regularly and you're training them regularly, and also there are genetic differences with every different person. But like this there's not one exercise. There is not one exercise. There are definitely exercises that all contribute and your glutes are three muscles the glute min, the glute med and the glute max. So you're not just wanting to train the max, because then you neglect the min and the med and then it won't bring out that fullness. So like in particular to glutes, because that's what most young females do want bigger glutes, full of glutes. It's also about weight gain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's a really important note because a lot of people don't realize that, like a lot of people will. I'd imagine if you, if a client came up to you and said hey Raquel, I want to grow my glutes, what do we need to do? What can you give me the right exercises? And I'd imagine your response would also be cool. But we've got to increase your food because we need to increase your weight. Yeah, and a lot of people, scared, like a lot of people, will think no, no, but I want to build and I want to grow a bigger glute, but I don't want to put on weight it's annoying a little bit, because also social media has made common to see skinny mini innie girls with flat waist and big old booty
Speaker 2:and then you have to really think about is this a glute implantation is has? Has this person got a bbl or is this natural? Is this, is this their genetics? Yeah, are they showing you certain angles? Are they flexing? Are they tensing?
Speaker 2:One of my clients, she recently got pregnant. I'm not gonna name drop because I don't think she listened to this podcast, but if she did, hi um, she knows she'll already know who she is she, she, she. Recently her body shape changed because she's pregnant, yeah, anyway, and she sent me a photo. She's like I actually look so good. When I was, like she went through a bulk and a deficit, her glutes grew by like five, ten centimeters. She put on a lot of weight, like seven kilos, and she said it's gonna be so hard for me to drop this weight, but she wanted to do it for the glutes. We grew them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as soon as she started dropping a deficit, her glutes started dropping instantly. Yeah, it's like okay, and her abs, the abs started to come back. So, like you have a trade-off and the thing is you have to do this multiple, multiple, multiple times and maintain a certain body weight. Keep training the glutes. Like you, you have to be dedicated when it comes to that area, but also, again, fucking genetics.
Speaker 2:So one thing I just want to say about the glutes is that you do need to eat a lot and they do need to grow. You can't just do a special exercise to make them grow and then, two, you need to consider who you're looking at online. I would really encourage people to unfollow a lot of the people who just show their ass all the time, because it's most likely that they've done some work on it and you can notice it, depending on how developed their hamstrings are. So, just a little like tidbit, if you see someone with really full glutes, really flat washboard abs and they got no hamstrings, I'd be wondering is that a BBL? Is that real? And they got no hamstrings? I'd be wondering is that a?
Speaker 2:BBL. Yeah, is that real? And I know like it might sound easy to go out and just get surgical implantation, surgery and stuff, but there are a lot of complications with that. There's no reward in doing it really. So, yeah, I just something just dropped out of the wardrobe. It was like it was the backpack I put up there. Did you hear that?
Speaker 1:I heard and then I saw the door like just creak open and I'm like who is there is?
Speaker 2:it your dog? I'm like no, your dog went out before who?
Speaker 1:is entering the room to join the podcast. Oh my god, I was like voodoo.
Speaker 2:That was weird. Oh my god. No, I put a backpack. Ghosts, the glute ghosts the glute spirits mic drop have arrived, drop.
Speaker 1:They're like.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm talking about, raquel, thank you yeah, anyway, I hope that kind of clears some of the stuff with social media. It's definitely you just got to have your wits about you. If your page is some of the stuff with social media, it's definitely you just got to have your wits about you. If your page is full of glutes, glutes, glutes, glutes, glutes, which you know a lot of people do obsess over, fantastic. But you know, get an objective point of view. Don't stick on social media because it's just you know you're not going to get necessarily always the truth, depending who you look at.
Speaker 1:And I think when you are looking at using a program that's online or if you want to learn technique, especially, I think it can be useful to have a look online and for reference. But especially if you want to do the big compound lifts, you want to get really good at them and you want to lift heavy, I would highly recommend seeing a coach to iron out any little creases you have in your technique, to get you to understand the movement pattern better, to get you to understand what you should be feeling, because it's all good and well when the weight's really light and you can very well get away with it, but when the weight gets heavier, that's when you'll run into some issues 100%, which you'll see all the breaking points as soon as you start going heavier, like even absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1:You'll feel super unstable, you'll be feeling it in places you're not supposed to be feeling it, um, and most people will then think, oh well, I just can't do it because it's bad for me. Or you know, I shouldn't do it because this exercise isn't good for me and most of the time it's just slightly tweaking a technique. I had a client a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about how she's getting some back pain with her deadlifts now that she's starting to increase the weight and this is a good segue because she does this in group classes. So she is group training, she's doing her deadlifts, they're going through like a heavier block in their group sessions and she's starting to feel her back um. And she had said to me maybe my back just isn't made for dead lifting, maybe it's something that you know I can't do because my back's getting really grumpy, and I said, okay, cool, let's just have a look at your technique. How to look at her technique?
Speaker 1:I saw a major um, a major thing. That wasn't necessarily wrong, but she was really overextending and exaggerating and thinking a lot about her arms and upper body instead of the drive from her feet, and so we did a really quick technique adjustment gave her a few little cues. She did her second set. No pain, absolutely no pain, and you know it's not always as simple as that. But for the most part, especially if you're doing group sessions, the trainer won't be there or doesn't have the time to correct your technique. So if you're wanting to go heavy and you want it to be safe, you need to make sure that your technique is optimal.
Speaker 2:I will speak on this at length Because I've been in the group fitness industry before I was a PT and so I know how this operates. It's very hard if you have one or two coaches in a facility or just you are the one coach in an aerobics class to go over and fix people's form. Especially in an aerobic setting where you're in the like that Les Mills kind of setting there is a lot of instruction coming through at tempo and then there's not a lot of instruction coming to the individual because of your teaching to an en masse situation. Same with F45 or body revival or anything like that. There are a lot of clients who I also get who say about the deadlift and I hurt my back in the deadlift and it fucks me off, like it really really, really frustrates me because I know in that setting you probably shouldn't be doing that movement there because it's not taught to you properly. It's not taught to you like a power lifters mindset on on the approach of the deadlift. It's not taught to you from basic level. It's taught to you to just lift and lift and lift and lift as many reps as you possibly can. There was a consult again I had last week with someone who hurt their back and they just from a deadlift and it just grinds my gears because I'm just like this is not a bad exercise, it's just taught so poorly in group fitness world and I would say a lot of PTs don't actually know how to teach the deadlift properly, so it gets it gets a really bad rap.
Speaker 2:And yeah, I think if you're going to a group setting and you're learning a delift, be mindful because they will egg you on, they will encourage you to lift heavier and they will tell you you can do more, you can do more, you can do more, but they're not teaching you anything else. They're not teaching you about the slack out of the bar. They're not teaching you how to drop it properly. They're not teaching you how to pick it up properly. They're not teaching you about tension required in your hamstrings, your glutes, your quads and your, your, even your armpits. There are certain ways that you need to engage in a muscle and it's not happening in group fitness class. I'm telling you right now it's not there. There's like in a 45 class. There was that time like 40 people or how many stations I have on 40, 45 stations. You don't have time.
Speaker 2:There is no 45 seconds as well to talk and instruct someone. There is no time to run around and it's just the expectation of that group fitness drives me mental. It really was the driver for me to get out of that industry because I was like this is not what I want to do. This is not helping anybody. This is quick fix, half-assed exercises, exercises, random intensity, which leads us into what you want to talk about today and like doing it for fun, like we said, is good, but doing it for a specific result is not, not it yeah.
Speaker 1:And if you know if your goal for your group classes is just, you know, feel motivated, get into a session where they're telling you what to do. You don't have to think about it, you just want to get a bit of a sweat on. You want to do it around people, cool, great setting to do that. They have some great classes where you know you feel motivated, you feel fit, it makes you feel really good You're lifting weights. You know you feel motivated, you feel fit, it makes you feel really good you're lifting weights. You know tick, tick, tick so great. But if your goal is something a little bit more specific muscle growth, weight loss, whatever it may be or if you have pain where you're trying to navigate it through a group session, that's probably when group training might not be ideal for you and a more individualized approach is going to be your best bet yeah, I'd personally say a lot of people could do a lot better on the specific approach.
Speaker 2:But, like you said, I think if you're doing fun, you like training around people and you enjoy it, okay fine, like I get that. But to me, if you want to train, if you want to get good results in the gym and you're just doing these random group fitness classes that have got that evolution around of quick fix result sorry, quick fix mentality and kind of enabling that attitude it's constantly enabling this dieting, this. Like you got to do this, you got to be like your intensity has to be here every time. You should be motivated all the time. Come and join our eight-week thing. Like I just don't think that's it's all sustainable.
Speaker 1:Sustainable, yeah, no, it's not sustainable, and I think if you're trying to make progress or you're trying to reach a goal, whatever it is, you need consistency, you need a structured plan with progressive overload. You need to do the same thing over a set period of time.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you need to adjust load or training based on you know life if things happen, and unfortunately in a group setting they don't do any of that.
Speaker 2:Even if you don't have a specific goal, like, even if you're like, I don't think you even need to have a specific goal. Actually, I'm going to backtrack on my original thought to do PT or to get into the yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2:You should know how to move. Like okay, this is what I think about when we are our parents age, when we are older. I want to make sure that I have the least risk of falling, the least chance of hurting myself, because I know as you get older, women especially are what 10 times more likely to osteoporosis by the age of like 60, 70. So you know that's going to come quick. But I'm trying to prevent myself from injury, prevent from harm, but also keep active so I have better longevity, better life quality. So I think everyone should know how to move, because the amount of people that don't know how to move, our obesity statistics, our osteoporosis, alzheimer's statistic, like all it comes back to just honestly looking after yourself. And I don't personally think group classes are instilling anything healthy, anything sustainable. It might be fun, it might keep you on your toes and change up the sessions and allow you not to think about the workout and have to push yourself, but it's not really helping you long term. I really, truly believe. Yeah, that's my thoughts.
Speaker 1:That's fair, that's fair, I'm a little bit order in my court, I'm a little bit, I guess, in the in the middle of. I'm in, agree, I'm in agreeance to that. But then also, the longer I'm in the industry, the longer I realize it. You know, personal preference time, like people are always going to have different opinions and views on it. So if it's, if that's the one thing that just gets people moving and nothing else will, then 100% I'm all for it, at least as a starting point. And then if they're feeling really good and they want to challenge themselves a little bit, then yeah, go. And you know, go and work with a coach. I still think that's going to be working with a coach is, you know, your 10 out of 10 first option. You're going to get the most benefit out of that for longevity and for everything. But I think for those that really struggle and they just, I don't know, want an easy option, let's say, say, to just get in there and train, then group sessions, cool, go for it yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2:I do understand also cost effectiveness like efficiency I, I get it, I do. But there is an element in my heart that's like we we can do better. It can do way better.
Speaker 1:We can do better.
Speaker 2:The industry, the fitness industry as a whole, can do so much better.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, absolutely. We can definitely open a can of worms with that one.
Speaker 2:Well, we will be on the weekend. Will we Tell everyone what you're doing?
Speaker 1:I will be one of the speakers at the Redefine event, which is a event slash conference, this Saturday. We've got some awesome guest speakers lined up and it's going to be a really good day. I'm so excited for it, not just for me speaking, but also to listen to the other guest speakers, because there's going to be a lot of gold nugget mic drop moments.
Speaker 2:I can't wait. This event will be really great, because I haven't been to a conference like this in years, so I'm really looking forward to listening to all the speakers, getting to see you, getting to see a couple of other people that I know. Yeah, it's kind of like We'll have to do a recap for the pod.
Speaker 1:We'll have to do a recap. It's kind of like the fitness you know they do like fitness expos or you know each year it's kind of like that, but it's not cookie cutter, it's each year it's kind of like that, but it's not cookie cutter, it's raw, it's edgy. It's like new, new people in the industry that are trying to like change things around and shift the industry for the better yeah okay, and so yeah it's, it's gonna be good we'll do a recap next week on like how it went.
Speaker 2:I reckon we'll start the pod with like a review how we do a review and some takeaways audience with the ltlt macaulay.
Speaker 1:Get to meet the new girl as well awesome yep, okay, and we'll um, yeah, we'll um summarize some takeaways from the event. Yeah, I reckon we should I think that'll be good, yeah, anyway.
Speaker 2:Anyway. So Raina back in, just to summarize. So social media workouts, internet workouts, we would say get another coach, the no deal from us. Get another coach, get someone who can like look at those things a little bit more specifically.
Speaker 1:And the group sessions, if you take Steph's point of view, view any movement's good movement, any movement is good movement, but there is such thing as quality movement and quality. We're aiming for the quality movement, we're aiming for the movement, that, um, that gives you the the most benefit. Not just going through the motion, because there's also going through the motion and training for the sake of it, and then there's also training with intent. Yes, and they're really different. They are really really different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually, that word's been popping up heaps lately intent, intent.
Speaker 1:I love that word I absolutely love it.
Speaker 2:Is that?
Speaker 1:the word of the year. Next year it could be the word of the year actually. Ooh, we're going to do an episode over the next, maybe in the next couple of weeks, about our word for next year and our reflections and our goals for next year yes so that'll be one to look forward to okay we are for now a go, sorry no no, no go, go.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say we are doing a couple short and sweet episodes to come up to fill the gaps while we will be taking a break over the christmas season. So if anyone has any topic, this was supposed to be an audience-led podcast. We forgot to say today with people's themes and ideas, but, you know, steph put out a link and got some just random, random things, random fangirling things, yeah, which is cute, thanks, but not related to health or fitness. So we just made up some ideas today. Well, not made up, but we talked about realistic conversations. We've had this week that we want to talk about, but we would like to. Maybe, you know, in those short and sweet periods where we won't be doing so much, um, podcasting, uh, for a month at, we're going to come up with at least five episodes, probably, yeah, hopefully to take at least five weeks through to the new year. So if you do have any ideas, please get in touch with us Please share them with us.
Speaker 2:You can hit us up on the Unfiltered Health podcast on Instagram. You can also message us individually if there are any queries or questions, or even if you just want to give us some feedback and tell us that you love the show and you love what we're talking about. I love, we love hearing it and, yeah, if you want to share this with other people so they can also get the same perspective and open up their minds as well, so you can share the love, then please share away. And I think that wraps us up. Beautiful, all right. Episode 80 done. Thanks everyone.
Speaker 1:Thank you see you guys next week.