25/08/2026
The Problem With “Experts” on Social Media
Over the past few days, I’ve seen some genuinely unsettling nutritional advice and fitness advice being shared online by people presenting themselves as “experts”.
And honestly, it worries me.
Social media has created a situation where having a big following can make someone look like an authority — even when their advice is poorly researched, taken completely out of context, or simply wrong.
I’ve seen people being told that certain foods are “bad”, and don’t be eating those carbs for goodness sake 👀,that perfectly normal eating habits are unhealthy, and that training too hard or too often is somehow inherently bad for you.
Now, there is obviously such a thing as overtraining but not many people get there.
And some of the advice appears to come from some that don’t even train themselves 🤦
Recovery matters.
Nutrition matters.
Rest matters.
But telling people that working hard in the gym is dangerous simply because it’s difficult or uncomfortable is a completely different thing.
Your body is designed to adapt.
Progressive resistance training, cardiovascular exercise and challenging yourself physically can be incredibly beneficial for your strength, fitness, body composition and overall health.
The key is appropriate training, sensible progression, adequate recovery and good nutrition.
Not fear.
Not extremes.
And certainly not taking advice from someone simply because they have 100,000 followers.
As a PT, I don't claim to know everything. In fact, one of the most important things I've learned over more than a decade in this industry is that you should always be willing to question what you think you know.
Look at the evidence.
Consider the context.
Understand the individual.
And be very wary of anyone selling a one-size-fits-all solution.
There are no magic foods.
There is no perfect diet.
And there certainly isn't a magic number of minutes you can train before exercise suddenly becomes “bad for you”.
Train hard. Eat well. Recover properly. Be consistent.
And most importantly, learn to distinguish between someone who is genuinely qualified to give advice and someone who is simply very good at creating content.
Because on social media, confidence isn't the same thing as competence.
