"Natty Or Not" Culture Is Failing You (Here’s Why)

About this video

• Video Title: "Natty Or Not" Culture Is Failing You (Here’s Why)
• Channel: Renaissance Periodization
• Speakers: Dr. Mike (from RP Strength)
• Duration: 00:27:21

Overview

This video discusses the phenomenon of "Natty or Not" content on platforms like YouTube, exploring why creators make these videos and why audiences watch them. Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization argues that while these videos can be entertaining, they often fail to provide accurate information about natural potential and can lead viewers astray with misinformation and flawed reasoning.

Key takeaways

• Reasons for "Natty or Not" Video Creation: These videos are easy to produce, allow creators to leverage the fame of others ("coattail riding"), offer a low-friction content format with minimal need for research or evidence, and provide a no-lose scenario for engagement as any conclusion (natty or not) generates audience interaction.
• Audience Motivation for Watching: Viewers watch these videos for simple gossip and curiosity, to gauge the potential ceiling of natural physique development, to validate their own natural status by seeing others labeled as "not natty," or to feel morally superior by "exposing" perceived fakes.
• Limited Value of "Natty or Not" Videos: While offering some entertainment and potentially helping viewers recognize obvious signs of drug use (like extreme muscle mass), these videos often rely on speculation, pseudoscience (e.g., muscle shape, vein size), and flawed logic. They fail to account for genetic variation, which plays a larger role in physique development than drug use.
• Misleading Portrayals of Natural Potential: The videos often showcase genetically elite individuals at their natural peak, which can create unrealistic expectations for the average person. This can lead viewers to believe that certain physiques are attainable naturally when they are not, or conversely, to dismiss achievable natural physiques as being drug-enhanced.
• Alternative Approaches to Understanding Natural Potential: The video suggests that for a realistic appraisal of natural potential, one should either use specialized calculators (like Menno Henselmans' Natty Max) or, more effectively, focus on consistent training over several years to understand one's own rate of progress and genetic limitations.