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20 Of The Best Fitness Accounts You Should Be Following (But probably aren't)
These accounts have the best content you haven't seen yet
Max Waldron
October 26, 2023
20 Of The Best Fitness Accounts You Should Be Following (But probably aren’t!)
Underrated fitness accounts refer to those hidden gems on social media platforms — be it Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter — that offer valuable information but haven’t garnered the massive following that some mainstream influencers have.
These accounts are often marked by authenticity, a deep passion for helping people and genuine expertise in their field.
Hey, some have placed me in this category over the years.. but I’ll let you be the judge of that!
I’ve used a pretty simple criteria for picking these accounts. Some of them I know personally, some I have never engaged with aside from a few ‘likes’ on a post!
My criteria is as follows;
Clear passion for their subject
Quality of their content
Unique subject or field
Anyway, without further ado, here we go.
My top 20 accounts you should be following (in no particular order!);
Coach Karl
Couldn’t leave the great man off the list! If you’re interested in health and performance, particularly youth athlete development then you won’t find many coaches with more of a passion that Karl.
Personally, I think his best content is around speed and acceleration training — and I always consider it a privilege to be able to watch him in action first hand.
If you’ve got the need for speed — this is the man for you.
Dalton Franke
With a pretty rare combination of knowledge in nutrition, exercise science and behaviour change Dalton’s content is focused on helping you move away from diet cultures and behaviours.
As this is an area I’m particularly interested in I find his content insightful and always find myself subconsciously nodding in agreement as I read his posts.
Dalton is a smart coach, and he gets how humans work which is why I often refer people to his content — he just gets it.
Aidan Muir
To be fair he has a pretty big following already, and deservedly so!
A lot of people make infographics, but this man knows how to make an INFOGRAPHIC (if you know what I mean!)
Whenever he posts I always read with interest, I love his honest take and the way he’s open minded.
Side note — He also challenged me on my post on collagen several years ago, and the way he did it made me sure he was one of the good guys. I still stand by saying collagen for the most part is an overrated protein source for most people, but he certainly made me reconsider making such a broad statement without acknowledging the potential benefits from a rehab and recovery standpoint which caused me to revisit the topic.
Ben Scott
I’ll be honest I have no idea what Ben posts about training these days, it’s not on my radar so much, but his posts about developing as a PT are always top notch and I seriously doubt he’s ever going to post anything that isn’t incredibly valuable.
His knowledge for all things strength training is as good as anyone I know.
If you are a personal trainer or involved in the fitness industry, not following Ben is a cardinal sin.
Jason Galea
I could hardly leave out the Italian Stallion.
Like Ben, his PT content is incredibly valuable.
He’s also someone I would consider as a ‘go-to’ guy for all things physique development.
Put it this way, if someone told me I had 12 weeks to get in the best shape I could and I’d have to step on a bodybuilding stage, Jason would be the first guy I called for help.
And I mean serious help.
Zac Kongonis
I still think he sounds like he’s from South Africa, or like he was raised in New Zealand by a dutch family.
But the man has seriously upped his content chops recently.
I love how he’s embraced all things strength and conditioning, and if you’re someone who has been lifting weights for a while and wondering ‘what’s next’ he’s well worth a follow for insights and tips in this area.
Sam Goldsmith
I’m not just saying it because he works for me, the kid is good.
Honestly sometimes I need to remind myself he’s as young as he is. Other times he reminds me by saying or doing something stupid, it’s about balance.
Like Karl, if you’re interested in athletic development this kid is a must follow.
Shannon Beer
Shannon’s content is all about self-compassion and improving your own body image, something that could never be spoken about too much in the fitness industry.
What I love about Shannon’s content is that it’s all about what I call the ‘grey areas’. As much as the science nerd in me wishes everything was black and white, we work with humans, it’s never black and white! The psychology behind why we do what we do will always be the determining factor that decides success. And, how we think and feel about ourselves massively impacts our psychology and ability to change our behaviours.
Brett Carrington
I must have been living under a rock, because I only started following Brett recently and he’s got a fair few followers now!
What I love about his content is this, he’s not just telling you what to do (track your macros for example) he’s actually showing you how to do it and offering lots of easy ways to make a high protein meal. His posts on high protein snacks are great and I’ve sent them to several clients now.
Jess Tirpkos
First off, I just think she’s great.
Both because of what she says/does, and also because of what she represents. She’s a mum, working on her own business and her content is always pushing a message of positivity and empowerment.
What’s not to love about that?
Highly recommend giving her a follow, especially if you’re a female who needs a pump up and pep talk from time to time, she’s got you covered!
Ryan Wilson
Ryan is a really smart coach.
From time to time he’ll send something he’s planning on posting to me to get my thoughts or to ask if he’s correct, I’m not entirely sure why, because he’s always right!
Ryan has tonnes of experience getting people into shape, from celebrities to local mums, he’s done it all.
Ryan’s content is exactly what you’d expect, well thought out and offers practical tips you can put into practice straight away.
Highly recommend following him, he’s also someone I place at the top of the list if anyone asks for recommendations on a coach.
Angus Bradley
I’ll be honest, for the longest time I thought he was a Dr Pat Davidson lookalike, but I think he’s too tall.
There are still times when I’m not sure if he’s serious or trolling the entire industry, and I don’t always agree with what he says, but I love that he says it and that he’s not afraid to call something out even if it’s long been considered conventional wisdom.
Angus really epitomises my favourite parts of our industry, and I really enjoy an passionate discussion (argument*) on a topic.
If you’re interested in training and don’t mind having your feathers ruffled, he’s a must follow!
Mikki Wescombe
Mikki is a nutrition coach who specialises in working with powerlifters and strength athletes, she’s the co-founder of Nexus Performance, an online coaching service for strength athletes and now with their own training gym in QLD.
Most people associate Nexus with Will (who you should also go and follow) but don’t sleep on Mikki!
I’ve seen first hand how good she is with nutrition and was always impressed by how well she could communicate things really clearly — and her content reflects that.
If you’re interested in strength training and nutrition she’s a must follow.
Sarah Hervert
Sarah is legit.
First off, she’s a PhD and lectures exercise science at USQ. She’s also the co-founder of Foundations Performance, a private strength & conditioning facility — where she coaches.
It’s a pretty rare combination, high level academic chops and hands on experience, even rarer still amongst females in our industry.
And, what I love most about Sarah’s content since following along is it’s mostly simple tips around topics such as mobility and training — it’s not a bunch of exercise science jargon which nobody can understand!
Highly recommend giving her a follow!
Emma Cook
Emma is a dietitian and nutritionist. Her content focuses on how to integrate healthy nutrition behaviours into your lifestyle — something I couldn’t be more on board with.
Her posts are a mix of practical tips, reminders on eating behaviours and attitudes towards food and the occasional ‘check yourself’ when required!
Highly recommend giving her a follow.
Rachel Fitt
Rachel is a pelvic floor & continence physiotherapist with her own practice based in Melbourne. She also offers postnatal exercise programs.
While pelvic floor has become a bit of a buzzword it still isn’t something many women are truly aware of.
Enter Rachel!
Her content is quite honestly exceptional on these topics, after my wife gave birth to her child I sent her to Rachel’s Instagram page right away. Any topic you could think of to do with the pelvic floor, pregnancy, sex.. she’s probably got it covered.
Aaron Scafi
Aaron is a strength and body composition coach based in Melbourne, though he works mostly online.
One of the main things that sets Aaron apart, is that he talks about the S word.
Steroids.
Gasp
He doesn’t just talk about them, he educates on them. On what they are, how they work, should you do them (he will probably tell you no).
Given this is a taboo topic in fitness, I recommend giving him a follow if it’s something you’re even remotely interested in!
Ben Mayfield-Smith
I‘m not big in the bodybuilding space, and I generally find the content quite bland and repetitive — but not young Ben.
His brand, Matter Athletica stood out to me immediately, and every interaction I’ve had with Ben has confirmed that he’s a great thinker.
Sure his passion is clearly physique development, but the way he addresses the mindset and psychological element of training I really enjoy.
If you’re interested in taking your physique to the next level, then you could do far worse than follow Ben’s advice.
Tony Gentilcore
When I was a kid I loved Tony Hawk, when I was 12 years old I got addicted to watching Tony Soprano.
When I was a skinny 18 year old interested in training I found a guy called Tony Gentilcore writing on T-Nation.
I guess I’ve got a thing for dudes named Tony..
Tony’s articles have always been top notch, and his Instagram is no different. What I especially love is how he’s pivoted from being an athlete guy, to a gen-pop guy, but has kept that attention to detail and care going.
Highly recommend following Tony for all things strength training, the man is an OG for a reason.
Grace Macleod
Gyms can be intimidating for women.
Gyms can be intimidating when you’re overweight.
Gyms can be REALLY intimidating for overweight women.
Luckily you’ve got people like Grace leading from the front. She’s not your typical fitness influencer, nor is she trying to be. She’s building a community of strong women, accepting women who are lifting one another up.
If you’ve struggled with weight loss and confidence — she’s someone to follow!
