Oscar Borsum Vik

Athletic Insight

A personal Social Media Project that focused on science based lifting

Overview

Athletic Insight is a personal social media project I started in the summer of 2024 to experiment with content creation and social media strategy. The goal was to create short educational videos about science-based strength training, with a particular focus on powerlifting. I launched accounts on both Instagram and TikTok, where I tested different content formats, hooks, and research-based topics.  The project generated consistent engagement, with videos averaging 800–1,000 views and around 50 likes per post.

 

What I Learned and Skills I Used

This project helped me develop hands-on experience with content creation, research-driven storytelling, and social media experimentation. Through the process, I strengthened my skills in content strategy, trend research, video ideation, and audience engagement while learning how important consistency, strong hooks, and interaction signals are for growth on short-form platforms.

 

Athletic Insight

The Challenge & Opportunity 

There are many fitness accounts that educate people on lifting, but during my research I noticed that very few creators cite the scientific studies behind their advice, and i also noticed that there are a lot of accounts for bodybuilding but not as many for powerlifting.

This presented an opportunity to create content that focused on:

  • Evidence-based lifting advice
  • Simplifying complex research into short, digestible videos
  • Educating lifters while building trust through credible sources

The goal was to differentiate the account by combining research-backed information with short-form educational content.

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Research & Analyze

Competitive Research

I analyzed other lifting education accounts to evaluate:

  • Content formats and video structure

  • Types of topics covered

  • Engagement patterns

This helped me determine the angle and positioning for the account. 

Topic Research

To identify relevant content ideas, I used research tools such as:

  • Google Trends

  • Keyword and topic searches on TikTok

  • Fitness forums and online communities

  • Scientific research databases for strength training studies

This helped me identify topics that had both search interest and educational value.

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Build The Program

Research & Script Development

For each video:

  1. I selected a specific lifting topic
  2. Researched scientific studies related to that topic
  3. Summarized the key findings into a short explanation

Using my previous knowledge and AI tools, I translated complex research into simple explanations for the video descriptions.

Video Creation

Each video included:

  • Training footage from lifters
  • An AI voiceover explaining the concept
  • A caption summarizing the supporting research

I also tested different hooks to capture attention in the first few seconds.

Hooks that I found to work best:

  • “The #1 mistake most gym-goers make”
  • Question-based hooks designed to spark curiosity

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Track Progress

Tracked engagement metrics

Key metrics included:

  • Views per video

  • Likes and engagement

  • Hook performance

  • Audience response in comments

After producing 10 videos, the account averaged:

  • 800–1,000 views per video

  • ~50 likes per post

These results showed that the content concept resonated with viewers and that the educational format had strong engagement potential.

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Refine For Growth

Although the project was paused when the school semester started, the experiment provided valuable insights into how the strategy could be improved.

Future improvements would include:

Content & Production

  • Using my own voice instead of AI narration

  • Developing a more consistent personal brand

  • Expanding into longer educational content

Growth Strategy

  • Posting daily to maximize algorithm exposure

  • Testing more hook formats and storytelling techniques

  • Using comment prompts that trigger automated DMs to increase engagement and interaction

Consistency and community interaction are key drivers of growth on short-form platforms, and implementing these strategies would likely improve performance significantly.

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