Glitz, glamour, and gimmicks. Oftentimes these three words can be interchanged. It’s marketing at its finest, that gets you to buy in to the shock value. People are attracted to shiny objects and things that look cool. This may be a product, a person, an exercise, etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with cool shit, but if results are what you want, then make sure that cool thing is actually useful and works. Don't just get caught in the trap of appearance. In my college and high school years I was a victim of supplement companies who had amazing looking products and claimed to do x, y, and z. This happens frequently with supplement companies. They have great marketing, but their product does nothing at all or can even have harmful effects. Since being duped out of countless dollars some time back, I have been super skeptical of things promising to do something. I want to help you not be like me and avoid being a victim to great marketing.
On Instagram there is a whole lot of shenanigans going on, whether it's a post of an attractive person with a nice body showcasing their ASSets or a post of a drink promising weight loss. More times than not these things are quite frankly bullshit. The people just showing off their bodies usually are not certified trainers or coaches and may have no idea what it takes to help you out. In this scenario I would do some research on this person’s background to find out if they can actually help you. You can ask them if they have any certifications, if they attend seminars, or continuing education events. Find out if they are legit. If they are promising that they can make your body look just like their incredibly chiseled figure, don’t believe them. Sorry to kill your dreams but this can't be done. You can't look like someone else. You should want to look like the best version of yourself anyway.
The world full of false advertising does not stop there. It continues with “cleansing.” Cleanses and some of these juices make incredibly false claims. They are not pleasant so I won't go into too much detail. Just know that my thoughts and the facts that back them up are pretty lengthy. Mainly, they try to feed off people’s insecurities and then offer a solution through starvation, which of course makes you lose weight, but you aren't cleansing anything. The best cleanse would be to stop drinking, smoking, and eating shitty food so much. Basically starving yourself is never a healthy option and it bothers me that people try promoting these harmful ways of thinking and “problem solving.”
Another charade to be wary of are the really fun looking stuff out there like the non-gymnastics gymnastic stuff. You know, where the guys are flipping and spinning on bars and it looks very fun, and acrobatic, and weeeee. Gymnastic moves are great. Honestly, they are probably some of the best things you can do for your body when done correctly. Issue is there are not a lot of people out there that know how to teach these moves correctly or how to progress you to be able to do a ring muscle up or any of those other skills. These are not moves you just want to attempt over and over again. If you injure a joint, where two bones meet such as the elbow joint, it takes a long time to heal. So seriously, do your research so you won't fall victim to cool looking shit.
The worst culprit are those fricking waist trainers, excuse my French. But seriously? Constrict yourself to try to make your waist smaller? Do they work? Possibly, but unlikely. Is it good for you? Definitely not. Here's an article in USAtoday talking about the dangers of waist trainers, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/05/waist-whittlers-dangers/75225022/. Many celebrities and online personalities endorse these waist trainers but they are not health professionals of any sort so you probably shouldn't take health advice from them. If anything, hear what they say and ask a health professional their thoughts on the matter.
If you have not worked out since being a kid, it would not be wise to just go to the gym and try some of the crazy shit you see online. When building a house, you start with the foundation. If the foundation is weak, the house will not be stable. The same thing applies to exercise. If you do not have a solid base, then injury is almost certain to follow. So setting your sites on doing a human getup or a muscle up are not dumb goals, just know that they aren't all that applicable when you're just getting started on your journey of strength. They are not necessary to becoming “fit” or toned or losing weight. On the flip side, if some of this crazy shit you see is what stops you from starting, know that those exercises are not necessary nor are they what a good trainer would have you start with. Question everything. Be that annoying little kid that asks “why?” because that will uncover the truth.