Meet the men calling out ‘masculinity’ trends

On social media platforms, phrases like “Hammer your facial bones to chisel your jawlines” and “Your body is your billboard” echo through feeds, championed by figures dubbed “masculinity influencers.” These men advocate for methods they claim enhance masculinity, dividing into camps: healthmaxxers, who emphasize diet and exercise, and looksmaxxers, who prioritize extreme physical optimization. A shared lexicon defines their goals—terms like “mogging” (outperforming others in appearance) and “ascending” (progressing toward a more attractive state) are frequently used to describe the pursuit of idealized looks.

Challenging the norms

A growing number of health-conscious influencers with expertise in nutrition and fitness are now questioning these trends. They argue that the emphasis on extreme aesthetics can overshadow practical health advice. “It’s not sexy because it doesn’t rely on fear or urgency,” says James Brash, a registered nutritionist. “The real issue is when influencers promote unverified claims as absolute truths.”

“It might have started as ‘here’s my gym routine, here’s my skincare routine,’ but now it’s turned into ‘Here’s how I make my cheekbones bigger – by smashing them with a hammer.'”

Extreme self-improvement

Dr. Michael Mrozinski, a former sports physician, warns that looksmaxxing has evolved into a “monster” with “arms and legs,” driven by relentless pursuit of physical perfection. He highlights risks like facial trauma, which can lead to bruising or soft tissue damage, as examples of over-the-top enhancements. Meanwhile, Clavicular—real name Braden Peters, 20—has amassed over 900,000 followers on TikTok. He promotes bone-smashing as a “legit” method, likening steroid use and crystal meth to “video game cheat codes” for attractiveness.

“The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask.”

TikTok data reveals a surge in searches for looksmaxxing hacks, peaking at 1.9 million daily in late March. Despite the platform banning “bone smashing” as a search term, young men aged 18-24 remain its most active audience. The trend even reaches pre-pubescent boys, with some influencers targeting teenagers before their bodies have fully matured. While healthmaxxers focus on sustainable practices, looksmaxxers often blend science with spectacle, creating a culture where appearance is paramount.