A man who has spent almost a full year training just one trap muscle has once again gone viral, as his increasingly extreme transformation continues to divide opinion across social media.
Known online as ‘The Crooked Man’, the content creator has built a huge following by doing the exact opposite of what most fitness influencers preach.
While TikTok remains flooded with advice on how to improve symmetry, maximise aesthetics and “looksmax”, he has deliberately committed to doing none of that — instead choosing to work out a single muscle, on one side of his body, over and over again.
The idea, according to him, came from frustration with the platform’s obsession with physical optimisation. Explaining his thinking, he has previously said: “Why does the one trap guy work out one trap? It’s pretty simple. I was scrolling TikToks in my Ferrari, and I kept getting these looksmaxing TikToks.
“And they were like, ‘Do this, do that. You’ll look more attractive. You’ll get more women’, And it’s like, people have that problem? I have the opposite problem.”
Rather than trying to “fix” his appearance, The Crooked Man decided to undermine the entire trend. He now proudly refers to himself as a “looks minimizer”, training just one trap muscle day after day in an effort to become as asymmetrical as possible.
“What was the best way to looksminimize? Become more asymmetrical,” he said. “Work out one trap, it solved my problem. And man, it has worked like a charm.”
More than 300 days into the challenge, the results are impossible to miss. While his torso remains in generally good shape, the imbalance between his left and right side is striking. His left arm and shoulder are now several magnitudes larger than his right, creating a visibly uneven frame that has become his trademark.
Check out his update below:
Photos shared on Instagram show a clear before-and-after, with one image taken prior to the experiment highlighting how dramatic the change has been. If nothing else, the transformation stands as proof that targeted exercise works — even if the end result is far from conventional.
Alongside his training, The Crooked Man has also been open about his diet, which is heavily focused on protein. His daily intake reportedly includes sardines, goat yoghurt and protein powder, before being rounded off with ground beef and eggs.
His commitment has earned him plenty of attention, with followers split between admiration, confusion and concern.
Some see the project as a tongue-in-cheek rebellion against fitness culture, with many comments urging the Crooked Man to “keep it up”. However, others worry about what the long-term impact could be on his overall health and wellbeing.
“Hey brother. I absolutely love the challenge you have given yourself and I’m sure in a few months you will be the largest lopsided bodybuilder ever,” one concerned viewer commented. “Are you not at all concerned with the potential risks involved with only working out one side of your body?”
Another added: “One trap was funny and all but like it can lead to chronic pain and a lot of other bad stuff, so be careful.”
But despite concerns from social media users and experts alike, The Crooked Man has shown little sign of stopping. In other videos, he even revealed that his one-sided approach had expanded beyond his upper body, announcing “Day 30 of working out one leg” while performing Bulgarian split squats on just one side, as well as “100 Days of Mouth Breathing“
And the “Trap King” sharing the reasons for his transformation, some believe he isn’t being 100% truthful with his followers.
Across Reddit and his comment sections, some users have claimed that he may actually be managing scoliosis and that the “looksminimizing” storyline is simply a bit of tongue-in-cheek trolling designed to wind people up and work the algorithm.
Whether it’s genuine performance art, an elaborate joke, or a serious fitness experiment taken to its extreme, one thing is clear: after more than 300 days of training a single trap, The Crooked Man has succeeded in standing out in a space obsessed with perfection.
Here’s hoping he’s staying healthy — and that the pursuit of virality doesn’t end up doing him any permanent damage.
Featured image credit: Instagram/@thecrookedman10 (screenshot)
