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Fitness Culture Commentary

Social Media’s Obsession with "Natty or Not"

By Darren Nuzzo on Jul 18, 2025 9:00:00 AM
5 Minutes Reading Time
 

Scroll through any fitness comment section long enough, and you’ll see it:
“He’s not natty.”
“Definitely on gear.”
“No way she built that naturally.”
“Bro is lying about being natural.”

Somewhere along the line, half of fitness social media decided the most important thing to debate wasn’t training technique, nutrition, or recovery — it was whether someone is secretly jabbing a needle in their butt every Monday morning.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: arguing about who’s “natty or not” is pointless mental junk food.

What Does “Natty” Even Mean?

“Natty” is short for natural — as in, no anabolic steroids, no banned performance-enhancing drugs, no hormone assistance. Simple enough on paper. Complicated in practice.

In reality, the line is fuzzy:

  • What about TRT (medically prescribed testosterone)?
  • What about fat burners, SARMs, or grey-market peptides?
  • What about someone who used to be on steroids but isn’t now?
  • What about freak genetic outliers who blow past normal standards naturally?

Trying to play detective from blurry Instagram videos is a losing game. 

Why Everyone Wants to Know

Part of the obsession makes sense. We like fairness. We want to believe hard work and discipline explain everything.

When someone looks superhuman, the brain wants an answer:

Is that level of muscle and leanness possible for me if I just train harder?
Or is it “cheating,” so I don’t have to feel bad that I don’t look like that?

It’s both envy and self-protection. We want to call out frauds but also reassure ourselves that it’s not our fault we don’t look like a Greek statue.

It’s Really a Debate About Genetic Potential

Here’s the part most people miss: when you argue about whether someone is natty, you’re really arguing about what you think their genetic ceiling is.

And guess what?
1. We’ll never know that for sure — not even they do.
2. It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of us.

Some people win the genetic lottery for muscle growth. Others don’t. Drugs push that ceiling higher — but there are natural freaks who still eclipse most people on moderate steroids. It’s an uncomfortable fact that hard work alone doesn’t flatten all genetic differences.

Even If They Are Natty, So What?

This is the kicker: even if you could prove someone’s 100% natural, that doesn’t mean their physique is realistically attainable for you. Or for anyone else.

They may have a freakish amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers, naturally perfect insertions, or be hyperresponsive to weight training.

What It Misses: The Actual Useful Conversation

While everyone debates “natty or not,” they skip the better questions:

✅ What can I learn from how this person trains and recovers?
✅ Are their methods realistic for my lifestyle and time?
✅ What are my genetics and constraints, and how can I optimize them?

This is the stuff that makes or breaks your real-world results. Not whether some influencer is lying about a cycle.

The Real Problems with the Obsession

1. It fuels cynicism

When people see a crazy physique and automatically scream “steroids,” they ignore decades of discipline, smart nutrition, sleep, and consistent training. Drugs help, but they don’t replace doing everything else right.

2. It excuses laziness

It’s an easy out: He’s on gear, so why even try? Convenient excuse to half-ass the basics and never test your own limits.

3. It distracts from your actual progress

You can’t control other people’s blood panels. You can control your protein, your lifts, your sleep, and your consistency. Obsessing over strangers’ drug status changes none of that.

So, Should We Never Call Out Fakes?

It’s fair to want transparency — especially when money is involved. If someone sells a program claiming, “I’m 100% natural, you can look like me too!” while secretly juiced to the gills, that’s dishonest marketing. Exposing that is fair game.

But spending hours picking apart people’s veins and shoulder striations? Usually a waste of energy better spent adding plates to your squat.

What Actually Matters

Here’s what does matter for you:

✅ Understand that genetics + effort + time make a huge difference.
✅ Know that drugs exist and they work — but they don’t replace smart training and lifestyle.
✅ Focus on your own ceiling, not someone else’s.

Train hard. Eat right. Sleep well. Stay consistent for years, not weeks. That’s how you find out how “natty freaky” you personally can get.

Final Takeaway

The next time you catch yourself spiraling in a “natty or not” rabbit hole, ask: How does knowing this help me?

Most of the time, it doesn’t.

It’s fun gossip, a distraction, a security blanket for excuses. But it doesn’t add a single rep to your deadlift.

So shut the comments section. Get back to training. And remember: real progress beats online speculation every single time.

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Darren Nuzzo

Darren Nuzzo is a writer and performer from Huntington Beach, California. When he’s not authoring works of literary fiction or bombing at open mics, he returns to his roots of health and wellness, teaming up with Mind Pump to bring a new voice to the fitness industry.

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