I am someone who revels in the spending of it all. I have shelves dedicated to my fancy activewear sets and color-coordinated workout equipment; I have monthly payments for Pilates studios and subscriptions for creatine and protein powders. (To be fair, I avoid paying a monthly membership to my upscale gym by working there.)
In my heart of hearts, though, I know this is all unnecessary when it comes to my actual fitness. Some of the best workouts I’ve gotten in have come when I’ve been traveling or away from home, searching for free classes on YouTube. All you need to burn some calories and build some muscle is a little bit of space and the will to get started. And there’s no better example of this than these bodyweight, no-equipment exercise channels on YouTube.
FitnessFAQs
Daniel Vadnal, who operates the FitnessFAQs channel for some two million subscribers, offers up a variety of bodyweight and calisthenic exercises with clear instruction and little fanfare. You can find beginner videos that teach you proper pushup form or more advanced clips that incorporate more complicated moves. The videos are clearly labeled, so you can find precisely what you’re looking for, and he offers modifications throughout, in case you stumble upon something you’re not quite ready for.
Thenx
Chris Heria has grown his Thenx channel to nearly eight million subscribers by providing videos on nearly every way you can meet your body goals with no equipment. Smaller challenges, like one asking you to hang for just 100 seconds a day, videos explaining how not to do popular exercises like pushups, and muscle group-focused routines like “9 Min Home Workout for Bigger Arms” are all abundant. The production quality is high here, which is always appreciated when you’re trying to follow along with what someone is doing on-screen.
Caroline Girvan
I like Caroline Girvan‘s channel for a number of reasons (and suspect her nearly foir million subscribers agree). First, she’s got a ton of certifications, so she’s trustworthy off the bat, but second, she has a variety of workouts available. Some of them do use kettlebells or weights, and they’re clearly labeled in the video title so you always know. If you happen to have access to that equipment, great, but you could also just use her bodyweight and calisthenic videos. She has a lot of programs you can follow day by day, which takes the confusion out of having to pick something new to do every day. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you don’t get a ton of verbal cues. Instead, you get clear video demonstrations of what you’re supposed to be doing.
Growingannanas
Growingannanas, which actually means Growing With Anna, has nearly eight million subscribers and plenty of options that are motivating, not intimidating. Sorted into timed challenges, like “7-Day Calisthenics Challenge” and “14-Day Back to Basics Challenge,” these videos incorporate high-intensity interval training to create sweaty, serious workouts. Some of her videos do include small weights, but those are labeled clearly. Again, you’re getting a lot of music and visual instruction, but fewer verbal cues.