Three of the best content creators online for people starting their fitness journey
When I first started working out, I had no idea what I was doing.
Run a mile? Do some push-ups? Is any of this helping? How long before I have abs? Where is my butt going? How can I get it back?
I’m a relatively online-savvy millennial and it didn’t take me long to get sucked in to all of the ad content online. There are plenty of people trying to sell you things to get started. I’m sure some of these things are great…but some are scammy, overhyped, and predatory; targeting people who they knew are vulnerable and want a quick fix. I know this because I was one of those people. They use fake or heavily manipulated before-and-after pictures, they use shady techniques for marketing and social media, and they sometimes sell through pyramid schemes and other dishonest and manipulative practices.
Instead, I’ve compiled some free resources for you. They all include videos, some of them are “gymfluencers” who seem very honest and forthcoming in their workouts, and all of them have helped me in my journey at one point or another. Pick one or all of them to help you out.
Fitness Blender
I love these guys over at fitnessblender.com. I was skeptical at first; their older videos have a bit of a “pacer test” quality to them with a male voiceover and a woman doing the exercises on screen, but once they switched to a more chatty format, I was sold. They are the gold standard for free home workout videos (and if you feel like giving them some money, they have paid workout plans as well).
This husband and wife team uploads to Youtube, but doesn’t fit the “gymfluencer” brand. They feel authentic, and like they actually know what they’re doing. They seem honest with their community and try to encourage healthy weight loss, gain, or maintenance, never offering a quick fix.
They also offer everything. They have some meals up on their blog, but as far as exercise goes, they are nearly unlimited for the home exerciser. Do you need:
- Workouts with no equipment?
- Workouts with dumbbells only?
- HIIT workouts?
- Apartment friendly/quiet workouts?
- Low impact exercises?
- Pilates?
- Barre?
- Yoga?
- Feel-good cardio?
You get the picture. They have everything. They got me through my first few months of weights (before I was ready to move onto the big weights at the gym) and I really enjoy their style. My favorite workouts are the ones that combine cardio and fun weight movements, and I still do some of their ab workouts today. They’re killer.
All of their video content is available to you for free, but if you’re the kind of person that needs help putting together a routine, they have those available for a low cost. This is a great way to get started if you’re new to exercise and a bit confused. Either Kelli or Daniel will do the routine on video in real time, so you see the whole thing in the time that you’re supposed to be doing it. You also see them getting tired, sometimes messing up, and trying to recover alongside you in the cool down included with many of the videos. To me, this was so helpful as a beginner, knowing that people are supposed to get tired, just like I was.
I put them first because they are my favorite for beginners. I don’t use them too often anymore, but I will recommend them as long as they have a website.
Yoga With Adriene
So listen. Yoga and I? We’re not friends.
This isn’t to say we can’t be friends, and we don’t meet up from time to time for a chat, but overall I’m a high impact exercise kind of gal and anything that gives me time to be alone with my thoughts is a swift “no thanks!”.
That said, I discovered Yoga With Adriene after a few friends mentioned her, and when I was having a particularly hard time with my flexibility, my core, and my mental wellbeing, I found her super helpful.
I sometimes turn up my nose at the yoga community on YouTube. It feels a little…appropriative, if you will, and sometimes the videos don’t seem like they’re trying to actually guide. This isn’t true with Adriene. She encourages her viewers to take it easy and go at their own pace. The girl is genuinely relaxing and feels, again, authentic.
She has courses that you can pay for, naturally, but she also has guides available for free, including a 30-day yoga journey, and specific dedicated playlists for body parts or problems that one could be facing. I found a great one for my lower back that helped a lot when I had a deadlifting pull and I had to take a few days off of the gym.
Her blog is also refreshing, and she offers calendars for people looking to work through their yoga journey with her. Again, if you’re someone who needs a routine but has no idea where to start, a pre-made calendar might be exactly what you need.
I won’t sing her praises from the rooftops to anyone who will listen like I will with FB, but yoga just isn’t my thing. I recognize that she’s great at what she does, and if she can get me to sit through a 45 minute yoga video, she must be wonderful.
Natacha Oceane
So this one might be controversial, but hear me out.
I know her workout plans are a bit spendy for beginners. That’s not why we’re here.
We’re here for the free workouts she has on YouTube and Instagram.
This isn’t to say that her plans aren’t worth it. The girl is a powerhouse and I 100% believe that if any gymfluencer has anything to say about exercise, she’s going to be the one I trust. But, beginners might not be ready to start dropping money on plans yet. That’s okay!
Natacha is educated, research-minded, and incredibly strong. You cans see her progression over the years from a relatively fit, though skinny, girl, to an absolute tank. I’d kill for her abs. While a lot of the other influencers have gone back to easy at home workouts, or HIIT, Natacha always ups her game.
That said, you don’t have to be built like her to get started with her. Her workouts start years ago, and many of them are incredibly accessible to anyone with a gym. She also has at-home workouts. While I’d take it easy to start with (maybe don’t go for heavy squats on the barbell on day one), watching Natacha over the past few years has definitely gotten me some of the strength I have today.
While it’s easy to look at her and think that her workouts are solely for women, she keeps up with the men easily and her routines will challenge anyone. She focuses on strength and functionality, with the idea that she wants to be able to do all of the cool and fun things that being a bit stronger and faster will allow.
She has food content and more information-based content, all heavily researched and grounded in science. She knows her stuff. I want to look like her, so I do what she does. I highly suggest checking her out, and if you ever decide to spend some money, consider her guides.
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There is so much content online that it can be overwhelming trying to find the right thing. We’re always being marketed or sold to. These people, to me, come off as authentic, educated, and genuine while showing off their skills. I’ve used all of them in my journey, and their free resources are amazing.
You don’t need a gym membership to get started. Sometimes you just need a plan and someone to show you the ropes. These people have that covered.
Who are your favorite people online for fitness content? Natacha is amazing and I aspire to her level of fitness and confidence, but I follow a handful of other “gymfluencers” as well. Any thoughts?
Lazy Girl Fitness 