The 5 best workout channels on YouTube

I’ve started my fitness journey again since March of 2020.

Since having my daughter over 2 years ago I’ve always struggled with being consistent because of life throwing so many curve balls.

I was working out thrice a week when she was about 6 months old because I had the option of leaving her with my mom back in South Africa.

I went to the gym which I also regarded as my me time and did the Zumba classes which I absolutely loved since I enjoy aerobic / dance kind of workouts. 

I established a routine for myself and I loved it. Then when she was 11 months old we moved to the USA and had to get settled in a new country, time zone, apartment and just a whole new way of life. So I just stopped going to the gym because settling in was my main priority.

It wasn’t before long I noticed I was getting chunkier and my energy levels were just way off. I then joined a gym in Seattle and I wasn’t feeling it.

I soon realized I’m not a gym person. I either have to do classes where I follow an instructor or have a personal trainer but being left alone to my own devices wasn’t working for me.

I couldn’t deal with the judgement of the other gym members, it just messed with my confidence and self esteem. I cancelled my contract and decided to just do my own thing.

Browsing through youtube I discovered many fitness channels, some i liked and others i didn’t. The ones I liked, I tried and started doing consistently. 

Below are the top five fitness videos I enjoy doing and hopefully you will love them too. I left the links to each channel below. 

WORKOUT CHANNELS

• Mr and Mrs Muscle
• Les Mills
• Body project
• Has fit
• Popsugar fitness

Mr and Mrs Muscle

This channel is by far my favourite to workout to. It has so much variety such as HIIT, fat burning videos, weight loss workouts and videos if you are just looking to tone and sculpt. 

They also have workout routines that exclude lunges, jumping and squats(Low Impact ) for those that suffer with bad knees. 

How the videos are structured are that there are about 5 different workout moves in one circuit which is repeated 4 times of 30 seconds each with a 10 second rest period in between.

Before starting the workout they indicate which body parts you will be targeting during that exercise move. In addition there are modifications included for the more advanced exercise moves. 

What is also appealing about these workouts are the fact that they are at most 20 minutes long which works for me as a busy mom. 

Depending on my daughter there are days that I will either repeat the video and get to workout for at least 40 minutes or switch to another 10 – 20 minutes video to target other areas of my body. 

Another awesome detail I want to highlight is that these workout routines are all apartment friendly so you guys will be able to do it anywhere in your homes. 

Les Mills

Another great workout channel I really enjoy doing especially if I’m in the mood to channel my inner boxer (LOL) for my workout session.

Les Mills offers a wide variety of exercise routines but specifically I enjoyed Body Combat. With these videos you will burn approximately between 400 – 450 cal and get your heart rate up to approximately 170 – 178 bpm.  

What I found most enjoyable was learning the different combinations and then putting them together to complete an epic workout. 

The music is great too because it goes along with the intensity and speed of the moves. 

The instructors are very motivational and take you through the moves gradually before grinding it out. 

A motivating factor when doing these videos was to see the other participants in the videos all working out together something I find very motivating. 

Body Project

When I started working out again I did Body Projects workouts because their routines are catered to everyone whether you’re a beginner or advanced. 

Their videos include a variety of workouts as well that caters to all. Their videos include HIIT, fat burning, cardio, low/high intensity etc. 

There’s also representation in the videos of people that are not skinny or as fit which is motivating because you realise that if they can do it so can you. 

When you first watch the workout routines you might think it’s so easy but once you do it you realise that it’s harder than you think it is and you definitely will be sweating buckets. 

The instructors are so motivating and praise you throughout the video. 

HASfit

HASfit is another great program to get on board with. It involves a husband and wife whose goal is not only to help you with your fitness but to motivate you to stay fit. 

They offer over 1 000 workout routines and fitness programs for all fitness levels. 

Their workouts include HIIT, full body, abs, cardio amongst others. As well as prenatal workouts and workouts to help you mamas who might suffer from diastasis recti which is ab separation from pregnancy. 

Claudia does all the modifications and Joshua does all the advanced movements. So if you are just starting I would suggest you follow Claudia and later do the advanced movements which Joshua does. 

I sometimes switch between the two levels depending on how I am feeling physically and there’s no shame in that. 

Popsugar

Popsugar offers a variety of workout videos from abs, cardio, tabata, exercises for your kids or if you are just in the mood to dance as a workout, they have you covered. 

Having a variety of options available is crucial in my opinion because it eliminates the feeling of boredom or muscle memory when working out.

Our moods are not the same everyday, somedays you want to do a HIIT workout, the next you want to do abs or a low intensity workout so variety is important which is why I love popsugar so much. 

They also offer modified workouts for those of you that might be starting your fitness journey. 

If you are looking to start your fitness journey and you feel intimidated to go to the gym the same way I was. 

Then I suggest you start by doing these videos. 

They cater to all levels so whether you are a beginner or advanced, they have you covered. 

My advice to you is to establish workouts that you will enjoy working out to and a routine that fits into your lifestyle. 

Happy sweating…….