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He’s got a huge online following, with over 5,000 islanders putting their trust in his personal training company to drop the pounds, and taking inspiration from his rigorous work-out and fitness routines.
But Cameron Elliott, Founder of Physique Transformations, is warning that there’s more to ‘fitspo’ pictures and “shredded” abs than meets the eye, with the murky underbelly of the fitness industry rearing its head through bad fad diets at best, and a descent into performance-enhancing steroids at worst.
In a candid Facebook and Instagram post, the 23-year-old shared how the fitness-focused lifestyle he had led from the age of 16 had been “mentally and physically draining.”
“I had to make a special request every time I went out for dinner, I spent hours each day looking in the mirror to assure myself I was making progress, I was trying to run a business working until sometimes midnight to make sure that I trained after my coaching day and then was up for fasted cardio four hours later,” he wrote.
But the story takes a darker turn when he mentions his use of steroids from the age of 16 “up until about 20 months ago.”
In an interview with Express, Mr Elliott said he believes he first turned to the drugs after being bullied, “…from my first day of school until about the age of 15.”
“I no longer wanted to be ‘that skinny kid’ who was beaten up in the playground,” he explained.
The results were quick, which only served to nourish the addiction.
“When I was on them, I literally felt like the hulk… In just four weeks of taking oral steroids, I gained just over a stone and was shredded. I believe this spurred me on to taking them to the next level, which very quickly got out of hand.”
Pictured: Mr Elliott gives a talk on healthy living during a Physique Transformations retreat. (Photo: Cameron Elliott)
So out of hand, Mr Elliot claims, that he’s “lucky to still be alive.”
“I ended up in intensive care one Saturday night after having three fits, with one of them lasting eight minutes. They put this down to my blood sugar levels, which steroids messed up massively. This was the breaking point for me and the reason I said goodbye to putting my body under any more abuse.”
But the effects continued even after he stopped the steroids – he’s now facing a Gyneconastia operation this year, intended to remove damaged breast tissue.
According to the NHS website, anabolic steroid abuse can also lead to reduced sperm count or infertility, baldness, stomach pain, an increased risk of prostate cancer, or, in more serious circumstances, heart attacks, stroke, and liver or kidney tumours.
But the side-effects can be mental too. As Cameron described: “It almost destroyed my relationship with my family and friends at the time, it certainly drifted me away from them because of how blind I was to my behaviour and mood swings whilst I was on them. It's only now that I can look back and understand their major concerns for me and the arguments were down to the fact my health was at their best interest.”
Pictured: Mr Elliott with his fiancée, Rebecca, and his son, Noah. (Photo: Cameron Elliott)
It’s due to such effects – both physical and mental – that Mr Elliott wanted to share his story, as he was concerned that people were “blind” to the steroid misuse and brutal fad exercise regimes in Jersey.
“I personally think the amount of people using steroids in Jersey is quite worrying, especially youngsters around the same age as myself when I first got hooked to them... I just hope that more people become open about their problems and come out about them to their family and friends. You will never know what they can do to help you until you speak about it.”
It’s a message that’s resonated with hundreds of Islanders, with many taking to Facebook to congratulate Mr Elliott on his honesty and bravery, adding their own concerns that steroid use is “rife” in Jersey. In fact, Jersey Customs seized 4,682 tablets in 2015 – a quantity with a value of £17,236.
Jonny Le Maistre – a health and fitness specialist from New Vision Therapy, St Clement – suggests islanders stop looking at a “short-term fix” inspired by social media and ensure they’ve established a “fountain of health” before trying to make physical changes to their body.
“A lot of these fad diets and steroids put a huge amount of pressure on the body internally, and in the long-term it can be quite damaging. There has to be a three-dimensional approach to whatever you want to achieve: gym, food and lifestyle. You have to look at so many different factors – not just one thing like the body.
Pictured: Mr Elliott leads a boxing session with one of his personal trainees. (Photo: Cameron Elliott)
“Health and fitness are two different things – when you focus on your health, your fitness comes with it and not the other way around.”
As such, he suggests a, “…proactive and preventative approach to health.”
“If you set SMART goals – a realistic, measurable, time-framed goal – psychologically that helps you.”
If in doubt, stick with the professionals: “Making a change can be daunting and overwhelming. There’s so much confusing and conflicting advice out there so I’d recommend getting professional advice. There are loads of people out there who are often happy to talk to you – it doesn’t have to be expensive, or personal training.”
For those on the recovery end, however, Mr Elliott recommends, “...surrounding yourself with people that are going to take you for who you are, forget about your past and give you the support to become a healthier and happier version of yourself.”
“I'm just a Facebook message away if anyone ever wants any advice on anything. Just speaking to someone makes it so much easier.”
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