Arnold Schwarzenegger was never one for shortcuts. He trained with relentless intensity, doing everything possible to squeeze out every last drop of progress in the gym. But every year, new trends emerge promising huge results for minimal effort – and the Austrian isn’t impressed.

In a recent edition of his Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter, the six-time Mr Olympia highlights a survey conducted by Zing Coach, a personal trainer app, of 18- to 27-year-olds. More than half (56%) admitted to using TikTok for fitness advice, with one in three choosing not to verify the information they see.

For Schwarzenegger, that’s a problem. Misinformation has lingered in the fitness industry for decades, but social media has accelerated its spread.

He urges readers to turn on their ‘shyster radio’, critically evaluating advice rather than blindly following what an unqualified influencer might be pushing. ‘The content isn’t designed to help you. It’s designed to be interesting,’ he says.

Here are four trends the 78-year-old thinks you should ignore, along with his simple solution for real progress.

1. Dry Scooping Pre-Workout

Pre-workout supplements are designed to be mixed with water and sipped before training. But some social media users have started skipping the water and dumping the powder straight into their mouths, claiming it helps it ‘hit faster’.

According to Schwarzenegger, it’s more likely to spike your heart rate by delivering too much caffeine in one hit.

2. ‘Nature’s Ozempic’

This trend centres on berberine, a plant compound found in goldenseal and barberry. Some TikTok users claim it works like weight-loss medications, often while earning commission from supplement sales.

The science doesn’t support the hype. ‘Current clinical research does not provide strong evidence that berberine produces significant or long-term weight loss, nor that it can help with health conditions,’ says Boots nutritionist Vicky Pennington.

3. Ab Challenges

Workouts promising visible abs in a matter of weeks are a tale as old as time. As Schwarzenegger puts it, ‘You could do a thousand crunches a day, and it won’t remove the fat covering your abs.’

Spot reduction is a myth. Uncovering your abs comes down to overall body fat levels, which require consistent training and a controlled diet over time.

4. The ‘Internal Shower’

Few things seem to irritate Schwarzenegger more than the idea of ‘flushing toxins’ through specific foods. The latest example involves chia seeds and lemon juice in water as a supposed internal cleanse.

‘Again with the toxins,’ he says. ‘Your liver and kidneys handle detoxification. They’ve been doing it since the day you were born. Chia seeds are fine! They have fibre that you need! They’re not a shower for your insides. That’s not a thing.’

Schwarzenegger makes it clear there are no hacks. Progress comes from doing the basics consistently over a long period of time.

Instead of chasing quick fixes, he points to fundamentals: structured training, progressive overload and sound nutrition.

‘Are you getting your protein? Are you eating vegetables? Are you training on a plan instead of something random every day? Are you progressing every week, whether it’s 5 more pounds or 1 more rep? That’s it. That’s the formula that built every great physique in history, including mine. Nobody wants to hear that because it’s not exciting,’ he says. ‘But it works. Every single time.’

‘Programmes built around intensity and progression work, but random workouts of the day don’t. Supersetting opposing body parts makes you stronger. The hard reps, the ones where you want to quit, those are the reps that make you grow. And there isn’t a magic diet. Just a brutal equation of whether you eat less than you burn.’

‘I’ll say it again because this is the investment with the greatest return: The best advice in fitness is boring. Eat enough protein. Eat your vegetables and get enough fibre. Follow a real programme. Progress every week. Sleep. Be patient. No one is getting famous off that advice, but it’s the advice that actually works.’

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_