Influencer bodybuilders: young people with thousands of fans who sell tips to 'evolve your shape'

Influencer bodybuilders: young people who sell tips to 'evolve your shape'
Bodybuilder Gabriel Ganley, who died at the age of 22 this Sunday (24), had more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. He died suddenly caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a heart disease that can be worsened by the use of anabolic steroids.
On social media, Ganley spoke openly about the use of hormones and insulin and already declared that he knew he was taking risks with the practice. He produced content on the internet, interacted with other famous people, had fans... in practical terms, he was a celebrity.
In the country that has become the second largest bodybuilding market in the world (information from "Fantástico"), the number of influencers in the area is only growing. Today, it includes several young people, in their 20s, who show their hard training, what they consume and talk about achieving the "perfect shape".
They are sponsored by supplement brands, are followed by thousands and monetize by giving tips on training and diets, even without having training in the area. Understand more about the market for influencer bodybuilders:
The shape market
Gabriel Ganley, Matheus Lacerda and Dudu Fit: influencers and bodybuilders who sell exclusive content
Reproduction/Instagram
The world of bodybuilding has always had a lot of support, but with the internet, it gained another proportion: it became entertainment and daily content. In this field, Gabriel Ganley became one of the best-known names, ever since he was a "natural athlete", that is, when he did not use anabolic steroids.
He gained fame with his content on the internet and by interacting with other names in bodybuilding, such as former singer Leo Stronda - who even administered hormones to Ganley during the program "Fala Monstro", in an episode with more than 900 thousand views.
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Thus, Ganley accumulated a wide base of followers, began to monetize his own content and advertise.
In his Instagram bio, he recommended "everything you need to evolve": a list of links that included discount coupons for supplements and exclusive content on "close friends" (best friends), in which he promised to give "training tips", teach "everything about diets" and show "an athlete's routine" for R$37.90 per semester.
Gabriel Ganley 'sold' access to close friends with tips
Reproduction
"Close friends" became a common practice among these influencers. Known as Ganley's "rival" in competitions, Dudu Fit (which has around 390 thousand followers) also sells access to this type of content for R$75 per quarter. There, the 20-year-old boy promises to show his "life as an athlete" and "question boxes to help you".
Another example is Matheus Lacerda (known as Mahhtla), aged 19, who has around 184 thousand followers - according to him, he had more than 300 thousand on his previous profile, which would have been taken down. It also sells access to close friends, for R$37.90 per quarter.
In his profile, he gives tips on what to take "for those who love juice" (slang for anabolic steroids) and shares the results of using testosterone.
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Identification among young people
These influencers attract, especially, young people of a similar age to theirs. For psychoanalyst Cínthia Demaria, this relationship is simple: those who follow athletes are those who identify with them and see them as a "possible" ideal.
Of course, there are several doctors and physical education professionals talking about training on social media. But for a young person, following them will never be as interesting as following a boy your age - who talks, in his own language, about how to "evolve", "get out of mediocrity" and so on.


"In this horizontal relationship, of identifying yourself in the influencer as a similar person, you have this illusion that you are very close... it is different from the figure of a doctor, for example, who is a more distant figure. It is very tempting precisely for this reason that, in addition to this identification, the promise of quick results and also achieving a certain ideal", says Cinthia.
Inside 'looksmaxxing', a trend that makes young men hit themselves in the face
Gabriel Ganley
Reproduction
The psychologist reinforces that the relationship goes beyond inspiration: often, the young people who consume the content end up adopting the same logic of producing content, promoting this market. And then, few care about posting responsibly.
"There is also this idea, often shared, that the production of content is also interesting to become relevant on the network itself. Absorbing a practice from a third party, so that it can become your own content, this is also a tempting thing in the contemporary world. Not only to do it to win over someone, for example, but also to be seen."
Dangerous influence
For young people in their 20s these days, it's natural to share your routine on social media. But by giving tips and "promoting" a certain lifestyle to anyone who pays, these bodybuilders assume the role of experts - which they are not.
"Only the physical education professional is qualified to prescribe training, and neither doctors nor physiotherapists can do so. This is regulated by Law 9696, and anyone who sells training on the internet without being a professional is committing a criminal offense", says Felipe Goulart, from the Federal Council of Physical Education (CFEF).
Above all, Felipe states that these influencers sell "an illusion" by offering paths to the "ideal shape". In the end, it's never as simple as it seems.
Influencers sell training and diet courses and spreadsheets
Reproduction
"Guys live for this. So they train 6, 8 hours a day, sleep early, wake up early, don't spend 4 hours on public transport, won't eat fast food on the weekend, but they sell you their training protocol. The person, when buying this, is buying an illusion, thinking that with that they will get results. And it's not like that."
Even between For those who don't "sell" tips, it's difficult to understand the limit between showing your lifestyle and ending up influencing people to follow it. After all, just by posting about the use of anabolic steroids, for example, a bodybuilder can affect (for better or worse) his followers' views on the topic.
"The influencer, the name is already saying: he is influencing. So, many of them protect themselves in this curtain of: I'm not prescribing, I'm saying what I do. So, people go under this illusion: 'Ah, the guy does this, I'm going to go there and do it too'".

Source: G1

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