Whether you're bored with your current workout routine, your fitness progress has plateaued, or you're just looking for a change, finding a new free workout plan may be just what you need.
There is plenty of free online fitness content claiming to help you get in shape fast. However, not all free online workouts are certified, and following workout routines created by unqualified content creators may put you at risk of injury (not to mention a lack of results). To help you find free workout plans that are safe to follow, check out this curated list of fitness content created by certified professionals.
1. YouTube
YouTube is packed full of fitness content, from low-impact workouts that won't annoy your neighbors to barre workouts and other fun workout tutorials. Yet, the majority of workout videos you’ll find here won’t be created or demonstrated by certified personal trainers. It takes a bit of search filtering on YouTube to find true fitness experts and avoid the uninformed content creators who are simply looking to boost their subscribers.
Here are some trustworthy YouTube fitness channels, each of which offers free workout plans that have been created by certified personal trainers and exercise professionals.
The Body Coach TV
If you’re looking for home workouts to help improve your fitness and strength, then The Body Coach TV is a great place to start. Joe Wicks—aka The Body Coach—is a certified personal trainer with a first-class degree in sports science. Made famous by his “Lean in 15” books, the British personal trainer is known for his challenging HIIT workouts and his “PE With Joe” series, which kicked off in 2020 and is inclusive of all ages.
Check out The Body Coach TV playlists to find the right free workout plan for you. You’ll find a mix of plans, from 10-minute workouts to 21-day regimes, that are sure to get the results you’re after.
POPSUGAR Fitness
If you’re looking for a variety of free workout plans and fitness content, then POPSUGAR Fitness is the channel for you. From dance routines and bodyweight cardio to Tabata and Pilates, this channel offers the full spectrum of workouts for you to follow along for free.
POPSUGAR Fitness workouts are hosted by personal trainers and sports experts (many of whom have their own YouTube channels for more content), so you can be confident that you’re in safe hands when following these videos.
Yoga With Adriene
Whether you’re wanting to start yoga for the first time or if you’re a seasoned yogi, Yoga With Adriene is the go-to yoga hub on YouTube. Adriene is a qualified international yoga teacher who aims to incorporate mental and emotional wellbeing into her easy-to-follow yoga videos.
All levels and bodies are welcome to Yoga With Adriene, and you can find a variety of free yoga workout plans in the playlist section. Choose from themed series such as “Nourish,” “Blossom,” and “Trust,” or find collections of yoga practices listed by length.
2. Muscle & Strength
Muscle & Strength is a fitness platform packed with free workout plans and other tools created by fitness experts. With information geared toward both athletes and anyone looking to get into to fitness, you'll find workouts and tips for a range of goals.
There are more than 1,000 workouts listed on the free workout plans area of the site, all organized into workout categories (muscle building, fat loss, full body, and more). You’ll even find a selection of diet plans and recipes if you want to create a full health and fitness plan. For follow-along workouts and more reputable fitness content, you can also find Muscle & Strength on YouTube.
3. Pinterest
Pinterest is packed with free workout plans and fitness content, but it can be hard to distinguish what exactly is safe workout advice on the site. Rather than grabbing the first “workout plan” you see that’s been promoted with a manipulated image of unattainable abs (find out how to easily identify manipulated images here), check out these Pinterest profiles for free workout plans that you can trust.
SHAPE magazine
SHAPE magazine is run by a host of personal trainers and wellness enthusiasts who aim to provide science-backed tools and tips to their readers. The magazine’s Pinterest account is an extension to the website, serving as a one-stop shop for free workout plans and fitness tips. (Full articles and features are linked to and open on SHAPE magazine’s website).
MyFitnessPal
Did you know the popular weight-loss tracking app has a Pinterest profile packed full of free workout plans? Find your next fitness plan in MyFitnessPal’s saved pins—the Workout Routine collection is a great place to start. Here you’ll find warm-up and cool-down tips as well as free workout plans from strength training to total body HIIT workouts.
Myprotein
The popular European-based nutrition brand Myprotein has a good range of free workout plans on its Pinterest profile. Here you can find a new exercise regime to suit your preference, from home workouts to monthly challenges, with infographics, images, and video clips to follow.
Create Your Own Free Workout Plan on Pinterest
Pinterest is also a great place to find workout templates so that you can write up your own free workout plan. Type “free workout plan template” into the Pinterest search bar to find printable and downloadable PDF workout schedule templates to fill out yourself.
4. ChloeTing.com
If you're a fan of HIIT workouts, then Chloe's your girl. As a certified personal trainer, Chloe Ting has a range of workout plans that you can browse on her website or follow on YouTube, with each series ranging from two to eight weeks in duration.
You can filter her free workout plans on her website by popularity, length, type (weight loss, abs and core, and others), or even by the year of release. Each workout plan lists and links to the specific YouTube videos you need to complete each day (with optional warm-up and cool-down videos) to guide you through your chosen program.
How to Find Free Workout Plans Created by Certified Trainers
Exploring this list of reputable fitness content sites is a great way to kickstart a new and safe workout regime. There are plenty more free workout plans to be found online, but you do need to look for certification to ensure that you’re not following fitness content that is uninformed and risky.
Wherever you look for and find your next free workout plan, make sure to double-check the credentials of the site or person you’re looking at (check the "About Us" sections of a website or the information section of a social media account).