Home / Lifestyle / Fitness Guru's Steroid Use and Controversial Claims Spark Backlash
Fitness Guru's Steroid Use and Controversial Claims Spark Backlash
10 Nov
Summary
- Fitness influencer Dr. Mike Israetel's RP brand earns up to $5M monthly
- Israetel openly discusses his own steroid use, warns of its dangers
- Critics accuse Israetel of being an "academic sham" with dubious credentials
As of November 10th, 2025, Dr. Mike Israetel, a 41-year-old fitness influencer based in Michigan, has found himself at the center of a growing controversy. Israetel's RP (Renaissance Periodization) brand, which offers "scientifically grounded" training and diet plans, has made him one of the biggest names in the modern fitness industry, with his YouTube channel boasting 3.8 million subscribers and his personal social media accounts adding another 1.5 million.
However, Israetel's swaggering persona and open discussion of his own steroid use have drawn the ire of fellow influencers, analysts, and critics. They have accused the Russian-born powerlifter of being an "arrogant 'Alpha Bro'" and the "biggest academic sham in fitness," with one critic, Solomon Nelson, releasing a scathing one-hour takedown of Israetel's academic history, calling his PhD dissertation "sloppy, shallow and confused."
