0:00:02 > 0:00:04THIS PROGRAMME CONTAINS SOME STRONG LANGUAGE.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I'm Tyger Drew-Honey, and I'm about to turn 18.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I'm on the cusp of adulthood.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10But going from boy to man is harder than it looks.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Ohhh!
0:00:17 > 0:00:18I look like Simon Cowell!
0:00:18 > 0:00:21And if you think real life is confusing,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23you should see the inside of my head.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Shut up! Yeah, gubba gubba. Oh, yes! I love you!
0:00:27 > 0:00:30So, I want to know how everyone else is coping.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Surely I'm not the only one struggling to become a grown-up?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Have I got red lips?
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Ow!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48This time, I'm looking at male body image.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Are boys becoming more obsessed with the way they look than girls?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54So, what are you guys aiming for?
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- What sort of body shape do you want? - I'd say like a Dorito look.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59The Dorito look.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I went on a road trip
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and met guys who will do anything for the perfect body,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07took the maddest supplements to try and get ripped...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11It says here, "Warning, side effects may include an uncontrollable urge
0:01:11 > 0:01:16"to slaughter the iron and unleash a frenzy of muscle-building mayhem."
0:01:16 > 0:01:18..and discovered that these supplements can be lethal.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23I just remember it felt like the biggest crushing pain in my chest.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Ambulance came and they said it sounds like you've just had a minor heart attack.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30I agree to compete alongside the buffest blokes in Britain.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32This is how we look all year round.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I discover that selfies might be fuelling a rise in extreme
0:01:35 > 0:01:37body image trends.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And, given we now all have 24/7 access to pictures of anyone
0:01:41 > 0:01:43anywhere, is our obsession with social media to
0:01:43 > 0:01:48blame for a growing paranoia about our own image? And to try
0:01:48 > 0:01:53and improve my own appearance, I experience some extreme grooming.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But how far are we prepared to go for the perfect look?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And what effect is this quest for perfection having on us men?
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Ooh!
0:02:04 > 0:02:06We need to take a selfie!
0:02:06 > 0:02:11In Britain, we take more than 35 million selfies every month.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's an epidemic. We're all coming down with selfie-itis.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Oh, I should copyright that!
0:02:17 > 0:02:23Hashtag 'me' on Instagram and there are 199,324,539 posts.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26That's crazy!
0:02:26 > 0:02:31200,000,000. You search 'me' on Instagram, you get 200,000,000 hits.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34We are completely obsessed with ourselves.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38There are over 6,000 apps out there, all designed to help you take,
0:02:38 > 0:02:39alter and share your pictures.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42People think you're having a good time all of the time.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43You're looking good all the time.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It's your own little propaganda, isn't it?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- It's like you're a constant hit.- I'm here! Look at this!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- This is fun! - Everyone's a celebrity now.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Everybody is at it.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Even world leaders are jumping on the selfie bandwagon.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It might feel like a recent trend, but in fact,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03the selfie has been around for a very long time.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Ever since man discovered the selfie,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08he's been obsessed with his own image.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Although capturing it was a bit of a problem.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16By the 1500s, if you wanted a picture of yourself,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18all you needed was someone to paint it for you.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20It could take a while though.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Oi, Leonardo, how long's this going to take, babe?
0:03:23 > 0:03:29- It's-a gonna take four years-a Mona! - Four years?! Bloody hell!
0:03:31 > 0:03:33MUSIC: "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham!
0:03:33 > 0:03:37In the 1980s, every home had a camera and with clever self-timers,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41getting a selfie was no problem at all, as long as you could work it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Today, with a camera in everyone's pocket,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49it would appear there is never a bad time for a selfie.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Sharing our image with the world has become as simple as a swipe,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05with snapchat, one of the fastest growing apps on the planet,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08we can even communicate in pictures.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But does this mean that what we look like now matters more than
0:04:11 > 0:04:12what we say?
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Say you've got a hot person, they post a selfie, you're going to
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- feel "Oh, my God, they're so good looking compared to me."- Yeah.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And even if everyone else is doing it and you're not, you can
0:04:20 > 0:04:21look really boring.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Make people feel a little bit jealous about what you're doing,
0:04:24 > 0:04:25what's going on in your life.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27It's just like...it's a trend.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- Like if you look good, people like you, they really do like you.- Yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33# Can you guys help me pick a filter?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36# I don't know if I should go with XX Pro or Valencia I wanna look tan
0:04:36 > 0:04:38# What should my caption be?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41# I want it to be clever How about Living with my ladies... #
0:04:41 > 0:04:43If they do give it filters and effects,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- it does change the way you feel about yourself.- Yeah.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Because if you look better, you feel better.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I think people are trying to look a way that they don't normally
0:04:49 > 0:04:52look, try and look the way that they'd like to look and think that
0:04:52 > 0:04:56other people would like them to look, rather than how they actually look.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Right, I think I've got that.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02As we tweak, alter and improve our selfies,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04perhaps the real danger is that we start to measure
0:05:04 > 0:05:07ourselves against our own faked images,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11adding pressure to appear perfect in real life too.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14My concern is that the culture of selfies is actually lowering
0:05:14 > 0:05:17self esteem amongst younger people.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Mark Pacifico is an aesthetic plastic surgeon,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24and he's worried more young guys are now seeking unnecessary surgery.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27For example, a young man who came in earlier this week actually,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29he came in because he had noticed,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31or friends actually had pointed out to him,
0:05:31 > 0:05:37more worryingly I think, that on his social media avatar,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42the picture he had of himself, there was a subtle development of
0:05:42 > 0:05:45a little bit of a crease or fold on one of his eyelids, his upper lids.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And he came in to talk to me about treatments for that
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and whether he could have surgery or if not surgery,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54botox or something similar to try and treat that.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58The aim they're going for has no ceiling.
0:05:58 > 0:06:05They are looking for apparent perfection but their expectations
0:06:05 > 0:06:08a lot of the time are not achievable and may never be achievable.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12But it's not just about going under the knife.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15It seems that men are becoming more and more fixated on their looks,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and if they're not willing to undergo surgery,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20there's plenty of other image trends that we can latch onto.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24For years, my grooming routine meant a bit of hair gel
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and the occasional shower. I think most boys would say the same.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29But all that seems to be changing.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31A recent survey revealed that guys worry more than
0:06:31 > 0:06:33girls about the way they look.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- It's changing. - Yeah, it's changing a lot.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39I think guys are becoming more feminine than women are.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- I tend to spend a lot of time on my hair.- I shave my chest.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Landscaping is highly important.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49No-one wants to see George W Bush down there.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52About ten years ago, you'd never have heard about men getting
0:06:52 > 0:06:54fake tans and getting their teeth whitened.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57It would have been really unheard of but nowadays,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00it's like every third person on the street, every third
0:07:00 > 0:07:02guy on the street is on their way to a beauty salon.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13In just five years, sales of men's grooming products
0:07:13 > 0:07:15have shot up by 20%.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18There was a guy in there. He went straight over to the make-up counter
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and he bought this which is tinted moisturiser.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23It was in the girls section, but I mean obviously we've got the same
0:07:23 > 0:07:27skin as girls and I think this is what guys are wearing for make-up.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30In another store, I found a make-up counter just for men,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33although no actual men would let us film them.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36All right, well I spent nearly £200 in there.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Apparently the men are really into buying transparent invisible
0:07:38 > 0:07:42mascara to make their eyelashes look bigger, manscara if you like.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45There's a brand, a men's make-up brand in there
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and all their make-up products are make-up products for men.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Do I look browner?
0:07:51 > 0:07:55This is literally make-up for men, which is ridiculous.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57And that's not all.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Men's hair removal is now the second most popular treatment
0:08:00 > 0:08:01after a haircut.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The most popular treatment we have is a treatment called
0:08:04 > 0:08:08the boyzillian, which is basically hair removal waxing under
0:08:08 > 0:08:12the groin area, strip, strip, back, sack and crack.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14They're usually embarrassed.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17They tend to psych themselves up before they come in
0:08:17 > 0:08:22but once they've popped the cherry, 99.9% come back.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And they all want to look like these people on the TV.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28There may well be some great male bodies on TV,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31but mine certainly isn't one of them.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34In the last couple of months, I've actually put on about half a stone.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36It's kind of annoying cos it's just all gone here.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41But 18 months ago, my body looked quite different.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'I'd been asked to take my top off for an episode of Cuckoo,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'so in preparation, I went on a crash diet and lost two
0:08:47 > 0:08:50'and a half stone in just two months.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:54But instead of being fancied,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I was ridiculed and told on social media that I looked too thin.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Erm, "Tyger Drew-Honey looks ill,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01"he looks like he's dying of starvation."
0:09:01 > 0:09:04To be honest, it felt strange having my appearance criticised online.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- Ha-ha! You look like a malnourished seven-year-old.- Yeah, all right.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- Keep your voice down. - You haven't even got a six pack!
0:09:11 > 0:09:13All right, yeah, thanks for that.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- Just...- Hashtag 'skinny twat'!- I've had enough of this.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Yeah, bye!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Since then, I've given up and let it all go.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25A lot of people nowadays expect sort of a young guy on telly
0:09:25 > 0:09:29to have a really ripped body, but I'm not like that.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33I don't go to the gym, I just don't really exercise and I just kind of
0:09:33 > 0:09:37eat and drink what I want and this is the result.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49So what is the perfect guy supposed to look like,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and could I ever be that guy?
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I needed to meet some other men who could help me find out.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57A road trip was in order. First stop? Essex, of course.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Do you get more boys or more girls?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Definitely more boys will come in to have eyebrows done.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09- And what about tanning?- Sunbeds, I'd say...probably, both the same.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- It's like 50/50?- Yeah.- Welcome to Essex.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14'This is 18-year-old Curtis.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17'He uses a salon twice a week for treatments including eyebrow
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'waxing, and was quick to suggest that I tidied mine.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22'I didn't think they were a problem.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:23I'll definitely do the middle bit,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- and then I'll do a bit underneath as well. OK?- OK.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- Now a little comb. - Oh, a comb for your eyebrows.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Oh, mate, this is going to look the bollocks when it's done.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Thanks, Curtis. I'll stick to the eyebrows for now.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39- Little did I know, the bollocks were to come.- Be realistic.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- All right, I reckon a little bit. - Yeah, that little bit there.- Yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48- Ow!- Just rip it off quick.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- I feel demasculinised.- No!
0:10:55 > 0:10:56I do, I can't help it.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Hang on, did I just say 'demasculinised'?
0:10:59 > 0:11:05Is that even a word? Hm, no. Looks like I made that one up.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'In the next town, Curtis introduced me to his friend Mitch,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10'who's also 18.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11'Twice a month,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'he sees his local intimate waxer who removes everything.'
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Hello, you all right? Hey, I'm Lucy. - Hi, Lucy, I'm Tyger.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- Nice to meet you. - So how many guys get this done?
0:11:21 > 0:11:2570% of my clients are male.
0:11:25 > 0:11:32The youngest one is Mitch, and I have a client, the oldest one, is 65.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37'Wow! A 65-year-old man. That's weird, right?
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'He's old enough to be my grandfather.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I can still remember the best piece of advice that my grandfather
0:11:42 > 0:11:44ever gave to me.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45And now that I'm the grandfather,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- it's my turn to pass it down to YOU, my boy.- Oh, go on!
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- Please tell me, Grandad! - Always, always wax your balls.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'I'm not entirely sure why I agreed to what happened next.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01'Perhaps in the name of journalism,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03'I signed up for a back, sack and crack.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Just shout me when you're ready, all right?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- Thanks a bunch, Mitch!- That's alright!
0:12:07 > 0:12:10I'm due maybe in a couple of weeks' time but apart from that,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I haven't got long enough hairs yet, luckily.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The doors aren't very soundproof.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Try not to scream too loud.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'Wow, there is no messing around, is there?'
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Who's worse, girls or guys?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Definitely guys. Definitely guys.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Ohh!
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Ohh! Ow!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'Thanks, lads. Real solidarity there.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- This is going to be a bit cold. - Oh!- Sorry.- Ah!
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'All right, I can do this. Time to man up.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Oh, that's nothing!
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Ow, ow, oh!
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'Spoke too soon.'
0:12:51 > 0:12:55'Haha, wow, I can only imagine what you're tweeting right now.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- How much left is there to do? - Quite a lot. You're quite hairy.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It's just the first time it's really painful.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Especially when you don't trim the hair.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Come on, we have to do it as well!
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Yeah, but not on your...arse, you don't...grow hairs on your...arses.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Yeah? You would be surprised.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Oh! That's my sack! Are you doing my sack?!
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I didn't know you were doing my sack! Ow!
0:13:29 > 0:13:35'Yeah, the clue's in the name. Back, SACK and crack.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37'But why did Mitch get this done?'
0:13:37 > 0:13:40I really just do it for personal use, for my own satisfaction.
0:13:40 > 0:13:46If I feel clean, I just feel much better about myself. I feel...
0:13:46 > 0:13:50More confident in myself if I feel clean.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Right, I've had my back, sack and crack and I don't understand it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58It's very painful and for what? For a hairless pair of balls?
0:13:58 > 0:13:59What do you get out of that?
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Despite barely being able to walk, I was still keen to find out
0:14:03 > 0:14:06how appearance ideals were shaping these guys lives.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Hm, maybe I can get used to neat eyebrows?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Not so sure about the testicles.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Back at Curtis's house, I met his dad and discovered that age
0:14:16 > 0:14:19is no barrier when it comes to male body obsession.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- So what is it you had done to your hair?- They've moved my hair.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24They've taken roots out of there
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and put it in the front in those two bits.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28That's just starting to come through.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32They've cut me there, right there and round the ear and down there,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and pulled it all up.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38And cut my eyes across like that and pushed them up,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- straightened my teeth, whitened them. I've spent £14,000 on my head.- Why?
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- Why did you spend £14,000 on your head?- I want to look good.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I don't want to be like a fat sad balding guy, which is
0:14:49 > 0:14:52what I was looking, you know what I mean?
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- And I've gone from chubby chops to that, you know what I mean?- Yeah.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59At the end of the day, who wants to look old?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01And if there's little bits of tweaking that you can have
0:15:01 > 0:15:04done that's going to make you look good, and I tell you make you
0:15:04 > 0:15:08feel better and more confident in yourself, why not?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And then that gets rid of your grey bits.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And then once you've brushed all your hair, you put a bit of spray on it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Keeps it in place when it's windy.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Curtis works on building sites
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and spends most of his wages on looking good.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25How long does it take to do that fantastic hair of yours?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28In a week, I'll probably rush it a lot more,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33- I'd say probably about an hour.- You rush it and it takes an hour?- Yeah.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It ends up taking me... if I'm going out on a night out
0:15:35 > 0:15:39at the weekend, probably two or three hours to get ready.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- What do you do for two or three hours to get ready?- I don't know.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I've asked myself the same question.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47But it can't take you two hours to do your hair.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51I had to see this in action, so Curtis started doing his hair,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and I, well, I had to entertain myself.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Yeah, I might be here a while.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Voila.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Hm, might as well make myself useful.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34So you've built me a little shoe rack!
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- I genuinely did, in faster time... - You work quick, mate.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40You're in the wrong line of work.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Are you sure you don't just work slow?- You're in the wrong...maybe.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46It might have something to do with it. Cheers for that, brother.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- I appreciate it. My hands are a bit slick.- Your hands are a bit sticky.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- Might as well use hair product on my hair.- That's it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Mate, see, you're looking better already.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58'But it wasn't over yet.'
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I need hairspray. I need my dad's hairspray.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04- You've got some over there, haven't you?- Nah, that's ran out.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I'm going to borrow some off my dad. Hang on.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13- Dad?- I have to lock my door so he don't nick my hairspray.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17What's it like in this house?
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Unbelievable.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21You heard that right.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24His dad keeps his hairspray in a locked room.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28A pound a squirt.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Right, well, that was about an hour and ten minutes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32That might be a record, you know.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Really?- That might be a record. - You're worse than a woman.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Everything has to be like...all in place, doesn't it, with you?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42But then you're lucky to have a good head of hair.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I used to have hair like that when I was young.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It was nice, but I couldn't remember what it looked like before.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Oh. Not sure it was worth an hour.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I felt like I'd stepped into an episode of TOWIE.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57But was this just an Essex issue?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I think since like the likes of Geordie Shore and TOWIE
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and everything came out, it's kind of like...now it's more...
0:18:03 > 0:18:05it's kind of become essential. Like men kind of...
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I think they're realising that they have to up the grooming game...
0:18:08 > 0:18:11There's a lot of bullying as far as school kids are concerned as well,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14like kids at school now feel like they need to be like this now,
0:18:14 > 0:18:15do you know what I mean?
0:18:15 > 0:18:18But not everyone was buying into this male grooming trend.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I find it strange that women shave at all, personally,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24so I find guys doing it even weirder.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Erm, I don't feel any pressure to be honest.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I think people put more effort into their body hair
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and other grooming things and that nowadays
0:18:33 > 0:18:35because a lot of people have very low self esteem.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38When you see guys down the gym, you think "that's a bit of a waste
0:18:38 > 0:18:41"of time. You could be doing something that's actually fun."
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I can't be arsed.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- Chuck a right, just here, mate.- Really?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54It's literally like a 180 turn, yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Meanwhile, Curtis had invited me back to his friend's house
0:18:57 > 0:19:01where Mitch and his mate James were getting ready for a night out.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- How's it going?- How's it going? Yeah, yeah, cool, cool.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- Who's in there then?- Oh, that's what I wear when I go out.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Is that why it takes you so long then?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17MUSIC: "Alright" by Supergrass
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'Curtis introduced me to their going out routine.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24'This started with some light dentistry.'
0:19:24 > 0:19:25HE MUMBLES
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Can you stop talking please?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31'James's sister has her own teeth whitening kit. Handy!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34'And James tans so often that he bought his own sunbed.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37'Just a reminder, we are in Essex.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:42I think being brown just makes you look better.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Models in modelling magazines, are all tanned, all have good bodies,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50just like trying to copy them., If you're like me.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51HE MUMBLES
0:19:51 > 0:19:59- Don't talk. If you move your lips, it won't work.- Obligatory selfie.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Might as well share my new teeth with the world.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- You look like Tom Daley. - I look like Simon Cowell!
0:20:07 > 0:20:11After 15 minutes on James's sunbed, Curtis had a problem,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- and he hadn't even started on his hair.- That is ridiculous.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- Let's have a look?- I know it looks like a fucking proper red, mate.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20I look like a tomato.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24I wonder if these guys need a shoe rack built as well?
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- I've been ready for like 45 minutes. - (Who are we waiting for?)
0:20:28 > 0:20:29We're waiting for Curtis.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32He's still up there getting ready,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35like faffing around doing his hair and stuff.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Eventually, only three hours late, we were groomed, tanned
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and waxed, ready to meet the ladies.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46They assured me this was standard procedure for a night out in Essex.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49But I still didn't see the point in all this pampering,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and would the girls even care?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I mean, what do they look for in a guy?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I don't find guys with fake tans even marginally attractive.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59If I was dating a guy who spent an hour doing his hair,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- it'd be problematic. - I like lean but not too muscular.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07- Cleanliness would be good.- Yes. - That's up there.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12There was once a time where becoming a man meant looking rugged,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14you know, growing lots of hair.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15But it's upside down now,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17because some of this lot don't even want pubes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Inside the club, the girls were nowhere to be seen,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22but that didn't seem to matter.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24# But first, let me take a selfie. #
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Just what the world needs.
0:21:26 > 0:21:3240 more selfies taken on a boozy boy's night out. Take THAT internet!
0:21:32 > 0:21:36I still don't really understand why guys feel like they need to go
0:21:36 > 0:21:38to such extremes.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It's kind of like our whole identity is wrapped up in our image
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and it's like we feel this constant need to portray
0:21:44 > 0:21:48ourselves as better than we are.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And I don't think that can be healthy.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And you know, if we're doing that now,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56then what are we going to be like in 20 years' time?
0:21:56 > 0:21:57But I was just as bad.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58I'd crashed dieted for Cuckoo
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and then allowed Twitter comments to get me down.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02And despite my new grooming efforts,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I still wasn't happy with my body, especially the lack of muscle.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09So what does everyone else think the perfect body shape
0:22:09 > 0:22:12should be for a man?
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Eh, definition across the arms and the body, torso, legs,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and a very slim face as well.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Basically perfect peak male perfection.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25A bit muscly, got a few bits of tone in the body and nice legs.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I think to me, my upper torso and my chest has to be defined.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It has to be like a pigeon I guess.
0:22:31 > 0:22:38I think it's a lot more about being muscular and also being lean.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41What I think they're talking about is the beach body look.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Unlike the vein popping distorted image of a bodybuilder,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47this is athletic and fit looking.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53And it's developed a cult- like following.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Hashtag 'gymselfie' and you'll find endless photos.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Erm, look on Instagram. It's remarkable
0:23:02 > 0:23:05how many of them have just got absolutely ripped bodies,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08massive arms, massive six pack. Look at this guy!
0:23:15 > 0:23:19This is Dan. He's got 32,000 followers on Instagram.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22That's over 300 times what David Cameron has.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Just putting that out there.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27And looking at his comments, he's got the body everyone's after.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Erm, that's Dan, not David Cameron.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35But how did he get there? And could I ever achieve this shape?
0:23:35 > 0:23:39He agreed to try and help me find my six pack at his gym in Coventry.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Yet again, that's Dan, not David Cameron.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Right, how hard can this really be?
0:23:47 > 0:23:50OK, quite hard.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Maybe I'll stick to making a documentary.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55After all, it's a well-known fact that you burn more calories
0:23:55 > 0:23:58making a documentary than doing an Olympic triathlon.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Isn't it? Nope. Made that one up as well.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Hey, you guys all right?
0:24:05 > 0:24:06- All right?- I'm Tyger.- Daniel.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10You guys are pretty, erm, pretty...what's the word,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14you know, big. Dan introduced me to his gym buddies.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Together, they spend almost 100 hours a week pumping iron.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Ironically, the last thing I'd spent 100 hours doing was
0:24:20 > 0:24:22looking at their pictures on Instagram.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Note to self - definitely do not tell them that.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Not only do your profiles look amazing
0:24:27 > 0:24:30because of the pictures, but you've got loads of followers.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The image that we're portraying is it is like a craze.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36People respect it and people want to look like that and I suppose
0:24:36 > 0:24:39when you get your phone out to people and you're like
0:24:39 > 0:24:41"let me "just put a picture up of myself"
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and within an hour, you get 2,500 likes.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45It's just a bit of fun as well.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49And do you guys think you have more female or male followers?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Erm, male, definitely.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's just simply because the girl comments are bitchy,
0:24:54 > 0:24:55like "looking good".
0:24:55 > 0:24:57It's one of those things where it's good,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01but it's not as meaningful as another guy who's ripped
0:25:01 > 0:25:05or in our shape saying "congratulations, you're doing good."
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Image is literally everything.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10You get judged on your image, regardless, you know?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12As well as a huge social media following,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16this model look has fuelled a new kind of competition where
0:25:16 > 0:25:19guys are judged on how fit they look.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Last year, all three made it to the final in the biggest of these
0:25:22 > 0:25:25events, and Ash, Dan's friend, took top prize,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27winning out of hundreds of applicants.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- Are you planning on doing stuff yourself?- Well, I don't know.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Would it be possible for me to get a body like you guys one day?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- Of course. It's achievable for anybody.- You just...
0:25:36 > 0:25:38You've got to do your nutrition
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and then you've just got to be dedicated to the gym.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44On reflection, they didn't ask me to take my top off.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Why did I volunteer this?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- So that's my body.- Yeah, to start with, it's
0:25:48 > 0:25:52fine. It's perfectly fine. We'll just give you a little sneak preview.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Oh, look at the British Number One, that is insane!
0:25:56 > 0:25:57I can't believe it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I feel like I'm a Men's Health shoot or something.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It's a good feeling to look like this all the time, isn't it?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Bet it's a really good feeling. You're right, it really is.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- It kind of makes me really want to give it a go.- Yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Basically, Ash, Dan and Jermaine, they say anyone could get a body
0:26:22 > 0:26:25like theirs, really, if they put in the effort and they do it right.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28And there's actually one of those amateur physique competitions
0:26:28 > 0:26:32which they said they might see if they could get me in shape for.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Five years ago, these events didn't really exist.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39But men's fitness is now the fastest growing
0:26:39 > 0:26:41category in the bodybuilding world.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43In a few weeks, one of the UK's biggest amateur fitness
0:26:43 > 0:26:47competitions will be taking place, and anyone could enter.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Maybe if I gave it a go, I'd be able to understand the appeal.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Early next morning, I was back to take up their offer of training
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- and was thrown in at the deep end. - Yeah, that's it! Good!
0:27:13 > 0:27:18Yeah, it was much easier when Dan helped me. I'm not even lifting it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20That is ridiculous.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28There they are, helping me again.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Ah! Finally lifted something on my own. Oh, nearly dropped it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34These guys are used to lifting ten times the weight that
0:27:34 > 0:27:38I could manage, but they assured me everyone starts out small.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Good lad!
0:27:39 > 0:27:43My quad muscles I think they're called, big thigh muscles,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46they're kind of like screaming, basically.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Before I left, the boys had one last bit of advice.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Tyger, what we've got here for you is just a basic diet plan
0:27:56 > 0:27:58that you're going to follow, OK?
0:27:58 > 0:28:04We've worked it out according to your bodyweight.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- Yeah, keep hold of it, keep it safe. - The secret is handed to you.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08Thank you very much.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- I'm going to follow this.- Do you smoke at all? Are you a smoker?
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'Hmm, should I be honest here? OK, I'll risk it.'
0:28:14 > 0:28:15- Er, yeah.- How often?
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- 15 a day?- Really? 15?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24There's no need to have that much a day, I think.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- You can definitely bring that down. - OK.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'Well, that backfired! To be fair, it doesn't take a lot of time.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31'I smoke them all at once!'
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I just feel like I don't have any limbs.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38I'm struggling to drive right now.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It's kind of hard to keep my hands on the steering wheel.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45And to think that those lads go through that every day,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48probably more than I'm feeling right now. I mean, yeah, they look great.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51They look great, but they could've learnt three
0:28:51 > 0:28:54languages in the time that they've been down the gym.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01I was determined to get to the bottom of this fitness craze.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03And with this amateur competition only weeks away,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07I began to work out wherever I could. What's he looking at?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It's a free country, yeah?
0:29:09 > 0:29:11It's like he'd never seen someone working out
0:29:11 > 0:29:13in a service station car park before.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I do think I feel a bit...
0:29:15 > 0:29:18kind of almost more muscle behind my fat if you get me?
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Like it's kind of... I don't know.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26I actually do think in a couple of days
0:29:26 > 0:29:28it has made the slightest difference.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31If you say something enough times, you start to believe it.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34But the main problem was the pain.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Ah! Oh, do you know what? My legs.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39My legs are still in agony.
0:29:41 > 0:29:48I was working my chest but it's my triceps and my biceps
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and my legs that are the most painful. I honestly...
0:29:51 > 0:29:54I can't really describe how it feels.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57It feels like if someone got an axe and sort of hacked
0:29:57 > 0:30:00at your legs for half an hour and then you got up the next morning.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03That's kind of what it feels like,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08Yeah, on reflection, probably being a bit overdramatic there.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11And then there was the diet.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13I'm on the road, living out of hotels,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16so there was no way I could prepare and cook the menu they'd given me.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19What I needed was a lot of protein.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Protein, protein, protein...ah! Tuna!
0:30:28 > 0:30:30OK, it's a lot of tuna.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Hm, I suppose I should get started.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Oh! That smells bad.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Not sure about the brine.
0:30:48 > 0:30:55First tin, that's all right, I can do this. Tin three.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59It was by tin four that I'd realised I'd made a terrible mistake.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But, when you've eaten this much tuna,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03you might as well finish the lot, otherwise,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07you've eaten an alarming amount of tuna for absolutely no reason.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12Now this is my sixth and last tin. Feel a bit rough.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20Note to self - never eat six cans of tuna fish again in one sitting.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21HE VOMITS
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Don't worry, it was dolphin friendly.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32My amateur fitness competition was less than two weeks away.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33I'd need shortcuts.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Yeah, my diet was out the window and anyway,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48I wasn't enjoying that fry-up. Everything still tasted like tuna.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50I thought about steroids.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51Their use has doubled in the last decade,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55but they're illegal to sell and pretty risky.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Then I looked at sports supplements.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01One in five guys takes them and many boast, usually on Twitter,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03the gains that they make down the gym.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I tracked down one of these guys called Chris.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09He lives in Durham, and from what I'd seen on social media,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12maintains the perfect physique without living like a monk.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Maybe he could help me?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- You all right, mate?- Yeah, all right.- How's it going, mate?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- I'm Tyger.- I'm Chris. - Nice to meet you.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Chris is 23 and during the week, he works at a mobile phone shop.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Image is one of the most important things, like, for everything.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30For even as simple as a job interview.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32If you look good and you're confident, you're going
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- to come across a bit better.- Yeah.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36And also with my job as a topless butler as well,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- so I always have to keep in shape for that.- So you're a topless butler?
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Yeah, that's what I do, mate. That's what I do on weekends.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43What exactly is a topless butler?
0:32:43 > 0:32:48You wear a collar, a bow tie, cuffs, trousers and that's it, just no top.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51'On reflection, that was a stupid question.'
0:32:51 > 0:32:56And so in conclusion, a topless butler is a standard butler BUT,
0:32:56 > 0:33:02now this is key, without his top on, hence top-less butler.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Any questions?
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Chris had told me that supplements might help speed up my training.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11- So, tell me about the supplements you use.- I like to use pre-workouts.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14It just feels amazing when you're going to the gym.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15It gets you ready for it.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17And just gives you tingles, just makes you feel good.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Do they give you a buzz?
0:33:19 > 0:33:20Yeah, it gives you a good buzz,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23almost as if you're on drugs or something and then you go to the
0:33:23 > 0:33:26gym, you just train amazing, you get better pumps from it.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- That's the pre-workout that I'm using now.- They sound like pretty...
0:33:30 > 0:33:34That's one that I used to use. I've actually ran out of that one.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37They sound kind of like a magic medicine.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- It does all those things in a drink. - It is kind of, you know.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I don't know what they've got in them to be honest,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46I just look and if it's made in the USA, I take it
0:33:46 > 0:33:49because that's normally the best ones, you know what I mean?
0:33:49 > 0:33:51So, why is that?
0:33:51 > 0:33:52I know they're different.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55America's got different grades with what they're allowed to sell,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58so obviously something that's on the shelf in England hasn't got
0:33:58 > 0:34:00so much stuff in, whereas in America,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03they have ingredients in that they're not allowed to produce in England,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06so if you get one that's from America, it's obviously going
0:34:06 > 0:34:09to have a bit more things in that possibly could be banned in England.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11And obviously if you take double what it says
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- then you're going to have a double liquid workout.- Yeah.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- You do feel your heart racing sometimes.- So banned is a good thing?
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Yeah, if it's banned, it's good.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20You get one that's banned
0:34:20 > 0:34:22because it's obviously got better stuff in.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25But do you not think...surely it's obviously banned for a reason?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- Do you not kind of think maybe you're damaging...?- I don't know.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29I mean, it's never done me any harm.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31It's never done anyone I know any harm.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33So I think it's personally better to live a short
0:34:33 > 0:34:35and fulfilled life than a long, boring one.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38'Chris had certainly taught me a lot in a short space of time.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41'But I really needed a recap.' Lesson one.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43If it's banned, it's good. Lesson two.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46If it's made in USA, it's even better. And lesson three.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51If you're not sure how much to take, double dose.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Chris agreed to help me work out at his local gym,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56but first insisted we stop at McDonalds.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Can I get a large Big Mac meal? - 'What about the competition?'
0:34:58 > 0:35:03- What's your healthiest option? - Haha, good question.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06'Even he found that funny, employee of the month there.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08'I must have been doing something wrong.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11'Chris had a six-pack, yet he could still eat a Big Mac,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13'chips and onion rings.'
0:35:13 > 0:35:14Where abouts is it?
0:35:14 > 0:35:15'After a bite to eat,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18'Chris and I went to meet his mates at surprise surprise,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20'the local tanning salon,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'where here in the north-east, I discovered that tanning beds
0:35:23 > 0:35:26'aren't enough, and that tanning injections are increasing
0:35:26 > 0:35:29'in popularity, as Sean, Chris's mate, explained.'
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I think if you go on the sunbed,
0:35:31 > 0:35:37it just makes you tanned for a bit and then a few hours later,
0:35:37 > 0:35:38you're just back to your normal self,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41but with that, it just makes you black straightaway.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Is it not a bit dangerous?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46There's loads of things that's dangerous though, isn't there?
0:35:46 > 0:35:50- But we still do it. - Don't really care either.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52So you're just injecting this stuff and you don't know what it is?
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Just put it in and go black.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56As long as it goes dark then you know it works, don't you?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Are you actually Caucasian?
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- No, white British.- That IS Caucasian.- Is it?!
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Bastard!
0:36:05 > 0:36:09I thought he meant some sort of Asian.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Cheers, mate, cheers.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Now I've went from brown to red.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18'If Chris's secret lay in pre-workout supplements,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20'I wanted to find out more about them.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23'So, I was introduced to a local expert.'
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Hi, how you doing?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26- I'm Tyger.- Nice to meet you, mate.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Right, well, erm, basically,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31I want to get ripped as quickly as possible. So what do I need to do?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33- What do I need to take? - Yeah, that's not a problem.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37You know, I've got a few supplements which may help you, you know.
0:36:37 > 0:36:43I'll show you what I've got, and we can get the best of gear.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- So I will definitely help you.- OK.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50'Excellent! Expert advice from a man who knows what he's talking about.'
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Maybe a few questions.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- How long have you been training? - Not long at all. I've just started.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- OK, OK. - How does it give you the energy?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Eh, that's the combination of the, you know,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03few different ingredients, you know, it's creatine and
0:37:03 > 0:37:06caffeine, betalin, you know, all the best stuff
0:37:06 > 0:37:07which push you into the limit
0:37:09 > 0:37:13when you train. Special combination, special for that.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17'This is where it got technical.' So what's in this stuff?
0:37:17 > 0:37:20There's no point to describe any single of the ingredients, you know.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- It's called Psycho.- OK. Can I have a look at that one?
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- Yeah, yeah, sure. - So, what does this one do?
0:37:27 > 0:37:30It gives you energy, you know, when you feel tired,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32when you have no motivation to train,
0:37:32 > 0:37:38just have a scoop of this, mix with water, drink, 30 minutes, boom.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I've got a few of the other ones, you know, like a SuperDrive,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Napalm, NO-Xplode.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48They've all got quite sort of powerful names, haven't they?
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- There all like BOOM! Kind of. - Yeah, yeah.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52'SuperDrive? Napalm?
0:37:52 > 0:37:54'Where DO they make these names up?'
0:37:56 > 0:38:01Right, folks! We need a new name for our brand-new sports supplement!
0:38:01 > 0:38:06- And it has to be explosive! YOU! - Explosionators?- NO! Too obvious.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11- YOU!- Big Red Pot Sports Supplement? - What even is that?! YOU!
0:38:11 > 0:38:17- Nuclear Elephant Hurricane. - Oh, yes! I love you!
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Let's get it on the shelves!
0:38:19 > 0:38:21So it says here "Warning,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24"side effects may include an uncontrollable urge to
0:38:24 > 0:38:29"slaughter the iron and unleash a frenzy of muscle-building mayhem."
0:38:29 > 0:38:31You're going to be on beast mode after that.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32DEMONIC LAUGHTER
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- What did you say, you want to get ripped, yeah?- Yeah, basically.- OK.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43- So, I think the best would be that. It's called Ripped Freak.- OK.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47So this one doesn't look like it's got any banned things in it.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50No, no, no. This one is absolutely 100%.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53So is it better to have one with banned stuff or not banned stuff?
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Um, are you going to do some competitions?
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Well, actually I'm doing a competition on Sunday.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Sunday, yes, so if you get tested in a competition beforehand I think?
0:39:03 > 0:39:05- I don't think so, no.- You don't think so?- No, I don't.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09I'd get the one that's banned. You're not getting drug tested, not performing, you're not an athlete,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11just get it, I don't see why you wouldn't.
0:39:11 > 0:39:17- Mix them together.- What would that do?- Only one way to find out.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19You'd be flying.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20You think so?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22'These things aren't cheap.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26'£123 lighter, and I was ready for takeoff.'
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- I might. What are you going to have?- A bit of both, mate.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31A bit of both, OK.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Cheers, mate.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'The guys mix supplements to get an extra kick.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46'Within minutes, I was feeling very strange.'
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- What's wrong with your face? - My lips are just stinging.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53MUSIC: "Rhythm of the Night" by Corona
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Worldwide sales of sports supplements are
0:39:55 > 0:39:58thought to be worth around £1.5 billion year.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00That's set to double in the next decade.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I'd always wondered why guys in gyms listened to hardcore techno.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08Now, I know.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Between buzzing off supplements and the pounding beats,
0:40:13 > 0:40:19this felt more like an old school rave than a workout. I was flying.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20Properly off my face.
0:40:31 > 0:40:32With my new supplements,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35I could definitely win the fitness competition.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40In fact, the way I felt, I could win anything.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46But then came the crash.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55The next morning, I was up bright and early,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58but my head felt like it was about to explode.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I'd only done a gym session, but something else was going on.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05It was like I had a massive hangover.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13So there's a banned substance in this called 1,3-dimethylamylamine
0:41:13 > 0:41:17and Chris says the more banned substances in it the better,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21it means it's strong and it's good and it does its job.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Ah, it's called DMAA for short.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26So I searched DMAA
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and the first thing that comes up are DMAA amphetamine.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33It's referred to all over the internet
0:41:33 > 0:41:37as a controversial stimulant. Unlicensed medicines.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39That sounds a bit dodgy.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44I was out of my depth. I needed a doctor.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45Not just for my dodgy walk,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48but to explain what I'd just put down my throat.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- Hi, there, you all right? You're Greg, yeah?- Good to see you.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56'Greg Whyte is professor of applied sport
0:41:56 > 0:41:59'and exercise science at Liverpool University.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02'What would HE make of my supplement collection?'
0:42:02 > 0:42:06I was looking at the back of this Psycho one
0:42:06 > 0:42:10and it says there is actually a banned ingredient in it, DMAA.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- DMAA, yeah.- What is that?
0:42:13 > 0:42:17It's part of that sort of group of products which give us this "up".
0:42:17 > 0:42:20What they can do at very high levels is that they can actually
0:42:20 > 0:42:23induce irregular, unusual rhythms in the heart.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Does that mean it's similar to speed or amphetamine?
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Yeah, definitely, is the answer to that.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Now if they do that and you are predisposed to those,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35in other words, you've got an underlying cardiac heart condition
0:42:35 > 0:42:38which is predisposed to changes in rhythm,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41then fundamentally, they can be fatal.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42'Death's not good.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43'So was this banned substance
0:42:43 > 0:42:45'creating irregular heart rhythms in me?
0:42:45 > 0:42:49'Greg decided to check me over and run a before and after test.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50'First, he took my blood pressure
0:42:50 > 0:42:53'and checked my breathing rate at rest.'
0:42:53 > 0:42:57120 over 80 is normal. 116 over 80, perfectly normal.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59'Then, he wired me up to an ECG machine
0:42:59 > 0:43:01'to see how my heart performed.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04'Greg told me he's staring to see more
0:43:04 > 0:43:07'and more young guys experimenting with supplements.'
0:43:07 > 0:43:12I have clients who will come in with literally a shopping bag
0:43:12 > 0:43:15full of supplements that they are currently taking daily.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18After a few minutes, I took a shot of Psycho,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20the pre-workout drink I'd bought with Chris.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22And the tests were repeated.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Now, what's happening is your ventilation rate is rising.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Heart rate is rising now, it's up into the...close to 80.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32'In less than five minutes, all my vitals were up,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34'and I was feeling the same headrush.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37'But my heart was fine, and there were no unusual rhythms.'
0:43:37 > 0:43:40It's not just about the rate, it's also about the rhythm, and what
0:43:40 > 0:43:44we know is that high doses can effectively put the heart into
0:43:44 > 0:43:47unusual rhythm, and those unusual rhythms
0:43:47 > 0:43:49can become really problematic.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52And it's those unusual rhythms which can lead to death.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56'Greg suggested the odd feeling was caused by DMAA, which is
0:43:56 > 0:44:00'in fact an industrial chemical and shouldn't be in supplements at all.'
0:44:00 > 0:44:03I think it's shocking that as an 18-year-old,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06I can walk into a shop of which there's loads in every
0:44:06 > 0:44:08town in the country,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10I can buy random products off the shelves,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13I've got no idea what's in them, what they're going to do to me,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17and you know, if I had had an underlying heart condition
0:44:17 > 0:44:19and I'd have done that, then...
0:44:19 > 0:44:21I'd be dead, you know?
0:44:21 > 0:44:24I decided to call the shop that sold me Psycho to let them
0:44:24 > 0:44:26know about the dangers of this banned chemical.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29'But they were quick to tell me that the
0:44:29 > 0:44:32'product was no-longer on their shelves. Interesting timing.'
0:44:32 > 0:44:34I was in your shop...
0:44:34 > 0:44:38The company responsible for Psycho's UK distribution has
0:44:38 > 0:44:42since told us that the product has been reformulated to be DMAA free.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44But even with banned products in your bloodstream,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Greg wasn't sure the look young guys are aiming for is achievable.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49There is no doubt that you look at some of these
0:44:49 > 0:44:53images on the front of magazines and they are false images.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57I mean, they have been photoshopped, they have been airbrushed, to the
0:44:57 > 0:45:01point where actually, anatomically, it almost makes no sense.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03It's that there are muscles
0:45:03 > 0:45:06in places that fundamentally don't or can't exist.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Greg had me wondering how many other guys out there were taking
0:45:10 > 0:45:14risks on their health for a look they may never obtain.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17It seemed men were losing perspective on what a normal body
0:45:17 > 0:45:20looked like, and they were prepared to do anything to reach their goal.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22I too, was being sucked in.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25But how many others were risking their health?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Then I received a tweet from a guy in Essex,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31who claimed his image obsession was ruining his life.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33I wanted to know how.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35- Hi, you all right? I'm Tyger.- How're you doing? Marcus.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37- Marcus, nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you, mate.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41'Marcus is 20 and works as a lifeguard and club promoter.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44'His goal is to be a top beachwear model and compete nationally.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46'But 18 months ago, it all went wrong.'
0:45:46 > 0:45:48I was lifeguarding at the pool.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51I started to become really hot and clammy.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Like my skin was cold and it was really surreal.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57I then collapsed to the floor whilst I was lifeguarding.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00To be honest with you, I don't really remember too much of it,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03I just remember it felt like the biggest crushing
0:46:03 > 0:46:06pain in my chest and I started getting shooting pains down my arm.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09I thought, "I'm young and invincible. Nothing can happen to me."
0:46:09 > 0:46:11'But he wasn't. Marcus had experienced a heart attack,
0:46:11 > 0:46:12'and was rushed to hospital.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16'He'd been overtraining and taking supplements containing DMAA.'
0:46:16 > 0:46:17Tell me about your heart attack.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Because at 18, that's kind of ridiculous to be honest.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22That's what a lot of people said.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26I was, to everyone on the outside and to me,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28to look at, I thought I was in great shape.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Everyone was commenting on me, I felt on top of the world.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35I looked great, but my insides obviously wasn't the best.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'Now weakened by his heart attack,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40'Marcus had lost 2st and was unable to train as hard.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42'It's left him struggling with his confidence.'
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Everyone was saying "Oh, you're in good shape." I don't see that.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I feel really insecure, hence why I wear long-sleeved t-shirts and
0:46:48 > 0:46:53I've kind of lost all my motivation if that makes sense because...
0:46:53 > 0:46:56because I've already got there, I have to start from square one.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59'I was curious to know what his body really looked like now,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01'so I suggested I show him mine.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:03Look, I don't have a very nice body at all to be honest,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06I'll show you it. If you show me your body.
0:47:06 > 0:47:07I'm in bad shape.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10- Mate, you're not in bad shape at all!- I'm too in bad shape.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12- But you look lovely! - No, no, no, not at the minute.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14- You won't show me your body? - No, not yet.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Marcus quickly became uncomfortable,
0:47:16 > 0:47:18so I didn't push it further.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20But when I checked out his Instagram, I found recent
0:47:20 > 0:47:23posts where he looked like the ideal everyone describes.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27He was extremely insecure, and I couldn't figure out why.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30But a few days later, I caught up with Marcus again.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31He was seeing a therapist to try
0:47:31 > 0:47:33and get to the bottom of his anxiety,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35and agreed to let us film a session.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- Hi, sorry I'm late.- That's all right, don't worry!- Nice to meet you.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Rob Stewart specialises in body image issues.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47- What kind of words would you use to describe your physique?- Slim.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Slim built. I'd say I'm slim.
0:47:49 > 0:47:50I remember the day I rang in sick,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52I told my boss I couldn't come in because I was ill.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54I was getting ready, I looked at myself in the mirror
0:47:54 > 0:47:57and I thought "no-one can see me like this." I went down to the gym.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59I couldn't physically bring myself to work,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01because I felt that insecure.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Would you find that you hold yourself a little bit differently?
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Maybe you stand a certain way or you put your arms in a certain way,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09again to take emphasis off your body size?
0:48:09 > 0:48:11100%. I can't walk with my arms.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14My arms are always behind my back.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18It's just kind of like a normal thing for me to do.
0:48:18 > 0:48:19It's just a way of life.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21I try to mask the things that I'm not happy about.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24How will you know that you've got to big enough?
0:48:24 > 0:48:26I couldn't answer that question.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28I don't know if there is ever a time that I will be happy,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31completely, with the size I am.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35I'm always wanting to push that little bit further.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39Why am I so insecure about the way I look? What's causing it?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41I think from what you've told me today,
0:48:41 > 0:48:45it does seem like you have got some body dysmorphic traits.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49Part of body dysmorphia is something they call muscle dysmorphia,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53and this is a preoccupation with wanting to be bigger in size, and
0:48:53 > 0:48:57that's particularly prevalent with men who experience body dysmorphia.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00Body dysmorphia is thought to effect around one in 100.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02But it's on the rise, and according to Rob,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04most worrying amongst young men.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06I caught up with Rob between patients.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Men in general will seek therapy less than women.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12There's a stigma there I think for men about seeking therapy so
0:49:12 > 0:49:16firstly you'll see fewer of them but secondly,
0:49:16 > 0:49:22BDD is vastly underdiagnosed, because there's a lot of shame around BDD.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25We feel that we're not good enough, that our bodies aren't good enough.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27So rather than going to the doctor and saying
0:49:27 > 0:49:29"I've got these issues about my body",
0:49:29 > 0:49:32what people often do is they'll go to cosmetic surgeons first
0:49:32 > 0:49:35and then they'll get that surgery or that help for their body,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38and the BDD might be missed completely.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39It was shocking to hear,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42but it seemed that young men were developing mental health problems,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and it had something to do with this cult of perfection.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48I didn't really know there was anything out there that could
0:49:48 > 0:49:51help the situation I was in.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53I thought it was just my mind playing games.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55I didn't really understand it myself.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Marcus plans to continue therapy,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00but the pressure on people like him is growing daily.
0:50:00 > 0:50:05Meanwhile, I'd set myself a ridiculous challenge.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07In just a few days, I was supposed to be
0:50:07 > 0:50:09back in London for a competition,
0:50:09 > 0:50:11but my training had become sporadic.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16These events were springing up everywhere and many of them
0:50:16 > 0:50:18attended by first-timers.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21In Leicester, the first ever contest for students was under way.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Mr University had attracted guys from all over the UK, keen to show
0:50:25 > 0:50:28off their hard-earned physiques. Perhaps I could pick up some tips?
0:50:28 > 0:50:32MUSIC: "Mardy Bum" by Arctic Monkeys
0:50:37 > 0:50:41Stage one. Spray on as many layers of tan as the skin will absorb.
0:50:41 > 0:50:47OK, stage two. Blow dry. But don't stand too close.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Stage three. Get that all-important pump on.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Everyone seemed quite exposed,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55so what were these guys getting out of the whole experience?
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I would say the main thing is self-confidence.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04It's less about what you attract from other people,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06it's more about you look at yourself and you feel good.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Self-esteem, obviously confidence. You look good yourself.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13If you look good, then you're going to feel good about yourself.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Well, I mean, going into the fitness industry would be
0:51:15 > 0:51:19preferable as it's a great industry to get into so, exposure.
0:51:19 > 0:51:24- I think it's insecurities really, you know.- Oh, OK!
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Girls are starting to compete in fitness too,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29but there were almost four times as many guys at this event.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33And for most, it was their first experience of a competition.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36It made me think about all the guys I had met on my road trip,
0:51:36 > 0:51:37and what they had in common.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41It seemed many were insecure, despite having amazing bodies.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44I, on the other hand, was doomed.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47But I decided this didn't actually matter any more.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53I don't want myself to be defined by my body.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55I'm not that bothered by it.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57I want to do good for the competition
0:51:57 > 0:52:00but I'd rather people liked me for ME for the type of person that
0:52:00 > 0:52:04I am rather than completely judging me on my body.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06The next morning, I was in London for the competition.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Despite being years away from a beach body
0:52:10 > 0:52:12and quite frankly not interested in the effort
0:52:12 > 0:52:15and potential health risks, I still wanted to see how far
0:52:15 > 0:52:19I could get in one of the UK's biggest fitness competitions.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22I've had tans, I've had spray tans, I've had fake tans,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26I've had my eyebrows waxed, I've had my back, sack and crack done,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28I've had my teeth whitened, I've been working out
0:52:28 > 0:52:32as much as I can, and I guess I just hope it's enough, really.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41This contest was so big, I couldn't just enter, I'd need to audition.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45A bit like the X Factor. They even call it the Fit Factor.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Now, if Mr University was anything to go by,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52I'd need to be as dark as possible. That's not good!
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Then the question of which pose to go for.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Macho man, snake arms...
0:52:59 > 0:53:01poo face?
0:53:02 > 0:53:04I'd even dehydrated,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07as it's supposed to help with muscle definition.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10But frankly, it all felt like too little too late.
0:53:11 > 0:53:17'70% of these entrants were guys, and most of them also first-timers.'
0:53:17 > 0:53:21- Are you happy with your body? - No.- No?- No way.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Arms need to be bigger, chest needs to be bigger,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27and here needs to be more cut up.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31Do you think you'll ever be happy?
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Keep striving, just keep striving bruv, you know, bigger and better.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38Yet more guys dissatisfied with their bodies.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41It struck me again that throughout my entire journey,
0:53:41 > 0:53:45I hadn't found a single person happy with the way they looked.
0:53:45 > 0:53:50- Thirsty, eh?- Very thirsty. Arran, did you dehydrate?
0:53:50 > 0:53:54- I do it for the competition. - But for this, no.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57- Why would you not do it for this? - It's just a casting.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02You don't want to kill yourself today and have a knock-on effect.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Right, cocked up there.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Apparently, this was the last of six castings held
0:54:07 > 0:54:09here as well as Leeds and Birmingham.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Hundreds had applied, and today the last few hopefuls would
0:54:12 > 0:54:16perform in front of the judges. Including me.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17Got through.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Got through? Yes, buddy, nice one!
0:54:20 > 0:54:23It's not looking good for me.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Then, it was time to face the judges.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28So what would they make of my charm?
0:54:28 > 0:54:30That's how it should be done, lots of personality,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33we're looking for your personality as well as your physique.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Hi, guys, you all right? I'm Tyger.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37- Hi, Tyger. - That's an interesting name.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Basically both my parents were scared it was going to
0:54:40 > 0:54:42be like the golfer, Tiger Woods so they spelt it with a Y.
0:54:42 > 0:54:47'I told them my life story and they weren't really interested.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50'But what would they make of my body? Here goes!'
0:54:57 > 0:55:00'Yeah! Have some of that!'
0:55:02 > 0:55:04To be honest, no, it's not going to happen.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08I know it's just not going to happen. What am I doing?!
0:55:08 > 0:55:11You can always hope, can't you?
0:55:11 > 0:55:14I was late back in the room, but it made no difference.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16I didn't have the fit factor.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20Afterwards, I bumped into the CEO of this competition.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24From a marketability point of view, you're absolutely brilliant,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27but you've honestly got some way to go with your physique.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30But the thing is with you, Tyger, you've actually got a good shape,
0:55:30 > 0:55:35so if you did a transformation, you'd find that you'd get an amazing
0:55:35 > 0:55:37result and you'd look absolutely amazing.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40So that is what I would recommend that you do.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42But I wasn't convinced it was worth it.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49It's much more about looking healthy than actually being healthy.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52You know, having fake tan, fake teeth, fake everything.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56It's all about aesthetics and living up to this idea of perfection.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02But being honest, who's actually got any idea what perfection is?
0:56:02 > 0:56:05It seemed many of the guys I'd met on my travels lacked confidence,
0:56:05 > 0:56:08and were turning to grooming, dodgy supplements
0:56:08 > 0:56:10and even cosmetic surgery to make up for this.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13I've had problems with the way I view my body in the past
0:56:13 > 0:56:17so I can understand why these guys are going to those extremes.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20The pressures of selfies and social media
0:56:20 > 0:56:23and constantly trying to live up to this impossible standard,
0:56:23 > 0:56:28it casts a huge shadow over young men and if we're not careful,
0:56:28 > 0:56:31it could actually become a bigger problem than it already is.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34I'm not sure what the answer is, but I guess learning to be
0:56:34 > 0:56:36comfortable in my own skin is a good starting point.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38But with so much pressure out there,
0:56:38 > 0:56:40it's going to be easier said than done.