Best for... straightforward core work
Pilates 30 Minute Class
Australian Renee Kendall demonstrates an uncomplicated Pilates class, designed to work the core and use muscles you might have forgotten you have. We say uncomplicated because while it's straightforward, it's not exactly simple, even though Renee makes it look that way. A calming and stress-free video, this is ideal if you're returning to fitness, trying Pilates for the first time or simply loathe high-octane workouts with over-enthusiastic trainers and pumping music.
Difficulty level: 1
http://tiny.cc/healthpilates
Best for... beach vibes
Tone It Up Bikini Series
Want some swimwear fitspiration? Then follow Karena and Katrina's incredibly comprehensive strength and conditioning routines to look bikini-ready. The gorgeous, super-fit California girls make it so easy. All you need is a mat and some low-weight dumbbells, 2kg or 4kg. There are lots of videos on this playlist for variety, and they hit every area of the body. Plus, the stunning seaside setting and their enviable bods should only increase your motivation. Suitable for all levels and even home workout guru Jane Fonda approves - she called them "the new faces of fitness".
Difficulty level: 2
http://tiny.cc/healthbikini
Best for... high intensity
Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout
The clue is in the name here - this routine is not easy. You don't need any equipment, and after a cardio warm-up, you'll go into a descending ladder workout. The good news is, the length gets less and less throughout. Using a combination of body-weight exercises and cardio, these short, sharp blasts burn fat in a short period of time, so while it is indeed brutal, the fact that you're only exercising for 20 minutes is some comfort. The video is incredibly simple, the voiceover encouraging without being annoying. It's also comforting to see the guy on camera is as wrecked as you are.
Difficulty level: 3
http://tiny.cc/healthHIIT
Best for... a supermodel worthy workout
How To Train Like A Victoria's Secret Model
Trainer Andrea Orbeck has worked with supermodels like Karolina Kurkova, Doutzen Kroes and Heidi Klum, as well as other fit stars like Kourtney Kardashian and Usher. In this video, she goes through toning and shaping exercises that the models in question have done to get their admirable sculpted physiques. Mostly using body weight, and later a couple of dumbbells, it's a good all-over body workout that will have you feeling the burn. It's also only 10 minutes' long, which is a bonus if you want a short, sharp HIIT workout.
Difficulty level: 2
http://tiny.cc/healthmodel
Best for... shaking it like Beyonce
Move Your Body Full Workout Routine
Michelle Obama enlisted the help of superstar Beyonce to help with her 'Let's Move' campaign, aimed at tackling childhood obesity in the United States. The result was a revamped version of Queen B's Get Me Bodied, with the title changed to the more child-friendly Move Your Body. Its upbeat track and energetic dance routine are begging to be copied, but adults might find it a little more difficult to pick up the moves. Thankfully, choreographer Frank Gatson Jr breaks it all down here.
Difficulty leveL: 1
http://tiny.cc/healthmove
Best for... wannabe ballerinas
Ballet Beautiful
Mary Helen Bowers has lots of free videos on YouTube targeting specific areas of the body, but this one is best for beginners, or a good starting point to work out online. A "blast" workout, it's only 15 minutes and promises to work the whole body quickly and effectively. If you've always dreamed of perfect posture and a ballerina body, this is for you. We also liked the Strong and Sexy Swan Arms video, which had us channelling our inner Natalie Portman in Black Swan. A very chilled and elegant exercise regime.
Difficulty level: 2
http://tiny.cc/healthballet
Best for... ass-kicking kick-boxing
Billy Blanks Tae Bo Advanced YouTube Exclusive
This one is not for the faint-hearted, and suits those who train regularly and are fairly fit. It's upbeat in a very American way, full of energy, and at almost an hour long, it will give you a really thorough workout. Tae Bo encompasses lots of different disciplines - yoga stretches, martial arts, strength and conditioning and dance combined results in a very fast-paced full-body cardio workout. Billy has lots more videos on YouTube if you fancy a little variation and like his style.
Difficulty level: 3
http://tiny.cc/healthtaebo
Best for... the celebrity connection
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
You might recognise Jillian from the US version of The Biggest Loser. Her 30 Day Shred programme consists of three different level videos. I'd like to say they start easy, but that wouldn't be strictly true - and they do get consistently harder. You do each one for approximately 10 days, and believe me, you will feel the burn. Michaels is known for being a tough cookie, but she gets results.
Difficulty level: 2 and rising
http://tiny.cc/healthshred
Best for... working up a sweat dancing
Easy Zumba Class
There are no airs and graces or fancy editing here. This is quite simply a recorded zumba class, and some of the participants look like they'd rather be anywhere else. But it's actually a great 30-minute aerobic dance workout that will get your blood pumping and hips swinging. It's the type of video absolutely anybody can complete, and perhaps a little more fun than some of the others. Five million YouTube views and counting can't be wrong...
Difficulty level: 1
http://tiny.cc/healthzumba
Best for... former yoga haters
The Bad Yogi
Erin Motz isn't your conventional yogi. She eats burgers, drinks wine, doesn't preach and understands that practicing yoga is as much about mind as it is about matter. She also knows that not everyone wants a super high-intensity workout, and caters for that across her YouTube channel. Everyone is welcome, different levels of fitness have adjustments to make things easier or more difficult and the videos average only 10 minutes, so they're really easy to fit in to your every day life. Start with the four-week yoga challenge - if you've been to a class and hated it, this is an entirely different experience. No om-ing, no mumbo jumbo, and best of all, no sweaty dudes trying to show off next to you.
Difficulty level: 1, but it gets harder
http://tiny.cc/healthyoga
Personal training: Real life versus online
Personal trainer Jenni Murphy, from Fit Studios, weighs in on the reality versus online debate...
"Personal training can be costly, and as a PT myself, I can understand it to a certain degree. However, depending on where you go, of course, you pay for what you get. I put a lot of time and effort into each and every session I have with my clients. Each session is tailor-made for each individual. But for some people, it's about convenience - maybe they can't get to a personal trainer because of kids, work or a lack of free-time. Another thing to consider is that perhaps they don't feel comfortable attending a gym or group environment just yet, it could be the beginning of their fitness or weight loss journey.
I think that if a person is motivated, they can get results with using online training videos. But it depends what their goals are, the equipment they have at home, or how good their technique is in the gym. I would suggest going to a trainer for as one-to-one to ensure your technique is right and the exercise library you've chosen is right for your particular goal, the repetition range and number of sets, plus the weight used, vary, depending on endurance, weight loss, lean muscle building, bodybuilding or hypertrophy and strength. There are lots of instructional videos online that I rate, but the guys at Strength Camp are amazing."
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