Even though dine-out is happening again, and gyms are back in action, you might still feel like you’d rather avoid the crowds, or maybe you’ve just become comfortable working out at home.
Enter fitness YouTube workout channels that are all about making the most out of small spaces and limited exercise equipment. Each workout video lasts between five and 60 minutes, and you have the freedom of exercising wherever, whenever and with whomever you please.
But with so many fitness Youtube channels and everyone claiming to be the best personal fitness guru on YouTube, it can get hard to pick one. To cut through the noise, we’ve compiled a list of the eight best YouTube workout channels to follow for workouts guaranteed to leave you gasping for air and muscles screaming for mercy more.
The best part? They are all free of charge (score!).
Type of exercise: HIIT, barre, cardio and stretch
Duration of videos: Five to 30 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, dumbbells and/or resistance bands
Best for: Beginners to intermediate fitness buffs
Whether you’re looking to break a quick sweat, full-body weighted workout or just a stretch to loosen your stiff muscles, MadFit by Maddie has them all. Her workout videos are filmed in real-time so you have someone guiding (and ‘dying’ alongside) you throughout the workout.
While most of her videos lean towards HIIT-based workouts, Maddie has a selection of short dance music workouts that target specific muscle groups. These videos are short (less than five minutes each) and great for days when you are short on time or want to sneak in a quick workout between meetings. To find them, head over to her playlist tab and click on the playlist titled ‘Song Workouts’.
Type of exercise: HIIT, barre, pilates, yoga and tabata
Duration of videos: 20 to 55 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, chair and/or dumbbells
Best for: Those who prefer slow muscle burns
As a former ballerina and gymnast, and now a pilates instructor, Nicole from the eponymous Move with Nicole will show you how to get beautiful lines and flows. She takes you through HIIT, barre, pilates, yoga and tabata workouts with her soft and encouraging voice, but don’t be fooled! Her slow-burn exercises will leave you sweating buckets faster than you can say ‘bend and snap’ (from Legally Blonde).
For those who are new to YouTube workout videos or exercise in general, this is a great channel to start with as Nicole provides terrific movement cues.
Type of exercise: HIIT, cardio and functional training
Duration of videos: 10 to 30 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, dumbbells and/or resistance bands
Best for: Beginners
Natasha’s YouTube channel is slightly different from others on this list. Apart from creating workout videos, she also does science-backed fitness and diets videos on topics that most might be confused about.
Her workout videos are easy to follow, short and require little to no exercise equipment — perfect for busy bees who don’t have time to travel to the gym.
Type of exercise: HIIT with dumbbells, strength training and functional training
Duration of videos: 10 to 60 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, dumbbells, kettlebells and/or resistance bands
Best for: Intermediate or seasoned fitness buffs
Based on personal experience, Caroline’s workout videos are not for the faint hearted, and they are designed to leave you sweating from every pore of your body and crying for dear life.
From slow-burn workouts to muscle-specific workouts and those that leave your heart working on overdrive, she does them all. In particular, Caroline has three 10-week EPIC programmes tailored for beginners, intermediate and advanced fitness buffs. If you follow them closely, you are almost guaranteed a summer body, and even come to love burpees and kettlebell swings by the end of 10 weeks.
Type of exercise: HIIT, strength training, yoga and tabata
Duration of videos: 10 to 40 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, dumbbells and/or resistance bands
Best for: Beginner to intermediate fitness buffs
Growingannanas by Anna has a wide variety of follow-along workouts that include full-body HIIT workouts to those that target specific muscle groups and yoga. If you typically perform best when posed with a challenge, then head over to Anna’s website and take on her seven- or 28-day HIIT workouts that will keep your home fitness regime exciting and fresh.
Type of exercise: HIIT, yoga, zumba, barre, pilates, tabata, boxing, strength training, cardio and dance
Duration of videos: Eight to 50 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, dumbbells, kettlebells and/or resistance bands
Best for: Beginners to intermediate
Unlike the other options in the list, each POPSUGAR Fitness video features an instructor and a group of ‘students’, so it feels like you’re actually in a class! They also boast one of the widest ranges of workout videos on YouTube that include HIIT, boxing, pilates, barre, tabata, zumba, latin dance and many more.
Type of exercise: Pilates and cardio
Duration of videos: 10 minutes to 30 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat, light dumbbells
Best for: Beginners and pilates enthusiasts
In 2009, Cassey started Blogilates to share her love of Pilates with everyone. Fast forward 12 years, and the channel has since amassed a strong following of 5.6 million subscribers.
To keep workouts interesting, Cassey regularly posts monthly workout challenges. These range from 21-day muscle tone challenges to #100AbChallenge (that’s 100 crunches, 100 butterfly kicks, 100 leg lifts and more – feel your core leaving your body yet?), Blogilates isn’t just smiling and stretching.
Type of exercise: HIIT, cardio and stretch
Duration of videos: 10 to 25 minutes
Exercise equipment needed: Exercise mat
Best for: Beginners
#SupportLocal! A certified spin, pilates and barre instructor, Jia En just started her YouTube workout channel about two months ago. Mostly bodyweight workouts, they target just about every part of your body with just the right amount of intensity — perfect for beginners or those looking to kickstart a fitness routine.
Text: Geralyne Ong/SingSaver
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