Finding Reliable Training Videos on YouTube
Training from home can be challenging, since many athletes don’t have a personal trainer or a gym in their living room. However, with the use of modern technology, many athletes have found YouTube an amazing way to stay fit without spending too much. With hundreds of fitness videos streaming the platform, it can be both daunting and empowering to have so much information at one's fingertips; thus, many athletes can fall into the pit of trainers using YouTube as a quick cash grab, rather than a true place of fitness. In this article, we will take a deeper dive into five important tips to remember when training with YouTube and how to avoid false advertisements.
Tip 1: Consider Your Goals
When creating a training plan, it is important to first understand why you are training. Training to gain muscle requires vastly different exercises than training to recover from an injury, so understanding what you want out of your workouts is crucial for success. Once you have established your goal, ensure that it is SMART; relying on SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely) can help create goals that are strong and also catered to yourself. With a clear picture in mind of your goal, now you can find workouts online that can help specifically with your needs; this helps weed through the videos that are unhelpful for you.
Tip 2: Find the best intensity
Based on your current level of fitness, it also is important to find your ideal intensity of workout. You still want the workout to be challenging, but not so challenging that you overwork your body. If you try a video that is above your fitness level, then you could experience negative effects like:
Extreme breathlessness
Nausea
Dizziness and fainting
Muscle and joint pain
Extreme perspiration
Chest pain and pressure
To avoid this, you should identify the level of intensity in your workout by using a test. One common test is the “talk test.” If you can talk and sing after exercising, then the workout is too low in intensity. If you can talk, then you are at a moderate level. If you cannot talk without losing your breath, then you are at a vigorous intensity.
Many workouts on YouTube use keywords like “beginner.” “intermediate,” or “advanced” to sort them better for users. So, if you are doing a “beginner” workout but are able to sing afterwards, consider stepping up in intensity to add to your workout. This helps add to the reliability of the workout since it becomes more catered to your level of athleticism, thus pushing you to the limit without overworking yourself.
Tip 3: Create or Find a Plan:
Once you have established what goals and intensity your workouts should be, now is time to create a consistent plan. This plan should include a variety of workouts to ensure that you are reaching all the important aspects of remaining fit. Mayo Clinic finds that a well-rounded fitness routine should include aerobic exercise, core exercises, balance training, and flexibility in addition to the standard strength training; focusing on all areas of fitness will allow you to feel stronger in more ways than one.
YouTube has many videos that fall under each of these aspects, and some creators even create playlists to ensure that you don’t have to seek them out yourself. Be sure to check that these videos still fall under the same intensity and goal-based results though!
Tip 4: Recognize signs of cash grabs/false advertisement:
The hardest part about training on YouTube is understanding that some fitness creators are not there for your health, but rather to make money. There are plenty of signs that can help you understand whether a creator is making true workout videos or if they are just making a cash grab.
Selling a product as a “perfect supplement:” many creators start a brand to help sell their products to their viewers, and that by itself is totally normal! It’s when they start pitching false advertisements that most likely won’t improve your athletic performance at all that creates a problem.
Claiming to be the only person with knowledge: This typically goes hand-in-hand with selling an item; if a creator states that watching only their videos will create a competitive edge, then they are looking to keep you watching for money rather than improve your skills.
Promising quick and easy results: as sad as it is, becoming an athlete is anything but a quick process. Training isn’t always going to be difficult, but workouts promising rock hard abs in a week are misleading. Real progress comes with consistency and effort over extensive periods of time.
Conclusion:
So, to wrap this whole list up, training on YouTube can be incredibly transformative if you know what you're doing! Setting goals, creating a solid workout plan, and then finding the right level of intensity all lead to a great blueprint for success! Lastly, knowing the signs of shady content creators will prevent you from falling into the clutches of false advertisement.
Sources:
Better Health Channel. (2012). Physical activity – setting yourself goals. Vic.gov.au. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-setting-yourself-goals
Common Health Scams. (2022, January 6). Consumer Advice. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/common-health-scams
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). 5 elements of a well-rounded fitness routine. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness-training/art-20044792
Services, D. of H. & H. (n.d.). Exercise intensity. Www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-intensity#exercise-intensity-warning-signs