Personal trainer warns men about trying to match fitness photos on social media

There's something you need to know about all those gym selfies. Photo / 123RF

WHAT'S wrong with this picture?

Chiselled abs, sinewy chest, and a tan that rivals the most frequent solarium users.

It's also extremely edited.

This idealistic male — and completely fake — physique is plastered across Instagram and Facebook, and guys are trying to mimic what they see in photos.

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Standing here looking semi-jacked. Also looking like wannabe Aragorn holding an invisible sword #bulking #lifestylegains - Wearing sport shorts from @Gymshark

A post shared by Nick Cheadle (@nickcheadlefitness) on May 13, 2018 at 5:51pm PDT

However, fitness professional Nick Cheadle found this isn't the type of body that women desire.

"Women don't particularly care for the shredded look," Cheadle says.

"You get more compliments from mates and guys at the gym than from women."

At his fittest, Cheadle didn't experience any increase in attraction from women, even avoiding stripping down in front of them while he was in peak training.

Gym junkie's working on a shredded body should also be warned about the repercussions in the bedroom.

"The leaner you get, the less some things work for you," Cheadle says.

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Saw someone tag me in this & thought it was a pretty good shout even if the dude that created it didn’t tag me. When I first got into lifting, I thought it was the ‘secret’ to a successful life, popularity, women & what I thought happiness was. I don’t regret chasing the conditioning on the left even if that picture is edited AF (I originally posted it as a comparison photo edit vs no edit) because it taught me a lot, but there’s going to have to be a damn good reason for me to do that again in the future. If you’re happy to prioritise your training, your diet, your cardio & hitting your macros above EVERYTHING else in your life - then enjoy that ~5% body fat life 🤙 If that doesn’t sound like much fun, then aim for something in between & have a tonne of fun whilst doing so 😎

A post shared by Nick Cheadle (@nickcheadlefitness) on Aug 1, 2018 at 8:28pm PDT

The Sydney-based personal trainer has been in the industry for more than 10 years and has witnessed the pitfalls of extreme diets and workout routines.

Yet, Cheadle is still approached by clients determined to lose fat, gain muscle and push themselves to transform into an Adonis overnight.

He blames social media and heavy Photoshop editing for the rise of unrealistic expectations.

"Things we see on social media are nothing more than a highlight reel," he says.

"Comparison can quite often be the thief of joy."

Cheadle's fitness advice is to avoid diet fads and excessive gym workouts, focusing on personal goals instead.

"Develop a sustainable routine with things you enjoy and can get better at over time," he says.

"There's certainly a way to eat the food you love as well as fitting your training routine into your life."