I’m trying to figure things out. Help me out here: All opinions welcome. If you’ve been watching for multiple years…even more so.
Moved to a rich, old boomer neighborhood on an island.
Bought a massive $80k Truck.
Gave up racing.
Started pushing his own brand of CrossFit, while simultaneously trash talking “hybrid athletes”.
Stopped pronouncing his name “jizz-el”…now he is, “gazelle”.
Hasn’t done a swim in a year, only “cold plunge”.
Selling Kettle Bells as if his life depended on it.
The odd things I’ve seen:
Taren is always injured. Why would I have him coach me to injury? Every time he tries anything new, he hurts himself. Every time he trains for anything, his “gut” makes him gain weight. These are not the hallmarks of a coach able to help. After watching for years, the best his health has ever been is when he was getting socialized cosmetic surgery, comfortable being fat, house-poor, and working towards his latest scam.
Taren is always in the pocket of some scam or Corporation.#Trainiac#High Carb #Fat#Pink Speedos #NotSureifGayorEuropean? #Algae#Low Carb #freeindoorpoolsponsorship $Ucan #lessfat $Canyon #Fat#Gutproblems#Skinny#CosmeticSurgery $PurplePatch $80/20 #AlwaysInjured#Shaman#Vapeweedeveryday#HeroicDose#MicroDoseMushroomsDaily#MovetoBC(BestWeed) $#KettleBells #Ego#fuckswimming#neverswim #“adventure” #rakemoney. #BoomerExploiter
After years of following, hell I watch all the cancer on YT, I believe we’ve gotten to the core of Taren: A business man who exploited Triathlon, and only approached the greatests coaches in order to steal their techniques With the pandemic, converted the methods he stole into an App. I respect that. But, Tri wasn’t enough. So, he’s “expanding” in order to support his lifestyle creep, maintain his beard, and stay in his heteronormative Father’s will.
I just can’t believe anyone is actually paying $57 a month for a fucking phone app. where there are so many great free options out there for free. I’m sitting here trying to think what I actually pay $57 a month for…my internet, yes! Some fucking iphone App by a guy who hurt himself the first time he picked up a kettlebell and now trying to teach it??? …HELL NO.
So, who’s on his platform? Def. noone here. Over at r/triathlon? I’m guessing maybe one or two. fml…we’re living in the wrong timeline. When your “trainiac” style only leads to persistent injuries…smoke weed, dose yourself with psilocybin every day and become a "motivator. Pretty soon, he could attain his wish of taking ayahuasca and cuddling with Aubrey Marcus!
I find him annoying and can’t watch his videos, but I’m jealous of his ability to market himself and do what he chooses in life. I think he’s great at that. I believe he also inspired a couple coaches to open their online training platforms using his model. Sounds like a very smart guy, just not somebody I can tolerate. Maybe we should be more open minded and learn a bit?
Absolutely no surprises in the direction he is heading and I picked it two years ago when he started getting involved with training Nick Bare. The generic fitness industry is worth waaaaaaaaaaay more money to your average “Fitness Guru Shyster” than the triathlon market. He is not quite at Ben Greenfield’s level but he sure is giving it a fair crack.
I find the comment sections of his videos especially entertaining.
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Does he still say “trainiac” or was that just a triathlon thing?
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Nope. His new brand is MoTTIV by Taren and his followers are now “MoTTIVators” https://youtu.be/mqG4zwOteuM
When I first got into triathlon in the summer of 2019 the YouTube algorithm was hot on Taren. I quickly went from barely tolerating his annoying personality to a kind of “road kill” stare at the wheels coming off of his health, his life, and his business. Last big Taren thread here on SlowtwitchI tried to catch up on his drama, but he’s turned into kryptonite. I can no longer tolerate anything Taren. This thread is making my stomach turn. OP I agree with your analysis. I think he may have the midas touch in a world that worships clicks. A train wreck is every bit as marketable as a genuine miracle.
What nearly every influencer eventually figures out is just how small triathlon is. I’m sorta surprised Talbot Cox is still in it. Fwiw, I can still remember the day I gave up on Taren. Was talking about aerodynamic prowess with his Ventum IIRC and his skewer was sticking up vertically acting like a brake in the wind.
I never followed his show, but if triathlon changed his life it must’ve been cool to make a living spreading that experience for 10 years until he got sick. Why wouldn’t he take his channel on the same fitness/health path he is himself post tri?
Some influencers said the YouTube algorithm tricks you into thinking you have the potential for limitless viewers (income) until you are all-in, quit your job, and it suddenly plateaus your growth and you can’t earn what first seemed easily possible. This kind of forces you to sell merchandise or paid platforms, even if you never intended being a salesman. Who knows?
What nearly every influencer eventually figures out is just how small triathlon is. I’m sorta surprised Talbot Cox is still in it. Fwiw, I can still remember the day I gave up on Taren. Was talking about aerodynamic prowess with his Ventum IIRC and his skewer was sticking up vertically acting like a brake in the wind.
Talbot isn’t living an influencer lifestyle, he’s a content director for what, one pro now? (with the largest platform in tri) And takes contracts on a race by race basis from Ironman, PTO, CLASH, Challenge, etc. to shoot as part of the production crew or as a race photobug.
Didn’t he convert his home into guest retreat so people could come to train with him? I’ve heard that Vincent Luis and Ben Kanute are fighting over who gets to go first.
What nearly every influencer eventually figures out is just how small triathlon is. I’m sorta surprised Talbot Cox is still in it. Fwiw, I can still remember the day I gave up on Taren. Was talking about aerodynamic prowess with his Ventum IIRC and his skewer was sticking up vertically acting like a brake in the wind.
I checked in on his pod recently about strength training. The intro blames the “suffer†culture of endurance for his shift and desire to educate others. Then he repeats several abstracts of studies but the vertical skewer moment comes when he keeps referring to heavy lifting as Olympic style. The problem with influencers is that they’re aggregators and pretend to be experts in fields they have no right in, especially if they have a captive or paying audience. It’s fraud.
Talbot has his gravy train with Sanders. His limited skills provide YouTube content for Ironman. Not much competition for this. He should be comfortable until Sanders retires. I’d hire Laegestrom when he is ready. Good eye, good editing. Solid music choices.
About Laegestrom…he is a really, really talented filmmaker and I see a lot of potential to even get outside triathlon!
About Taren…
Looks like the vigilant eyes of the ST are taking notice but I have to agree with some things mentioned previously
The way Taren got injured prove that his weightlifting experience is very limited, and if you trying to get in the fitness influencer world you are why behind the curve.
I have to say was never into the trainiac thing, but I used to follow some of his content…into the Keto thing and crashing all his hormones drama. To me that’s Joe Rogan misinformation kind of thing.
Looks like the engagement is even worst than it used to be for the triathlon days…so who knows, maybe he will be back soon…Don’t see Rogue sending him any equipment for free soon!
I thought about what I wrote and felt a little guilty. There’s plenty of chat room bullying without me piling on. I think the thing that triggers me is how convinced he is that everyone should do things a certain way, until it backfires. There’s so little good content for beginners it is frustrating that he could be the source of misinformation.
Anyways, I still can’t bring myself to watch his videos, but I did browse his channel. Dude is prolific. He puts out a ton of content.
I thought about what I wrote and felt a little guilty. There’s plenty of chat room bullying without me piling on. I think the thing that triggers me is how convinced he is that everyone should do things a certain way, until it backfires. There’s so little good content for beginners it is frustrating that he could be the source of misinformation.
Anyways, I still can’t bring myself to watch his videos, but I did browse his channel. Dude is prolific. He puts out a ton of content.
The model that he’s using now to monetize YouTube content is pretty straightforward in this regard. He’s already mentioned wanting to build up a library of videos.
His hope would then be that people will continue to seek out this newbie branded stuff for years to come and there’s a steady nominal income coming in after he’s moved on to other things.
I thought about what I wrote and felt a little guilty. There’s plenty of chat room bullying without me piling on. I think the thing that triggers me is how convinced he is that everyone should do things a certain way, until it backfires. There’s so little good content for beginners it is frustrating that he could be the source of misinformation.
Anyways, I still can’t bring myself to watch his videos, but I did browse his channel. Dude is prolific. He puts out a ton of content.
The model that he’s using now to monetize YouTube content is pretty straightforward in this regard. He’s already mentioned wanting to build up a library of videos.
His hope would then be that people will continue to seek out this newbie branded stuff for years to come and there’s a steady nominal income coming in after he’s moved on to other things.
It’s all about the money with him. That’s what I don’t like. When triathlon wasn’t generating enough income he bailed and ever since has slighted the triathlon community in terms of talking negatively about the hardcore training that isn’t sustainable. He should speak for himself because he doesn’t speak for most triathletes.
He keeps coming back because he doesn’t have a new audience or any good content. There’s not a huge following for libraries of island living videos or cold water immersion videos.
Essentially the well has run dry. When the new videos consist of house tours and start up business videos then you know the gig is up.