The Rise of Instagram and ‘Instagrammable Bodies’

Where there was once a time that we looked towards print media for the ideal body inspiration, Instagram has now taken over…

Attitudes towards exercise, fitness and nutrition are constantly evolving with current trends – especially viral trends with the rise of digital media and social platforms. Social apps such as Facebook and Instagram have provided personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts with a platform to offer advice and support for others trying to reach their fitness goals.

Whatever your fitness goal, whether you are working towards a bikini body, training towards your next bodybuilding competition, or simply trying to lose weight and get in shape, you will probably find yourself turning to the likes of Instagram for workout and nutrition inspiration from your favourite fitness model, personal trainer, or celebrity figure. HyperGH 14x is also a supplement you might consider incorporating into your routine to support your fitness journey. So, looking where to buy HyperGH 14x? The best place is the Official HyperGH 14x website.

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Previously, there has been a slight stigma attached to weightlifting, where females believed lifting weights in the gym would give them a physique that resembled Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, social media has helped shift people’s attitudes towards weight lifting, from the idea that lifting weights will make you big and bulky towards the idea that weights are the best way to get into shape. You don’t get sculpted curves and abs from jogging on the spot!

The popularity of Instagram

Launched in 2010, the free social media app Instagram has rocketed over the past few years. With over 700 million monthly active users, there has been over 40 billion photos shared to date – that is impressive! It shows just how popular the social app has become. It seems everyone wants a slice of the action. But Instagram has become more than just a personal photo sharing app now – it has become a platform for companies and organisations to gain more coverage for their brand and products.

Personal trainers, dieticians and fitness enthusiasts have also been able to utilise the platform to make their own businesses work – without the need for a large marketing budget. Diets, workouts and workout supplements are increasingly pushed out across social media, as public figures and fitness influencers shout about their favourite routines, diet plans and choice of protein powders, drinks and supplements.

Instagram is responsible for the influx of images representing the ‘ideal’ body, from sculpted curves and defined abs, to big booties and solid biceps. Whether it’s someone showing off their achievements or using an image as inspiration, there is no way of avoiding it – we are constantly encouraged to work out and eat healthy, because these images have become powerful in society.

According to Dan Lambert, a personal trainer at MaxiNutrition: “The influence of social media, in particular Instagram, on the fitness industry has been dramatic! The industry has seen exponential growth over the past few years, credited in large to the rise of social influencers, bloggers and fitness professionals using the popular platform to inspire, motivate and educate.”

When you look at the figures, it’s no surprise that Instagram posts have become so influential amongst users. If you consider that one single person could have thousands and thousands of followers, that one person can post a single picture and it will reach the eyes of thousands of people. What’s even more impressive is that the use of a hashtag can reach an even bigger audience.

Known for his 15 minute workouts and 15 minute meals, Joe Wicks found his fame and success through social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. He aims to help people reach their fitness body goals. Also known as ‘The Body Coach’, the fitness figure has a huge 1.9 million followers on Instagram. That means for every workout video or healthy food recipe that he posts on his account, it is guaranteed to reach 1.9 million people, not to mention anyone who is looking for any trending hashtags that have been used.

Powerful hashtagging

Hashtags have become an easy way for users to search for posts that they are interested in. Not only do we ‘follow’ our key influencers but we can focus on particular hashtags to narrow down content. A hashtag is used on a post to link it toward a relevant topic. Example hashtags include, #bodybuilding, #instafit, #fitness, #bodygoals, #nutrition. When looking for help or inspiration, using these hashtags we can find relevant posts that are likely to help. Hashtags therefore help posts gain more coverage and exposure.

Key Influencers

Known for her ‘booty-busting’ regime, New Yorker, Jennifer Selter, has a whopping 11.5 million Instagram followers – just on her personal account. She runs an impressive six Instagram pages. An example of Selter’s booty workout is as follows:

– Donkey Kicks – 15 reps each leg

– Fire Hydrant – 1 set of 15 reps each leg

– Chair Kick – 10 reps each leg

– Squat Pulse – 3 sets of 10-15 reps

– Squat Kick – 3 sets of 10 reps

Emily Skye, just like Joe Wicks, is one of 2017’s key fitness influencers across social media. The Australian began her social media following back in 2011 and now has 2.1 million followers on Instagram. Skye encourages people across the globe to eat clean and follow her fitness programmes. With a predominantly female following, her programme is made up of three phases – full body, legs and butt and then abs and core. She suggests a five-day sculpting workout.

MaxiNutrition ambassador, and personal trainer, Dan Lambert is a man who knows a thing or two about working out. For him, “the growth of Instagram has driven the growth of my business in ways I would never have imagined. Starting out as a struggling part-time trainer – I used social media to tell my clients stories, show off their results and advertise my services (for free!), which ultimately led to the rapid expansion of my part-time ‘hobby’ into a lucrative business!”

He also adds that it is not just his business that has been influenced by social media platforms, explaining: “Whether you are interested in bodybuilding, booty-building, CrossFit, sports or weight loss etc. there are thousands of influencers catering specifically to you – creating imaginative workouts, posing with their most recent culinary creations or uploading the motivational gym selfie! Even as a fitness professional, I often find myself admiring the ‘Insta-bods’, striving to emulate their incredible physical creations and naturally comparing myself to these ‘digital’ physiques.”

However, we must remember that the images we see on social media are ‘digital’. Whilst fitness professionals and influencers are great for inspiration, Dan Lambert reminds us that we should all take what we see on social media with ‘a pinch of salt’. Thus is because “Instagram profiles are ultimately digital-avatars” and “the demand to be ‘in shape’ is progressively rising with every ‘refresh’ – driven by the millions of profiles showing off year-round shredded abs, 24/7 pumped arms and gravity defying ‘squat booties’” which is often an unrealistic extreme.

Charlotte Giver

Charlotte is the founder and editor-in-chief at Your Coffee Break magazine. She studied English Literature at Fairfield University in Connecticut whilst taking evening classes in journalism at MediaBistro in NYC. She then pursued a BA degree in Public Relations at Bournemouth University in the UK. With a background working in the PR industry in Los Angeles, Barcelona and London, Charlotte then moved on to launching Your Coffee Break from the YCB HQ in London’s Covent Garden and has been running the online magazine for the past 10 years. She is a mother, an avid reader, runner and puts a bit too much effort into perfecting her morning brew.