Gym and bodybuilding influencers on Instagram: 46 US creators by follower tier (2026)

This is a list of 46 gym and bodybuilding creators on Instagram, all in the US, grouped by follower count: 1,000 to 10,000, 10,000 to 50,000, 50,000 to 250,000, and 250,000 and up. Each tier mixes four kinds of creator: bodybuilders and physique competitors, powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters, CrossFit and HYROX athletes, and gym owners and coaches. For each one you get the follower count, the engagement rate of their typical post, how often they post, one recent post and a note on which brands fit. We picked them from 834 strength creators that Virev's crawler read between August 22 and September 30, 2026, and opened every profile on Instagram on October 9.

The pages that rank for bodybuilding and gym influencers list famous names. Feedspot's top 100 bodybuilding influencers starts with Arnold Schwarzenegger at 26.8 million followers. HypeAuditor's US fitness and gym ranking puts Dwayne Johnson first and Nike third. Influencers Club's bodybuilding list matches a word in the bio, and its first creator is in India. None of them sorts gym creators by size, and none says how gym creators get paid. This page measures both.

How to read the numbers

• Typical ER is likes plus comments on the creator's median post, divided by followers. One viral Reel can lift an average far above what a paid post will get, so we use the median post.
• Posts/wk is the pace across the creator's 12 most recent posts. Competitors post in bursts around a show, so a high number can mean one busy week.
• Recent post links to a post close to the creator's typical numbers, with the date and the likes we read on Instagram on October 9. Instagram rounds counts above 10,000.
• Followers come from Virev's last read of each account, between August 25 and September 12, 2026. The notes name the accounts that have grown since.

To check a gym creator who is not on this list, paste the handle into the Instagram engagement rate calculator. It shows the average and the typical post side by side.

What a gym creator gets per post, by follower count

The tier queries people search for, such as a gym creator with 1,000 to 10,000 followers or a bodybuilder with 20,000, come down to one question: how many likes and comments does a post get at that size? Here is the median account in each band.

• A gym creator with 20,000 followers gets about 300 likes and comments a post. The median account with 20,000 to 35,000 followers had a typical post of 1.22%, or 298 likes and comments.
• Under 10,000 followers, the rate is two to four times higher, but the count is small. A creator with 1,000 to 2,500 followers gets 82 likes and comments on a typical post, at 5.09%.
• The rate keeps falling up to 1 million. It drops from 5.09% to 0.44%. The 35,000 to 50,000 band, at 1.57%, sits above its neighbors; it holds 51 creators, so read it with care.
• Gym creators sit a little below other fitness creators. By tier, their median typical post is 3.59%, 1.44%, 0.88% and 0.51%. Running, yoga and other fitness creators measured the same way get 3.63%, 1.48%, 0.98% and 0.64%.

Gym and bodybuilding influencers with 1,000 to 10,000 followers

The median gym and bodybuilding creator in this tier has a typical post of 3.59%, or about 123 likes and comments. 4 of the 13 creators below beat it. Search US gym creators with 1,000 to 10,000 followers in Virev.

• Natalie Miller (@natalie_ifbb), US. IFBB Pro and 2024 NPC national champion who coaches contest prep and lifestyle clients. Her bio carries a Knowledge Pharm code. About one post a week, so book a single post. Fits posing suits, meal prep and prep apps.
• Ryan Parr (@ryanparrstrength), Colorado Springs. Founder of GRITX, a strength club for busy adults, with weekly run club meetups and a 5K fundraiser in his recent posts. Four posts a week. His typical post is below the tier median. Fits local gyms, equipment and community events.
• Leo Mayrhofer (@austrianpowers), Las Vegas. IFBB Pro classic physique athlete and coach on a new account, with a GASP code in his bio. His posts mix bodybuilding commentary with coaching offers. One post lifts his average to 8.67%; his typical post is 4.33%. Fits podcasts and coaching apps.
• Roysyaboy (@roysyaboy), US. OCB, USBF and IFBB Pro, 2026 Florida Pro men's physique champion. Smith machine rows, stage posing and show photos, with bursts of daily posts around a show. Fits natural bodybuilding brands, posing coaches and show promoters.
• Roxy (@roxyifbbpro_wpd), Dallas-Fort Worth. IFBB Pro women's physique and a GASP and Better Bodies athlete. 56 of her posts this year tag one of the two brands (see the case below). Fits women's lifting gear and Texas gyms.
• Agus Burdman (@agusburdman), Dallas. NPC wellness competitor with codes for Better Bodies, GASP, Authentic Aminos and The Pump Sauce in her bio. Her August 24 Better Bodies post got 103 likes and 15 comments on October 9, about 0.9 times her usual post. Fits women's gymwear and supplements, on a code deal.
• Abeni Jefferies (@tres_omega), Dallas. IFBB Pro figure athlete and 2025 NPC Junior Nationals overall winner, with Evogen Nutrition in her bio. Fits figure and bikini brands, and hair and beauty brands, since her bio also covers locs.
• Janelle Teal (@janelleteal), US. Airborne Army veteran and HYROX pro (best time 1:06:34, second in her age group at HYROX Americas). Her August post on an unreleased pair of TYR shoes got 131 likes and 34 comments. Fits hybrid racing shoes and veteran causes.
• Jack Rozema (@jackrozema7), US. CrossFit Games athlete with Mayhem Athlete, and a Frog Grips code. Under one post a week. Fits CrossFit gear and grips.
• Jessica Tackett (@_jessicatackett), Columbus, Mississippi. Owns The Gym, a 24/7 gym in Columbus, and competes in bikini. Codes for Mandana Luxury Swim and Tango Charlie apparel. Fits gym equipment, competition suits and local Mississippi brands.
• Maya Litt (@mayalitt12), US. Olympic weightlifter who posted a bronze medal from the 2026 Maccabiah Games. Only 53 posts in total, about two a month, and the highest typical post on this list, 7.45%. Fits weightlifting shoes, belts and a single launch post.
• Courtney Kennedy (@call.her.karma), US. Law enforcement officer and IFBB Pro women's physique athlete, coaching at Hemmi Lifting. She posts in bursts around shows, 12 posts in the week we read. Fits women's physique gear and first responder programs.
• Kyle Sheridan (@sheridanstrength), Webster, New York. Powerlifting coach at The Strength Crew and owner of Legends 24/7 Gym. Codes for Iron Rebel and Pacific Edge Labs. His typical post is 0.63%, low for the tier, but he is a gym owner in a group that is hard to find. Fits barbells, racks and lifting apparel.

Gym and bodybuilding influencers with 10,000 to 50,000 followers

The median gym and bodybuilding creator in this tier has a typical post of 1.44%, or about 298 likes and comments. 5 of the 12 creators below beat it. Search US gym creators with 10,000 to 50,000 followers.

• David Short (@davidshortfitness), US. IFBB Pro and prep coach whose bio counts 20 pro cards and 57 overall wins for his clients, with Undeniable Training Center. Few posts, mostly client wins. Fits prep coaching tools and show sponsors.
• Kaleb Siverly (@ksiverly21_ifbbpro), Dallas. Trainer at Destination Dallas, GASP and Better Bodies code KSIV15, Titan Nutrition athlete. Fits posing classes and gym apparel.
• Coach Hassan (@coach.hassan), Houston. Master trainer with NPC and IFBB clients, about five Reels a week of clients in the gym. His typical post is 0.72%. Fits creatine and gym brands that want Houston reach.
• Jacob Robichaux (@jacob_robichaux15), US. IFBB classic physique pro and Hosstile athlete, with an RP Strength app discount. Fits bodybuilding apps and supplements; check what Hosstile already covers.
• Bernadette Galvan Chapuseaux (@rockfit), Laredo, Texas. CEO of Rock Fitness Center, a Laredo gym open for over 20 years, and an IFBB judge. Under one post a week, but a typical post near 3%. Fits gym equipment, women's fitness events and South Texas brands.
• Chase Ingraham (@chase_ingraham), US. Host of Get With The Programming and a CrossFit Games broadcaster. Under one post a week. Fits CrossFit affiliates, programming apps and event sponsors.
• Alex Higa (@higafit), San Francisco. Strength and conditioning and Pilates coach at Tempo. Posts 2.6 a week, including one labeled food post this year. Fits home strength equipment and Bay Area brands.
• Barb (@nondiet_trainer), Nashville. Personal trainer with an eating disorder informed, weight-neutral approach, and a deadlift fundraiser for local causes. Fits inclusive gyms and apparel; skip diet products.
• Dallas Casciani (@dallasc_lifts), US. Natural lifter with aesthetics, humor and motivation Reels. Two posts went viral, so his average is 29.68% against a 1.45% typical post; followers grew from 24,602 to 30,500 by October 9. Price on the typical post. Codes for Gym Lamp and VRV.
• Charlie Weingroff (@chweingroff), US. Doctor of physical therapy, CSCS and athletic trainer, founder of Training = Rehab. Teaching posts about five times a week. Fits rehab tools, recovery and coach education.
• Jeremy Spore (@ifbbpro_jeremyspore), US. IFBB 212 bodybuilding pro with one pro win, on Mike Ely's team. Under one post a week. Fits supplements and gym apparel for a pro season.
• Angela Noury (@angelanoury_ifbbpro), Rhode Island. IFBB women's physique pro and personal trainer at Start My Gym, a private 24-hour gym in Rhode Island. Her August gym post got 537 likes and 131 comments. Fits women's physique gear and New England gyms.

Gym and bodybuilding influencers with 50,000 to 250,000 followers

The median gym and bodybuilding creator in this tier has a typical post of 0.88%, or about 950 likes and comments. 9 of the 11 creators below beat it. Search US gym creators with 50,000 to 250,000 followers.

• Chris Shepherd (@shepxchris), US. Physique, running and faith posts, with Prefrd in his bio. Two labeled posts this year, for Oakley Meta and Dr. Squatch. Followers grew from 56,313 to 63,100 by October 9. Fits men's grooming and wearables.
• Felicia Mendez (@feliciathebeast), US. IFBB fit model pro, athlete for Angel Competition Bikinis and Cult Fitness LV. Ten of her posts this year tag Angel Competition Bikinis. Fits competition suits, heels and tanning.
• Hampton Morris (@hamptonmorris), US. Olympic weightlifter whose bio lists an Olympic medal and records, with TYR, Rogue, BlenderBottle and 321 Podium. 14 of his 91 posts we read this year carry a code or discount link, eight of them for 321 Podium. Fits lifting gear; most supplement and shoe slots are taken.
• Allison Shiver (@alli_loves_lifting86), Columbus, Georgia. CF-L2 coach at CrossFit CSG, with RF Supps, WODprep and Velites in her bio. Humor and outdoor group workouts. Fits CrossFit affiliates and jump ropes.
• Nikki Walsh (@nikkiwalsh.adaptfit), US. Adaptive personal trainer who coaches wheelchair users, with a Legion code. Her labeled post this year was an accessible travel Reel. Fits adaptive gear, travel and inclusive gyms.
• Cristina C (@cristinacfitness_), New York and New Jersey. Runs a women's only training studio. 15 of her posts this year carry a code, mostly for AYBL and Ready Nutrition. Fits women's gymwear and protein snacks.
• Jessica Androsik (@jessicaandrosik), US. CrossFit Games athlete with Mayhem Athlete, codes for Frog Grips and Resilient Active. Her typical post is 5.34% at 119,208 followers, the highest in this tier. Fits functional fitness gear and meal delivery.
• Ellie Turner (@elliebecturner), Australian, based in the US. Four-time CrossFit Games athlete with Gymreapers, GOWOD and Ready Nutrition in her bio. Her August 28 post had 3,538 likes when we read it and 6,684 on October 9. Fits recovery and mobility apps.
• Samya Mohamed (@samyatakesover), Dallas. NBA sports performance coach and lifestyle creator with PUMA and IM8. Eight of her 24 posts we read this year carry the paid label, the most on this list, mostly food. Fits restaurants, food and running apparel.
• Brett Wilkin (@brett_wilkin), US. IFBB Pro bodybuilder with GASP, Revive MD and Leader Formulas codes, and a MegaFit Meals partnership. Under one post a week. Fits meal prep and supplements outside his current deals.
• Destany Martin (@destanymartin), Ohio. Nurse and certified personal trainer, Oner Active and Gymshark codes. 32 of her 53 posts we read this year carry a code, 21 for Oner Active, and five carry the paid label, including Muscle Milk. One post lifts her average to 19.84%; her typical post is 3.10%. Fits women's protein and gymwear, if Oner Active leaves room.

Gym and bodybuilding influencers with 250,000+ followers

The median gym and bodybuilding creator in this tier has a typical post of 0.51%, or about 2,480 likes and comments. 6 of the 10 creators below beat it. At this size the rate is low, but the count is not: 2,480 likes and comments on the median typical post. Search US gym creators with 250,000+ followers.

• Matthew Bej (@matthewbej), Los Angeles. Calls himself the bodybuilding dancer: ballet, contortion and stretching Reels. MyFitnessPal athlete with code MATTB. Followers grew from 284,770 to 302,000 by October 9. Fits mobility, nutrition apps and dancewear.
• Jen Widerstrom (@jenwiderstrom), US. Coach and co-owner of Arnold's Pump Club, best-selling author and podcast co-host. Member stories and program launches. Fits dumbbells and app partnerships.
• Nathan French (@nathannfrench), Pennsylvania. Building True Build Gym, a 24/7 strength gym listed as coming soon in Manheim. Bodybuilding, Ironman and marathon training, BPN code. Fits gym equipment and endurance gear.
• Guy Cisternino Jr (@guycisternino), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Seven-time IFBB pro champion and owner of Muscle Inc Gym, which sells a GASP x Muscle Inc collection. Prozis, GASP and Better Bodies in his bio. Typical post 0.33%, about 1,100 likes and comments. Fits seminars and events.
• Scott Panchik (@scottpanchik), US. Ten-time CrossFit Games athlete and owner of CrossFit Mentality. His recent post reviews a 5.11 weighted vest for Murph. Under one post a week. Fits rucking and vest brands.
• Andy Galpin (@drandygalpin), US. Professor of human performance and host of Perform. Short teaching clips from his podcast. Fits blood testing, recovery and science-led brands that can stand up to his review.
• Larissa Eddington (@rissfit_warrior), US. Six-time American Ninja Warrior and national bikini competitor, mother of three, with Bucked Up codes. About 4.5 posts a week. Fits energy drinks and family brands.
• Zeus Morales (@inthegym.zeus), US. Army veteran and bodybuilder who posts about mental health, with YoungLA, Axe and Sledge and Chula Wear. Two posts went over 200,000 likes and comments; his typical post is about 12,600. Fits veteran causes and gym apparel; price on the typical post.
• Noah Ohlsen (@nohlsen), Miami. Twelve-time CrossFit Games athlete and Masters champion. Training compilations with workout details, 2.3 posts a week. Typical post 0.64%, about 5,400 likes and comments.
• Brooke Wells (@brookewellss), US. Ten-time CrossFit Games athlete, co-founder of While On Earth and author of Resilient. A recent post features Ryse protein at Target. Typical post 0.63%, about 11,000 likes and comments.

Bodybuilding, weightlifting, CrossFit and gym owners compared

We sorted the 834 creators into four groups by their Virev creator profile and bio. Powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting creators are few in our data, 40 in all, so their medians move a lot with one account.

* fewer than 20 creators in that cell. A dash means fewer than 5.

Shares are of creators who posted at least once that way between January 1 and September 27, 2026. Responses are the median post against the same creator's usual post, with the number of posts in brackets.

• Bodybuilders almost never use the paid label. 4% of 501 bodybuilding and physique creators posted with it this year, against 17% of running, yoga and other fitness creators. 22% posted a discount code. Their 535 code posts outnumber their 93 labeled or #ad posts almost six to one. In the rest of fitness the two are about even, 911 code posts to 843 labeled.
• The deals sit in the bio. Among the 834 gym and bodybuilding creators, 17 list GASP in their bio, 11 Better Bodies, 9 Prozis, 7 Gymshark, 6 Darc Sport and 6 Ekkovision, usually with an athlete code. Those deals show up as tags and codes, not as labeled posts.
• CrossFit and gym owners look more like the rest of fitness. 14% and 15% used the paid label. CrossFit athletes lose least on labeled posts, 0.83 times the usual, on 58 posts.
• Strength sport creators post codes most. 28% of powerlifting and weightlifting creators posted a code, the highest share, on only 40 creators.

A labeled post gets 0.64x, a code post 0.82x

We found 252 labeled or #ad posts and 904 code posts on gym and bodybuilding accounts between January 1 and September 27, 2026. A labeled or #ad post has Instagram's paid partnership label or an ad tag such as #ad or #sponsored, the same rule as our study of 175,104 sponsored posts. A code post has a discount code or affiliate link and no label. For each we compared likes and comments with the median of the same account's posts that carry no ad marker, code or giveaway.

• Labeled posts lose a third of the response. The median labeled or #ad post got 0.64 times the usual likes and comments, and 71% got less than usual. Other fitness creators lost more, 0.57.
• Code posts lose less. The median code post got 0.82 times the usual. A hand check of 25 code posts found 24 real brand codes; the other was a boxing studio's own membership offer.
• Size matters less than in the rest of fitness. Labeled posts on gym accounts got 0.74 times the usual under 10,000 followers, 0.60 at 10,000 to 50,000, 0.73 at 50,000 to 250,000 and 0.60 above. Other fitness creators fell from 0.89 to 0.43 over the same range.

Price a gym creator on the lower figure. If a creator with 20,000 followers gets about 300 likes and comments on a typical post, plan for about 190 on a labeled post and about 245 on a code post.

Case: GASP and Better Bodies athletes

GASP is a gym apparel brand with 237,000 Instagram followers when we checked on October 9, 2026. Its athletes often list Better Bodies, another gymwear brand, next to it. Of the 2,011 fitness creators we measured, 20 carry @officialgasp or @officialbetterbodies in their bio, and 18 of them are in the gym and bodybuilding group. Six are on this list: Leo Mayrhofer, Roxy, Agus Burdman, Kaleb Siverly, Brett Wilkin and Guy Cisternino Jr, whose gym, Muscle Inc in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sells a GASP x Muscle Inc collection.

We found 281 posts that tag GASP or Better Bodies, by 23 creators, between January and September 2026. None carried the paid label. 33 of them carried a code.

What the posts show:

• Tagged posts did as well as the usual post. The median post that tags GASP or Better Bodies got 1.00 times the creator's usual likes and comments. Most are normal training posts in the brand's gear, with the tag in the caption.
• The code line costs a little. The 33 tagged posts that also carry a code got 0.80 times the usual, close to the 0.82 of all code posts.
• The brand is in the feed every week. Roxy tagged one of the two brands in 56 posts this year, and @orinrin_ifbbpro in 53. A labeled campaign gets two or three posts; an athlete deal gets the brand into most posts.
• One example. Agus Burdman's August 24 post, a gym photo tagging Better Bodies, had 103 likes and 15 comments on October 9, about 0.9 times her usual post.

If your product is gear a lifter can wear or use in the gym, an athlete deal with a code reaches a gym creator's audience at close to full response. A one-off labeled post loses about a third.

How to choose gym and bodybuilding creators

1. Start with the tier table. Compare a creator's typical post with the median for their size above, not with a general fitness figure.
2. Check the gap between average and typical. Dallas Casciani, Destany Martin and Zeus Morales have one or two viral posts that lift the average far above their typical post.
3. Read the bio for codes. Many bodybuilders already list three or four brands. Read how to check a creator's sponsorship history before you send an offer.
4. Offer a code or an athlete deal, not only a labeled post. In this group a code post loses less than a labeled one, and the paid label is rare. Disclose the deal either way; the FTC's guide for influencers applies to codes and free gear too.
5. Plan around show season. Competitors post in bursts around a show and go quiet in prep. Ask for dates before you book.
6. Use gym owners for local reach. Jessica Tackett, Bernadette Galvan Chapuseaux, Kyle Sheridan and Ryan Parr each run a gym, so their audience includes the members who train there.

How we built this list

1. Find candidates. We started from every public Instagram account with 1,000 or more followers that Virev read between August 22 and September 30, 2026, whose Virev creator profile names a fitness niche. We kept 2,011 individual creators with six or more recent posts.
2. Sort into groups. A creator is in the gym and bodybuilding group if their main niche or bio names bodybuilding, physique, IFBB, NPC, powerlifting, strongman, weightlifting, CrossFit, HYROX or functional fitness, or names gym ownership or coaching together with a gym or strength word. Running, yoga and Pilates coaches were left out. That gave 834 creators; the other 1,177 are the comparison group.
3. Measure. For each account we used up to 12 recent posts from its own feed, at least three days old when read and not pinned.
4. Pick. We favored creators in the US who posted in the last six weeks and gave a spread across groups and tiers. We did not repeat creators from our lists of 40 fitness influencers and 55 micro fitness influencers. We opened 73 profiles.
5. Check by hand. On October 9, 2026 we opened all 73 profiles on Instagram and read the bio and recent posts. We removed 27. 15 had no clear US location in the bio or posts. 4 were off-niche or unclear: a Pilates and pregnancy trainer, a boxing studio founder who calls his account a dog fan account, an account with no bio that links to GASP's events page, and one with no bio at all. 8 we left out for balance across tiers and groups. We also opened the pages of nine gyms named in bios to confirm who owns what. We found no account that looked AI-generated.
6. Example posts. We re-read one post per creator on Instagram on October 9. The likes in the tables are from that day.

24 of the 46 creators beat the median typical post of their tier. The others are here for a group or a place that is hard to fill, such as gym owners under 10,000 followers.

Sponsored posts: we read every post from January 1 to September 27, 2026 on the 2,011 accounts and kept posts at least three days old with like counts shown. A post's usual response is the median likes plus comments of the same account's posts without a paid label, ad tag, gifted tag, code, affiliate link or giveaway; accounts needed four such posts. The GASP case counts posts whose caption tags @officialgasp, @officialbetterbodies or their women's and regional accounts.

Limits: Instagram does not show saves, shares or story views, so they are not in these rates. The creators are the accounts Virev crawls, which lean toward accounts brands search for, not a random sample of Instagram. Powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting creators are thin in our data. Our crawl did not read every post of every account, so the code and label counts per creator are counts of the posts we read. We list only public business details. Contact creators through the channels on their profiles.

Data for journalists. Sample: 834 public Instagram gym and bodybuilding creators and 1,177 other fitness creators with 1,000+ followers, read by Virev's crawler between August 22 and September 30, 2026, and 91,593 of their posts dated January 1 to September 27, 2026. Download the list and the tables: gym-influencers-2026.csv. Cite as: Virev, "Gym and bodybuilding influencers on Instagram", October 2026, https://virev.ai/blog/gym-influencers.

Find more gym and bodybuilding creators

Virev creator search for "bodybuilding" in the US lists every bodybuilding creator we track, with the same engagement numbers, and lets you set the follower range for the tier you want. Try CrossFit or powerlifting the same way. The fitness influencer marketing page shows how brands run fitness campaigns in Virev.

For running, yoga and general fitness creators, see our 40 fitness influencers by tier. For creators under 50,000 followers in the UK, Canada and Australia as well as the US, see the 55 micro fitness influencers. The numbers behind the comparisons are in the sponsored post study and the Instagram engagement rate benchmarks.