I was dead asleep when the idea to write this popped into my head. The words were literally filling my brain and lucky for me my alarm went off, so I had to get up and write it down.

I’m what you might call a connoisseur of online workouts. I get bored of the same thing after a month or so, and I find myself trying every free 7 day trial of fitness apps and programs just to see if they are worth it. Spoiler alert… most aren’t. I end up going back to the ones I thought I was bored of because I wasn’t actually bored, I just need to mix it up.

And part of the problem I have is that literally EVERYTHING IS THE EXACT SAME! From the matching workout sets. Slicked back hair, boob jobs, lip fillers, Pilates classes, the same what I eat in a day posts, beige everything, the list is endless and I cannot tell these girls apart. Go ahead and type in Pilates on Instagram and try to decipher who is who. I’ll wait. I follow several and even I can’t tell them apart unless I actually go to their profile. It’s wild.

The same goes for YouTube workouts. They are all no talking, loud obnoxious music and the SAME. WORKOUTS. This could just be a my age thing, but I can’t stand it. I need to be able to hear the trainer so I don’t have to keep looking at the screen and listening for a beep. Its like there’s some beige wellness bakery pumping out cookie cutter copies of these girls and selling them everywhere. But I’m not buying.

I like individuality, and excitement, and COLORS, and talking. And that’s why I’ve come here today, because I know there more people that like these things out there. There has to be! The list I’m gonna share today is just MY PERSONAL FAVORITE trainers, the ones that I have stuck with for years, and some that are new to me but have ignited my fitness passion because of how fun and unique they are.

1. JessicsSmithTV

I have been working out with Jessica since 2013! I was injured at work, and could not use my left arm ( and I’m left handed so that was fun), and I was an avid exerciser with a physical job so I NEEDED to stay active. I typed in “workouts with no arms” on YouTube and there she was! She had indoor walks, indoor jogging, and all kinds of walking classes that I could do with only one arm. I did them daily and I still do her classes to this day. She was ahead of her time with the walking workouts! After I was better I started doing her strength training and the rest is history. She has everything form strength ( with fantastic cues, form tips, modifications etc), kickboxing, Pilates, barre, fusions… everything you could want. And she has a great personality and is just great to workout with. She is and will always be my favorite. she has her own online platform called All Access Pass, where you get access to every workout dvd she’s ever produced, plus some of her YouTube videos, and she posts new content all the time. It use to be an annual fee before it went up and that was $197, but since then it went up and she now offers a free 7 day trial, and a monthly fee of $29.99.

2. Fit By Coach Kel

Coach kel is a barre instructor and is the best one on the internet. It’s not my opinion, it’s a fact😉. Jessica Smith sparked my love of barre, so I went searching for new barre classes to try to see what they were like a few years ago, and I found Fit By Coach Kel on her YouTube channel. I was hooked! They are soooo good at sculpting your arms, upper back, legs, abs, and butt. I found out she had an online studio with tons more classes so I signed up. I did her classes strictly for like a year and I was long and lean and as someone who has a hard time seeing muscles develop in their triceps and upper back, I was getting just that! She offers Pilates and strength as well, and I think she said she’s adding nutrition to her online platform soon with a nutritionist. When I signed up there was a month free to try it but I don’t think she offers that anymore.

Price: $19.99/ month

3. Body fit by Amy

Amy has been on YouTube about as long as Jessica Smith, but I only started trying her classes about a year ago. And I was so impressed! Justina Ercole on YouTube ( who I also love) called her a “true coach” due to the way she gives cues, and modifications, and I have to say I agree. She offers a lot of variety with the types of classes she offers, from kickboxing, strength, cardio, a few barre and Pilates classes sprinkled in here and there too. Her workouts flow really well too which is a pet peeve of mine, so I don’t feel like I’m moving from exercise to exercise, it just feels fluid. Also she offers a new fitness challenge EVERY MONTH FOR FREE on her YouTube channel! That’s unheard of. She also has and online platform with additional workouts, a dietitian and recipes and a bunch more content for $40 a month I believe. I tried it for a month when she had a sale going on, but I felt like I didn’t need all the additional content, but it would be great for a lot of people.

4. Madfit

Madfit is well know on YouTube and Instagram and for good reason. I’m new to her workouts but like with Amy, I was impressed. I stayed away before thinking she was just a no-talking loud music workout trainer, but I was very wrong. She is great at giving form tips, cuing, giving modifications, everything I want in a trainer. She has fun dance cardio videos too which I like for days I don’t feel like working out. She also has an app where she has gif based programs, real time videos, recipes, and now Arianna Elizabeth is on there offering yoga classes! I like both of these ladies so that was exciting to see. Her app costs $19.99/ month.

5. Hoy Pro

I just recently found Millionaire Hoy on YouTube, got hooked, and am strictly doing his classes. I have been slacking on my step counts since I now work in an office and it’s too cold to walk on my lunch break, so I looked up 10,000 step classes and found one of his. It was the most fun I’ve ever had walking lol! It had athletic drills, boxing moves, fast feet, and was so much fun. I have been getting all my steps most days because of him. He makes you FEEL like you are an athlete even if you are a beginner or just starting working out and that’s really impressive. I recently started his beginner strength program on his online platform and am loving it. Am I a beginner? No. But in December I did something to my rib, the dr. thinks it’s musculoskeletal,so I can’t lift really heavy stuff over my head or it bothers it so I’m rebuilding my strength and his workouts are helping me do just that. He has hiit, kickboxing, strength, mobility, and is so upbeat he makes you WANT to workout. I signed up for his online platform right away and that’s my current workout program. It’s $19.99/ month and worth every penny.

6. Beverly Cheng

I found Beverly on Instagram about a year ago, and she was part of a online program called Sweat Nation. Sweat nation has lots of strength and hiit classes, and most recently they brought in a new trainer who does yoga and strength classes, and one who does boxing. I unfortunately only liked Beverly’s videos and the only programs offered are a separate purchase so I couldn’t try any of those but once you are subscribed to the site there are TONS of her videos to choose from. I loved her videos! Like Hoypro, you feel athletic and strong doing her classes. It’s motivating and fun, you get sweaty and feel so accomplished after. She also does 1:1 coaching separately on another platform that I can’t afford but I’m sure it’s amazing. Sweat Nation runs at $19.99/ month is is great!

These trainers go above and beyond what other ones offer in my opinion. They make you feel empowered, strong and you walk away knowing you got in a good SAFE workout. Cuing is so important and these guys get it. If you have a physical job, or are prone to injury, or are just starting out, you need a trainer that will talk you through your workouts making sure your form is right and you are performing those exercises correctly or you could really get hurt.

I hope this list helped you in some way and let me know if you’ve tried any of their workouts. What are some of your favorite trainers? Let me know because I love trying new classes.

🖤Shauna