Sam Sulek is an American YouTuber and fitness influencer. His YouTube videos showing his trips to the gym and his weightlifting workouts, which he began posting in 2023, became popular online and earned him more than three million subscribers by the following year. His popularity has been attributed by critics to the relatable style of his videos and his large, muscular physique.
Sam Sulek | ||||||||||
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| Born | 2001 or 2002 (age 22–23) | |||||||||
| Education | Rutherford B. Hayes High School | |||||||||
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YouTube information | ||||||||||
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| Subscribers | 3.7 million[1] | |||||||||
| Total views | 217 million[1] | |||||||||
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Life and career
editSulek attended Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio, where he began competitively diving in the summer before his junior year.[2] He began attending Miami University in 2020, where he also joined the school's diving team and, as of 2023[update], is studying mechanical engineering.[3][4][5] He began posting videos of his visits to the gym in January 2023. Since he began posting and as of 2024[update], his videos have all followed the same format, showing him speaking in his car on the way to the gym, his workout at the gym, then him speaking in his car again. By 2024, he had more than three million subscribers on YouTube and more than 5.7 million followers on Instagram.[6][7]
Public image
editFor The New York Times, Chris Almeida wrote that Sulek had "[chosen] a vision and [was] sticking to it" by trusting his viewers and that he had "become a fascination not simply because he is physically massive and fairly charming, but because of his almost defiant commitment to a lo-fi strategy" on YouTube. Stephen Buranyi of The Guardian referred to Sulek as "the current king" of fitness influencers in 2024 and "the perfect example of an influencer" due to his relatability, humility, normalcy, and plainspokenness, also writing that he was "perhaps the most muscular person [he had] ever seen".[7] Also in 2024, Eliana Riley, for The Miami Student, called him "one of the biggest gym influencers on social media right now".[3] For Generation Iron, Dylan Wolf wrote that he was "arguably the most popular influencer in the current fitness industry" in 2024 and that he was "known for his simplicity, heavy lifting, and insane physique".[8] Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead praised Sulek in 2023 as "taking over the world".[9]
Sulek has also faced accusations of using anabolic steroids, including from bodybuilder Víctor Martínez and podcaster Joe Rogan, with Stephen Buranyi noting for The Guardian in 2024 that he was "the person most mentioned by young men [using steroids that he] spoke with".[10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b "About Sam Sulek". YouTube.
- ^ Emerine, Brad (February 21, 2019). "Delaware Hayes Roundup: Sam Sulek, two relays advance to state". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Riley, Eliana (November 16, 2023). "Get Rec't: Miami's gym culture is pushing our facilities to the limit". The Miami Student. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "National Signing Day: Where they're going". The Columbus Dispatch. May 7, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "El entrenamiento y dieta de Sam Sulek, el culturista de moda en el mundo". Men's Health (in European Spanish). December 16, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Almeida, Chris (May 23, 2024). "How Sam Sulek and Others Break Mr. Beast's YouTube Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Buranyi, Stephen (June 6, 2024). "'Natty or not?': how steroids got big". The Guardian. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Wolf, Dylan (March 14, 2024). "Jeff Nippard Scientifically Breaks Down Sam Sulek's Workout Routine". Generation Iron. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Patuto, Greg (November 20, 2023). "Chris Bumstead Talks Sam Sulek As The Future In Bodybuilding: 'I'm Gonna Retire, He Can Take The Reins Over'". Generation Iron. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Dufour, Derek (December 28, 2023). "The Truth About Sam Sulek". Generation Iron. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Cabezas, Forroberto (December 1, 2023). "La acusación contra el joven culturista Sam Sulek". Men's Health. Retrieved October 10, 2024.