P: Ah yes, I’m excited we have reached here. In our previous post, we spoke about the benefits of showing up for your workout. Now we’ll delve deeper into the overall workout structure, where can one work out? And more.

work your entire body

P: In my past fitness journeys, I never had any plan when I showed up at the gym or at home.  With my limited knowledge, I would just do cardio & abs, unconsciously ignoring my other muscle groups (arms, legs, back.) 😦

K: The existence of clickbaity titles geared to attract our attention doesn’t help either–they create the illusion that spot reduction is real, and that certain body parts need more ‘attention’ than others. If you’ve been following our series you know that we are huge advocates of looking at fitness from a holistic perspective. Make sure to give ALL your muscle groups the love they deserve! ❤

FOLLOW A TIMETABLE

P: It’s true, we must work all our body parts, and give rest to the ones that have been worked. What got me hooked to working out was having a ‘timetable’.I found an Indian Youtuber by the name, ‘FitGrit’ who lives in the US started posting her workout timetables on Instagram.

Also Read: Fitgrit’s Medium Account has brilliant mindset tips for beginners

P: I decided to give it a shot. So I tried her ‘4-week Covid Challenge’. After that, I found myself more consistent on the mat. Having a timetable removed all the mental energy of showing on the mat and wondering, “Now What?”. I found it saved time, I could plan my day accordingly & recovery as well. The best part was the variety she provided. I just couldn’t do the same workout 3 times in a row.

SAVES TIME & ENERGY

K: The online fitness industry is extremely saturated, and scrolling through different videos in an attempt to pick your next workout can be extremely overwhelming. If you’re a novice when it comes to fitness, it can also be difficult to figure out what sort of programming meets your personal goals. Unless you’re a certified professional, you most likely lack the knowledge to curate a regime that is not only enjoyable but also effective. This leads us to our next point 

Experiment 

P: Before finding structure, give yourself time to experiment with different people. Find your style of workout. Do you like someone instructing you? Or do you prefer great music and someone to guide you? Once you know what you like, it’s easier to find YouTubers (thanks to Youtubes algorithms). 

find something that works for you

K: I think that your experiments should also be guided by a knowledge of what kinds of movement patterns you enjoy. There truly is something out there for everyone, whether you like yoga, pilates, cardio or low impact workouts. If you know what you like, your search can be more targeted.

P: I used to follow Heather Robertson. a certified trainer for her meditative approach to fitness. She has many challenges one you might like. One being the 6-week low impact challenge. For yoga, K and I use Yoga With Kassandra, another friend of mine uses Yoga with Adrienne, Pilates by Move with Nicole. PopSugar has over 1000 videos with all different styles of working out from Kickboxing, Barre, Dance Cardio, Strength Training, Yoga and more. 

certifications don’t guarantee blind trust, but its the first step

K: Another tip I’d give anyone trying to navigate the labyrinth of the YouTube fitness space is to look out for people’s certifications. While possessing certain credentials doesn’t guarantee greatness, my experience has shown me that there is a huge difference in the workout programming of someone who is trained v/s someone who isn’t. 

Credentials aside, also look carefully at the kind of language the trainer of your choice uses when it comes to describing their videos, or the images they use in their thumbnail. If these subtly reinforce the idea that bodies need to look a certain way to be ‘good’, then RUN. Chances are that their programmes are extremely lacklustre.

P: I couldn’t agree more with you. Fitness is meant to add to your life and mental wellness, not chip away from it. You’re not working out to punish yourself for what you ate earlier, rather for all the mental & physical benefits it gives us.

K: Vetting the programme(s) you’re about to embark on is crucial, and it can often be difficult to find unbiased sources of information. We’ve struck gold with our trainer Sydney, who we can pretty much trust blindly. However this isn’t always the case with others, and you might want to connect to others who are on the journey. A simple Twitter search with the influencer’s name, or going through subreddits like Gymsnark and xxFitness will open you up to a community of fellow fitness enthusiasts who will give you their raw and unfiltered opinions.

APPS

P: On the App front, I say little since I only used the Nike Training Club. I prefer longer workouts than a 10 minutes burst. But that’s just me.

K: If you’re based out of India then apps like CureFit could also be a good option for you–I haven’t used it personally but my father is a huge fan of how it helps him squeeze in a workout before office.

Stay tuned for our next post on the ideal time to work out!

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