I figured that might be as good a time as any to expose one of the biggest frauds in the fitness industry
We shall talk about the liver king.
Who is he? Brian Johnson, 44 from Texas.
That is about all we know of him via his social media.
He promotes what he calls an “ancestral lifestyle” which apparently includes eating lots of raw meat, and organs (think a lot of testicles. A lot), hardly any greens or fruit, simulated hunts and sleeping on wooden boards.
These simulated hunts seem to involve him driving around in his oversized Pick-Up truck to hang meat up in trees, then fetching it down later on foot. Strange. He then brings this raw meat to his private chef to ahem prepare for him to eat in his very nice looking mansion.
He hates technology, yet tapes videos daily, he is also against pharmaceuticals yet has all the traits of a heavy steroid user…. ( when I grow up I want to be a hypocrite also)
Aside from the steroid use and ab implants, , he is meme- able and likable which explains his 1 million plus followers on tik tok/ instagram.
Obviously he sells products that will give you the coveted ancestral physiques such as protein powders from powered organs.
Apparently his brand of highly processed foods and supplements are “ancestrally consistent”, unlike other more conventional food you might eat every day, which he considers toxic.
He does not possess any credentials in Nutrition aside from attending the university of Youtube, but that isn’t a big surprise in the world of influencers.
When pressed for data, his standard answer is ” I want to make people healthier”
Like most charlatans, he knows enough buzz words to be dangerous and he plays the contrarian nicely, in the sense that our society has gone soft and being fat or weak is ok.
And then there is of course, the hook or the shortcut that by following his principles ( and buying his supplements) you can go back to your superhuman ancestral roots.
OK, the big question: will I get jacked if I follow his advice?
Sadly, no. Most cults end poorly think Waco or Berlin 1945.
In the fitness world you have a best case scenario where you simply lose time and money without getting any results or you will get actively ill ( that being a worst case scenario)
Most likely you will get rather ill if you follow the liverkings advice:
Why?
It is very dangerous to consume raw meat, as your risk of infection skyrockets.
The liver king claims that raw meat contains peptides ( short strains of amino acids) that would directly be made into human growth hormone. There is no data to back up said claim
Eating organ meats?
The issue with eating liver is that it filters out all the pesticides, hormones etc that the animal consumes or is being injected with. now you are eating them….
An all meat diet is definitely a rather bad idea if you have any plans of living to ripe old age .
This is a diet where you’ll increase your risk of heart disease, as well as many types of cancer due to the content of saturated fat.
In fact, despite what all the conspiracy theorists say, the food pyramid guidance is a great place to start for most people, and was not designed to make us sick.
Just ask yourself, how many people follow the advice to eat whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and to limit processed foods to one or two small servings per day?
Do you? Maybe start there instead of going on a diet which will alienate you from friends, family, or potential dates.
One thing that bugs in particular about all this BS is when people do not know their history.
If you were to live an ancestral lifestyle, it would be a lot of walking ( think 10 miles a day) eating grass, berries, roots and occasionally a high protein meal.
You definitely would not possess the physique of a professional bodybuilder since that would be very hard to maintain in terms of energetic needs.
Your life expectancy would be around 25 years, all the grass and sun rays could not save you from a tooth infection. Modern dentistry, better food hygiene, and the development of antibiotics and vaccines, are just some of the aspects of modern life that extend our lifespan far beyond our ancestors’.
Not all of what the Liverking says is nonsense.
Like any decent charlatans he packs common sense within his outrageous claims so that he has some common ground with people who can read and write.
Yes, we all should go outside more, socialize with others, get 7 – 9 hours of sleep in and not watch TV in the bedroom. These nuggets of wisdom were around long before the liver king set out to defraud thousands of people.
As so often, real life is rather boring. Just like World War 2 was won not by a secret weapon or a cool spy maneuver but by American industrial output and Russian blood, physiques aren’t built by walking around barefoot, avoiding all bluetooth and microwaves but by years of consistent training dieting.
Sorry to disappoint, primals!
But if you need proper coaching, we are here!
Maik