Instagram Diets and Workouts?

paniz_s
paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
edited November 25 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,
I follow a lot of different people on Instagram. But I noticed a few gym junkies like the girls from gymshark tend to have their own diet and workout plans that you would pay money for and follow their program. I see their before and after and afters and wow they look great and it makes me want to purchase. But has anyone had any experience with Instagram programs or similar programs?
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Replies

  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 623 Member
    It might be a good idea to pay a reasonable amount for one plan just to give you enough ideas to develop your own. Having said that, there's so much online you should be able to build your own too
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I personally would not purchase and follow those programs unless it was from a reputable source, you really have to do your research. To lose weight it is all about being in a calorie deficit and getting adequate macros for satiety and body composition. There are great free sources for online recipes too.
  • 911Doughboy
    911Doughboy Posts: 80 Member
    it definately more about colrie deficit than anything else. try the free stuff first. coming up with a workout plan is a good idea, but plenty of free stuff out there...if you want, i have a circuit training workout that i follow that has helped out alot the past month and a half. down about 10-15 pounds (together with eating right)
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    I follow a few Instagram fitness people- and i just write down exercises they share in a notebook and do those.

    I mix it up with FitnessBlender and other YouTube workouts.

    Keeps me from getting bored, but I'm not paying for it!
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    paniz_s wrote: »
    Hi,
    I follow a lot of different people on Instagram. But I noticed a few gym junkies like the girls from gymshark tend to have their own diet and workout plans that you would pay money for and follow their program. I see their before and after and afters and wow they look great and it makes me want to purchase. But has anyone had any experience with Instagram programs or similar programs?

    There are plenty of good weight training programs out there for free that will give you some really good muscle definition if you follow them (as in the basic 1 leg + 1 push + 1 pull + 1 glute type programming to so 2-3x/week - Stronglifts/Starting Strength/ Strong Curves/'AWorkoutPlan'/...).

    For diet, it's a matter of consuming the correct amount of calories to lose/maintain/gain weight and making sure you are getting enough protein/fat/fiber/micronutrients (with recommended amounts freely available online/in forums here).
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    ..and ditto on not trusting the before/after images.... Lighting, angles, posing makes a ginormous difference in appearance in photos.
  • paniz_s
    paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    OP, you've asked tons of questions on the threads lately. I'm glad you're interested in your health and fitness. But pretty much everything you'll find on IG, or Google, or FB, or wherever, is woo (woo is bad, not good).

    Eat within your calorie allowance. Do some exercise that you enjoy. Heavy (to you) weight lifting will give you the body you're likely looking for.

    Put on your patient pants and do the work. Nothing worth having comes easy.

    Haha, is it bad to ask a lot of questions? I’m sorry, I recently just found this outlet and these are questions that are always on my mind that I feel silly asking personal trainers at the gym.
  • paniz_s
    paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    paniz_s wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    OP, you've asked tons of questions on the threads lately. I'm glad you're interested in your health and fitness. But pretty much everything you'll find on IG, or Google, or FB, or wherever, is woo (woo is bad, not good).

    Eat within your calorie allowance. Do some exercise that you enjoy. Heavy (to you) weight lifting will give you the body you're likely looking for.

    Put on your patient pants and do the work. Nothing worth having comes easy.

    Haha, is it bad to ask a lot of questions? I’m sorry, I recently just found this outlet and these are questions that are always on my mind that I feel silly asking personal trainers at the gym.

    Nope. It's totally fine, especially when you're willing to listen to the answers you get.

    But the answer is nearly always "Eat within your calorie allowance. Do some exercise that you enjoy. Heavy (to you) weight lifting will give you the body you're likely looking for." (Disclaimer: barring medical issues)

    Thank you! :)
  • diroka
    diroka Posts: 48 Member
    I've followed ToneItUp for a few years now, and always like their challenges. They're ig-based technically, but they started on youtube and have their own website where they post all kinds of workouts.They have a meal plan, which I've never purchased, and they recently created a paid app, but still post their daily workouts on their website for free. And they have a ton of videos on youtube for free. I like it because they're convenient workouts I can do at home, so if I miss the gym I can grab hand weights and still get a workout in.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    ..and ditto on not trusting the before/after images.... Lighting, angles, posing makes a ginormous difference in appearance in photos.

    Also...well, not so sure about Instagram, but I know the models for before and after pictures on things like P90X and 30Ds, etc are actually fit individuals who fatten up a bit for the before and then cut for the after...but they were already fit before, they didn't get to looking like that in 30 days...

    Several years ago someone on my friends list said something that has always stuck with me, and I'm paraphrasing now... people who are selling something never got to look the way they look by using what they're selling.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    ..and ditto on not trusting the before/after images.... Lighting, angles, posing makes a ginormous difference in appearance in photos.

    Also...well, not so sure about Instagram, but I know the models for before and after pictures on things like P90X and 30Ds, etc are actually fit individuals who fatten up a bit for the before and then cut for the after...but they were already fit before, they didn't get to looking like that in 30 days...

    Like this?!? ;) I love this video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M957dACQyfU

    That's friggin' awesome!!!!
  • raeshellewilson
    raeshellewilson Posts: 4 Member
    I have actually found many of the workouts posted on Instagram by Gymshark athletes and others to be super helpful.
    In the end I think a workout is a workout - if you’re trying to build a certain muscle group do your research and find someone that has got what you want and follow them!
    I have no issue purchasing a plan online - if you’ve got the correct form and good eating, the results will be what you make of it :)
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Something else to consider... and this isn't specific to IG workouts...

    If you want to make progress over time (rather than just workout), you'll want to do workouts that are intended to build on each other and to progress/build over time. That's much harder to do when you're picking workouts from different sources, changing things up, confusing muscles, or whatever else, and is why the single most common response on these forums is "get on an established program". There are a lot of things I don't like about the common established programs, but you can't deny that they work and are a good, blanket starting point for most people. The pros far out weigh the cons.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Anybody that has lost like 5lbs in their lives comes up with their diet and exercise plan on IG.
  • paniz_s
    paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Something else to consider... and this isn't specific to IG workouts...

    If you want to make progress over time (rather than just workout), you'll want to do workouts that are intended to build on each other and to progress/build over time. That's much harder to do when you're picking workouts from different sources, changing things up, confusing muscles, or whatever else, and is why the single most common response on these forums is "get on an established program". There are a lot of things I don't like about the common established programs, but you can't deny that they work and are a good, blanket starting point for most people. The pros far out weigh the cons.

    I totally get where you’re coming from, but when is the right time to change up my workout? I’ve heard that if you do the same routine for too long you won’t get the same results? Is that true?
  • paniz_s
    paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Anybody that has lost like 5lbs in their lives comes up with their diet and exercise plan on IG.

    Hahaha, and people like me are drawn to them and their ways
  • paniz_s
    paniz_s Posts: 44 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    paniz_s wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Something else to consider... and this isn't specific to IG workouts...

    If you want to make progress over time (rather than just workout), you'll want to do workouts that are intended to build on each other and to progress/build over time. That's much harder to do when you're picking workouts from different sources, changing things up, confusing muscles, or whatever else, and is why the single most common response on these forums is "get on an established program". There are a lot of things I don't like about the common established programs, but you can't deny that they work and are a good, blanket starting point for most people. The pros far out weigh the cons.

    I totally get where you’re coming from, but when is the right time to change up my workout? I’ve heard that if you do the same routine for too long you won’t get the same results? Is that true?

    A good routine will be programmed with progression included, so it will last as long as your goals don't change (i.e. years).

    People will stop seeing results if the program doesn't grow with them, if they don't continue to challenge themselves as they progress. Doing the same 5 lifts for the same 3 sets for the same 10 reps for 6 months won't accomplish much. You need to increase the reps and or the weight, or make the lifts more challenging in some other way. And this doesn't apply to just lifting.

    As for when it's right to change routines... you change routines when the routine is no longer working for you. Either because your goals changed or because it wasn't a good fit for you in the first place.

    Wow very nicely put. Thank you for taking the time to read this discussion and sharing your input! Truly appreciate it!
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Just to be complete, let me add this.

    As you progress, results will come more slowly. This is normal. A beginner is going to make faster progress than an intermediate lifter who will see faster results than an advanced lifter. That's normal and to be expected. That doesn't mean that a program isn't working.

    I'm not sure that directly applies, but it's good context to have when evaluating what you hear/read and try to figure out how that information applies to you.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,542 Member
    edited February 2018
    paniz_s wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Something else to consider... and this isn't specific to IG workouts...

    If you want to make progress over time (rather than just workout), you'll want to do workouts that are intended to build on each other and to progress/build over time. That's much harder to do when you're picking workouts from different sources, changing things up, confusing muscles, or whatever else, and is why the single most common response on these forums is "get on an established program". There are a lot of things I don't like about the common established programs, but you can't deny that they work and are a good, blanket starting point for most people. The pros far out weigh the cons.

    I totally get where you’re coming from, but when is the right time to change up my workout? I’ve heard that if you do the same routine for too long you won’t get the same results? Is that true?

    There's a kernel of truth in that, but it's super misrepresented in the clickbait-o-sphere. If you do the exact same thing at the same intensity for the same amount of time on the same number of days a week, you'll reach a fitness plateau.

    If you like your fitness at that plateau, that's not a big problem.

    If you want your fitness level to continue to increase, you need to increase the challenge. This is oversimplifying, because whatyou want determines specifics, but you'll need to go harder/faster, do it longer, do it more often (if you can do that and still get adequate recovery), add resistance, or something like that.

    On the other hand, if you want to add a different dimension to your fitness, you may need to add some other activity. Again oversimplifying, if your main thing is cardio-oriented, and you want faster strength progress, you probably want to add a strength activity like lifting; vice versa if you lift and want better CV capability; add stretching/yoga if you want to be more flexible; etc.

    It's really just common sense: Depending on your current fitness level and goals, you switch up what you do.

    But this "muscle confusion" nonsense coming out of the prepackaged fitness industry? That's to sell you more fitness products/programs. If you're simply bored with what you're doing, it's fine. But its not really a path to focused progress or performance.

    Do national team athletes (i e. Olympians) and professional athletes switch up what they do willy-nilly in order to make progress? No. They follow a logical, progressive, well-rounded, professionally designed program focused on their goals. Their approach may include different things at different times (in season, out of season, detailed cycles within each, etc.)

    So us normal people can do the same thing, on a more modest scale: Think about our personal goals, learn how to progress toward them, take advantage of real professional expertise (not clickbait marketing) where we can access or afford it, etc.

    Seriousness of purpose, a little learning, common sense.

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited February 2018
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    paniz_s wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Something else to consider... and this isn't specific to IG workouts...

    If you want to make progress over time (rather than just workout), you'll want to do workouts that are intended to build on each other and to progress/build over time. That's much harder to do when you're picking workouts from different sources, changing things up, confusing muscles, or whatever else, and is why the single most common response on these forums is "get on an established program". There are a lot of things I don't like about the common established programs, but you can't deny that they work and are a good, blanket starting point for most people. The pros far out weigh the cons.

    I totally get where you’re coming from, but when is the right time to change up my workout? I’ve heard that if you do the same routine for too long you won’t get the same results? Is that true?

    A good routine will be programmed with progression included, so it will last as long as your goals don't change (i.e. years).

    People will stop seeing results if the program doesn't grow with them, if they don't continue to challenge themselves as they progress. Doing the same 5 lifts for the same 3 sets for the same 10 reps for 6 months won't accomplish much. You need to increase the reps and or the weight, or make the lifts more challenging in some other way. And this doesn't apply to just lifting.

    As for when it's right to change routines... you change routines when the routine is no longer working for you. Either because your goals changed or because it wasn't a good fit for you in the first place.


    Even a basic/novice/beginner program should last 6-12 months. At which point, you will understand your goals and capabilities well enough to evaluate both them and prospective programs.


    Put another way. Pick a goal, and an established program and follow the program for 6 months, or until you hit your goal... for example C25K is an 8-12 week program, but can take up to 16 weeks. Once you've hit that goal. figure out if you want to maintain and coast... or maintain and add a new goal. For a running program that may mean a 10K ... or a faster 5K or even a half. OR it could mean dropping your running to 2 days a week and moving to a strength training program. For me, I just hit my speed goals, so I'm moving towards regaining my bodyweight/strength goals that I had to back off from due to injury....which was why I started trying to lose some weight....
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    They're *kitten* and the play on humans desire go choose the route of least resistance.

    They're photos are photo shop, generally unflexed in the before and flexed in the after. It's quite easy to do and the difference is ridiculous.

    Not to mention the actual diet and workout plans that are sub par and probably won't suit your needs at all. Most of the time they don't even follow said plans either.


    You can do your own duet for free and reach better results without depriving yourself. As for workout plans. There are thousands upon thousands of free effective workout plans out there.

    My current plan constructed by an actual power lifting coach has added 10-20lbs on all of my lifts in just over a month. That's huge progress for a stalled lifter
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