Happy early birthday, YouTube. To celebrate the site’s 20th anniversary, we’re bringing you the InsideHook guide to YouTube, a series of creator profiles, channel recommendations, and details about the viral, controversial, and unstoppable video-sharing giant.
Like countless people who came of age in the early days of YouTube, Tariq Otuemhobe once uploaded videos to the site on a whim, without much thought.
“I posted my first video in 2014, but it has since been deleted,” he told InsideHook. “My hair was still long and I was thinking about getting dreadlocks. I really didn’t know where my life was going.”
Otuemhobe didn’t know much at the time (understandably, he was still in high school), so his concerns extended to his own physical fitness. Nine years ago, he started weightlifting simply because he wanted to do something different. I want to feel confident and change my appearance.
This is a common exercise entry point for young men who feel dissatisfied with their bodies and are then encouraged by early results. Looking back, that certainly applies to my own fitness journey as well. Still, over the years, Otuemhobe says his approach to fitness has “changed dramatically.” He began measuring his progress differently, in terms of mental stability, resilience, and consistency. He also started training in calisthenics.
Recently, Otuemhobe has returned to YouTube and uploads with expertise and purpose. His channel STRIQfit has 87,000 subscribers and offers over 1,000 videos demonstrating all kinds of strength training progressions, from frog stands to reverse Nordic curls to pike push-ups.
In recent years, various social media accounts have proven that bodyweight training can indeed build a deadly combination of strength, mobility, and flexibility. Combine the effects of the pandemic (weights were notoriously hard to come by) with modern thinking about injury prevention and you’ve got a renaissance in gymnastics.
Otuemhobe said he always felt he was a “good teacher” and “really loved art and editing…but I knew those (skills) would not provide a stable income in the long term.” and has positioned itself at the forefront of this movement. A well-balanced mix of content for beginners and content for experts.
Gymnastics is back. Also.
It may seem strange that calisthenics is having a moment like this online, considering exercise models have been around forever. The word is of Greek origin and is a combination of kallos (beauty) and sthenos (strength). For centuries, calisthenics has been associated with gladiators, gymnasts, and soldiers. In the second half of the 20th century, it became a mainstay of physical education curricula. Who could forget the Presidential Fitness Test?
It’s safe to say that calisthenics looks a little boring when compared to modern training schemes like fast-paced HIIT, connected fitness machines, or sexy running clubs.
But gymnastics thrives within its own contradictions. It has remained extremely appealing throughout the ages, both in its simplicity and difficulty. The most famous movements, push-ups, dips, planks, and handstands, are free, no-equipment exercises that build total body strength…but they require patience and proper form.
Some people may be able to bench press 225 pounds or squat 315 pounds, but have difficulty performing pull-ups through a full range of motion. There’s no point in being able to lift more than your own weight but not being able to control your body. Weight.
– Tariq Otuemhobe, STRIQfit Author
Additionally, this method lends itself well to home workout tutorials, which have boomed in recent years and saw the biggest spike since the days of VHS during pandemic lockdowns. Traffic for the search term “gymnastics” increased significantly in the 2020s. These days, buzzwords like “HIIT” and “Zone 2” are being thrown around a lot.
Download TikTok today, adjust the workout video algorithm, and you’ll see gymnastics content. But as Otuemhobe emphasizes, “gymnastics has been popular on YouTube for over a decade.” He says he is seeing a significant increase in this field thanks to the rise of influencers.
“Make fitness simple”
Otuemhobe, now 26 and based in Dallas, sells e-books for beginners. This is meant to convey ideas that weren’t easily accessible when he started doing calisthenics. I also maintain my own training app, but spend most of my energy on: Create direct, easy-to-understand videos ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes in length.
“I get inspiration from other creators and see what people I respect are doing,” he says. “But personally, I try to keep things simple and avoid jargon that the average person doesn’t understand. People like my content because of its simplicity and for the average viewer. I think it’s sophisticated.”
For example, in a short video on how to do a clap pushup, Otuemhobe advises trainees to turn their hands inward. Because that’s the best way to generate power. And if you are new to this movement, it is recommended to spread your legs a little further than expected. After watching that video, I felt humbled, yet enlightened. I had just struggled with plyometric push-ups in a training class a few days earlier.
Otuemhobe considers this his “first big win” in a lengthy video published in June this year titled “Every Gymnastics Skill You Should Learn in Year 1,” starting with the benefits of hollow hangs and telling viewers: bring maximum effect. We talk to our explainer about muscle-ups, perhaps one of the most revered (and trickiest) movements in bodyweight strength training. Video is the underlying visual text. manual. This is something that trainees can easily see bookmarked and come back to again and again.
Some fitness YouTubers shoot videos in a branded, uniform style. Imagine a dark Equinox-style studio with perfect lighting. But I’m not sure the atmosphere is that important (unless the atmosphere is so bad that it’s distracting). After all, many successful accounts these days are filmed in backyards, garages, or public parks, and gymnastics professionals have the special benefit of a dedicated outdoor gym.
With a sophisticated studio and sophisticated editing, some creators can reach quite far. But in the world of wellness, you can earn the seal of credibility with steady counseling and professional exhibits. Otuemhobe offers both. He performs the moves he wants his followers to learn. He follows his word and breaks down the blocks.
Still, training is difficult and doing it “in front” of thousands of people is not easy. “Running this channel has made me more aware of my limitations and what I personally need to work on,” Otuemhobe says. “It can be very frustrating to have days when my training isn’t going well and I can’t perform the skills I need or record a video. I’m really happy to be able to maintain my fitness level and still get paid to help people.”
InsideHook YouTube Guide To celebrate YouTube’s 20th anniversary, we profile creators, recommend channels, and analyze the viral, controversial, and unstoppable video-sharing giant.
From beginner to expert
For Otuemhobe, the knowledge that her videos “show a clear path to progress” in gymnastics is enough to convince her that “I’m not wasting my time on YouTube.” His content is primarily for beginners, but he publishes one intermediate video for every five beginner videos.
Despite calisthenics’ recent notoriety, it remains a highly misunderstood training style. Even among people you and I consider very suitable. Otuemhobe points out: “Some people can bench press 225 pounds or squat 315 pounds, but they have trouble doing a full range of motion in a pull-up… It doesn’t make sense to be able to lift more than your own weight. It’s out of control.”
And despite the one-sided focus required, some may think of calisthenics as a menu of exercises that can be sampled a la carte and added to an existing workout routine when the mood strikes. . Also, some people believe that doing gymnastics will weaken their legs. Well, check out these pistol squats.
One of Otuemhobe’s followers recently donated £20 and commented: “This video is worth £500 to me. You did all the exercises concisely, didn’t try to be funny, didn’t waste my time, and treated the viewer like an intelligent person. Keep up the good work. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge so truthfully and honestly.
Basically, STRIQfit is the YouTube of the hobby. This is not a general collection of random health advice, but very specific training advice and demonstrations about concentration that will strengthen your body and mind if you stick with it.
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