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Comment by brailsafe | Hacker News Reader

I would have made a similar comment, and I mostly agree, if it weren't for the caveat that I don't think anyone should be repeatedly watching content that's based primarily on appearance, rather than fitness. This move seems to be based less on fitness and more on the pursuit of a different appearance, which I do think is a dangerous path to follow. Looking fit is fantastic and it can be a fine goal, but promoting that type of content repeatedly seems way worse than promoting things that will incidentally tone your body.

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Then they should ban makeup and fashion channels as well.

Most of the fitness content I see is focused on correct form and training technique and not on physique.

There is way too much money in makeup and fashion for them to restrict that.

Likely this is a preemptive move to try to avoid regulators banning those lucrative areas by virtue signaling and restrict the channels that doesn't make them lots of money.

> Then they should ban makeup and fashion channels as well.

They're not banning anything, they're just not encouraging people to continuously watch that type of content. But also they did mention that.

Eh, the fitness industry has it's own set of garbage content. There aren't enough topics to really cover and keep making content about. And yet, hundreds of thousands (millions?) of fitness content creators exist. At a certain point they start pumping out garbage or intentionally disagreeing with the current status quo to cause outrage/engagement and get more views.

Also pretty much anyone can call themselves a personal trainer, so you have people doing 6 week courses and then considering themselves professional coaches.

I keep trying to convince a friend whose a "proper" (top powerlifter, played rugby, can olympic lift, masters degree) personal trainer to make "garbage" content. e.g. instead of having an upper/lower split or something else sensible, make it a left/right split. So every day you do full body, but only the left or right side of the body.

Call it a revolutionary training method that fixes muscle imbalances since you only do unilateral exercises. I bet that idea could trend despite it being mostly garbage advice with a few facts mixed in.

I've noticed this as well, particularly with problems that aren't likely measurable or are likely genetic/anatomical differences, such as shoulder position or gait. Of course you can fix it, just do this thing that seems plausible enough, every day for some amount of reps for some amount of sets that I came up with, consistently forever, and you'll totally straighten out what is clearly a bone deformity on one side of your body.

Given a monetary incentive, people will turn themselves into bs promotors.

Lifting for appearance is a fine goal to promote and requires different routines than e.g. powerlifting. If they're going to restrict something, it should be people who promote drug use or people who obviously use PEDs. Someone like Natural Hypertrophy is fine and has plenty of good information about bodybuilding.

E.g. the attitude at 41:46 https://youtu.be/eKBDacpRYSU?t=2506 seems like a good one to promote.

Lifting for appearance might be a decent goal in general (not a specific look that may or may not be attainable), but all this does is let that be decided by whoever's watching, rather than potentially giving them a gun or needle to shoot themselves with. It's also often just total bs.

That fellow's opinion in that short segment seems fine enough, but he's just saying that it's good to work out and get stronger, and that it'll probably help you stave off depression (also somewhat dubious in the context of this subthread, even though I'd agree). He's not saying why I should have six pack abs, or 3d shoulders, which are all vanity driven and potentially obsession creating. It's a pretty subtle difference.

I don't agree that lifting for appearance is something to promote to teens, because it just starts from a place of banking off perceived anxiety about one's image, and I tend to find that people who are mostly concerned about their image, tend to kind of suck. That's just different than talking about how working out will help you feel better by being stronger, being more capable, and yes potentially more attractive.

It's like gambling advertising imo.

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