When the lockdowns started in March 2020, many people suddenly found the motivation to get back in shape. But since the gyms were closed, they turned to YouTube. After all, fitness doesn’t have to cost a dime.
Workout videos, specifically workout challenges, boomed, and the social media following of “fitspiration” quickly grew. With people having more time in their hands during the first few weeks of lockdown, they thought of spending it by shedding off some pounds. And some did a really awesome at it.
Yes, only some. Despite the intensity, not to mention the lack of fees, of the workout videos on YouTube, not everyone who religiously followed them got the results they wanted. If you’re one of those people, you must be very frustrated after putting a lot of your time and energy into the exercises. But don’t worry — there’s nothing wrong with you, but there’s nothing wrong with your fitspiration either.
The Truth About the Workout Videos on YouTube
Before you ditch your favorite fitspiration, know that workout videos aren’t a scam. They can be truly effective, as seen on TikTok and Instagram. To prove that, shape.com has identified 15 workout videos that deliver the best results. If you’re unsatisfied with the video you’re currently following, you can try the others the website has recommended.
But if you’re wondering why the videos haven’t helped you at all, it’s not necessarily because the exercises were useless. There are several reasons some exercises, especially those you only follow through a video, don’t work.
One obvious reason is you didn’t work out enough. If you only spared fifteen minutes of a whole week, for example, for exercising, you won’t likely see results. Working out every day with the same intensity isn’t going to change your body by much either.
To make your workouts more effective, you have to put in more time and increase the intensity as you go on. Watching and following the same video every day only makes results minimal. But remember to set realistic goals as well. Increasing the intensity doesn’t mean working out beyond your strength and stamina. Over-working out can strain and break your muscles instead of building them. Your body needs rest from time to time, so don’t skip rest days, even cheat days!
If you put in the right time and add the intensity of your workouts but still don’t see results, it could be because your workout routine isn’t right for you. Exercises aren’t created equal. Some burn calories more than fat, and some build more lean muscle. If you want to bulk up, cardio isn’t the solution; it’s weightlifting. But you also need to switch things up now and then, so adding an occasional dance or cycling in your routine will help, too.
Lastly, your YouTube workout of choice should be accompanied by a healthier diet if you want to see drastic results. Weightlifting every day but replenishing your lost calories by eating junk food defeats the purpose of your workout. You have to change your diet as well, not necessarily by eating less, but by increasing your protein intake. Swapping processed food for natural and whole foods will help change your body, too. That’s how your fitspiration achieved their sculpted, lean bodies.
Key to Making Your Workouts More Effective
While following workout videos have changed many lives, they don’t work for everyone, especially those with particular goals. If you want to tone your arms, chisel your abs, burn your thigh fat, and have an overall cleaner and healthier lifestyle, watching videos may not be enough. Hiring a personal fitness trainer will help you more.
A personal trainer will evaluate your current program, such as the videos you’re watching, and figure out why they didn’t work for you. Then they’d tweak your workouts to make them more effective for you. Simply put, your personal trainer will customize your workout routine according to your goals.
They also help you stay motivated. Videos alone can bore you out over time. It’s easy to get distracted and abandon your fitness goals altogether when there’s no one pushing you to keep going. But with a personal trainer, all your excuses to be a couch potato will be banished. Since a professional is tracking your progress, you yourself will be eager to see if your body’s changing too, so you’d naturally push yourself harder during lazy days.
And even though your trainer helps you set your goals, they’ll still hold you accountable. After all, you’re the one who wanted to get fit and healthier, so achieving those is totally up to you.
So while you can get fit for free through YouTube, nothing beats the results you’ll gain from the help of a trainer. After completing the program they’ve given you, you can go back to your videos to maintain your results. But again, don’t forget to increase the intensity over time and commit to your healthy diet.
