'The Challenge' Alum Cory Wharton Offers Brutal Reality Check To Followers After Epic Body Transformation

MTV star Cory Wharton, known for his time on "The Real World," "The Challenge," and "Teen Mom," is flaunting his new body on Instagram, announcing he's back in action after being sidelined from the gym a year ago because of knee surgery. In his latest post, Wharton, 34, shared exactly how he shed nearly 15 pounds over the last year and gave his followers who might be hoping for a body transformation of their own a brutally honest reality check about how they can do it too.

In a side-by-side Instagram comparison, Wharton showed off his body a year ago at 233 pounds versus how he looks today at 220 pounds. The difference is quite noticeable, considering the updated photo shows Wharton's chiseled abs, bulging chest, and broad shoulders.

In the post's caption, Wharton got real about what led to his weight gain, citing two knee surgeries that kept him out of the gym and prevented him from staying active. After his body recovered, though, Wharton sprang back into action, dropping nearly 15 pounds in the process.

"It's not always about the number that you see on the scale, it's about how you feel," he said.

Wharton's ripped physique likely won't come as a surprise to fans of the reality star, as he's been a steady presence on "The Challenge" since 2015.

In his Instagram update, Wharton pointed to his athletic background, noting that his familiarity with the gym likely helped make his transformation easier. However, the MTV veteran was adamant that hard work and sacrifice were the true tests in one's fitness journey.

Wharton then discussed his diet, revealing that, with age, paying attention to what he was putting in his body was equally important. He finished by giving his 1.4 million Instagram followers a harsh reality check.

"Long story short, if you're trying to get in shape l, get your -ss to the gym," he said. "It's pretty simple and not just that, but when you're in there, be efficient and use your time well."

Wharton didn't stop there. The outspoken reality star also told his followers who were hoping to lose weight that they had to put in more effort than anyone else to reach their goals. "You need to be the hardest worker in the gym; it's pretty simple. No magical pill you could take to have the body that you want. It's gonna take lifestyle changes & consistency," he said.

This isn't the first time Wharton has been open about his fitness goals, according to Us Weekly. In the summer of 2025, Wharton shared a similar message, proving that long-term changes have been most beneficial for him.

Wharton underwent knee surgery in 2025 after tearing a ligament while filming "The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras." The injury occurred during a challenge against "Big Brother" alum Josh Martinez in the sand. "The sand, already being an unstable surface, sprinting in it just completely [ruptured] the ACL," Wharton said. "The first surgery that I had back in September was to remove the metal that was in my knee from a bone lengthening surgery I had done 9 years ago. The metal was ultimately in the way of where we wanna put the new ACL."

According to TMZ, Wharton had another interaction with doctors in 2025 after his young daughter, Maya, was hospitalized at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

Maya reportedly suffers from tricuspid atresia, a "rare and serious congenital heart defect"; however, the little girl made it through two open-heart surgeries without issue.

"I was just happy that we were able to leave the Children's Hospital, because there's a lot of families there that aren't going to leave," Wharton said. "They're waiting a year or 2 for a heart transplant."

While Wharton was more than grateful to take his daughter home, the reality star said that he left the Los Angeles hospital with a different outlook on life.

"There was people in that building that found a way to smile. Just by talking to them over time, I was just like, 'These people are staying positive when they're at their lowest,'" he said. "I'm trying to do what I can to try to help out Children's Hospital or young ones that are in need ... it's a far cry from MTV, but I wanna try to do something positive with what I got going now."