Have you struggled with getting in shape and unsure where to start? Maybe it’s growing a side hustle income while at school? Nic shows it’s never too early to start!
Hey Nic,
Thank you for taking part in this interview. So, we have known each other for 14 years now because you’re actually my nephew!
I have been following your progress for the last year and have been blown away by not just your dedication to fitness but the growth of your YouTuber and Instagram channels. As someone who has struggled with growing my supplement store socials (readers give some love here @humantonik), I am keen to get some tips.
I am excited to learn more about your journey, how you became a fitness YouTuber and tips for others looking to follow in your footsteps.
It would be great to get some background information from where you were born to where you live today. What’s your backstory?
Hey everyone,
I'm Nicolas Berndt, the Teenage Fitness YouTuber you've might of heard of on YouTube and Instagram. Thanks for having me for this interview, and yes, I do remember that we're actually family – you're my definitely my favorite uncle!
So, my journey began in Atlanta, Georgia, where I was born, and it's where I still live today.
At the young age of 9, I was deeply inspired by my favorite anime protagonist, and that's what got me into martial arts. I loved every moment of it. But as I continued with martial arts, at the age of 12, I decided to try out weightlifting as well.
Initially, my intention with weightlifting was simple – I wanted to get stronger to complement my martial arts skills.
But you know what? It turned into something much more profound than that.
Weightlifting became an incredible outlet for me – a way to self-improve and to deal with any stress that life threw at me.
Through weightlifting, the passion for self-improvement led me to want to improve every aspect of my life. It motivated me to start my own YouTube channel, where I could share my knowledge and experiences with others, hoping to inspire and help them on their fitness journeys.
Alongside that, I have also ventured into creating “Cute Futures” and online courses, aiming to build a great income stream while doing what I love.
For me, fitness and personal development have become intertwined, and I am truly passionate about helping others find their path to a healthier and happier life.
I believe it's never too early to start, and through my journey, I hope to encourage others to pursue their passions and dreams, no matter their age or circumstances.
What motivated you to start a YouTube channel focused on fitness at a young age?
My motivation to start a YouTube channel focused on fitness was twofold.
Initially, I saw it as a strategic way to attract customers for my business, “Cute Futures.”
Although fitness and my business were in completely different markets, I believed that leveraging my youthful age and showcasing my great physique would help me gain views and bring awareness to “Cute Futures.”
However, as my YouTube channel grew and I received immense support from my fans, my purpose underwent a transformation.
I discovered a genuine passion for making a positive impact on young teens' lives. My focus shifted towards helping them improve themselves, build self-confidence, and pursue the life they aspire to lead.
While it's true that I saw YouTube as an opportunity to capitalize on my business ventures, I quickly realized that my calling was in empowering and assisting young teens on their personal growth journeys.
As a result, my channel became a platform dedicated to inspiring and motivating others to achieve their fitness goals and embrace self-improvement in all aspects of their lives.
Your current YouTube channel is 164k as of today, what do you attribute your growth to?
I believe that the significant growth of my current YouTube channel, which has reached 164k subscribers today, can be attributed to a combination of factors.
Firstly, YouTube shorts have played a crucial role in driving my social media growth. These short, engaging videos have allowed me to showcase my unique personality as a jacked 16-year-old with a friendly and goofy demeanor.
The contrast between my outgoing personality and my body's appearance seems to resonate with viewers, making them more interested in following my content.
Moreover, my physical appearance has also contributed to my success on the platform.
While it's essential to focus on substance and meaningful content, I cannot deny that my looks have captured the attention of viewers and drawn more people to my channel.
Ultimately, it's the combination of being authentic, leveraging YouTube shorts, and embracing the uniqueness that has helped me connect with my audience and achieve substantial growth on my YouTube channel.
We have discussed growing social media audiences recently, having seen my channel what tips would you have?
Just to clarify, this is merely my opinion and not necessarily the best one.
However, for your Instagram account, Human Tonik, I'd suggest focusing more on your Reels. As you can see from Gym Shark, one of the largest fitness brands, their Reels are not only entertaining but also possess a virality factor.
While I appreciate the aesthetics of your static posts unless you feature someone like Chris Bumbstead, these posts probably won't go viral, which is why Reels are so crucial. Making them more engaging and occasionally not even showcasing your product might prove beneficial.
No offense intended, but when scrolling through your Reels, I find them somewhat dull. Adding more entertaining content or even jumping on a trend will certainly help.
How to achieve this, you might ask? I'd suggest studying the strategies of your major competitors or even viral videos. Look at what their Instagram content is like and draw inspiration from them.
Remember, sometimes the most professional approach isn't always the best one.
I've witnessed many businesses build huge followings by doing some of the most questionable things.
In your opinion, what's the most common misconception teenagers have about fitness?
In my opinion, one of the most common misconceptions that teenagers have about fitness is the belief that lifting weights can stunt their growth.
I want to clarify that this is, in fact, a misconception.
When performed with proper form and technique, lifting weights can be highly beneficial in various ways and will not stunt growth.
It is essential to understand that weightlifting, when done correctly, can promote strength, muscle development, and overall fitness without any adverse impact on growth.
However, the concern arises when individuals engage in weightlifting with bad form or attempt to lift excessively heavy weights.
In such cases, there is a risk of injury, particularly to the growth plates, which can negatively affect growth.
It's crucial for teenagers to approach weightlifting with proper guidance, moderation, and emphasis on maintaining good form throughout their workouts.
Are there any fitness trends or practices that you're concerned about, especially when they're promoted to young audiences?
One particular aspect that raises alarm is the promotion of super-fast body transformations, whether they are attributed to exceptional genetics or the use of steroids while claiming to be achieved naturally.
I understand that being a part of the fitness influencer I am also part of the problem. While I take pride in achieving a great physique at 16 through hard work and dedication while staying natural, I also recognize the significant role played by genetics in my journey.
The problem with such promotions is that they can create unrealistic expectations among young audiences.
It may lead them to believe that rapid transformations are the norm or that they should look a certain way at a particular age, which might not always be achievable in such a short time frame.
This can foster a sense of inadequacy and unnecessary pressure to achieve quick results, which may not be healthy or sustainable.
I firmly believe in promoting a balanced and realistic approach to fitness. It's crucial to emphasize that progress varies from person to person and that it is perfectly okay to progress at one's own pace.
Comparing oneself to social media influencers can be discouraging, as it often showcases an idealized version of fitness that may not be attainable for everyone.
What's your approach to nutrition? How do you manage your diet while still enjoying the foods you love?
My dietary approach is quite relaxed. As long as I meet my protein needs and don't exceed my calorie limit, I can enjoy a wide variety of foods.
However, I still aim to eat healthily because food significantly affects our mood and motivation.
Maintaining or losing weight while eating the foods you love is not as difficult as it may seem. The trick is to make healthier foods more appealing and replace high-calorie foods with those that have fewer calories.
Take, for example, pancakes and syrup. By adding protein powder to the pancakes and using sugar-free syrup, you can reduce the calorie count. Small changes like these can make a big difference over time.
In the end, the key to weight management is keeping track of your calorie intake.
To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Conversely, to gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn.
What advice would you give to other teenagers who want to start their own fitness journey?
Just start and have fun!
What’s next for you Nic?
In the next few days of August, I plan to start my business and training courses.
Like I've said before, I've got a business named “Cute Futures.” I've worked on it for about seven months and I'm really excited for it to finally be out there.
Also, I'm going to focus on the online courses that I'm about to launch.
In these courses, I'll be teaching people about my workout routine, nutrition, motivation, and even how to manage their time with school, work, or other activities.
Plus, I'll show teenagers how to make money using what's called affiliate links. I can't wait to get started