Bony to Beastly... A Scam?
Options
darreneatschicken
Posts: 669 Member
I just heard good things about this program called Bony to Beastly.
If you look at the "transformations" page of the website, it shows a bunch of skinny guys who gained a massive amount of weight in a short amount of time, while seemingly keeping their body fat low.
The thing is that the program costs $200!
What are your guys' thoughts on this? Scam or not?
If you look at the "transformations" page of the website, it shows a bunch of skinny guys who gained a massive amount of weight in a short amount of time, while seemingly keeping their body fat low.
The thing is that the program costs $200!
What are your guys' thoughts on this? Scam or not?
2
Replies
-
Scam.2
-
Do it on your own! Find a good MFP friend on here to help and go.0
-
I would say any plan promising your dream or goal body in a short period of time is not very reliable. It can take years for many people.11
-
Scam.
Biggest red flag to me is the site uses somatypes to classify people and somatypes have been debunked for years. Also, skinny people do not have faster metabolisms than non-skinny people, they just tend to either eat less or move more.8 -
Didn't they sell those programs on the back pages of comic books years decades ago?
There is plenty of reliable information out there for free, just check out the programs and sites recommended on here. At most it should cost you $20 or so for a book. Use the remaining $180 for sessions with a personal trainer.8 -
-
-
pitbullpuppy wrote: »I don't know that I'd call any workout program a 'scam.' I did a well-known program a long time ago and did not get the advertised results whatsoever. But I did learn a few effective exercises and was disciplined into exercising six days a week which propelled me into bodybuilding. I wasn't suddenly ripped, but I was motivated. If that plan gets you involved and physically active, whether it works as advertised or not is besides the point because, IMO, whatever it takes to take care of yourself is priceless.
The fact that they lie about results, use long-debunked concepts, and charge $200 notwithstanding?
Workout programs can be scams, IMO, when they promise the unachievable, deliver no results one can't get for free (or close), and cost a bundle.
I'm glad you found something that became a useful on-ramp for you, and that to you that was worth the cost . . . this one's still a scam, though. Won't say the one you fell for followed was a scam, because I don't know what it was.8 -
Check out StrongLifts 5x5. Simple exercises with a free app. Website has all you need. Videos on app for step by step instructions for proper form. No unrealistic promises, but it works. Testimonials all over the internet.1
-
My view — you do not need supplements to build muscle. To build muscle you need to do to weight training and ensure you eat enough to fuel your body’s your body will gain muscle. Mike Matthews from Legion Athletics has some good articles on the muscle building process. He also has a book for men called Bigger Leaner Stronger (the female version is Thinner Leaner Stronger). I bought for $1 when he had a sale. I think the normal price is less than $10. Legion also sells supplements, but you don’t need supplements. You would be better off spending your $200 on a set of weights or resistance bands, read some free articles and add muscle to your body. Remember this is a slow process. Take your time.
Good luck2 -
springlering62 wrote: »
I wanted those Sea Monkeys soooooo badly!5 -
7 years OP. 7 years of majoring in the minors. Imagine just eating at a slight surplus and killing it in the gym.3
-
jseams1234 wrote: »7 years OP. 7 years of majoring in the minors. Imagine just eating at a slight surplus and killing it in the gym.
I've been running StrongLifts 5x5 with accessory work since November 2019. When the quarantine hit, I bought a pair of adjustable dumbbells and continued the same workout, just with more reps. Went from 140 lbs to 147 lbs since I started lifting... However, most of it seems to be body fat, as I don't look any more muscular.3 -
Scam.
Biggest red flag to me is the site uses somatypes to classify people and somatypes have been debunked for years. Also, skinny people do not have faster metabolisms than non-skinny people, they just tend to either eat less or move more.
Just wanted to be THAT person and point out that that's not necessarily true. Some people have thyroid issues or metabolic issues.
My mother is a prime example. 5'1" and 100 lbs soaking wet. Even pregnant, she couldn't gain weight.
She wants curves so bad. She hates her body. She's even been prescribed, by a doctor, to move the absolute bare minimum and eat 3000 calories per day. She did this. And lost a pound. She's got a metabolism disorder and cannot gain weight. Its not always down to who's eating more or less.2 -
TO the OP: remember that you CAN'T HAVE **FAST** GAIN that is not mostly fat gain. These guys are selling shakes and their program. Some very well researched programs do exist. A number of low cost or free ones are in the 'sticky post" section.3
-
I haven't read the program, but I will state that I personally wouldn't recommend reading the articles. I glanced over Why Ectomorphs Should Lift a Little Differently and it was mainly garbage filler. Plenty of nocebo content and basically marketing their content that isn't backed by scientific evidence.
I will state that if you are novel to lifting, there are plenty of free programs that the will get you results under the right conditions.
More times than not when you see before and after photos, you are not getting the full story.
If you want to invest in your training, I would look elsewhere.5 -
brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Scam.
Biggest red flag to me is the site uses somatypes to classify people and somatypes have been debunked for years. Also, skinny people do not have faster metabolisms than non-skinny people, they just tend to either eat less or move more.
Just wanted to be THAT person and point out that that's not necessarily true. Some people have thyroid issues or metabolic issues.
My mother is a prime example. 5'1" and 100 lbs soaking wet. Even pregnant, she couldn't gain weight.
She wants curves so bad. She hates her body. She's even been prescribed, by a doctor, to move the absolute bare minimum and eat 3000 calories per day. She did this. And lost a pound. She's got a metabolism disorder and cannot gain weight. Its not always down to who's eating more or less.
That literally just means her calorie out is significantly higher than expected - you can’t outrun physics - I had a friend in college like that - he literally ate 5000cal a day to gain weight6 -
so many great free sources and videos online, it's silly to pay for these TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE marketing scams!4
-
Hey AsianAmbition, I'm one of the founders of Bony to Beastly. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.
What we do isn't a scam. Weight training, eating a good bulking diet, and improving your lifestyle (such as improving your sleep) really does help people build muscle. If those people are skinny beginners and they're able ot consistently follow a good program, they're often able to gain muscle fairly quickly without much fat gain.
But as other people have pointed out, the magic isn't in our specific program or method. There's no big reveal where we tell you that intermittent fasting, resistance bands, some special exercise, a weird supplement, or avoiding carbs on Tuesdays is the secret to building muscle. You can get these results with other workout and diet programs.
We aren't trying to recreate the wheel here. We just follow the research and teach people how to bulk properly. Our approach is actually fairly conventional, mixing hypertrophy training, a conventional bulking diet, and good general lifestyle practices, such as sleep, tracking progress, adjusting based on the results you're getting, and coaching support from us along the way.I would say any plan promising your dream or goal body in a short period of time is not very reliable. It can take years for many people.
I agree. But just to give another perspective, when I was clinically underweight, my goal wasn't to build my dream body, my goal was just to not be excessively skinny anymore. Within my first three months of training, I was able to gain 20 pounds, and I was never skinny again.
Now, it took me two years to gain 55 pounds, bringing me up to my goal bodyweight. It took another couple of years before I accomplished my lifetime goal of building 15" arms. And even now, ten years later, I still want to improve my physique. I also still want to deadlift 495 pounds and bench 315. I haven't been able to do that yet.
So can you build a dream body in just a few months? Probably not. But can you make a remarkable improvement to your physique, health, and strength? Yeah, definitely.Scam. Biggest red flag to me is the site uses somatypes to classify people and somatypes have been debunked for years. Also, skinny people do not have faster metabolisms than non-skinny people, they just tend to either eat less or move more.
Somatotypes are debunked, yeah. There's no proven link between someone's body type and their personality. We've written about that here: https://bonytobeastly.com/ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph-body-types/
In the bodybuilding world, people often label themselves based on their situations and goals, though. Naturally skinny guys often refer to themselves as "ectomorphs" because they have narrower shoulders, thinner bones, less muscle mass, and they want to bulk up. That's why we use the term sometimes. We're just trying to use the language that our readers use. But whenever we mention the word ectomorph, we try to make it clear that it's not a scientific term, it's just a slang term for someone who's naturally thin.
Regarding having a fast metabolism, we normally call that being a "hardgainer," i.e., someone who has a hard time eating enough calories to gain weight. I think that's a bit different from being an ectomorph, but the terms definitely have some overlap. Both typically refer to someone who's naturally skinny. We've written about hardgainers here: https://bonytobeastly.com/hardgainer-weight-gain/
I don't really disagree with you about any of this, I'd just add that moving more does mean having a higher metabolism. The more we move, the more energy we burn each day, and so the higher our metabolisms are. There's no magic going on, though, you're right.
But even so, some people really do have a harder time gaining weight than others, even when trying their best to eat in a calorie surplus. That was always my own struggle. Most of our clients have that same struggle.Didn't they sell those programs on the back pages of comic books years decades ago?
There is plenty of reliable information out there for free, just check out the programs and sites recommended on here. At most it should cost you $20 or so for a book. Use the remaining $180 for sessions with a personal trainer.
Nobody should feel like they need to buy our program to get results. They don't. That's never been our claim. We're just trying to make the process easier. We sell more than just a book, though. It's a package of a few different books, a training program, hundreds of videos teaching all of the lifts, and it includes coaching in our community.
Our programming and coaching is run by Marco Walker-Ng, a certified personal trainer and diet coach with a degree in health sciences. Before founding Bony to Beastly with me, he worked helping college, professional, and Olympic athletes bulk up (such as our Canadian Olympic rugby team).
But some people prefer in-person personal training, and I get that, too. Marco would be the first person to advocate for that. It's a great way to learn how to lift.pitbullpuppy wrote: »I don't know that I'd call any workout program a 'scam.' I did a well-known program a long time ago and did not get the advertised results whatsoever. But I did learn a few effective exercises and was disciplined into exercising six days a week which propelled me into bodybuilding. I wasn't suddenly ripped, but I was motivated. If that plan gets you involved and physically active, whether it works as advertised or not is besides the point because, IMO, whatever it takes to take care of yourself is priceless.
That's been my own experience as well. I've gotten great value out of most of the fitness programs I've bought, even if I didn't follow them perfectly, and even if there were some mistakes in them. There's some shadiness in the industry, yeah, but also a lot of great programs.pitbullpuppy wrote: »I don't know that I'd call any workout program a 'scam.' I did a well-known program a long time ago and did not get the advertised results whatsoever. But I did learn a few effective exercises and was disciplined into exercising six days a week which propelled me into bodybuilding. I wasn't suddenly ripped, but I was motivated. If that plan gets you involved and physically active, whether it works as advertised or not is besides the point because, IMO, whatever it takes to take care of yourself is priceless.
The fact that they lie about results, use long-debunked concepts, and charge $200 notwithstanding?
No. We don't lie about our results. What are you talking about?
We don't use long-debunked concepts, either. Are you talking about the term "ectomorph?" It's just a word that skinny people use to talk about their bodies. We're not talking about William Sheldon's psychology research. And the only reason we use that word is that our readers use it. It's just a slang term among skinny people.jseams1234 wrote: »7 years OP. 7 years of majoring in the minors. Imagine just eating at a slight surplus and killing it in the gym.brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Scam.
Biggest red flag to me is the site uses somatypes to classify people and somatypes have been debunked for years. Also, skinny people do not have faster metabolisms than non-skinny people, they just tend to either eat less or move more.TO the OP: remember that you CAN'T HAVE **FAST** GAIN that is not mostly fat gain. These guys are selling shakes and their program. Some very well researched programs do exist. A number of low cost or free ones are in the 'sticky post" section.
We don't sell shakes or supplements. You might be thinking of Legion Athletics. Some of our clients do use supplements. Protein powder can be handy. Creatine works quite well. But we don't really emphasize supplements. We certainly don't sell them. We focus on training, diet, and lifestyle.
A lot of skinny guys can gain weight quite fast without gaining much fat. Especially as beginners and especially when underweight. (Genetics play into that, too, of course.)I haven't read the program, but I will state that I personally wouldn't recommend reading the articles. I glanced over Why Ectomorphs Should Lift a Little Differently and it was mainly garbage filler. Plenty of nocebo content and basically marketing their content that isn't backed by scientific evidence.
More times than not when you see before and after photos, you are not getting the full story.
But is it better to bench press that way? Not really. The goal is to work towards a regular bench press. There's just a learning curve to it for some people, as there was for me.
As for our transformation photos, we've got our story here: https://bonytobeastly.com/the-tale-of-two-ectomorphs/
Nothing crazy, really, we just started hypertrophy training, eating a bulking diet, and adjusting as we went along.nighthawk584 wrote: »so many great free sources and videos online, it's silly to pay for these TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE marketing scams!
Some people like to get their information online for free. Other people like to follow a program and get help along the way. I'm the latter, so we made a program for that latter kind of person.
We also write a ton of free articles, though. We're trying to serve that first sort of person, too.asianambition wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »7 years OP. 7 years of majoring in the minors. Imagine just eating at a slight surplus and killing it in the gym.
I've been running StrongLifts 5x5 with accessory work since November 2019. When the quarantine hit, I bought a pair of adjustable dumbbells and continued the same workout, just with more reps. Went from 140 lbs to 147 lbs since I started lifting... However, most of it seems to be body fat, as I don't look any more muscular.
Congrats on those seven pounds, man! That's awesome!
I know you're gaining more fat than you'd like, and there's probably something that could be adjusted to solve that—we could look at your protein intake, your sleep, your rate of gain, your consistency, how close to failure you're lifting, and so on—but it sounds like you're off to a really good start5 -
@ShaneDuquette, I appreciate that you've taken the time to come here and explain some of the material from your site. As an aside, I see that you also have a program for women, "Bony to Bombshell".
I will apologize for saying that there were lies on you site - that was hyperbolic, and an extreme statement I should not make after reading only the teaser marketing material. I remain skeptical of the timelines for some of your before and afters (not your photos personally, but some of the others), but skepticism doesn't merit that extreme a statement (and I do see the "results not necessarily typical" kind of language on the site, which is standard for nearly all such sites).
I still feel the same way, though, about the concepts. When someone is selling an expensive program, I expect a level of accuracy and transparency, including at the teaser/advertising level.
I understand what you're saying about the term "ectomorph" being a slang term that your intended audience uses. But I think that a site focused on educating people should be more precise about terminology, ("some people call us ectomorphs" or "the slang is ectomorph" for example), rather than just using such a deprecated term prominently without qualification.
I feel similarly about the term "metabolism" in your post, with respect to having a fast/slow metabolism. That's an unclarity, an inaccuracy, from a scientific stanpoint: In standard definitions, metabolism would be the life-sustaining biochemical process (most commonly BMR/RMR), not the movement or activity on top of that. Again, I assume you'd say you're using the term the way your intended audience understands it, but I don't think that's the best standard.
As to my last comment, on price: Your program is an expensive program. We could argue whether it's worth it, or not. I won't. Your pricing is your pricing. If someone responds to your teasers/marketing, and purchases it, it's their judgement whether that was a value purchase, or not.
Again: I apologize for the word "lie", I respect that you've come here to calmly and rationally defend your site and program. I still wouldn't recommend it to someone over free or lower-cost resources, until they've at least tried those methods; but that's their decision, not mine.7
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 392 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 926 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions