14 Jan 21 2:48:10 PM
Here's the deal with BBG, Tone It Up, P90X, and more.
By Alexa Tucker and Christa Sgobba
If your living room workouts are feeling a little stale by now, we have you covered: The best home workout programs can breathe some life into your workout routine—and even may introduce you to some new ways to exercise.
At-home workouts are pretty much the way of life now, as most gyms across the country are still shuttered due to the new coronavirus pandemic. For those used to taking fitness classes at gyms or studios, at-home workouts have been a bit of an adjustment. One main reason? When you work out in a fitness class, you don’t have to give much thought to your next half hour or hour: Your body simply moves to follow your instructor’s directions. This can take a lot of pressure off you, and help you just focus on your workout at hand.
But when you’re working out at home, you’re responsible for the whole plan: What exercises should you do? How many reps of each? How often should you rest? Are you feeling a cardio workout? An upper-body workout? Or do you want to fit in a total body workout instead? For many of us, answering all these questions is an added stress we’d rather avoid right now.
And the good news is that’s something you can avoid—without skipping your workout. There are a bunch of at-home workout programs that take the guesswork out for you. They’ll give you the whole exercise plan, and all you’ll have to do is show up and get ready to sweat.
There are so many at-home workout programs, in fact, that it can get daunting trying to pick the best one for you. While you might've heard your friends or coworkers sing the praises of their own go-to program, like Tone It Up or Insanity, deciding on the best home workout programs for you is a personal choice based on your lifestyle and your goals.
There are plenty of factors that vary among programs: how much they cost, what kind of workouts are involved, how long each workout takes, whether you need equipment, and more. (If you’re short on fitness equipment—which can be very difficult to find online now—you can follow these tips to make any move harder without adding more weight.)
One thing we’d like to note: Some of these workouts tout exaggerated results and use language that we don’t love—and some even come with meal plans (which are better left to a registered dietitian) or encourage food diaries. It's important to remember that a lot of this is just unfortunate marketing, and what you’ll get out of a workout is very unique to you and your body and other factors like your health, sleep habits, genetics, diet, and more. The workout that's best for you depends on your own body, goals, and interests. Keeping food diaries may be helpful for some people, but isn’t for everyone, and by no means do you need to follow a specific meal plan to follow the exercise program. If you don’t want to follow a meal plan or track your food, skip that part and just focus on the fitness.
It's also key to listen to your body, especially when it comes to programs with high-intensity workouts. Rest when you need to, don't push through pain, and choose a program that suits your fitness level. (For example, if fitness is new to you, jumping right into P90X probably won't feel very encouraging or enjoyable.)
To help you make the best home workout program choice for you, we took a look at some of the most popular plans out there to, first, make sure the workouts were legit and reasonably programmed and, second, to break down what you can expect from each. Here's the deal with 13 of the most popular home workout programs out there.
What it is: Fresh workouts every week, from yoga to Pilates to meditation.
You’ll find thousands of different workout options here, for people of all different levels of fitness experience: beginner, moderate, intermediate, and advanced. (Classes are sorted by fitness level, as well by length and style, so you’ll be sure to easily find what you need.) There are lots of types of yoga classes—from Ashtanga to Vinyasa—fitness classes like HIIT or barre—and even skills-based classes, wherein you’ll learn to perfect your handstand or boost your flexibility to hit a split. Plus, you can take your workout with you (say, maybe your backyard or an open park), since you can download the routines for on-the-go use.
Cost: $20/month.
Try it: aloyoga.com
What it is: The P.Volve fitness method uses resistance-based, high-intensity (but low-impact!) moves to help build functional strength.
With P.Volve’s streaming platform, you’ll have access to more than 200 workouts (with new ones added weekly), that you can search based on things like body parts worked or length of time. The plan is customizable, and based off your goals, the app will actually suggest workouts for you each week, which takes some guesswork out of your program. P.Volve also sells optional equipment, like the flexible P.ball, resistance bands, and ankle weights.
Cost: $20/month; $135/year
Try it: pvolve.com
What it is: Obe Fitness offers unlimited access to live and on-demand fitness classes.
With Obe Fitness, you’ll have access to NYC’s best fitness instructors right in your living room—there are 100 live classes each week, and its signature 28-minute workouts fit in any schedule. (They also have a 10-minute express workout if you are a little more limited.) To make the most of the program, shoot for five classes a week: two strength-based Define classes, and three cardio-based Sweat classes. The program gives class recommendations based off your fitness level and experience. It stresses adding resistance when you’re ready, and modifying moves that may be a bit too challenging.
If you’re ready to add more resistance, Obe also sells options equipment, like sliders, mini bands, and ankle weights.
Cost: $27/month; $200/year
Try it: obefitness.com
What it is: A 12-week program of balanced strength and cardio workouts, each 28 minutes long.
Created by Australian trainer Kayla Itsines, BBG is a workout program that incorporates low-intensity cardio, high-intensity interval training, and guided strength training circuit workouts that get your heart rate up and challenge your muscles. The workouts require some equipment, such as dumbbells, a medicine ball, flat benches, and a jump rope (although there are substitutions available if there's something you don't have). You can find workouts on the app, but if you’d prefer a traditional book experience, you can also download the guides in e-book form.
Cost: $20/month for an app membership; $46 per e-book
Try it: kaylaitsines.com
What it is: A no-equipment, 30-day cardio program based on mixed martial arts like boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
Created by Joel Freeman and Jericho McMatthews, Core de Force is an at-home cardio program that incorporates boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai combinations, bodyweight moves, and other boosts of cardio. It's abs-focused too, since boxing workouts require your core to help with rotation and keep you stable with every jab and hook.
There are eight workouts to choose from, and each one puts you through 6 to 12 three-minute rounds (each workout is 27 to 47 minutes total).
Cost: You can join Beachbody On Demand ($39 for three months, $59 for six months, or $99 for 12 months) for access to this and other Beachbody exercise programs.
What it is: A comprehensive, beginner-friendly fitness program that's focused on self-love and community.
While you can purchase (and do) Fit Girl's Guide 28-Day Jumpstart package at any time, this is a unique workout program because you're encouraged to jump in on scheduled monthly challenges and get involved on Instagram so you can connect with and support other people during the challenge. There's no equipment required for the 30-minute workouts, and they incorporate both cardio and strength training. There are four weeks of workouts listed out in the 28-Day Jumpstart, and each exercise has an illustrated explanation of how to do it with proper form.
It also comes with a Jumpstart Journal, which includes a food and exercise diary as well as self-love coaching, tips on staying on track with health goals over the weekend, and guidance to help end body-shaming self-talk.
Cost: $35
Try it: fitgirls.com
What it is: A 60-day cardio-based program for advanced exercisers.
You don't have to be in "extreme" shape to try this program according to Beachbody (the distributor of the workout), but fair warning: Insanity is a challenging program. Created by Shaun T., it includes 10 conditioning workouts that are about 30 to 60 minutes each, and you do them six days per week.
Each workout includes cardio and plyometric drills with intervals of strength, power, resistance, and core training, and the method is built around long periods of maximum-intensity effort with short rest periods built in. There's no equipment required, and it also comes with a nutrition guide.
Try it: beachbodyondemand.com
What it is: An eight-week cardio and strength workout program that's designed for every fitness level.
Katie Dunlop's Hot Body Sweat Guide is a step beyond her Love Sweat Fitness platform (where people can find free workout resources and build community, on the website or on Instagram). This eight-week program is filled with straightforward and fun workouts that focus on cardio and strength (specifically, your arms, legs, abs, and butt).
The e-book contains eight weeks of workouts for all levels that are under 30 minutes each, no equipment required. The program also includes an exercise encyclopedia so you can reference how to do each move with proper form, along with a warm-up and stretching guide and bonus workouts.
Cost: $50
Try it: lovesweatfitness.com
What it is: A Pilates-based interval training program that requires zero equipment, minimal space, and 28 minutes a day for 28 days.
Blogilates founder Cassey Ho incorporated the core-strengthening elements of her POP Pilates method with high-intensity interval training to create PIIT28 (which stands for Pilates Intense Interval Training). There are six workouts per week, and in each 28-minute (and 40 seconds) workout, you'll go through seven different exercises for 45 seconds each, resting for 15 seconds in between. Then you repeat that set three times. As for the exercises themselves, they switch off between cardio exercises and Pilates moves.
The program comes with 17 guided workout videos and an e-book, which includes printable versions of the workouts, a workout calendar, a guide to warm-ups and proper form for each exercise, and a reps sheet so you can track progress.
Try it: piit28.com
What it is: A low-impact 60-day plan that incorporates elements of Pilates and yoga, done at a quicker pace for cardio benefits.
Created by Chalene Johnson, what sets PiYo apart from other workout programs is that it's low-impact, so it can be a good choice for people with joint issues. (Also, the no-jumping thing is great if you have downstairs neighbors.) Plus, there's no equipment required.
The workouts combine the strengthening elements of Pilates with the flexibility-enhancing benefits of yoga, and the moves are done at a nonstop, fluid pace to get your heart rate up. (So there's no holding yoga poses for long periods of time.) The program includes seven workouts, a 60-day workout calendar, and an eating plan.
What it is: An intense 90-day fitness program done for one hour a day, six days a week.
P90X is something of a "cult classic" workout program, and it's got a hard-core reputation—after all, the X stands for "extreme." Created by Tony Horton, the challenging workouts are done for one hour a day, six days a week, for 90 days. The workouts are varied, incorporating resistance training, cardio, plyometrics, abs work, martial arts, and yoga.
There are a few pieces of equipment required: Namely, a set of dumbbells or lightweight resistance bands, plus a chin-up bar that you can put in a doorway. The program comes with 12 workouts, as well as a nutrition plan and a workout calendar.
What it is: A fitness community offering a variety of free and paid workouts, plus a paid nutrition plan.
Tone It Up, created by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn, is more of a fitness community than a program, per se—the website is full of free workouts and offers daily moves. The brand also runs regularly rotating challenges throughout the year, which you can catch on its Instagram and website.
There's also a weekly workout calendar that incorporates additional workouts from the Studio Tone It Up app, which costs $15 a month. And there's no shortage of variety. Types of workouts include HIIT, total-body strength, cardio, and routines geared toward certain areas, like arms, abs, or glutes. There are also workouts inspired by boxing, barre, yoga, and more. The workouts range in length, and while some are bodyweight only, others require equipment such as an exercise ball, sliders, resistance bands, and dumbbells.
Cost: $15/month or $100/year for Studio Tone It Up membership
Try it: toneitup.com
What it is: A different strength or cardio workout every day for 80 days.
There's no getting bored with Autumn Calabrese's 80-Day Obsession—there are 80 different workouts, so you'll have something new every day. There are cardio classes and strength sessions geared toward different muscle groups, including legs, arms, abs, glutes, as well as total-body strength workouts, and each workout lasts 30 to 60 minutes. As for equipment, you'll need light, medium, and heavy dumbbells, looped resistance bands, and sliders.
The program is available with a Beachbody On Demand subscription, and in addition to the workouts themselves, you'll also get an 80-Day Obsession workout calendar, tracker sheets, and an eating plan.
4/28/2024
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