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[@RenaissancePeriodization] "Natty Or Not" Culture Is Failing You (Here’s Why)

· 6 min read
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@RenaissancePeriodization - ""Natty Or Not" Culture Is Failing You (Here’s Why)"

Link: https://youtu.be/gKYB7vAMQy8

Short Summary​

"Natty or Not" videos are popular because they're easy to produce, capitalize on celebrity, and generate engagement through speculation about drug use, satisfying viewers' curiosity and insecurities. However, the video argues that these assessments are often baseless and misleading, failing to accurately reflect individual potential or distinguish between natural and enhanced physiques.

Key Quotes​

Here are four quotes that capture valuable insights from the YouTube video transcript:

  1. "There's tons of people using drugs that look like they don't use drugs. And the other side is true. There are tons of people that look like they use drugs that don't. And you think they do mostly because you're coping and you learned all of your science from not videos." - This quote highlights the unreliability of judging drug use based on appearance, and that people have different motivations for labelling people using steroids.

  2. "If you are natural, right, you haven't used drugs yourself and you're a YouTube viewer and you are really insecure, you can get validation about your own physique because, well, anything better than you is cheating on drugs." - This quote encapsulates one of the core reasons why people consume "natty or not" content: to alleviate insecurities about their own progress by attributing superior physiques to drug use.

  3. "Genetics account for more variation in muscularity in the population than drug use does." - This highlights the limited relevance judging natty or not provides people in terms of their own attainable goals.

  4. "If you want to find out what you can look like drug-free, you have two choices. One is you go to Menow Henselman's Natty Max calculator. You're going to enter in a bunch of metrics about your physique and it's going to tell you roughly what you can expect to add muscularity wise towards that your natty peak. Way better than looking at natty or not videos because remember those are almost exclusively on genetically elite people. Or you can do the even more precise thing of just training for 5 to 10 years consistently with good diet. And after 5 to 10 years, you're going to figure out what the trajectory is and what your baseline rate is." -This highlights better strategies for people attempting to understand their true potential.

Detailed Summary​

Okay, here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, presented in bullet points:

Key Topics:

  • The phenomenon of "Natty or Not" videos on YouTube (videos speculating on whether fitness influencers/celebrities use performance-enhancing drugs).
  • The motivations of content creators who produce these videos.
  • The reasons why people watch "Natty or Not" videos.
  • The potential value (and lack of value) derived from watching these videos.
  • Realistic expectations for natural (drug-free) physiques.

Arguments & Information (Why Content Creators Make Natty or Not Videos):

  • Ease of Production: They are easy to make, requiring little preparation, scripting, or expertise. All it takes is pulling up a picture of someone and speculating.
  • Coattail Riding: Creators leverage the fame of the individuals they discuss to gain views and attention. The speaker admits his channel does similar things with workout critiques of celebrities.
  • Low Barrier to Entry: There's no need for extensive knowledge about the human body, steroid use, or the subject's background; speculation is sufficient.
  • No-Lose Scenario:
    • If the creator declares someone not natty, viewers who agree will validate the creator.
    • If the creator declares someone natty, dissenting viewers will engage in the comments, boosting the video's visibility and triggering reaction videos.
  • People Watch Them: The ultimate reason is viewership. Demand drives the content.

Arguments & Information (Why People Watch Natty or Not Videos):

  • Gossipy Curiosity: Simple interest in the lives and activities of famous or well-known people.
  • Setting Realistic Goals: Viewers try to gauge the limits of natural potential and calibrate their own physique goals, and avoid basing them on enhanced physiques.
  • Validation for Insecurity (Natural Lifters): If impressive physiques are labeled as "not natty," viewers who haven't used drugs themselves can feel better about their own progress.
  • Validation for Insecurity (Drug Users): Those who use drugs and are still insecure can justify their physique by attributing more impressive physiques to "more drugs" or better "exotic" drug combinations, rather than acknowledging personal limitations.
  • Moral Superiority:
    • Viewers who expose alleged "fake natties" get excited when they get called out for claiming natty when they are not.
    • If someone doesn't claim natty, viewers can lament the prevalence of drug use in the fitness industry and feel superior for seeing "the truth."
  • Feeling Good: Ultimately, people watch these videos to feel good about themselves and indulge in gossip.

Value and Limitations of Natty or Not Videos:

  • Value:

    • They can be entertaining and fun.
    • They can, to a limited extent, hone one's observational skills regarding physique traits and potential indicators of drug use (e.g., skin redness, acne, hair loss).

  • Limitations:

    • Incorrect Assumptions: The consensus opinion in these videos about who is natty or not is often based on speculation and weak evidence (sophistry and incredulity).
    • Muscle Shape is NOT an Indicator: Claims that steroid use affects muscle shape are false.
    • Individual Variation: Genetics play a far bigger role in muscularity than steroid use, and cannot be accounted for in natty or not videos.
    • Unrealistic Expectations: The "Natty or Not" videos do not reflect an average person's natural potential, but rather an elite individual. These people are genetically gifted.

Realistic Expectations for Natural Gains:

  • Do Not Use Elite Natties for Guidance: The achievements of elite natural athletes are not representative of average individuals.
  • Meno Henselmans' Natty Max Calculator: A better resource for estimating potential natural gains (although still based on averages).
  • Track Your Own Progress Over Time: The best way to assess your own natural potential is to train consistently for 5-10 years, monitor your progress, and project a realistic trajectory.

Analogies and Examples:

  • Comparing the consumption of "Natty or Not" videos to watching pro wrestling – entertaining, but not a guide to reality.
  • The example of a 5'7", 160lb individual using trenbolone, illustrating that drug users don't always look like the stereotypical "juiced" physique.
  • The example of a freshman football player making it to the pro leagues.

Overall Conclusion:

"Natty or Not" videos are primarily sources of entertainment and gossip, not reliable guides for setting realistic fitness goals or understanding human potential. If you think that they will lead to a better understanding of science and physiques, you are going to have a bad time.