Why is it okay to LIE to your audience?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- Hey everybody! A lot of you are going to disagree with me on this video. But I implore you to really listen to what I’m critiquing. I’m not saying ANYTHING about how effective these workouts are. I’m not saying ANYTHING about this creator’s intentions or character. I am simply bringing up red flags I see in regards to marketing tactics. This creator is not the only person doing this or honestly, even close to the most extreme. But I also see people (myself included) attacked for calling it out, so here we are :)
MENTIONS //
Frumpy Fit | • GrowWithJo is Misleadi...
TFNL | • Is GrowWithJo MISLEADI...
SOURCES //
www.ncbi.nlm.n...
www.ncbi.nlm.n...
pubmed.ncbi.nl...
pubmed.ncbi.nl...
MORE FIT REVIEWS //
WORK WITH ME //
www.justinaerc...
FOR BUSINESS INQUIRIES //
justinaercoletraining@gmail.com
CERTIFICATIONS //
NASM CPT | www.nasm.org/b...
NASM CNC | www.nasm.org/c...
PN LEVEL 1 | lnk2.io/wmB7FfN
CFSC LEVEL 1 | cfsc.inspire36...
TRX | www.trxtrainin...
SOCIAL //
instagram | www.instagram....
tik tok | www.tiktok.com...
spotify | open.spotify.c...
SHOP MY AMAZON STORE //
www.amazon.com...
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.*
DISCLAIMER //
Although I am a certified trainer and nutrition coach, these are my opinions and this is not medical advice. Please consult individually with a health professional for specific health advice. Some links may be affiliate links in which I earn a small percentage of sales. It costs nothing additional to the consumer.
#clickbait #growwithjo #fitnessinfluencers
HI! OMG. Thank you for this video. The nuance of how people on the internet react to men vs women especially when it's reaction style content is also VERY interesting. I will admit that I may tend to come off as sassy or whatever kinds of words people tend to call me because I'm really expressive in my face which may be diff from the man you mentioned (not sure because I haven't seen his video). This isn't a tactic or even intentional, it's just how my face works lol. I also will add that the hate went far beyond the comment section of my video. Really nasty DM's and even people who came from that video would comment on like 10 of my other videos attacking me for the sound of my voice, how I look, etc. I'd be lying if I said I didn't let it get to me to some degree. You're brave for posting this!
I personally don't think there's anything wrong with being sassy, even if it IS intentional. I get comments all the time saying I would be more successful if I was "nicer" or "more like (insert creator)". All of those comments come from a place that women should be nice and sweet and agreeable, which is BS. Keep on doing what you're doing and fighting the good fight!
@@JustinaErcoleI noticed the same and find her fans to be kinda culty how they go video to video attacking anyone giving any constructive feedback or making excuses like "she has no formal training" when that's a bold lie. Fwiw, she also misspelled "university" on her website in her about me credentials section but I digress. I had no idea about anything shady in the fitness world until about 3 weeks ago when I stayed taking this stuff seriously and am lucky I managed to find you both, Harry, and others who are also educated and knowledgeable and act with integrity. Thank you! 💜
@@JustinaErcole oh and I also saw one comment on a video about how someone had her app but uninstalled and stopped subscribing after she was lecturing ppl on there about religion and having to be "obedient" to their husbands
“They’re not getting it in schools, they’re not getting it in marketing or from these influencers…. So where are they supposed to get it from?!”
- BOOOMM!! 💥 I feel this point to my core about nutrition too! Why is it that the health industry seems to be the one plagued with the most SUPER inaccurate information?
Guess that gives us infinite video topics to cover! 😂 Great video Justina!!
Yes, this! It's like people think that everyone is getting factual information through, I dunno, osmosis??
IT MAKES ME SO ANNOYED
Maybe people WANT to be lied to. Maybe thay want to believe that spot reduction is real, and it's hard for them to acknowledge it isn't, so they'd rather offend you than face the truth? Something like siege mentality. I don't know, it always amazes me when some people deliberately choose to be wrong.
Great video, I love you. ❤
I think people definitely want to be lied to. Because if they search for a video that promises them certain results and instead they found people telling them that it's not possible, most would probably just quit right then and there.
I agree to a point! But for influencers to keep feeding into the lie is totally inexcusable IMO.
Another thing to add on to your comment, people just want a magic pill that will get you thin thighs in 2 weeks. They refuse to accept that they actually have to eat healthier and that you actually have to put in so much effort to lose thigh fat or have abs. It is easier to stay consistent on a 12 minute video regarding leg exercises only than to actually go do some out of your comfort zone cardio and burning an actual good amount of calories.
Yo wtf is they talking about you and Layna are great. And I am a black queen myself. You both have never told us to starve ourselves or ever hated on anyone just because of their race. It is just yall point out the BS. Wow!! And I do love working out with Jo. But because of both of you, I just able to go about my weight loss in a positive and sustainable way.
This comment = I agree 100%.
I love Jo! Her bubbly personality and smile are encouraging when I want to stop during a workout. Having said that…I must admit that if I wasn’t a former Dance major who studied Kinesiology and knew proper form, I’d probably be injured doing her videos. I also know better than to believe the spot reduction promises so yeah, your points are valid.
Great video as always, Justina! I must add though, some of the comments I received on that video (and many others) were pretty horrendous but were filtered by UA-cam, thankfully. Many of which would make some very harsh comments about my gender and my skin colour, which I chose not to ‘approve’ in the UA-cam Studio for obvious reasons! But I found your take to be very interesting and fair. You always impress me with your approach to these topics and I’m thankful to have found you ❤️
Oof so sorry you also received comments like that! Thanks for continuing to do the good work Harry :)
Excellent video as usual. I follow both you and FrumpyFit. Both of you always give solid advice and never once have I heard either of you talk about starving yourself nor not enjoying exercise. Unfortunately keyboard warriors have a tendency to get all defensive when they feel whatever they believe in is being attacked and don't take the time to actually read or try and understand the other POV even if it's constructive criticism.
The "starving yourself" comment only further highlights how little they know about fitness and health. When women have muscles the way Justina and Layna do, they are most definitely not "starving themselves".
Yeah I have zero clue where that comment came from lol
I totally agree that people don't know as much about fitness and losing weight in general. If you look at the weight loss sub-reddits, there are questions about spot reducing, crash diets, fat burners, detox teas, etc. every day. The general public really does not know better.
It's insane!
I chuckled a bit at the end with the "it's not a black and white situation" based on the earlier comments that were read... Don't know if the pun was intended
LOL not intended at all
Love Layna, she’s one of my favorite educational, no bs creators. It’s upsetting to see her get so much hate for simply trying to educate and inform people. Great video as always, Justina!
thanks for watching!
Honestly I tried growwjo's videos for a while and I stopped because I found my lower back would consistently ache after doing the videos and there was no form correction in the videos so I felt unsafe continuing. It's an odd thing, the idea of 'well I think this person is nice therefore they are immune to criticism'. Constructive criticism is how we grow in self and in life! Great video Justina, I so appeciate your honesty.
Have you ever worked out with KBs ?
Definitely try Sydney Cummings! She coaches through her workouts and has a huge emphasis on proper form :)
Fully agreed...there were a number of times I got hurt doing growwithjo workouts because she's moving too fast with the music and without proper form or direction. Now I've stuck to more strength-based workouts from other creators who focus on good form and I don't get hurt!
Fitness blender is also great for this. I think Justina has a review on them.
Your integrity is very admirable. Your goals in educating people ACCURATE information and addressing misinformation is soooo important. This discrepancy in reactions has to do with internalized misogyny and peoples (again) misinformation regarding how to actually support other women. Simply stated, its perpetuating the idea that it’s okay for men to critique women because they know better than women. And also completely ignoring the fact that women are multifaceted (they can be nice and motivating, but still give misinformation that will not serve you long term). It’s easier for society to understand men can be multifaceted. Again, thank you for addressing this and always staying true to yourself and delivering high value content.
Yesss it’s 1000% misogyny. Thank you for watching!
I had a grown women that is a zumba instructor at my gym tell the other women in the class to do a certain movement to spot reduce the underarm back area... I wish I hasn't held my tonge about how you can't spot reduce only strengthen your muscle.
People don't know. It's really interesting that Harry got less hate than Leana too. Usually men get hate for commenting on women's bodies. Celeb and youtube stans will go to such far lengths to defend their favorite internet person.
I completely agree. I remember someone telling me that they tried one of Jo's arm workouts and gave up after a couple of weeks because it "wasn't working"
And on the topic of spot reduction, not only do a lot of people not know you can't do it, sometimes people simply won't listen when you explain it because they see people on social media telling them it works and use that as "evidence"
Ohhhh yeah, so many people don’t know!
Also I think with weight loss specifically people love quick results so they choose to believe these claims.
@@mariamsaad1859 that's a good point
I’ve seen a lot of people cite how many creators talk about spot reduction of fat to “prove” that it must be a real thing. Looking at UA-cam could definitely make you think it’s possible
@@brightknight1965 It's often very hard to find true information on how spot reducing fat isn't a thing. Because if you one day decide you wish to have slimmer thighs and go ask youtube how to do it, what you'll get is thousands of videos promising you slim thighs in x amount of days. So of course you'll think it's possible, because all these people are showing you how to do it and nobody is telling you that it's a lie. Those who do tell you this fact won't be found among those videos you searched for.
Now when I want a good low impact workout or walking workout to get in a few extra steps I turn to Kyra pro. She’s just as joyful as grow with Jo, but she doesn’t lie to you, and has music I actually want to workout to.
I loveeee Kyra!
Thank you so much your comment made me find Kyra. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for this comment, Kyra Pro is amazing and this comment helped me find her. ❤❤❤❤❤
Once an influencer reaches a million followers, parasocial relationships go out of control and you can't say a word without their minions piling on in the comments. It's even more important for creators like you to speak out and be the voice of reason, otherwise the entire industry will become an echo chamber. And it makes a difference - Chloe Ting has been called out for her click bait and has been making changes to her messaging.
Oooooh such a good point
Well racism is crazy because you represent an ideal ( yt, blonde, thin) so blk women are on high alert for criticism because so many people make bad faith arguments about how we do life (femininity, body, beauty, motherhood etc) wrong because we are blk. That makes it hard to hear/ receive valid criticism (like you have made) when the usual is “this is wrong/bad because you are blk” It hard to see nuance when you are bombarded with that messaging. That said, thanks for wading in anyway. Keeping speaking truth.
This is such a good point. We are more sensitive to criticism for that reason. But as you said, Justina is speaking the truth here. Wrong is wrong and it's important to educate people. For every person bragging about their amazing results, I'm sure there is also someone who is frustrated because they didn't get "tabata abs" whatever those are.
Whitney, you bring up such an important point so thank you. I'm definitely in a privileged body so it totally makes sense for people to be on the defense.
Excellent point.
I cannot stand when you respectfully present valid constructive criticism and people react by calling you a hater. It's like you just said, they are not listening. If you don't fully agree with them, you're against them.
And this world cannot continue to grow and improve if people just disregard different opinions just because they don't align with theirs
AMEN
Now at 7:58 in the video.
I think women who follow her are in this last ditch attempt to lose weight postnatal. I say that because I’ve had a lot of friends who do not want to commit to a workout plan, or do anything too intense follow her. Most have sub-par results, and honestly I think a lot of the movements can be done incorrectly and result in injury. Especially in the lower lumbar region and hip flexors as well.
She targets mothers, and releases videos stating this is how she got back into shape post partum… however, it’s deceptive.. because she also did IF, she went for a lot of walks, she only drank water.. all putting her in a caloric deficit.
To preface she did make a video about it, but her shorts are cryptic and deceptive.
I tried one video and felt silly doing the movements.
I just followed Frumpy fit thanks to this video.
I appreciate the honesty. Jo is fun and I love her dance videos as warm ups and easy day workouts.
Having said that it must be noted that these workouts will generally not yield the results she promises.
If you are just starting out, yes you will lose weight particularly if you change your eating habits.
So on one hand I am glad she is getting so many to move in her winsome sweet way, but on the other hand she isn’t being totally honest. It doesn’t make you a hater to point this out.
Exactly! There's two different points here: enjoying her workouts vs lying to your audience.
If anyone is looking for a replacement to Jo, I highly recommend EmkFit. She does similar dance style workouts to fun music. But there’s no emphasis on losing weight (a trigger for some), no spot reducing claims, and a fun personality that keeps me coming back for more. She also offers alternatives for those with bad knees/apartment neighbors/ or just an aversion to jumping. The emphasis on doing things wrong and strong has been a great mindset shift in my workouts.
And thank you Justina for calling out the toxic behavior. Allowing ourselves to be lied to, thinking it’s our only option is not cool.
Love her! Kyra Pro is another great one :)
I appreciate your approach to fitness because I love the science behind the why! So continue doing you and you’ll get the following over time. ❤
thanks Tia!
Okay let’s make one thing very clear, giving a critique of content from someone of a different race than yours DOES NOT make you racist. The fanbases surrounding some of these content creators can be very problematic in that they will push and persist this narrative that they can do or say no wrong even in the face of blatant evidence. I actually completely agree with your point about their audiences also developing a dependency on them too. I joined a Facebook group for Caroline Girvan last year and you’ll see these posts of people basically falling apart when she hasn’t posted a new video series in a while. They will also do the tactic where they flood a comment section of another UA-camr that dares to critique her. (Look at Harry’s comment section on his CG videos as an example) This is not to disparage the content creators themselves, I enjoy videos from all of them but a lot of their fans need to chill.
Two thoughts off the top.
1. Harry has gone out of this way to cultivate an audience that is respectful. Admittedly I don't know anything about frumpyfit and her audience, so this point might be irrelevant.
2. Harry is not in direct competition with Jo. Maybe this is why women get more hate when critiquing other women, they are competing for views, and that makes people feel defensive. 🤷♀️
Totally fair! But I wouldn’t say Leyna is in direct competition either, since she doesn’t do follow along workout videos on UA-cam. She does private coaching.
As someone who's followed FrumpyFit for a bit, she has cultivated a lovely audience as well - one I would compare to Justina's looking to learn more science backed information and making goals more accessible and less complicated amongst the sea of diet culture.
Thank you for not lying and your dedication to transparency!
Glad you and Layna addressed this topic. I don't think you were hating at all. People just can't see nuance and get super defensive if you say anything they consider negative about somebody they like 🤷 and i am totally prone to do this too sometimes lol. When I saw the thumbnail for this video my first thought was - I hope Justina doesn't say anything negative about Layna; let me pop in and see if I need to defend her.
Hahaha never about Layna!
Yeeeep, it’s that combination of toxic positivity and internalized misogyny. 🫤 Oh? You’re a woman who isn’t automatically singing the praises of another woman, even if she’s wrong/being misleading?? Welp, guess you’re a bitch/hater!
Yes, I am also frustrated with clickbait. I will say that there are some of Harry's videos where the title and thumbnail are misleading and rage inducing, so I clicked on them only for the video to say, sorry for the clickbait, this is what I really think. I am curious. Is clickbait only okay if you point out the (often opposing) truth somewhere in the video? What makes clickbait okay? I really dislike it in any form, and tend to lose interest in creators that use it overmuch, even if they are putting the correct information out there.
Excellent question! One of my favorite trainers does the clickbait thing occasionally only to explain in the video that you’re chasing a unicorn. It’s SO hard to compete out there without clickbait. People don’t want to eat broccoli if they think cupcakes work, too. I look at it as entrapment for reeducation. 🤷🏻♀️😂
I PERSONALLY think as long as the clickbait isn't lying to you in a way that will harm your physical or mental well being, it's fine. But that's just me :)
Thank you for making and posting this video! I felt the exact same way when I watched it and saw the comments. It’s crazy cause she’s just looking out for everyone and educating people, but it’s falling on mislead ears. Layna definitely deserves better than that reception
thank you for watching!
I totally agree with you. I've been working with clients for 20+ years and there's still a pervasive belief that you can spot reduce fat. It's our responsibility as fitness professionals to educate people on how the body works so they can make the progress they want long term. I love instructors that motivate people to get moving. That's how I got into fitness many years ago. But there should also an educational component in those workouts. Just my opinion. Really love your channel!
thanks for being here Laura!
Sending you love, period!♡
thank you Anne!
PERIOD
❤️❤️❤️
Great video!! I am so sick of clickbait. I don't care if a person is nice and motivating, if this person spreads inaccurate information and uses clickbait promoting unrealistic expectations then he/she has no excuses. Some maybe know that you cannot spot fat reduction or lose a certain weight in a fixed time, but, from what I see in general, most of people do not know and this kind of content can be really triggering and dangerous.
Most of the influencers I used to follow, the ones I started working out with, had this kind of approach: I offer you a workout for every insecurity and you will get your dream body in a short amount of time. Nooo it doesn't work like this!
It takes time to lose weight or gain muscle and it is normal and okay. Stressing your body with useless workouts that target a certain area or that promise unrealistic results can do more harm than good. I know it form my personal experience. This kind of content led me to overexercise, amenorrhea and to the verge of anorexia, feeling guilty and insecure about my body all the time. Now I've recovered, but the relationship with my body is still complicated.
It is important to stop justyfing clickbait and misinformation just because a person is nice and motivating. When I unsubscribed from this kind of creators, I felt better. Now I follow only those who offer a realistic and healthy approach.
I am talking in general, personally I didn't knew Jo before seeing this video.
AMEN!
I watched the other two videos when they went live and I totally agree. I enjoy Jo’s videos, but I’m knowledgeable enough to see through her nonsensical promises. I’m also an academic and know that relying on people to do their research is laughable. People believe what they read and it’s super misleading. I’ve seen a few comments in Jo’s community about the misleading before and after posts as well. Some are clear before and after changes, but many are examples of the classic “pull up your tights to create a smaller waist” illusion.
I agree with your point on women not being about to call out other women. It’s great to “empower” women but that doesn’t mean they get special treatment. Call women on their shit just as much as men. It’s good for us all 🙂
Agreed!
You've got my support 100%. Neither you, Layna, or Harry are any kind of haters. I appreciate people spitting the truth. I appreciate constructive criticism of influencers and of my own workouts because I want to get stronger and healthier! Keep doing you.
thank you!
I couldn’t agree with everything you said more! This might be pessimistic of me to say but sometimes people are beyond educating and want to be lied to. It’s easier for them and when you bring attention to it they don’t have a logical response and instead just insult you because they feel like they’re being attacked by hearing anything less than ideal about something or someone that they like.
I usually don't do alot of commenting but this video really spoke to me. First of all, I do agree that Jo's videos are good for getting people moving who otherwise wouldn't workout or want a fun and easy workout when they are short on time but her titles are misleading especially when we live in a world where everyone seems to look for shortcuts or "the easy way out". If someone sees a title that says "Do this workout every morning to lose belly fat" or " Lose 10 pounds in one week, and they have issues with belly fat or want to lose 10 pounds, they'll flop to it and then be disappointed when they don't see quick results.
I used to weigh 278.8 at my heaviest and worked my butt off to not only lose weight but to educate myself along the way. I stopped comparing myself to others, I learned that not everything is one size fits all, I learned that it takes time and effort to lose weight and keep it off, etc. I now fluctuate between 160-165 and I didn't get here overnight. I did my own research through trial and error and found out what works for my body.
This is why I love your videos. You speak up and give people facts and truths and honestly, some people just can't handle that. Alot of people kiss ass on social media and won't even respectfully disagree with someone because bam...now you're a hater, which is the dumbest shit to me.
Also, I'm a black woman and trust me, there is nothing basic about you and it's crazy that race would even be brought up, all because you spoke the truth but then agian people are so used to being lied to and blindly following without questioning. Real recognizes real. Keep being you cause the world needs more of that!!!!🤗
thank you for sharing your insight :)
I remember watching and commenting on FrumpyFits video. I had to go rewatch it after reading the comments just now because I didn’t remember anything too harsh in there. The comments definitely do not reflect the information Layna provided. Her video gave good constructive criticism without insulting Jo. She also didn’t only focus on Jo in the video. She talked about clickbait in general and other creators. I get loving a creator and it is difficult hearing someone disagree with them. But people are not perfect and it is okay to bring up, respectfully, when their content is giving misinformation.
I recently watched Team ForNever Lean’s video on Sydney Cummings. He mentioned something about standing abs workouts not being as effective as other ab workouts. People also were upset over that. I love Sydney and do her workouts 4-5 times a week. I didn’t comment negatively on the video because I knew he was giving his opinion on the move and not insulting Sydney specifically.
Again, you can still enjoy someones content without agreeing with everything they do and others are allowed to call it out.
I also feel like fans can say “Hey, I disagree and this is why…” But it all comes down to doing it respectfully.
100%! We don't all have to agree. But we all need to listen without personal bias.
i love frumpy fit and team for never lean!!!
Yeah... no. I never heard that you can't spot reduce fat until I saw one of your videos. My jaw literally dropped, I just couldn't believe that no one had said that to me before. At that point I had done a few workouts from fitfluencers (with no certifications, but I didn't know to look for that), but after a few videos something would start to hurt and I'd have to take a break from working out. I thought something was wrong with me, but as I have gotten into the more science-backed side of fitness content creators, I realized that I wasn't being guided on proper form or function of movements but I took the blame because these people were aesthetically fit, so clearly they knew what they were talking about, right? Some people might get stronger and lose weight (if that's a goal) from creators like this, but wouldn't it be nice for people like me to know I wasn't the problem this whole time and I can do hard workouts without something hurting in a bad way?? If you know about fitness and still like creators like growwithjo, that's fine, but I truly don't understand how people providing free education resources are the ones that are attacked. Calling people haters and standing behind someone blindly while rejecting countless scientific studies isn't loyalty, it's delusional.
amen!
I think even when people ask “how can I reduce my arm fat?” they are often asking “how can I reduce the appearance of my arm fat?” rather than suggesting they can spot reduce. (Ex: these exercises help you build muscle which will improve the appearance of your arms) .
That being said, it sounds like you had longer conversations with these people where they revealed they still did not understand that spot reduction isn’t possible.
Regardless of there being people who watch the videos and know full well that the results she is suggesting is not scientific or possible- I am inclined to agree that saying wrong and incorrect things should always be fair to criticize respectfully.
I unsubscribed after she went online to call some of Beyoncé’s visuals demonic. I’m African so it was a slap in the face to see her demonize some of our culture which Beyoncé referenced. Needless to say I got my ass in the gym and I’m educating myself on my health and fitness daily.
PS. I’m so glad I found your page❤
So happy to have you here!
@@JustinaErcole thank you 🥹
I think you said it perfect… your not a UA-camr, not an influencer, your a Coach. This is something I can relate. When I started my “social media” journey to bring that which I desired TRUTH to the how to… it went ignored. Only when I changed to UA-camr/Influencer marketing could I get reach to those I hope to bring into my coaching/fitness community to engage in what most have limited attention span to grasp on social unless that’s what there looking for… I never want my videos to be judged as click bait but I know we live in a world of critique when others don’t know full perspectives. Justine your a jewel 💎 to our community of coaches here on UA-cam.
1) Always appreciate how even, nuanced, and informative your videos like this are. Which is why I keep coming back!
2) Agree with the assessment on Jo. She's really nice and joyful, and the click bait nature of her video titles is too much.
But what I really want to comment on is 3) People don't know. People don't know!!! From the magazines I grew up with (and was OBSESSED with) in the 80s and 90s, to the "advice" I received as a professional dancer, to now - the fitness stories are the same, and most of them are lying, especially in concerns with spot reducing. And it's almost impossible to research for yourself because search results are FLOODED with too much bad information to wade through to find the good.
So anywho...I guess I really just wanted to rant a little bit about the fact that I've been willingly and unwillingly immersed in misleading fitness culture for umpteen decades, almost all of it is bullshit, people truly don't understand the breadth and depth of the trickery in marketing, and thank you for regularly calling shit out. Hashtag Holy Run-on Sentence Batman.
Thank you so much for sharing your insight!
You’re a coach and not an influencer - and it shows! Thank you for this video!
Thank YOU!
Hey justina I just wanna say that I really appreciate you talking about this topic and giving insight into the struggle between having integrity as a coach vs wanting to grow your channel as a UA-cam,. I rly admire your honesty because many creators might believe the same thing but won’t publicly speak out about it because why go to the trouble and in the end attract a bunch of hate? But I think it’s so important that it is addressed. Because having unrealistic expectations for workout results WILL negatively affect peoples image of themselves in the long run.
Thank you :)
Love the video! I tried some of Growwithjo's workout when I started on my fitness journey (along with blogilates and cloe ting). But then I found creators like you, Harry and Layna, and I've learned so much about how the body really works, and now I'm training more efficient. Also my aim has changed from doing the workout to loose weight, to focusing more on what I want my body to be able to do.
I love that mindset shift!
I agree with everything you said. some people's logic is killing me... it's not okay to lie in an ad, but you can lie on youtube :D
LOL exactly
I'm honestly so sick of this girlboss feminism in which women have to support women regardless. It is so much more feminist to call out shitty behaviour - by people of all genders, btw. I'm also sick of people watering down really important terms like racism. When every criticism of a Black person is racist then how do we talk about actual racism?
People really need to learn that criticism of behaviour doesn't equal criticism of personality. Ugh.
Yessssss!!
Yesss it’s totally girlboss behavior
Honour❣
A refreshing balm in the wilderness of influencer-bullshit.
Keep going, we need more truth-telling voices.
I love Harry and TFL. And I am just so happy you mentioned his critique and the differences between his audience’s responses and say, one of your videos that is saying something similar. For months, I was thinking to myself: does everyone just love TFL because he’s a decent man in fitness/not a DB and let’s be honest… the pool is fairly small? Well I think it’s a combo. Love him and his message but def. Think he gets some passes purely due to the fact he is a nice man. Sorry, that’s honestly how I feel about it and I’m happy I’m not the only one who sees the internalized misogyny. And again, this is by no means a dig at Harry. He’s a gem and I feel like he’s even mentioned this point before…but yeah. I think there’s lots to unpack there and it goes into your whole point about making sure you are following fitness people with integrity. So yeah- I totally get it!!
100%! I also love Harry's content and energy. He's such a gem here on UA-cam. But you're right.
I love that you mention the different with genders; I COMPLETELY agree with this
I did Growwithjo workouts after having Covid and getting back into exercise. While I think she has a great attitude and a few decent workouts, I had to stop doing them because of her video titles. I don't like weight loss or aesthetics to be the focus, so I couldn't follow someone who promises to get rid of your bra bulge, or back fat, or whatever with a simple 20 minute walking video. I know that's not true, so it only makes me feel worse. If people like her videos and credit Jo with helping them get up and move, that's great, but I wish it wasn't so acceptable to lie to women about how their bodies work, or why they should train. There are so many other, BETTER reasons to do it that have nothing to do with your bulges and belly. It's disappointing.
AMEN!
If you haven't seen it, Abbey Sharp also has a video where she comments on GrowJos's WIEIAD Video. The tone in the comment section there is similar. I think it's because her followers are looking for her videos and stumble upon on the Review videos, click on them expecting to see her being praised and then are surprised to realize that not everyone thinks of her as flawless and perfect in every aspect. They are then so quick to defend her because her videos DID help them with their struggles a lot, so they are very grateful and emotionally bound to her. Her being criticesd doesn't make sense in their head so the person who criticizes her must be in the wrong and have a hidden bad motive to do so.
I'll have to give it a watch!
Loved the video! I’ve never done any growwithjo videos, she seems nice but the clickbait is real! Like, that’s not how the human body functions 🤷🏼♀️
Why the fu*k would I care if she’s nice? Her content isn’t around how to become nicer, it’s marketed and sold as how to be more fit or healthy. Therefore if she’s lying or misrepresenting how to do that, it’s a problem. Period. Geez, what a double standard, I don’t see people creeping on male influencer critiques saying, “lay off the guys nice” … what 🤦♀️
Click bait is so Annoying. I agree people judge way to soon by the book cover. They don’t read the book!
agreed!
So, Jo actually made me enjoy exercising again because of her workouts- I love her workouts.
HOWEVER, thankfully I started them off knowing that spot reduction isn’t a thing so I went in to simply move, and I had the desired results. But, as you say, not everyone realises this and will sadly get lured in by marketing tactics.
it’s not only Jo that has issues with the clickbait videos- in general it is serious issue with many popular fitness influencers.
So yes- I love Jo and her videos. But I wish she didn’t use language like “belly fat burn” etc. All creators have their faults, and I feel this is hers.
Truth has been told again.
We women are still seen as jealous b13ches when we dare to critique another woman.
100%
Its so true that so many people don’t know that you can’t spot reduce fat. I literally have to date friends and family members telling thing things like drinking warm lemon water helps reduce fat or rice is what making people fat or just having passionate argument on the fact that according to them doing tons of crunches and sit ups will give a flatter stomach. So this argument that people know you cant spot reduce fact but still click on the videos doesn’t really hold true. Somebody else also pointed out wonderfully in the comment section here that we as humans want to be lied to. We want an easier way to do things and dont want to hear the truth which is that it takes work so we keep gravitating towards such content and the content creators keep feeding us these lies and keep on preying on our insecurities
AMEN
Great video!
I do GWJ workouts when I’m in need of a quick mid-workday pick-me-up, looking specifically at the length of the video and not the thumbnail bc hers are so full of crap…but I do like her and love her energy! And it’s okay for me to feel both things! It’s also okay for Harry, Layna, and you to point out Jo’s nice/fun side while criticizing her use of clickbait at the same time! 🤦🏼♀️
100%! Our opinions don't need to be black and white. I can like someone's workouts without agreeing with their marketing.
It's UA-cam Click Bait is the name of the game! Having said that I don't disagree wtih you. Love you, Jo and Frumpy Fit. Nothing negative to say about anyone.
I think Harry made a great video about clickbait and where he thinks the line should be drawn. If I can find it I'll link it!
I appreciate your commitment to truth over popularity. Keep it up! ❤
thank you :)
When I first started getting into fitness I followed many influencers with click bate titles, lost a little weight but always wondered if what I was doing was actually correct. It really wasn’t until I found videos from Harry, Layna and you that I started to learn what to do to get real results. I wish I would’ve found your videos before wasting my time on theirs but it’s ok, because know I know who’s information I can trust. Thank you for this videos and all your other videos. I hope more people can open their minds to see that you’re trying teach them and you’re not hating on someone because they have more followers. #knowledgeispower
thanks for being here!
I went to check on the comments on FrumpyFit's video. People are completely missing the point!! How frustrating.
It's insane.
Excellent video Justina. So true. At the beginning of my fitness journey I also believed BS, but I could educate myself following great people like you, Harry, Eric Roberts, Jordan Syatt, Layne Norton, Redefining Strength. But for many people is difficult to distinguish between good content and ließ, because lies are more appealing to them: who wouldn't want the magic diet or the magic workout ? People don't want to be told that consistency is the key, they want the easy miracle
Ooooh yes Jordan is my favorite!
At the time of my comment, all the other comments seem like they’re agreeing with you! It will be interesting to see if this changes 😅
Thanks for making this video. I appreciate that you’ve tackled a topic you know will likely result in backlash, but you’ve always been really transparent with us and it’s kept me coming back to your videos
If it hits the algorithm, things will change lol
My late sister said it all before she passed 2 years ago "use your own 63 year old brain. You Justina are beautiful and down to earth.
thank you paula :)
"people should know better" i think this phrase has also 0 sense of how the world works. like, there are a lot of people who work 8 hours per day, don't have access to a high quality education, on their free time are way to tired to actually learn something and you want them to KNOW BETTER? like?????
growwithjo seems to have an older audience, so imagine a mother who works her entire day, take care of her children and decides for whatever is the reason workout with a growwithjo video, and then all she sees is spot redution, lose 600 calories in 1 hour, toning and all those sort of stuff. it's not fair to ask this person to "know better". influencers have responsability and it is not wrong to ask them to hold themselves accountable! nice vdeo, justina, i love that you are spreading awareness :)
agreed!
I totally agree with everything you’ve said. I started my fitness journey 8 years ago and I knew absolutely nothing about health and training. I tried working out with MANY UA-camrs based on the titles of their workouts. I probably wasted a good 2 years doing things that did absolutely nothing for my body. it wasn’t until I found Fitness blender about 6 years ago that I started to get some real facts and proper training. I then moved onto Sydney Cummings and Caroline Girvan. They were always quick to point out that you can’t spot reduce fat. I’ve been programming my own strength training programs for a few years now as I have gained the knowledge and experience to do so. I just wish I hadn’t wasted so much time following useless information and click bait based workouts. The majority of people who are not into fitness don’t know that you can’t spot reduce fat, or the different benefits of strength training vs cardio and what is going to work for them based on their goals. I’ve spent 8 years consistently working out and educating myself and it is unbelievable how much B.S. is out there. I just hope your video sheds some light on this for other women so they don’t caught up in the click bait B.S. of “rock hard abs in 2 weeks!” Or “get toned, not bulky!” These women are just living every day lives, they are busy with work, maybe kids, and they don’t deserve to waste their energy both physically and mentally on misinformation
Hi Justina, i just saw your video and had to post a comment in your defence x I am a 46 year old women veteran who comes from the UK and I wish I lived closeby where I could attend your classes as I love your down to earth and bubbly personality. I can't stand over the top influencers who focus more on image and giving misinformation rather then down to earth, qualified instructors who just want to give correct information on fitness. I can see through many of these individuals due to my training experience but sadly, there are so many vulnerable and naive people who scan the Internet looking for the quick fix and with information presented believe they could look like the influences they follow. Your videos are backed by facts, you have the right amount of enthusiasm, I like how you and your guest trainers are down to earth and just natural. Please please never change and do NOT let idiot commenters get in your way xx
thank you heather :)
You, Harry, and Layna have helped me so much! I really appreciate this video.
So glad you enjoyed!
I felt lied to as well by her click bait. I got diagnosed with PCOS this past summer and now following a treatment plan to balance my hormone levels. My doctor told me that realistically it’s going to take time to lose the 40 lbs I put on due to my hormone imbalance. I was advised to stay consistent with my treatment which includes a healthy diet and exercise. I accept the fact that I’m bigger then I was before, bought bigger pants and told myself to focus on my overall health and not just my weight. But then I came across her workouts and was like Omgee this is my change to loose weight fast and get my body back. I did so many workouts over a month and didn’t see the results I was misled to think I would get. Then I had to remind myself that I had to be realistic and know that healing doesn’t look loosing a lot of weight at once. I’m just gonna stick to my doctors pep talks and treatment plans. She also explains why it’s hard to loose weight with PCOS and how to manage it.
Good for you for listening and trusting your doctor! Sustainable change takes time. It sucks, which is why influencers don't preach it, but it's the only way to go. YOU GOT THIS!
"Where are they supposed to learn it from" is a really good point. You have to have your super specific, granular search term basically down pat before you can even try to wade through the stuff that comes up when you Google for information like this because the internet is so saturated with all kinds of info --- accurate and otherwise. And I have a feeling the only reason I'm able to come up with the terms that give me good info (which, by the way, are usually research studies, which are hardly written for general consumption) is that I do have education and immense interest in the fitness sphere. So yeah, I'm a big believer in educating yourself and understanding that the internet is full of BS (recognize/ignore what's an ad, for example, understand clickbait exists, etc), but also...people claiming to be helping SHOULD be helping. (full disclosure: I know nothing about Grow with Jo.)
In other news, I'll just be over here waiting for people to see that getting mad at women who respectfully critique other women is NOT helping any women's movement. Saying women should support other women solely because they're women is no different than saying women shouldn't work in certain industries solely because they're women. It's equally shallow and equally harmful. Genes or gender identity do not mean you're perfect or that you're flawed. Dig deeper, people!
YESS THIS SHANNON!
Thanks for your video.I really appreciate your honest and educated approach to fitness and nutrition.
I'm so glad I found your channel. Thank you as always 💖
You are so welcome!
Thank You!! Personally, I want that facts and I don't care how nice you are. Since there is a lot of misinformation out there as a consumer it is my responsibility to search for credible resources in the content I consume. I appreciate you listing sources at the bottom of your videos.
Saying this, it is apparent that not everyone knows how to do this or what that means so they are more susceptible to dishonest marketing tactics. Misinformation isn't going away, so I find these videos helpful to have this conversation. Please keep it up.
I find it disappointing that this is the world we live in, being attacked for stating facts and trying to educate. I agree people are NOT listening to the key message of the content and are quick to spew attacks. Thanks Justina for always being true to your character.
and thank YOU for watching Kasey!
I really felt the need to comment because you and harry helped so much with your educative videos. Now everytime i read one of these click bait titles i know that they are not true. I only fix achievable goals which are gaining strength and moving my body more throughout the day. I stopped obsessing over my weight and started actually enjoying working out. And for all of that thank you ❤️ keep doing what you're doing because you changing people's life 🙏
so glad we've both helped you!
I think Jo’s workouts are fun.
I agree that her workouts will not result in a ripped physique as many of her titles imply. Her workouts are very basic.
That's great that you think they're fun! And it's even bigger than "you won't get a ripped physique." It's simply the fact that she cannot make these claims because she does not know the person and people doing her workouts. There's so much more that goes into it than simply exercise programming.
My favorite alternatives to GrowWithJo (her clickbait can be triggering even for me) are Kyra Pro and MadFit Dance Workouts. I loved her workouts but they strained my lower back badly like someone else said.
I love Kyra!
I’m new to working out (7 months woo) and have recently started some of her videos after being recommended by some people.
I automatically found her videos to be a problem when they were advertised as low impact but included jumping.
I understand UA-camrs need to clickbait in order to get views, and I am a person who knows you cannot spot reduce fat, so the titles/thumbnails don’t bother me too much but ONLY if they state in the video that you can’t spot reduce fat.
A user I watch a lot is Fitbymik and I LOVE her videos because she’s very clear and she even provides low impact modifications and if she does use a click bait title (I think this was mostly her older videos) she ALWAYS states “you can’t spot reduce fat, but you can target the muscle underneath” so I appreciate that.
I’m glad you found someone you enjoy!
I'd argue that a more accurate phrase than "I think it's very interesting," would be "I think it's very telling," when it comes to noting the only significant observable difference between Harry and Layna is their gender. The political science major in me wonders about gathering together a bunch of different creators and having them all do a constructive criticism of another creator and analyze what differences can be found in the comment section based on who's being critiqued and whom is doing the critiquing (for example, would there have been further significant differences if a Black man came out with a video critiquing GrowwithJo, or a Black woman doing a critique video of her? etc.). But I am not a social scientist by training, so I'm not sure what the ethics would be of such an experiment, or how to go about constructing a rigorous experiment to do so.
With regards to all the comments about "she means well!" I only have this response: I have multiple - and I mean *multiple* - disabilities, so I get a lot of people thinking they're being nice or helping me with something, but their actions either negatively affect me, possibly to the point of harm, or they make more work for me to communicate my actual needs to people. It means jack whether or not someone "means well" if their actions either potentially or demonstrably cause harm, and if Jo's videos and messages are leading to disinformation about physical health and well-being, then that's what matters, not whether or not she's doing so intentionally or whether she means well or not.
My response to people who say "I've gotten great results with Jo, you're just a hater!" is that there is a very well-known saying in scientific communities (whether hard science or social sciences) that goes as follows: "The plural of anecdote isn't data." Multiple, even an entire community, of people losing weight and gaining muscle by working out along with Jo is not evidence or proof positive that her methods are effective and the best method for those results. Getting results of any kind doesn't mean she's a healthy or advisable role model either - just look at Blogilates, who has helped a great number of people get fit, but whose messaging and ideas are almost entirely bull-pucky.
If there's a community of people who are claiming they've gotten great results with Jo, then chances are there's also a group of people out there who have not, but they're probably not in the forums commenting or discussing their experiences with Jo - or at least, not in a public forum like Facebook or UA-cam.
If people really want to see whether Jo's methods and messaging are the best way to go about it all, you'd have to set up a double-blind test with a really large sample size, separate the subjects into groups, and assign each one a youtube fitness creator to follow for, shall we say, somewhere between six to ten weeks (which I *think* is the minimum amount of time to see results?), and then draw up a comparison of the measurable results and the subjects' reported experiences with their assigned creator. The leaders of the experiment could possibly include a segment in their research paper comparing the knowledge and information expressed by the different creators selected against the current scientific consensus of exercise and fitness research.
I don't know if anyone has done exactly *this* kind of an experiment, though there are plenty of experiments comparing different kinds of exercise programs.
TL;DR: "Meaning well" does not equate to "doing good," and the plural of anecdote is not data. I also speculate about different possible social and exercise experiments involving the effectiveness or impact of youtube creators' identities or information and exercise programs on their users and commenters.
Sorry about the lengthy comment (I tend to specialize in verbosity), but I hope it was cogent and interesting.
OMG no apology needed! That was fascinating to read and so insightful. Thank you!
I do like Jo's walking videos and it helped me find something small and easy to do when I couldn't bring myself to do anything. but I do also have background/experience in weight training and researching how the body creates change, so to speak. not professionally, just out of personal interest. so i know her marketing is bs, and when i click on the video, i'm not expecting to get the results she is claiming i will achieve. i'm just wanting to move my body. but you're right. i still see many women asking how to spot reduce, so we know this isn't as common knowledge as we hope. and tbh some of her moves are not the safest to prevent injury and i'm glad i have the info to know to replace those moves when i come across them. for awhile i wasn't even sure she was a certified trainer. i thought maybe she didn't even know her claims were false. but now, i would say that she has the capacity to change if she wants. she's been called out by many content creators. she already has a platform and she could make a difference if she changed her marketing tactics and was more honest with her audience moving forward.
I'm glad you enjoy her videos! Like I said, this isn't a video about the quality of her content. Just the truth in her claims :)
I do GWJ workouts to get steps, to get moving, to the tunes., to keep my autoimmune at bay with daily movements - Will it make me lose 100lbs? Hmmmmm not by itself i need to be super Mindful of my nutrition, strength training with progressive overload, cardio for my sanity and sleep (seriously that’s last one has to be the missing piece) a critique is a critique you’re respectful and bring up valid points / and I swear why do some women still think you can shrink your arms 🫤 been trying for a decade lol still calorie deficit needed
And just plain genetics which people refuse to acknowledge. 😞
I agree with the commentary on the double standard, I do side eye Layna as a creator though for advertising a "weight loss masterclass" using the same tactics as more predatory creators. While the information would be good, I felt manipulated when her "free webinar" was just a pitch for her course.
I honestly don't know anything about her masterclass marketing, so I can't weigh in here. Thank you for watching!
Great video, Justina. Love your content and Frumpy Fit. When I first started regularly working out again 15 months ago, Jo was one of my regular go tos. I loved her positive energy. But as I started to discover other creators, I realized her workouts themselves were not great for me, my back would often be hurting after, for example. Also didn't love the repetitive music for such repetitive movements. I've now built up to more advanced types of workouts with weights as my regular structure but I still love walking workouts for a cooldown or rest day. My go to is now Get fit with Rick for that type of workout who is a former dancer and the workouts are super fun and dancey but I think very safe for beginners. I haven't paid attention to his clickbait level to be honest. I never noticed Jo's that much but probably because I had more diversity in who I was following eventually (e.g. you, Harry, Abbey Sharp, Frumpy Fit etc.) so was learning enough to counteract any ill effects.
thank you for watching!
When I first started working out ti was 91th grade and Im a senior now. I started at 223 pounds now im aroun 160-170. Chloe thing really had me thinking I would gain a 6 pack in 2 weeks. I can laugh now but it really sucked when I learned the titles were just for engagement. :l
Love all your videos! Love your approach and honesty. ❤(love Harry too!)
Thanks! Happy to have you here :)
Growing up in the age of social media and marketing, my insecurities as a little girl were preyed on by headlines like "LOSE THOSE LOVEHANDLES!" and whatnot.... luckily after seeking out enough trustworthy sources to learn more about my body and its needs, I can say I live a healthy balanced life. Love this channel and all you do!!
thank you!
Thank you once again for this amazing video. I wish people would pay attention to what people are saying and not judge. xx
100%!
I feel like the different reactions depend on whose watching
Agree with you 100%
thanks!
I enjoy watching your and Layna's content. I may not always agree with everything you ladies think, but I believe each of you come from a place of love and wanting to educate people on how to love themselves in "healthy" ways.
thank you Michelle! And you bring up such a solid point. We don't all have to agree. But we can all come from a place of honesty and respect.
Thanks Justina again for a great video. I loved that video of FrumpyFit. I remember I had just watched a video of yours that you just posted that day and then watched FrumpyFit's. I love both of your contents and learning so much. There was one comment near the end of the comments section of the video saying GowithJo is great and you just wrong and everyone does it (Clikbait) or something like that. I couldn't resist and had to respond. I am in a few mommy facebook groups and often have members post that are looking to lose weight and the comment section, tell you is shocking!!!! Mostly of people trying to sale eating plans, shakes, diet pills, special diet plans, coffees, herbal life products. Its very sad.
It's so sad!
I've never watched a Grow with Jo video. However, I do know enough about fitness and body mechanics to say that "spot fat reduction" is a myth. Any workout is theoretically better than no workout, but if the workout comes with pseudoscience, it might be worse than no information whatsoever.
I love your videos and personality. I think you are very intelligent, you know what you are talking about and very funny. You help me find a good trainer/ influencer for trainings on the Internet. Keep up the good work !
Thank you so much!
I love your take on this issue, it's important to discuss. I agree with you as well. Always here for the information/efucation.
thanks for watching!
I know I’m a year late but the hateful comments towards people pointing out Jo’s marketing are so unnecessary and rude. I only recently started doing Jo’s workouts after finding the encanto one with my family and I continued because I felt they were within my abilities, it got me motivated and she just really comes off as a lovely person and very encouraging. However I agree wholeheartedly about what you’re saying. Before coming across your videos I had no idea spot reduction wasn’t a thing and I started feeling off when I did workouts that said it was spot reducing one place but I was feeling it in my body in another and I was confused that I wasn’t doing the exercises right. I tried to ignore it and I still occasionally do some workouts but when I see those extra positive smiling thumbnails with misleading posts it turns me away and that’s a real shame. She has cultivated a great thing motivating and helping people all over the world it doesn’t need to be shadowed by misleading tactics!
Great video Justina- I appreciate your candor !!! ❤️💕
thank you for watching maria!
I wanted to let you know I appreciate this video. I am ALL for getting people to move and if Jo is doing this than awesome. But we ultimately need to educate people and not be dishonest.
Agreed!