I was asked recently about how I utilize social media. Namely, who I follow, why I follow them, so on and so forth.
Up front, I do the best I can to limit my time on these platforms exposure. As we all know, it is very easy to get sucked into a rabbit hole of walls, posts, cats of Instagram hashtags, etc. Before you know it, it’s been four hours and you missed the most recent episode of “Days of Our Lives.”
Secondary to the inevitable timewarp that you can be pulled into on social media, I utilize each platform with various goals in mind. This helps me stratify my consumption, and provide me the most relevant information.
Table of Contents
Purposeful Social Medai
I really only play around on three different platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and of course DAT INSTAGRAM BAAAABAAAAYYYYY!!! They seem to provide me enough diversity in content, without overwhelming me with information overload.
I tried Snapchat for a hot minute, but I just didn’t get it. That was when I realized that I was getting old.
Here is my philosophy on each of the platforms.
Besides, you know, checking out the fam, I use Facebook to procure popular research studies first, interesting articles second, and then profound thoughts third. Some of the most interesting studies that I’ve read have come from a bunch of people sharing them on social media.
Due to what i try to get out of Facebook, my philosophy is the more friends the better. More people can expose you to studies and articles that might be relevant, yet exist outside of what your normal circle shares. the downside with this strategy is that oftentimes people who do put out consistently good content get lost in the weeds, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Especially with how I use the next two platforms.
Keep your Facebook close, but your Twitter closer.
That’s how I roll with Twitter. I follow a lot fewer people, but try to follow people who share interesting research and articles first and foremost. Profound tweets are last. I also think Twitter is great for following big names in various disciplines, so you can see what type of things your heroes are into.
Excuse me. I meant to say…
DAT INSTAGRAM BAAAYYYBAAAYYYYYYY.
Phew. Now that we got that out of the way, Instagram is all about practical application. Here I look at what my contemporaries are using in terms of exercises, coaching tips, rehabilitation techniques, and more. The ‘gram is a great way to get you thinking of solutions outside of the box.
Who to Follow
While this list is far from exclusive, these are some of the names that I find myself gravitating towards in their respective fields.
There are inevitably people that I left off the list that need to be on here, but here’s the deal. My list isn’t set in stone. If fam keeps pumping out the content, you’ll get added to the list. If you’re on the list and you start slacking…well…
You’ll also notice that with some people, I only follow them closely on certain platforms. It’s tough for really anyone to be a triple threat. On the bright side, my social game is at bench warmer level, so you are probably better than I.
Also, I’ll add these peeps to the Recommended Resource page, that way you can get continual updates as to who I am following.
Without further adieu, here is who you should check out.
Give ’em a shot!
Rehabilitation
Doug Kechijian (Twitter, Facebook): Doug is my boi when it comes to keeping it real within the profession. I admire his forward thinking abilities, challenging conventional wisdom, and calling out the BS.
Bill Hartman (Twitter, Facebook): Of course, you know Daddy-O needs to get a feature. I go to Bill for enhancing my theoretical understanding of the things we are attempting to accomplish when working with individuals.
Michael Mullin ( Facebook, Instagram, Twitter): Aside from being hands down the nicest human being in rehab, Michael is an incredibly knowledgeable and out-of-the-box thinker whom I have the utmost respect for. He comes up with great exercises, instructs concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, and has helped me get better over the years.
James Escaloni (Twitter): A met James as he instructed a course put on by the Spinal Manipulation Institute, and found him to be a wealth of knowledge and technical skill. I admire him for all the evidence he shares.
Seth Oberst (Twitter, Facebook): I follow Seth because he is very good at the things I am not very good at. I admire his utilization of stress management, understanding of autonomics and the nervous system, and is a guy who I hope to learn more from this year (i.e. expect to see me at one of his classes).
Jason Silvernail (Twitter, Facebook): I admire Jason because he is skeptical of a lot of things. In fact, some of his skepticism is and was towards ways that I practice, and I admire him for that. I follow him because he makes me think differently, question my beliefs, and look at problems outside of my own bias. These are things we do not do often enough.
James Dunning (Twitter): In all things manipulation, dry needling, and manual therapy, James Dunning is your guy. A sharer of evidence, a proponent of the profession, and funny as hell, James is a guy you definitely want to follow.
Charlie Weingroff (Twitter, Facebook): Though we practice differently, I find myself agreeing with many of the principles that Charlie shares over social media. His lectures on Facebook are quite good.
Iordan Krouchev (Facebook): Besides being my boi and a true OG, Iordan shares a crap-ton of good info on the interwebz. Definitely check him out.
Resilient Performance Physical Therapy (Instagram): Their exercise database is second to none. Follow NOW!
Level Up Rehab (Instagram): I am really digging Aline Thompson’s IG as of late. She is a forward-thinking PT who shares many helpful tips that encompass more than just PT.
Performance
Jason Byrne (Twitter, Instagram): Jason is a cat who will always remind you to be humble, show you how to build relationships with athletes, and has some pretty damn good S&C material.
James Smith (Twitter): The thinker. Esoteric in delivery, yet brilliant with all things performance.
Brett Bartholomew (Twitter Instagram): Brett is the go-to reference with building buy in and interacting with athletes. Definitely a must-follow. I also like many of the exercises he shares on the ‘gram.
Stu McMillan (Twitter): Stu is the man behind ALTIS, but I admire him the most for his philosophical underpinnings for training and more.
Dave Rascoe (Facebook): Dave is one of my favorite people in existence, and if you are one who works with general population a must. His ability to relate to his clients through social media and holistic approach to training is someone we can all learn from.
Lucy Hendricks (Facebook, Instagram) Lucy claims to be a connector, in the sense that she shares incredible references in all things training, rehab, functional medicine, and more. But I really think she shines the most when she shares her thoughts and what she does with these aforementioned topics.
Jim Ferris (Facebook, Instagram): I really like Jim because he advocates for a collaborative environment, and shows some really solid exercise variations on Instagram.
Justin Moore (Facebook Instagram): If you want to see some incredibly good exercise variations both towards the power continuum, and the on the variability side, you’ll definitely want to follow this cat.
Derek Hansen (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram): One of the few who just kill it on all platforms. Derek is the man for all things speed, and I love the way he approaches training.
Pat Davidson (Facebook): The Doc simply owns Facebook. No one causes more thought-provoking controversy than Pat, and no one can back up his arguments as well as he.
Andy McCloy (Facebook , Instagram): Andy will inspire you to be the best coach you can be, the best business owner you can be, and so much more. The culture he has built at BCI is one we can all learn to implement in our respective domains. And if culture isn’t your thing, you’ll see some of the awesome things he incorporates with his clients.
Tim DiFrancesco (Instagram): I really like Tim. He provides a nice mix of exercise variations, health and wellness, and so much more. His wealth of experience as the Lakers’ head strength coach gives him a wealth of experience to draw from.
Chris Chase (Instagram): A strength coach with the Grizzlies, I always be seeing Coach Chase innovating someone up to help his athletes. Really like the speed, power, and agility work he incorporates on his social.
Health and Wellness
Rhonda Patrick (Twitter): Rhonda is a Ph.D who researches the snot out of so many different things. I mostly follow her podcast, but on Twitter she is awesome at sharing excellent journal articles that cover all things health and wellness.
Cheri Mah (Twitter): Cheri is THE go-to researcher when it comes to sleep. The work she has done with the NBA has been second-to-none.
Chris Kresser (Twitter): Chris is excellent at sharing all functional-medicine based research, and has spearheaded my interest in this domain.
Ben House (Facebook): While some of the others on this list tout the research, few discuss practical application. Ben is the man when it comes to that. I also admire how much he looks at important markers of health beyond typical functional
Dr. Mike Roussell (Instagram): Mike is my go-to-guy for all things performance nutrition. I always like seeing what he does on the ‘gram from a food prep, nutrition, and supplement perspective.
Personal Development
Tim Ferriss (Twitter): just like in Tim’s 5-bullet Friday newsletter, Tim always shares some good things on his Twitter account.
Vala Afshar (Twitter): An underrated cat to follow. He always posts lists of qualities that you can possess in a given scenario that make you a better person. His tweets always make me pause and think.
Photo Credits
