![]() ![]() They tend to be human-made compounds that mimic the male sex hormone testosterone or other synthetic androgens that have similar effects. How steroids help influencers reach the 'dizzy heights' of fameĪnabolic androgenic steroids are the most common performance-enhancing drugs, taken to boost muscle and strength, and speed up recovery. "This is going on all the time, and most people aren't talking about it," Ellis said. And in the process, they're creating a body ideal that's unattainable for even the most dedicated gymgoers, which could lead to body dysmorphia and eating disorders. By presenting their steroid-induced muscle growth as the result of workout and diet plans that their followers can purchase, influencers are making money based on false claims, steroid researchers and industry experts told Insider. The consequences of that secrecy go far beyond risks to influencers' health. "Anyone that tells you that they're not, they're a fucking liar," he said. ![]() The personal trainer Tobias Holt, an open steroid user who has coached fitness influencers, says that nearly all of them are on some form of PED. Other trainers confirmed that estimate to Insider, and some said it was even a lowball number. In the world of fitness influencers, Ellis' experience is the norm, not the exception, several people told Insider.īased on his experience training athletes and bodybuilders, the personal trainer and nutritionist Harry Smith said he estimates about half of fitness influencers take some form of performance-enhancing drug, or PED, whether it's steroids, human growth hormone, or even insulin (which can reduce body fat). (While he couldn't share exact numbers from that period, he now has more than 245,000 followers, well above the 50,000 to 100,000 followers generally considered to mark " influencer" status.)įor fitness influencers, steroids are the norm, not the exception, experts say His Instagram following kept growing, too. "The more you get entrenched in your industry, the more your appearance counts, you start getting accolades and more followers, and those moral decisions just go out the window."Įllis saw improvements instantly, putting on about 6 to 9 pounds of muscle in three months. "I went down the dark side, which was a very easy decision," he said. So he turned to the "soft entry point" of an oral anabolic steroid, which felt less extreme than injecting. Ellis, who was 32 at the time, had been training since he was a teen, and he was about to enter his first professional bodybuilding competition.ĭespite having been staunchly anti-doping in his younger years, Ellis needed to bust through his workout plateau. In 2013, the personal trainer and bodybuilder James Ellis noticed his social-media following was growing - just as his progress in the gym was starting to stall. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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