If you think a great workout has to involve fancy equipment, dull and repetitive movements, or a low-key terrifying trainer yelling at you to “dig deep,” think again. Caleb Marshall has made it his job to turn workouts into full-blown dance parties, proving that fitness doesn’t have to be a chore — it’s a performance, and it can be pretty damn fun, too. “It’s important to find joy through movement because that is what keeps you coming back,” Marshall tells Her Campus exclusively. “When you associate working out with hanging out and having fun, dancing around with your friends while doing something good for your body, that’s when it is going to become a habit.”
Marshall was a staple in my YouTube rotation growing up. Since 2014, the fitness instructor has been posting dance-based workout videos as The Fitness Marshall: a super empowering crossover between Richard Simmons and Britney Spears. At sleepovers with my friends, we would take turns (sweatily, and badly) performing his “Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls choreography in someone’s basement. When I would spend the week with my cousins, we would carve out dedicated time to doing the Rihanna “Work” routine — sometimes on a loop. During a time when your WiiFit would call you malnourished or obese, Marshall’s videos served as a fun, judgment-free way to move your body.
It wasn’t just Marshall that empowered me and millions of other fans. For the entirety of Marshall’s career, his videos have featured dancers of different body types, as well as modifications for viewers who might need them. “I didn’t go out of my way to include different body types, I truly started out just asking my friends to be in my videos,” Marshall says. “I remember I’d have to beg them to join me. I’d offer to pick them up and drop them off even if it was out of my way. When I started [blowing up on YouTube], I realized how important it was to represent different body types: It’s refreshing to see, and less intimidating for those who are just starting out.”
But as I was bopping around, all happy and slightly off-beat, the instructor on the screen was in an entirely different place with his mental health. And while he later opened up about his struggles with anxiety and ADHD, Marshall kept his battles hidden. “When I began my career, I was in one of the darkest places I had been in mentally,” Marshall says. “I always believed that if what I was doing was good enough, success would find me.”
Flash forward 10 years, and Marshall is a total success online. “I knew if I was passionate, I would be successful,” he says, “but I never thought it would look the way it does now.” With over 8 million followers — called his Booty Army — across platforms, Marshall is still empowering the internet to get up, get moving, and find joy in movement. “I wanted to bring people together and create an environment where working out was more fun and less like something you had to do,” he says. “I also just wanted to make movement more accessible – with my videos, all you need is a space to move around and some time carved out of your day.”
With choreography for classic bops like Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” (a personal favorite) and more recent jams like Charli XCX’s “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish, there’s truly a video out there for anyone looking to jam out and get their sweat on. “If you can find [a video] that really speaks to your music taste, start there,” Marshall says. “Some of my personal favorites are ‘Rain On Me’ by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter, and ‘It’s OK, I’m OK’ by Tate McRae. And even if you end up wanting to do the same video over and over, do what works for you!”
But the empowerment doesn’t stop at Marshall’s videos, though. In January, he partnered with Little Leaf Farms for the #ShowUsYourShakeContest, in which the fitness influencer will give away $10,000 (yes, that’s right: $10,000) to one lucky contestant — just for shaking a salad. By uploading a 60-second video of you (creatively) shaking a salad to Instagram or TikTok (with #ShowUsYourShakeContest), by 11:59 a.m. EST on Feb. 7, you’ll be entered to win.
And yes, Marshall watches every video and will hand-pick a winner. “I love this partnership because I have an amazing opportunity to give back to my community that has supported me for so long,” she says. “I love being able to watch all of the entries, and see people having fun while doing something good for their bodies.”
Movement, especially dance, can be intimidating. But, in true Fitness Marshall fashion, don’t be afraid to have fun — because, in reality, nobody is really judging you anyway. “Don’t aim for perfection, and just let your freak flag fly,” Marshall says. “Be silly and have fun — and the great thing about this is, if you don’t like your video, you can just redo it anyway.” Fair enough.
So whether you’re shaking your salad, hosting a Fitness Marshall dance party with your besties (highly recommend), or just dancing alone in your room and shaking your salad, Marshall’s message has always been clear: Movement is fun, and it’s for everyone to enjoy.