Navigating the Changing Landscape of Fitness Content

Blog, Fitness, Journal 2 Minutes

It’s that time of year again when I ask myself a series of questions about the fate of this blog.

Disclaimer: I don’t see my blog as some huge, influential source of information or central hub for all things fitness. I don’t have a countless number of “fans” who incessantly message me their thoughts, questions, and fears. Quite the contrary.

I get a few messages that mean a lot to me. I try to respond to every message, email, and comment I receive. Your questions and comments are important to me.

I’m simple-minded when it comes to things I put on the internet. I used to write regularly for several websites. I say used to because AI is a heck of a thing.

Many things in the writing realm have evolved–severely. Here I would like to get a few things out of my head and out to you, the reader.

Freelancing and this blog

My freelancing work has completely dried up. I was once writing up to 15 and sometimes 20 articles per month. It was a furious, but exciting time in the fitness realm.

It wasn’t long until websites started hiring SEO consultants. They would give me an SEO-rich topic and then task me with coming up with 1500, 2000, or 2500-word articles to game the search engines. Authenticity suffered.

Now, large language models and A.I. have shifted things. Not only are they “writing” articles, but search has now completely buried websites. Searchers no longer receive websites in their search results. They simply ask Chat GPT, and it spits out an answer.

“An answer.” I didn’t say, “the correct answer.” But that’s a completely different topic.

The question posed to this blog and my writing

So, since my writing has dried up, I turned to this blog for an outlet–a place to continue to write.

In the beginning, I got a little traffic, some comments, and a few glimmering lights of hope. I wasn’t trying to grow it into something massive, but just a little positive place on the internet to help others. A personal place for the reality of the fitness world.

Where do I go from here?

The future of blogs and fitness content

Is the blog, more specifically the fitness blog, dead? Is writing in the fitness world a ghost town? Does anyone read anymore?

With short-form video reigning supreme, it’s tough to tell. I’ve thought about a YouTube channel, beefing up social media accounts, and starting a podcast, but it’s tough to know where this blog fits in.

Do I go to video and feel like a toothpick in the Redwood Forest?

My other blog

I do have another blog: https://bradwrite.wordpress.com/

I started it to write about things unrelated to fitness. It’s mostly for the WordPress community that seems more receptive to reading and commenting, but it’s only a little side blog for the pure fun of it.

Where do we (I) go from here?

Do I shift to another medium? Do I write exclusively for my other blog? Do I just hang it all up and wash my hands?

What say you?

Comment below.

Thanks for reading.

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Published by Brad Borland

Educator, Strength Coach, Cancer Survivor, Military Veteran, Natural Drug-Free Bodybuilder, Husband, and Father

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17 thoughts on “Navigating the Changing Landscape of Fitness Content”

  1. Hello Brad, I don’t know if you remember me from JROTC at Northshore, “Bootsy” in your brother’s year. I’ve enjoyed reading your thoughts and really appreciate your life philosophy. I’ve returned from overseas after an 20-year career in the foreign service and will be in BR in the coming weeks. Let me know if you’d like to grab coffee or lunch, and we can muse about writing projects together. I feel we are at similar junctures. Also, let me know if you might be interested in some fitness training advice. Hopefully you can see my email address, but let me know if not.

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  2. Good Afternoon Brad,

    i do hope you will keep up with the current blog. If combining the two blogs would make it simpler for you, I know I would support that. Your writing has been an oasis in the current climate of social media influencers. I have always appreciated the simplicity and realness of your writing. You make fitness accessable to anyone and that’s encouraging for me who continues to struggle to get in shape.

    You do have a following and we do want you around. Please continue to write at your own frequency and voice. If you feel like a quarterly, short or long form video on a topic, even better. Just let us know what you decide and we will meet you there!

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    1. Hi Ervin!
      Thanks so much for the kind words. It’s very appreciated. Yeah, sometimes it’s tough to see all the nonsense out there and wonder if I’m ever making a difference.

      I will definitely take your words to heart. Thank!
      -Brad

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  3. Brad:

    It is an odd world we live in. Even though I don’t comment on your work, I do respect your opinion. While I don’t financially support your blog I have bought a few of your books. I guess it’s up to you to decide your future direction, but I do appreciate your writing!

    I wish you well in whatever direction you decide to go. Take care.

    Tim

    To win the game is great. To play the game is greater. But to love the game is the greatest of all.

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  4. I read just about every single email that I get from you. I appreciate that it’s NOT the silly, inauthentic, word salad that I could get from chatGPT. It’s thoughtful, straight-forward, focused on us middle aged (ish) dads that still care about lifting, it’s realistic and it fits my age/demographic/interests.

    I get your frustration and I’d feel the same way, but for whatever it’s worth, you’ve got at least one loyal reader!

    Warren Robinson warrenhrobinson@gmail.com

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    1. Hi Warren,

      Thanks so much for the kind words! They sincerely mean a lot. I haven’t given up per se, I just need to pause and see what direction to go with this. It’s so nice to know that there are those like you that enjoy the posts.

      Thanks!

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  5. I’d be gutted if you stopped blogging. I value your insights and perspectives, the fact that you’re not creating click bait lists, and are sharing your actual experiences and opinions. I did however find your blog when Googling for “how does a middle aged pleb build muscle?”.

    The choice is obviously yours, though. Just know what your writing would be missed. As for YouTube, I’d sub. I do know that creating, editing and uploading videos is more time consuming, but there must be a market for people who are “of an age” who appreciate no nonsense advice from someone in their shoes.

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  6. Thanks so much for this! It really means a ton. Like I’ve commented earlier, I don’t intend to stop altogether, I just need some time to hash out a direction. But it is great to know there are people like you out there still interested in what I have to say.

    Thanks!

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  7. Hi Brad,

    Like so many others have said here, your blog (which I just discovered a couple months ago) is a place of calm and sanity. No distracting links. No sidebar ads. No manipulation where after reading for a month I realize you’re writing is actually just one big commercial to get me to trust you and then part with $500.

    It’s real. It’s focused. And, perhaps most of all…it’s helpful.

    But I know you have to pay the bills too. I’m not a youtuber, so I don’t know how that all works. I imagine you have to make compromises with your content to “stay afloat” once you’re in that ocean but maybe not.

    Listen to your gut. Listen to the needs of your family at this stage in your life. Follow the path that best compliments your marriage and fatherhood. Those are the only things that will matter when none of us can lift our own arms anymore.

    Like the others have said, I’m going to pick up with you wherever you land and look forward to checking out your other blog as well!

    I’m in a pretty “anti AI” mood lately so this post really ticked me off because I hadn’t even considered the impact it was having on freelance writers. So, whatever path sticks it to AI the most: I vote for that 🙂

    -Ben

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    1. Hi Ben,

      Thanks so much for the kind words! It really does mean a lot. It’s so nice to hear from readers especially in the comments sections of my posts.

      After getting so many great messages like yours I’ve decided to keep going when I can. Sometimes I just need to know there are those out there who are reading and benefiting. It’s tough sometimes when you write and then all you get are crickets.

      You hit the nail right on the head. I want this to be a no-frills place for information, experiences, and discussion. Not one that wants to sell you a $500 program. $499 maybe, but not $500! That’s ridiculous!

      Thanks so much!

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      1. Hahaha! $499. Now you’re talking.

        Another unique aspect of your blog vs. YouTube is that it’s image free! You’re giving information that helps us compete with ourselves, not with you. So many of the guys on YouTube with perfect physiques leave me feeling like, “man, I’m so far from that mark.” So I go there for info, but leave feeling dejected (even if just sub-consciously).

        That point just occurred to me.

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  10. Great insights! Your perspective on adapting fitness content to changing trends is both practical and motivating. Staying flexible and listening to your audience really is essential for building long-term success in the fitness industry.

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