How much of what you see people display is real? Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, shares her thoughts on fitness bodies and why we need to tread carefully when aspiring towards a specific look…
Just when it felt like online fitness culture had reached peak issues with easy access to editing, along came AI and drugs to prove us wrong. To be clear: if you are training with an aesthetic goal, go ahead and follow that dream. What I’m urging you to do is be safe and realistic – things it’s increasingly difficult to achieve, thanks in large part to the images we use to inspire us…
Is 2025 the Year of Drugs?
As 2025 draws to a close, there has been a very clear dominant theme in health and fitness – weight-loss medications. The conversation is loud. The bodies are smaller and smaller. The pressure is high… and that’s actually not the only type of drug that’s trending.
I’m a 1987 baby, and grew up in a household that loves watching Olympic sport. Via commentary, I heard many conversations about performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) throughout my childhood, and remember my Dad teaching me that there had been a reckoning during the early part of my life; some records will likely never again be broken, because drug testing didn’t used to be as accurate as it is now.
For a long time, it felt like the problem of PEDs had been solved, but it’s back in two significant ways. Having first been mooted in 2023, this year it’s been confirmed as likely that the first “Enhanced Games” will take place in 2026 – this is to be a multi-sport event which allows athletes to sidestep World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) rules and testing, and compete whilst taking otherwise-banned substances. Throughout 2025, several high-profile athletes have announced their intention to participate, and there are lots of opinions on the idea.
What you might not know is that it’s not just professional athletes who use, or would like to use, performance enhancing substances. The person next to you in the gym, or on your social media feed, may well be using them too.
PEDs in gyms
I’m raising this topic for a couple of reasons: I’ve now been using gyms for over eight years, and during that time, I’ve heard more and more conversations among gym users about whether or not they’re taking or considering taking these drugs. Where they get them. How much they take. How often they get blood tests done.
Some of these people compete in bodybuilding (physique competitions, rather than ones involving lifting weights), and some of them want to lift heavier faster. From what I hear, their desires are generally want-based rather than need-based – meaning that they aren’t taking them because they’re medically necessary.
Recently, John Whaite (winner of Great British Bake Off and finalist on Strictly Come Dancing) revealed his own history of steroid use via his Instagram page. Predictably, the heartfelt video generated media interest. It was a tough watch, and I applaud John’s honesty. In the eight minute video, he shares when he started taking drugs, why he did it, and the impact it’s had on his physical and mental health. He also shared his intention to stop using drugs – I wish him well in this mission, and I very much hope that he is healthy.
Why is PED use a problem?
Things I shouldn’t have to say: taking any drug in an uncontrolled and unadvised way is a terrible idea. Our bodies are precious and, for me, it’s just not worth the risk.
There are parallels to be drawn: something that’s been a problem for a long time is people not being honest about images being edited, or whether or not they’ve had surgery or other aesthetic treatments. There’s a difficult line to tread, too – of course, everyone is entitled to share only what they would like to about their health and decisions around it. But anyone publicly sharing images of themselves and making a claim that they’ve achieved it through nutrition, exercise, or any other method, also has a responsibility to be clear about anything else that they’ve done or an advantage that they’ve had. Whether that’s hiring a trainer or chef, or visiting a doctor.
In short – when we compare our body to someone else’s, it helps to know whether we are being realistic or not. It’s never fair to compare directly – health is a broad spectrum, and you can never have someone else’s genetics or their exact lifestyle. But knowing whether or not you’re in the same ballpark can make a difference.
In professional sport, substances are restricted to ensure a more level physical playing field. For those of us who aren’t competing physically, it’s important that we balance the emotional field too.
What can I do about it?
Awareness is key. We do not control anyone else’s behaviour, and that’s ok. Everyone is free to make their own choices. What I would encourage is that, when you scrutinise your body compared to that of another, you remind yourself that – whether what you’re seeing is real, edited, or enhanced, all bodies are valid, and you have no obligation to change yours to match someone else’s image.