[The Best] How to Break Free from Social Media Fitness Culture, and More

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Best Content of the Week

We’ve reached an interesting point of the internet age where we’re pretty split between trainers who remember a time before social media, and those who’ve never known life without it. As Lee Boyce shares in this week’s best article, social media culture has significant downsides. That’s probably not news to you, but what I love about Boyce’s article is his advice for taking a break: whether by unfollowing people and accounts that trigger you, or using helpful tech like News Feed Eradicator to limit the content you’re exposed to. Give it a read and see how you can experiment with less internet and more real-life happiness.

— Esther Avant

Best Article

Fitness Culture and the Internet: The Absolute Worst Combination for Mental Health — Lee Boyce, leeboyce.com

The internet is one of the best and worst things to happen to our industry. Social media is a double-edged sword that can help you expand your reach but also can fuel anxiety and depression. Take Boyce’s advice to preserve your mental health. 

— Shane McLean

Best Video

How Long Should Your Training Block Be for Muscle Growth? — Mike Israetel, Renaissance Periodization

There are many schools of thought around programming, and it can feel overwhelming for new and veteran trainers alike. In this week’s video, Mike Israetel breaks down how to choose your mesocycle length. In under 30 minutes, he covers why accumulation and deload phases matter, considerations for lifters of all levels, and how to find the sweet spot to maximize muscle growth.

— Esther Avant

Best Social Media Post

Posted by Conor Harris on October 17, 2021

Can’t touch your toes? Time to stretch your hamstrings! … Or is it? Conor Harris says that “muscles get blamed too often for lack of range of motion.” Meanwhile, joint position (the main culprit) barely gets recognized. Check out Harris’s post for a drill to implement to see instant progress.

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

Jungle Tigers vs. Zoo Tigers — Trevor Ragan, The Learner Lab 

Learning how to learn is the ultimate meta-skill. Whether you want to be a better student or a better teacher, this podcast episode can help. Trevor Ragan—who’s big on the “how” of learning versus the “what”—shares his own inspiration for teaching and outlines the differences between jungle tigers and zoo tigers as a springboard for how to be a better learner. The first in a series of what will be an entire audiobook, this episode provides some excellent groundwork for the process of efficient and effective learning.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content

[Article] Meet in the Middle – Shane McLean, tonygentilcore.com

[Video] 3 Speed Training Mistakes to Avoid — Erica Suter

[Social Media] 4 Ways to Cultivate a Safe and Compassionate Gym Culture — Girls Gone Strong, @thegirlsgonestrong

[Podcast] What Does “Maintenance Calories” Really Mean? — Martin MacDonald, Not Another Nutrition Podcast

[Podcast] Why Would Anyone Work with Me Vs Another Big-Name Coach? —  Jonathan Goodman and Amber Reynolds, The Online Trainer Show

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