Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
woman doing pull up exercise
woman doing pull up exercise
Becca Matimba/Unsplash

Fun Fitness: My Favorite YouTube Excercise Videos

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Aria Nicolai
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.

Fun Fitness: My Favorite YouTube Exercise Videos

By: Aria Nicolai

Disclaimer: I am by no means a fitness expert and do not claim to have any qualifications in fitness whatsoever. These are videos that are helpful to me and that I hope will help others

 

    Exercise has so many benefits for our health and wellbeing; it can increase strength and flexibility, reduce stress, and even help to stabilize energy and moods. Unfortunately, its often pushed aside in favor of writing last minute essays or squeezing in another episode of Gossip Girl on Netflix. It’s important to create time for exercise, but this can be difficult for a college student. Going to the gym or getting a personal trainer is time consuming, overwhelming, and sometimes really expensive.

 

    If you are new to exercising, or don’t really know where to begin, there are a plethora of YouTube channels that can help. YouTube videos are an awesome place to start because they give you a lot of flexibility, but also a lot of structure. Different YouTube “trainers” have different styles, and you can try lots of different videos to see which styles work well for you. Then, you can mix and match videos or combine them with your gym routine to craft a workout that fits your needs and your busy schedule.

 

Best of all, these videos can be done in your home, apartment, or even your dorm room (just not when your roommate is sleeping). Here are my favorites:

 

For Cardio: Fitness Blender

 

If you’re not an elliptical person (I know I’m not) HIIT workouts are a great alternative for cardio. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, which sounds scary but is actually really fun. It involves periods of high intensity plyometric and resistance moves paired with periods of low intensity “active rests.” For this style of workout, I love the YouTube channel Fitness Blender.

 

Fitness Blender is comprised of two trainers, a super cute couple named Dan and Kelly. They have hundreds of workout videos and are constantly making new ones. I love their videos because they are simple and easy to follow.

I would suggest perusing their website www.fitnessblender.com and using their search tool to find a workout that suits your needs and level of difficulty. They have workout videos for all different fitness levels, as well as videos with low impact modifications if you have or are recovering from an injury, and workout challenges and games for those who are bored easily (me). Though they have videos for nearly every style of workout, I think their HIIT workouts are their best. I have yet to find another YouTube channel that has better HIIT workouts.

 

My Favorites Are:

 

  • 15 Minute Total Body HIIT Workout – Advanced Bodyweight Exercises to Burn Fat Fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CamSXRh01EI

 

  • 15 Minute HIIT Workout – No Equipment HIIT Cardio At Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DSrudz6IVY

 

  • Belly Fat Burner HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training Workout with No Equipment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Wls5hni0E

 

  • Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout – 20 Minute HIIT Workout at Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZnsLVArIt8

 

  • Insane HIIT Challenge – Bodyweight Only High Intensity Interval Training Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG3E1KX3Ti4&t=1768s

 

For Abs: Blogilates

 

If I could choose any YouTube fitness trainer to be best friends with, it would be Cassey Ho from Blogilates. She has the sweetest personality and exudes great energy and confidence. She’s one of the most popular and well-known fitness trainers out there and her website and Youtube Channel have amazing resources for anyone who is interested in fitness. She teaches Pilates through her online videos and in real life, and she has an Instagram and a blog. She also does vlogs where she speaks out about positive body image, has a cooking show and a meal plan, hosts retreats, and creates online fitness challenges. She even has an app, a book, a newsletter, and get this—her own fitness clothing line. She does everything, and I can’t help but be inspired by her positive attitude and amazing work ethic.

Her workouts are mainly Pilates-style isometric exercises that she sets to upbeat pop music. I love her videos because she talks through each exercise and really focuses on breathing techniques and good form, which are crucial for healthy fitness. She also doesn’t use equipment in the majority of her videos, so you can basically do them anywhere, anytime.

Though she has workout videos for every area of the body, I think she really excels at core workouts. She even says herself that abs are her favorite part of the body to work. I find her ab workouts really challenging and enjoyable.

However, I would definitely check out her website and blog http://www.blogilates.com because she has so many awesome resources for anyone who loves fitness.

 

My Favorites Are:

  • Abs On Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ogDIqyGmCM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wztS1XHqJBI&t=669s

 

  • EXTREME ABS 3! Intense at-home ab workout for flat abs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCccvzJCa2E

 

  • Perfect 10 Abs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNMycpSbQEI

 

  • Hard Core Workout | POP Pilates Beach Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8tbcQPRJOc&list=PLSCcAGyv98icX4pV3k5uIYtzjaVw12myt&index=41

 

  • Intense Ab Mania Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RznZwqi8wBs&t=380s&list=PLSCcAGyv98icX4pV3k5uIYtzjaVw12myt&index=10

 

  • 3 Minute LOWER ABS | POP Pilates Turbo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nv8lfshoqQ&list=PLSCcAGyv98icX4pV3k5uIY…

 

For Butt and Arms: Rebecca-Louise

 

    Rebecca Louise is like the 21st century version of 80’s workout videos. She always wears outfits in shades of bright pink, yellow, or a variation of jungle print, she has an awesome Australian accent, and she’s always telling you to “push.” She looks so much like Olivia Newton John its kind of scary (Physical music video anyone?). She also has a really cute puppy named Alfie who she features in a lot of her videos.

Her workouts are a similar style to the Blogilates videos; she uses a lot of bodyweight isometric movements. However, she also uses hand weights and sometimes resistance bands to increase the intensity of the exercises, though they can be done without equipment if you are just beginning. For muscle groups that are harder to work without weights, like your glutes, hamstrings, and arm muscles, her workouts are amazing!

 

My Favorites Are:

 

  • Lift and Tone Your Butt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DFe5DV8_B0&t=61s

 

  • Booty Burn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAO4DjfIAUg

 

  • Brazilian Butt Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13wvnnqMd1U&t=5s

 

  • Beach Body Butt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IqgIM5K8jU

 

 

 

  • Strong Arms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkdtAQGgIzU

 

 

For Legs and Calves: Lisa Maree

 

    Lisa Maree is a smaller Youtuber who I only recently discovered. Her leg videos (and her legs themselves) are awesome! She’s a ballerina, so her exercises and stretches are ballet-inspired, similar to what you might see in a dance or barre class.

 

    It’s no secret that ballerinas have incredible leg muscles. But Lisa’s videos not only help to tone up the leg muscles, but they also help with flexibility. I love the stretches she integrates into her routines.

    Her videos are a refreshing change from squats and lunges if you want to try something a little different. I have been told many times that doing a variety of different exercises is the healthiest way to work muscles and will give the best results, so I love to incorporate her videos into my routine.

 

My Favorites Are:

  • Follow Along Calf Muscle Exercise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOdULrLWVcs

 

  • Follow Along Thigh Muscle Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJf7DhbmW7E&t=39s

 

  • Thera-Band Butt & Thighs Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0XScl2_84&t=187s

 

  • Calf Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzN7Nq7Uyeo

 

For Yoga: Yoga with Adriene

 

    Whether you are brand new to yoga or a seasoned Yogi, Yoga with Adriene is an awesome channel to check out! Adriene is actually a native to Austin and she is the sweetest soul with the most soothing Yoga voice ever.

 

   

I cannot express how much I love her videos. If you are just starting yoga like me, and need extra guidance, I would suggest following one of her Yoga playlists, where she takes you through a yoga practice every day. Each day has a different “theme” but are all centered around breathing and “finding what feels good” as she puts it.

If you are a Yoga veteran and want to take your practice to the next level, Adriene has videos where she takes you through more challenging poses, such as the crow pose or the headstand, step by step. Good form is crucial in Yoga and can keep you from getting injured. I would recommend her videos to anyone and everyone with a solid baseline of fitness, because I think they are so helpful to the mind and body.

 

    My Favorites Are:

 

 

 

 

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Aria is a first year Pre-Occupational Therapy student at the University of Texas at Austin.