James Smith (fitness influencer)

Last updated
James Smith
Born1989
NationalityBritish
Education Hartpury College
Occupation(s)Social media influencer, personal trainer, author
Years active2015 – present

James Smith (born 1989) is a personal trainer and social media influencer best known for posting fitness advice videos across various platforms. Described by The Times as "one of the most sought-after personal trainers in the world", Smith is best known for his frank social media presence, which has attracted a significant following. [1] Smith has a following of 1.7 million users on TikTok [2] and one million on Instagram. [3] Smith has struggled with body image issues and briefly used anabolic steroids before ceasing after experiencing negative side effects and concerns about his future health. [4] Smith is the author of three books. His first book, Not a Diet Book, became a best-seller, reaching first place in the Amazon, Audible and Apple eBook charts. [5]

Contents

Background

Originally from Winkfield, Smith moved to Sydney, Australia, in 2016. [6] Smith operates an online personal training business named "James Smith Academy," which creates online training plans for users. Smith was at one point enrolled at Hartpury College; however, he was asked to leave the institution after he failed to attend classes. [7]

Personal life

Smith is an avid practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was promoted to brown belt in the martial art in 2023. [8] He is also an active competitor and earned a bronze medal in the under 100kg advanced division of the ADCC Sydney Open on April 21, 2024. [9]

Works

Related Research Articles

Jeanette Jenkins is an American fitness trainer and author of The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan - 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifetime Habit book and of various training programs on fitness exercises and healthy eating. She is the founder of The Hollywood Trainer company, also providing fitness programs and personal coaching for athletes, artists and entertainers. Jeanette has appeared in training videos on social media, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

Jean Jacques Machado is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioner. He is one of the five Machado brothers. Machado is nephew of BJJ co-founder and Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, and learned the martial art from an early age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vagner Rocha</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist

Vagner Rocha is a Brazilian-American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and former professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the lightweight division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyborg Abreu</span> Brazilian martial artist

Roberto de Abreu Filho is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor, academy owner and instructor. A 7-time World No-Gi Champion, Abreu is known for his trademark Tornado Guard position which involves inverting underneath the opponent and elevating them into a sweep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship</span> Grappling competitions

The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been held every two years since 2001, except in 2021 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Host countries have included Brazil, China, Finland, Spain, the UK, and the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Ryan</span> American martial artist (born 1995)

Gordon Ryan is an American submission wrestler and first-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, considered by many to be the greatest no–gi grappler of all time due to his accomplishments and dominance. Ryan is a five–time ADCC Submission wrestling world champion, two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TikTok</span> Video-focused social media platform

TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 10 minutes. It can be accessed with a smart phone app.

Nicholas Meregali is a Brazilian submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor. A multiple time world, Pan, European and Brazilian champion at colored belts, Meregali is a 3x IBJJF black belt World Champion and a 2x ADCC World medallist.

Yuri Simões is a Brazilian grappler, BJJ practitioner and mixed martial artist who has competed in the ONE Championship. He is a three time ADCC World Champion in three different weight divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikey Musumeci</span> American practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Michael Musumeci Jr. is an American submission grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor.

Nicholas "Nick" Rodriguez, commonly known as Nicky Rod is an American professional submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete.

Chloe Ting is a fitness personality YouTuber based in New York. She is known as the most subscribed fitness content creator on YouTube, and for her workout programs, particularly her "Two Week Shred Challenge" which went viral on TikTok and YouTube during the pandemic in 2020.

BookTok is a subcommunity on the app TikTok that focuses on books and literature. Creators make videos reviewing, discussing, and joking about the books they read. These books range in genre, but many creators tend to focus on young adult fiction, young adult fantasy, and romance. The community is cited with impacting the publishing industry and book sales. The creators in this community are also known as BookTokers.

Luke Magnus Nicolson, known as Francis Bourgeois, is a British trainspotter, social media personality, model, and author. He is most known for his lighthearted and humorous videos on the topic of trains, posted to TikTok and Instagram. As of May 2023, he has over 2.9 million TikTok followers and 2.3 million Instagram followers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libs of TikTok</span> Far-right and anti-LGBT Twitter account

Libs of TikTok is a handle for various far-right and anti-LGBT social-media accounts operated by Chaya Raichik, a former real estate agent. Raichik uses the accounts to repost content created by left-wing and LGBT people on TikTok, and on other social-media platforms, often with hostile, mocking, or derogatory commentary. The accounts promote hate speech and transphobia, and spread false claims, especially relating to medical care of transgender children. The Twitter account, also known by the handle @LibsofTikTok, has nearly 3 million followers as of February 2024 and has become influential among American conservatives and the political right. Libs of TikTok's social-media accounts have received several temporary suspensions and a permanent suspension from TikTok.

Elyse Myers is an American social media influencer, comedian, and musician from Nebraska. She gained notoriety on TikTok with an account of her worst date during which she purchased 100 tacos.

Craig Benjamin Jones is an Australian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor and coach. An IBJJF World No-Gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion as a white belt, Jones is a two-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist and a three-time Polaris Pro Grappling champion. Jones trains out of Austin, Texas, and is the head of B Team Jiu-Jitsu.

Ronnie McNutt was a 33-year-old American man and US Army Reserve veteran from New Albany, Mississippi, who committed suicide by shooting himself under his chin on a Facebook livestream, which went viral on various social media platforms due to its inherent shock value.

Kade Ruotolo is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete. A competitor with his twin brother Tye since the age of 3, Ruotolo is a IBJJF World champion, Pan Am and European Open champion at coloured belt level. Promoted to black belt in December 2021, Ruotolo won the 2022 ADCC World Championship in the 77kg division, becoming at age 19 the youngest-ever ADCC Submission Fighting World champion. Ruotolo is signed to ONE Championship where he is the current lightweight submission grappling champion.

Lloyd Devereux Richards is an American author best known for his novel, mystery thriller Stone Maidens. Richards published Stone Maidens in 2012. Very few copies were sold over the following decade. However, in 2023 his novel rose to number one on the Amazon's best seller list in February after his daughter made a TikTok video about his novel. The TikTok went viral catapulting the book and Richards to new found fame. He has since written a sequel to Stone Maidens which was published in August 2023.

References

  1. Beaty, Zoe (2023-06-15). "Meet James Smith, the personal trainer changing the way you think about fitness". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  2. McBride, Nicole (2023-03-01). "Top social media influencers from Berkshire". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  3. Prideaux, Sophie (2022-10-28). "Instagram personal trainer James Smith talks tough on fitness — and he refuses to change". The National. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  4. Ali, Ghada; Tong, Karen (2023-03-22). "James was the 'fat kid' in school. This led to body image issues and steroid use in his 20s". ABC News . Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  5. Goddard, Sophie (2020-01-30). "My no-BS fitness rules, by James Smith". Marie Claire . Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  6. McBride, Nicole (2022-12-24). "Personal trainer goes viral with 'inspirational' Bracknell TikTok on 'dead-end' job". Bracknell News. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  7. Horton, Kim (2018-05-05). "College drop out goes viral for his personal training videos". GloucestershireLive. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  8. Rogers, Kian. "James Smith Promoted To BJJ Brown Belt". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. "Action-Packed Divisions All Round At ADCC Sydney Open 2024". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 23 April 2024.