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Can You Achieve Fitness by Following YouTube Channels?

There’s a lot of myths when it comes to fitness, but maybe the biggest one is you have to go to the gym if you want to get fit. If you’re like a lot of people, the thought of going to the gym doesn’t give you a warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s probably more like dread. Luckily, you don’t need a gym membership or a ton of time to get in shape. There are dozens of fitness YouTube channels you can try in the comfort of your own home.

Why YouTube Channels for Fitness?

People may give you a lot of reasons why they prefer fitness YouTube channels over the gym, but the common thread is flexibility.

You can do your favorite workout routine whenever you want. You don’t have to wait for a class or a machine to free up like at the gym.
You can take your workout anywhere. Since the videos are online, you have access to them even when you travel. Depending on where you are, you may run into some geo-restrictions. Luckily, there are some good Virtual Private Networks for YouTube that can help you gain access to your favorite channels.
You can choose what kind of workout you want. Not in the mood for HIIT? There are plenty of other options, from yoga to aerobics to weight training. That means there’s plenty of variety so you’ll never get bored.

Of course, because there are so many different options, it can be difficult to find quality videos, especially if you’re just getting started. Below are some great YouTube channels. Remember, you actually need to exercise with the videos, not just watch them to see improvements.

Zuzka Light

There’s a reason why Zuzka remains one of the top YouTube fitness channels. Her workouts may seem intimidating at first, but she walks you through each step slowly in the beginning. This way, you can ensure you’re using the correct form before stepping up the intensity. She even provides some alternative forms for people who might have bad knees or other limitations. Most of her workouts require little or no equipment, so you don’t need to spend a lot of extra money for weights. Like other fitness gurus, Zuzka encourages you to push yourself but always at your own pace. What’s more, these workouts will get you in shape so long as you stick with the program.

Blogilates

After trying out a couple of Casey’s workouts, you’ll wonder how the heck she keeps smiling. Luckily, her bubbly and cheerful persona motivate you to keep going. It’s certainly not easy, and if you’ve never done Pilates before, you probably want to start with the beginner workouts. There are dozens of workouts on the Blogilates YouTube channel focusing on different areas of your body. Each video runs at most 15 minutes but are generally shorter. Casey walks you through each of the moves slowly, so take your time and make sure you have the proper form. Otherwise, these workouts will be pretty much useless. If you’re just watching the videos, these workouts might seem really easy, but after you repeat them a few times, you’ll start feeling the burn.

Bad Yogi

Don’t let the name fool you. Bad Yogi is actually a great channel if you’re just getting started with yoga. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have perfect form; this channel will help you improve it with short tutorials and more full-length videos. Besides learning new yoga poses, you’ll also get advice on nutrition and life tips to stay motivated even if things in your life aren’t perfect. If you’re serious about yoga, there’s also challenges so you can really start incorporating it into your lifestyle. Erin, the owner of the channel, offers different types of yoga as well to work out different areas or to relax.

SofaBar

Barre has become the new “big” thing in the fitness world. If you don’t want to pay for expensive classes but still want to get that body, then SofaBar might be a great option for you. The instructor is a bit different from your typical barre instructor, though. She’s a figure skater, not a ballerina. With that said, she offers some excellent at-home workouts that require minimal equipment. And if you’re interested in figure skating, she also offers advice on how to do some moves so you can up your game when at your local ice rink. Be warned, these workouts are definitely not easy, and you’ll be breaking a sweat in no time.

Jenny Ford

Looking to get some cardio in without having to run or bike? Then you’ll love Jenny Ford. She offers some excellent step aerobic workouts. Yes, step aerobics is still a thing. Never done step aerobics before? No problem! Jenny has some excellent beginner videos that go over the basic steps you’ll see in most of her workouts. Once you learn the basics, you can jump into some of her quick workouts or try out the longer 30-minute ones if you’ve got enough time and energy. If you’re not in the mood for step aerobics, Jenny also offers some weight training advice as well.

Heidi Somers – Buff Bunny

How many women do you know don’t lift weight because they don’t want to get bulky? Sadly, this way of thinking limits your ability to reach your fitness goals. Weight lifting should be an integral part of your routine if you want to be fit and strong. Enter Heidi Somers. She offers excellent workouts to sculpt your muscles while still maintaining feminine qualities. Her videos focus more on traditional muscle training, such as squats, dead lifts, curls and more. This means you’ll need to get some more equipment for your home. You can also watch her videos while at the gym if you don’t have the space for a barbell.

Hopefully these channels can get you started on your journey to fitness. You can—and should—find other fitness YouTube channels that you like and try them out as well. This way you’ll have a wide variety of options to choose from every day!

Do you have a favorite fitness YouTube channel? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author: Cassie is a freelance writer who has a passion for fitness. She’s so happy that technology has made it much easier for her to get in some good workouts without going to the gym.

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Creamy Kale Baked Eggs | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Ever wonder which eating plan is right for you? With so many different ways to lose weight, what would work for you vs. another way? Is the 4-Hour BODY’s slow carb diet the way to go? How about Atkins’ Protein diet? Maybe a detox diet is the way to go? How do we know what we need and what would work best? I have put together a chart below, showing 4 Different Eating Plans for Fast Weight Loss to make it easy for you. I also wanted to include a couple of recipes that would be good for all 4, depending on which plan you go with, that will be enjoyable to eat and have you feeling satisfied. I want you to wake up and say to yourself…

“Woo-ha-hoooo. This is what my best breakfast dreams are made of and I still can lose weight!”

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This weekend was phe-nom. Anyone else feel that way? I got a lot of work done but also took some time off for a date with my boys. We went to the pool at the rec. centre. Plus I’m super happy because I re-arraged a whole bunch of furniture in my home and sold a bunch of stuff on Craigslist that I’ve been meaning to do for a while. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned my obsession with Craigslist, but there you go… I have one. I’m consistently buying and selling E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G on there. I think I’ve mastered it so if you ever have any questions about that, let me know.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand…

Who said it would be too hard to stay on your diet plans? Well, it is even easier than you thought, especially when you check out this 4 Different Eating Plan for Fast Weight Loss chart. Here, you will find a basic cheat sheet that will guide you through to help you make up your mind! I have already broken down the 4-Hour BODY into a cheat sheet in a different post and you can access it here. You will see that thanks to diet plans and an exercise schedule, getting slim and healthy will happen before you know it.

Here are some quick facts about 4 different diets so you can choose which one would work best for you. We have already covered day 1 on the Ultimate Cheat Day post, but let’s revisit it before continuing with the next 3 so you can see them side-by-side! This one is the one we talk about most here on 4-Hour BODY Girl, the other 3 are similar but a little different.

DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3	DAY 4
Slow Carb Diet The rules · Avoid “white” carbohydrates · Eat the same few types of food over and over again · Do not drink calories. Avoid milk, soy milk, soft drinks, or fruit juice. Coffee & wine are OK. · Do not eat fruits. Tomatoes and avocados are OK. · Take one day off per week to eat whatever you want. Allowed foods · Proteins: · Egg whites with 1-2 whole eggs for flavor (or 2-5 whole organic eggs, including yolks) · Chicken breast or thigh · Beef (preferably grass-fed) · Fish · Pork · Legumes: · Lentils (daal) · Black beans · Pinto beans · Red beans · Soybeans · Vegetables · Spinach · Mixed vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower) · Sauerkraut, kimchee · Asparagus · Peas · Broccoli · Green beans · ATHLETIC GREENS BEFORE YOUR BREAKFAST!	Protein Diet The rules You can eat proteins, but you should avoid fat meats such as pork. Have grilled chicken, fish or even red meat. Do not eat fried foods! Never ever! They are not good at all! They will only add up fat to your body and will not be good for your metabolism either. Allowed Foods Proteins in general, such as cooked eggs, grilled chicken (breast or thigh would be best) Beef (without fat!) Fish in general (preferably grilled) Other allowed foods: You can eat as many vegetables as you would like. In the morning, drink ATHLETIC GREENS before eating anything else in order to boost your body with energy and to enhance your body metabolism all day long!	Detox Diet The rules You can have lighter foods that will detox your body. Have light soups with a few vegetables; stews are also a very good idea! Eat a couple of fruits such as bananas and apples! They will help your body feel good! Drink green tea to detox your system. Drink fresh juices as well. The best fruits for detox diets are juices made out of watermelon, melon, coconut water and star fruit. Drink at least 2 liters of mineral water per day! Do Not: Forget to exercise or forget your ATHLETIC GREENS IN THE MORNING. Eat fried foods of any sort. Have sweets such as chocolate. Eat processed foods of any sort. Drink any kind of processed beverage such as carton juices and carbonated drinks! · Eat meats, bad/ white carbohydrates and proteins in general.	Fast Metabolism Diet The rules No dairy products such as cheese or milk. No soy, wheat, corn or sugar. No artificial juices, sweeteners. Have a fat free diet. Moderate protein consumption Eat vegetables Drink at least a couple of coffees in the morning. Have fresh or frozen fruits. (berries are an excellent option for this diet plan) Eat at least 4 ounces of meat Have 3 white eggs 1 cup of cooked grains Take Salad greens Natural juices and natural foods in general are good Have herbal teas! Drink as much water as you can. It is a good idea to drink half of your weight in ounces of water every single day. Avoid eating out! Again, ATHLETIC GREENS is perfect for every diet. Drink this for more energy and to rev up your metabolism.

For breakfast you could make these Creamy Kale Baked Eggs from Health Starts In The Kitchen. You could omit the egg yolk and the cheese if you are doing the Detox or Metabolism Diet. Otherwise, it is perfectly suitable for each of these plans, so easy and quite tasty! You can get the recipe for this here. I added garlic powder when I made mine and it turned out amazing!

Photo Courtesy of Health Starts In The Kitchen

For lunch or dinner this Korean Barbecue Tofu Bowl with Stir-Fried Veggies is suitable for all of these diets but will have you saying YUM! Get the recipe here at Oh My Veggies. Oh my…was this delicious! I used BRAGG instead of soy sauce to make it even healthier. Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate derived from soybeans that tastes just like soy sauce but is waaaaaaay healthier.

Korean Barbecue Tofu Bowls with Stir-Fried Veggies and Quinoa Read more at http://ohmyveggies.com/korean-barbecue-tofu-bowls-with-stir-fried-veggies-and-quinoa/#rSwW2k03Kk6axW5L.99 | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Photo Courtesy of Oh My Veggies

I would love to hear which plan you decided to go with and how your experience was with the 4 Different Eating Plans for Fast Weight Loss.