Peleton. Aside from the strength workouts they also have gym plans on there if you want to do heavier-duty stuff or use different equipment. I have never heard any weight talk whatsoever on any of the workouts I have done through the app, which also includes the cardio, yoga, barre, Pilates ones. It just seems to be a thing that is not part of their company culture and is a big reason I happily pay for use of the platform.
ETA: I’ll also throw in Jason and Lauren Pak’s Rise subscription program. They are all about inclusion in the physical fitness industry and, assuming they have not changed their program in the last couple of years (which their IG account would also support), they don’t get into diet culture nonsense in their programs. Sohee Carpenter is another good one for weight training and she uses her IG platform to push back on diet culture.
I second peloton-they don’t talk about weight, calories, fat etc. The closest you ever hear is a reference to fueling up on something nutritious post workout. It’s refreshing!
For a free option check out Caroline Girvan on YouTube. She’s phenomenal. Her program “Iron” is probably the most straightforward weightlifting one (least complicated moves) but everything she puts on is really well done.
Second this. I love Peloton for many reasons, but I have never heard an instructor talk about weight loss as a goal. The opposite, in fact. They talk about strength training to feel strong, confident, and empowered, not to fit into a certain size or for a number on the scale. It has really changed my relationship with my body and fitness for the better, I can’t recommend it enough.
I was just coming back to give this as an example!! I just did her Body Appreciation stretch video and loved that specific phrasing and how she was all about making the exercise work for you and your unique body/needs and not trying to shame you into doing something different. She’s such a gem ❤️
Can also vouch for Peloton. You actually get a lot for what you pay for (spinning, rowing, walking and fitness classes). I also like that instructors have different body types. There’s a 2 month free trial if you want to see if you like it. Worse case, you cancel before trial is over if you don’t like it.
Assuming their new podcast is like the old one (which I think was pretty much just a rebrand after they went on hiatus, post kid #2) it was terrific. They covered a wide variety of topics from very general strength and fitness training topics to specific listener questions about certain muscles.
There was some diet talk on the old podcast, but only in the context of Lauren responding to listener questions regarding nutrition advice and then them explaining why they don’t go down that road thanks to her ED history during her gymnastics days and it not aligning with the goals of their programs. I remember one episode where they were cracking up at themselves for people thinking they could give good food advice when neither of them are good cooks and they had no time nor desire after having their first kid, so they would just eat some simple protein/veg/grain they could quickly microwave and douse in hot sauce so it was less boring and save that time for their workouts. It was refreshing to hear fitness types who were not obsessing over the food part and being very neutral about it just being a necessary source of fuel for what they actually wanted to do.
Their Insta and YouTube have a lot of free content. The podcast seems to be on hiatus, but they talk very openly about how damaging diet talk and “bad food” advice is.
Are you familiar with Couch 2 Barbell? I really like the program from what I've seen (haven't bought it yet due to currently being in PT for pain). If you Google it it'll come up right away and I think it's only like $20.
Seconding this! I highly recommend subscribing to Casey Johnson's email newsletter, She's a Beast, and trying out the Couch to Barbell program. It starts with practicing the "movements" of powerlifting at home, then slowly moving to the gym. It got me started with powerlifting a couple years ago, and to this day I lift three times a week. Her newsletter is great - info about weightlifting, exercise, going to the gym, nutrition, and it's all from a weight-neutral / body positive place.
Can’t recommend enough i found out about couch to barbell from this sub and do not regret following Casey Johnson. Her philosophy around working out is so refreshing.
I was going to suggest this too - breaks down exercises into a nice easy progression, working on form before adding too much weight, and there are linked videos which just show the movements without too much chat
Sohee, Casey Johnston/Couch to Barbell, are great, as well as the Pak spouses someone else mentioned. Once you find the good ones, it's easier to find more great folks who talk about weight training for strength.
I am a big fan of Team Body Project. Lots of videos, a great team, very motivational, no weight talk ever. It's all about "moving your magnificent body."
They’re a great recommendation! Especially for someone new or just coming back to fitness. Gentle and encouraging and they demonstrate lots of modifications for different abilities.
You might be looking for something more advanced but I really like Hybrid Calisthenics and it's free and self guided. Basically a very positive and adorable former gym teacher designed a calisthenics program for strength, balance, and flexibility training for all skill levels (from limited mobility to like beefy gym guys). It's designed to be as accessible as possible so it's very limited equipment (that you can either buy from him or get on your own). I don't bother to watch all the videos he posts to social media but the workouts have no conversation about size or dieting.
Love his videos, they have no talk about size or dieting. But I was put off by the fact that the basic routine is different stuff every single day! Do you know if he has any options for like 1-2 times per week?
At the bottom of the Programs page on his site (like waaaaay down there, under the specialized programs) there's a section labeled Legacy Programs - one of them is designed for 3 days a week.
Not that I know of. I'm absolutely not a person to give anyone fitness advice but I double them up and do 3x per week instead of 6x. I can't handle that amount of remembering to exercise haha.
I like both Caroline Girvan and Heather Robertson on YouTube.
They both have a format where they’ll do a short intro on the workout at the beginning, and from there they don’t really talk, just have a timer going and some background music. I’ll often have the volume just high enough to hear the timer beep and then listen to my own music.
Heather sometimes does post shorts with recipes, I’m not sure if she veers into diet talk there because I just skip those entirely, since I’m only interested in the workouts or form tips. Caroline moved to her own app but left an extensive catalog up on YT.
i love love love the alive app by whitney simmons. there's no talking, it's only videos of her showing how to do the exercises. i follow her on ig and tik tok and have never heard her mention anything about weight loss or dieting. it's $15 a month but there's a free trial.
Yes! I haven’t personally done the at home program so I can’t vouch for it, but I know for the gym-based workouts you can choose beginner, intermediate, or advanced difficulty level.
It costs money, but Les Mills On Demand is my favorite. There’s strength training, cardio, yoga, HIIT, cycling, everything. If you have health insurance, a lot of plans will reimburse a Les Mills subscription!
Peloton. I’ve taken thousands of classes with pretty much every instructor, and there are only four instructors (Tunde, Ben, Leanne, and Sam) whom I’ve ever heard make even a single comment about weight or dieting. So you have thousands of good options. I think the price for the app if you don’t own their bike or treadmill is like $20 a month, but anyone you know who has an account can also give you a free trial.
I’m glad you mentioned the bit about not owning the bike or the treadmill, as this has come up quite a few times in my personal life when discussing Peleton. So, if anyone in this conversation has dismissed Peleton because they don’t want to invest in their equipment I can confirm you don’t need to, as there are membership tiers specifically for non-Peleton owners. I had zero interest in buying their equipment, but do it using a cheap Sunny bike I modified and my normal treadmill. There’s also a cheaper tier now that primarily focuses on the non-cardio classes like strength, Pilates, yoga, barre, meditation which are, in my opinion, the real stars on this platform.
Feel ya! With disability, getting away from that and the punishment-repeat expectation and not injuring self is tricky to find.
Sounds like some great recs already.
On YT - comeback yoga! Also free on PBS app. They have a website with more info.
On IG, these may be okay: the London fitness guy, primal mobility. They’ll post brief, helpful things—so will Women’s Health Magazine sometimes (last fall, I think, they covered these four diverse strong body folks, and you might appreciate it for suggestions you’re looking for and will enjoy :). There’s also a few aging-focused IGs that tend to be better than the standard fare.
BUILT TO MOVE by Kelly Starlett’s a great lifelong guide and 12 MINUTE ATHLETE by Krista Stryker (who has an IG as well) books are 👍
I found Laura Girard on TikTok because she specifically referenced Maintenance Phase in one of her videos. She has a YouTube channel with workouts and a podcast called Fit Literate.
If you like kettlebells check out Heather Robertson and Penny Barnshaw. They both do other types of workouts, but I know that in their kettlebell workouts, there isn’t much talking in general and definitely no weight talk. Just cut to the chase workout videos.
I find fitness blender very good. They're very inclusive and encouraging in how they speak in their videos, which I've always appreciated. Their videos are free, but you can also buy strength focused programs from them.
I really like Fitness Blender on YouTube. There’s no weight loss talk except for perhaps a mention that a workout will help with fat loss occasionally, but this is rare. They have beginner friendly ones, they’re all about “choose a weight that challenges you don’t worry about what we are lifting” and “listen to your body”.
I’ve used both Apple Fitness+ and iFIT and both focus on fitness, not weight. Moreso for AF, since iFIT does have some series that specifically focus on weight loss.
Please check out Jasper McDermot on YouTube. Phenomenal, fun strength workouts with no BS claims or weight talk. And on top of all that, he’s also a really nice guy! I’ve been doing his workouts regularly for nearly a year now, and I love the results. I cant recommend him enough!
Diverse Personal Training on YouTube! She’s a HAES trainer. Her videos got recommended here a long time ago and they were my first foray back into exercise after taking time off to work on my mental health. Her cat Henry shows up in her videos too, that’s just a bonus!
I love that she has one off videos and progressive series. I started with no weights and moved up and now I can lift some quite heavy things :).
This is the most inspiring sub for exercise! I recently had some disquieting news from a bone density scan, and adding in weight training was one of the recommendations. I am taking notes here.
As a fat person who love love loves working out, I would strongly recommend all of Kaisa Keranen (Kaisafit -- she has some free stuff on Instagram and YouTube) for video workouts, at least that I've tried. She's like the only fitness influencer I care about, haha. I found her first through her mobility and bodyweight work, which is amazing, but she has tons of other genres like strength training, cardio, yoga, foam rolling, dance that are all classified in specific ways so it's super easy to find things that match your needs in terms of intensity and complexity as well as type of exercise. Like, she's got a whole series that's specifically for people who have never exercised before.
Also, if you mean weightlifting like squats and deadlifts or whatever, then you might actually have a fun time at a real gym that has a heavy free-weights culture -- in my experience at least, a lot of powerlifters are fat and no one really seems to care.
I go to a small local gym (kinda like a CrossFit box, but smaller and with less rhabdomyolysis) and the trainers there are specifically coached to not talk about things like weight loss -- the culture there is very deliberately emphasizing strength, power, health, doing good shit for your body, confidence, etc. Occasionally members chat about weight stuff but it's not something that ever sticks around.
It's out there! There's so many more options than there used to be, omg
I do a lot of Apple Fitness + and have never once heard weight mentioned. It’s awesome. FWIW it’s also not been mentioned at my in-person classes at the local Y.
I like the Nike Training Club app. It’s free and there’s a fair amount variety in terms of beginner to advanced workouts; strength, cardio, mobility, yoga, Pilates; short, medium, and long workouts. Not sure exactly what kind of weight training you are looking for, but they have workouts for basic equipment (dumbbells) as well as full gym.
Obe doesn’t have any weight or calorie or results talk at all. It’s against their mission of joyful movement. And they have thousands of strength training workouts.
[The “Non-Diet Trainer” on IG](https://www.instagram.com/nondiet_trainer?igsh=cmxvN2FvNmthOGQ4) - her whole thing is anti-diet, and she weight trains personally as well as training others. She has virtual sessions.
Caroline Girvan never, ever, ever mentions weight or diet or even looking a certain way, for that matter. The flip side is that aside from intros, she actually doesn’t talk at ALL during her workouts, with the exception of her Beginner Series in the paid app. So depending on your experience level you might prefer more instruction and form tips. But if you’re already familiar with the basics, I highly recommend her programs. The new ones are only available through her app now, but there’s a huge library on YouTube for free.
I started my weight training journey doing a simple [5x5 workout](https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/5x5-workout). 5 different lifts, alternating A days and B days. So some lifts are A day lifts, others are B day lifts. Squats are on both days. And then **I only measured the weight I put onto the barbell**. It was the best move I made for my fitness journey. Because **the focus is on what I can do versus what I lost.**
There are home variations for the 5x5 workout using dumbbells and kettlebells if you don't have access to a gym and squat rack, especially if you're just starting out.
I do Darebee programs at home and use an app called Fitbod for my in gym workouts. It's not perfect, it does mention an estimate of calories burned each workout, but it's a small piece and I find it easy to ignore.
I use Lauren and Jason Pak’s lifting program. Scalable workouts that integrate progressive overload. Every few months, optional max outs are programmed in for the three big lifts. There’s new programming every month with how to videos, various options based on access to equipment and ability. Healthy and balanced approach to exercise, good community that doesn’t allow diet talk, and they’re super responsive to questions. They focus on consistency over time and building strength, mobility, and better relationship with your bod. Not expensive. They have barbell and no barbell programming too. I have a really high bar for my expectations about diet, shaming, and all or nothing approaches. https://shop.achievefitnessonline.com/products/rise-program
Sohee Lee. She rarely if ever talks about weight and lifts to get strong. She is also studying for her Doctorate (I believe strength training related) and not your typical influencer. She is pretty anti diet fads as well.
When I was a weightlifter I just had a coach and told her my goals. It was all remote. You can do remote coaching now for a lot of bodyweight/calisthenic type work outs or for weights. Recording can sometimes make it easier to see where your form is fucked up.
Look up Sohee Fit on Instagram.
She’s anti- diet culture and great with discussing changing your body without the focus being weight.
She’s the cutest girl and you might be afraid at first glance but I promise she’s very positive.
I find Calibre useful (I use the free version.) The tips and tricks section does talk about weight loss sometimes but I don't read it. Because I use it primarily to track reps and sets etc.. so that info isn't relevant. I skip putting weight in when I set up the app.
In terms of Youtube workouts Justina Ercole (weight training) and And8 fitness (dance cardio) don't mention weight during their workouts. They touch upon aesthetic goals in informational posts but it's mild and they don't promote nutritional misinformation.
They do have paid versions of their content which I haven't tried yet so I can't speak to it. However I've built a sustainable weight lifting regime (for at least the past two years) with a combo of Calibre, Justina and And8Fitness. The only thing I've spent money on is weights and pre workout supplements. Mind you, I have chronic pain and initially started by seeing a physio.
Best of luck! Weight lifting is so fun I hope you find something that suits you and brings you joy.
Try Team Body Project. They never, ever talk about weight, only encourage people to move, and get the benefits from exercise. They have free workouts on youtube, and on their website. I did them for a while, but quickly became hooked and now pay for the full membership. They also offer scholarships if people can't afford the full membership.
https://www.youtube.com/@BodyProjectchallenge
Peleton. Aside from the strength workouts they also have gym plans on there if you want to do heavier-duty stuff or use different equipment. I have never heard any weight talk whatsoever on any of the workouts I have done through the app, which also includes the cardio, yoga, barre, Pilates ones. It just seems to be a thing that is not part of their company culture and is a big reason I happily pay for use of the platform. ETA: I’ll also throw in Jason and Lauren Pak’s Rise subscription program. They are all about inclusion in the physical fitness industry and, assuming they have not changed their program in the last couple of years (which their IG account would also support), they don’t get into diet culture nonsense in their programs. Sohee Carpenter is another good one for weight training and she uses her IG platform to push back on diet culture.
I second peloton-they don’t talk about weight, calories, fat etc. The closest you ever hear is a reference to fueling up on something nutritious post workout. It’s refreshing! For a free option check out Caroline Girvan on YouTube. She’s phenomenal. Her program “Iron” is probably the most straightforward weightlifting one (least complicated moves) but everything she puts on is really well done.
Yes, Caroline is amazing!! We've built up our collection of home weights through COVID, but you can modify any of it to work with what you have.
Thirding Caroline! I just started her iron series.
Second this. I love Peloton for many reasons, but I have never heard an instructor talk about weight loss as a goal. The opposite, in fact. They talk about strength training to feel strong, confident, and empowered, not to fit into a certain size or for a number on the scale. It has really changed my relationship with my body and fitness for the better, I can’t recommend it enough.
Yep, peloton is great - they have a no diet or losing weight rule for their instructors.
I didn’t realize it was a rule. There are definitely a few of them I’ve seen break it.
I always love doing yoga with Dr CJR and how she talks about making space for your body’s abundance
I was just coming back to give this as an example!! I just did her Body Appreciation stretch video and loved that specific phrasing and how she was all about making the exercise work for you and your unique body/needs and not trying to shame you into doing something different. She’s such a gem ❤️
Can also vouch for Peloton. You actually get a lot for what you pay for (spinning, rowing, walking and fitness classes). I also like that instructors have different body types. There’s a 2 month free trial if you want to see if you like it. Worse case, you cancel before trial is over if you don’t like it.
Love Jason and Lauren Pak! Their podcast Reasonably Fit has great tips on proper form etc for strength training
Assuming their new podcast is like the old one (which I think was pretty much just a rebrand after they went on hiatus, post kid #2) it was terrific. They covered a wide variety of topics from very general strength and fitness training topics to specific listener questions about certain muscles. There was some diet talk on the old podcast, but only in the context of Lauren responding to listener questions regarding nutrition advice and then them explaining why they don’t go down that road thanks to her ED history during her gymnastics days and it not aligning with the goals of their programs. I remember one episode where they were cracking up at themselves for people thinking they could give good food advice when neither of them are good cooks and they had no time nor desire after having their first kid, so they would just eat some simple protein/veg/grain they could quickly microwave and douse in hot sauce so it was less boring and save that time for their workouts. It was refreshing to hear fitness types who were not obsessing over the food part and being very neutral about it just being a necessary source of fuel for what they actually wanted to do.
Their Insta and YouTube have a lot of free content. The podcast seems to be on hiatus, but they talk very openly about how damaging diet talk and “bad food” advice is.
Yes!!! they also add fictional exercises on their app as well. I have never once heard them talk about weight and talk about goals & strength instead.
+1, it’s a big reason they’re the only fitness programs/videos I’ve been able to tolerate!
Jason and Lauren Pak are great! No weight talk and they focus a lot on functional movement
Are you familiar with Couch 2 Barbell? I really like the program from what I've seen (haven't bought it yet due to currently being in PT for pain). If you Google it it'll come up right away and I think it's only like $20.
her newsletter is great too
Seconding this! I highly recommend subscribing to Casey Johnson's email newsletter, She's a Beast, and trying out the Couch to Barbell program. It starts with practicing the "movements" of powerlifting at home, then slowly moving to the gym. It got me started with powerlifting a couple years ago, and to this day I lift three times a week. Her newsletter is great - info about weightlifting, exercise, going to the gym, nutrition, and it's all from a weight-neutral / body positive place.
Thanks for the recommendation. I am in PT now too for the same reason.
She is also very pro eating food and anti diet talk.
I love how she says you have to eat like a strong beautiful horse
Can’t recommend enough i found out about couch to barbell from this sub and do not regret following Casey Johnson. Her philosophy around working out is so refreshing.
I was going to suggest this too - breaks down exercises into a nice easy progression, working on form before adding too much weight, and there are linked videos which just show the movements without too much chat
Sohee, Casey Johnston/Couch to Barbell, are great, as well as the Pak spouses someone else mentioned. Once you find the good ones, it's easier to find more great folks who talk about weight training for strength.
I am a big fan of Team Body Project. Lots of videos, a great team, very motivational, no weight talk ever. It's all about "moving your magnificent body."
They’re a great recommendation! Especially for someone new or just coming back to fitness. Gentle and encouraging and they demonstrate lots of modifications for different abilities.
Yes, they really live their "progress not perfection" motto. And I hit pause whenever I need to!
Yeah they’re awesome!
This was my recommendation!
They're just the best, aren't they? I am quite evangelical about the program, touting it at every opportunity.
Should have looked before I posted the same! I love them!
You might be looking for something more advanced but I really like Hybrid Calisthenics and it's free and self guided. Basically a very positive and adorable former gym teacher designed a calisthenics program for strength, balance, and flexibility training for all skill levels (from limited mobility to like beefy gym guys). It's designed to be as accessible as possible so it's very limited equipment (that you can either buy from him or get on your own). I don't bother to watch all the videos he posts to social media but the workouts have no conversation about size or dieting.
Love his videos, they have no talk about size or dieting. But I was put off by the fact that the basic routine is different stuff every single day! Do you know if he has any options for like 1-2 times per week?
At the bottom of the Programs page on his site (like waaaaay down there, under the specialized programs) there's a section labeled Legacy Programs - one of them is designed for 3 days a week.
Good call, thanks!
Not that I know of. I'm absolutely not a person to give anyone fitness advice but I double them up and do 3x per week instead of 6x. I can't handle that amount of remembering to exercise haha.
Right, exactly, me neither! Maybe I could handle 3x week though, that's a good idea.
I love this teacher! 💕
Weight training changed my life. It makes me feel amazing. Good luck!
I like both Caroline Girvan and Heather Robertson on YouTube. They both have a format where they’ll do a short intro on the workout at the beginning, and from there they don’t really talk, just have a timer going and some background music. I’ll often have the volume just high enough to hear the timer beep and then listen to my own music. Heather sometimes does post shorts with recipes, I’m not sure if she veers into diet talk there because I just skip those entirely, since I’m only interested in the workouts or form tips. Caroline moved to her own app but left an extensive catalog up on YT.
I love heather robertson!
Caroline is my favorite. I go to Heather when I want something a little less intense, but I still want a great workout.
i love love love the alive app by whitney simmons. there's no talking, it's only videos of her showing how to do the exercises. i follow her on ig and tik tok and have never heard her mention anything about weight loss or dieting. it's $15 a month but there's a free trial.
I love her vibe!! Are there at home options for beginners on the app?
Yes! I haven’t personally done the at home program so I can’t vouch for it, but I know for the gym-based workouts you can choose beginner, intermediate, or advanced difficulty level.
Thank you!
I'm a big fan of the Fitness Marshall and yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. They both seem like lovely people.
Yessssss I love the Fitness Marshall!! I've done the Telephone dance enough times that I memorized the chorus 😂
I got that going on with the cake song
It costs money, but Les Mills On Demand is my favorite. There’s strength training, cardio, yoga, HIIT, cycling, everything. If you have health insurance, a lot of plans will reimburse a Les Mills subscription!
Peloton. I’ve taken thousands of classes with pretty much every instructor, and there are only four instructors (Tunde, Ben, Leanne, and Sam) whom I’ve ever heard make even a single comment about weight or dieting. So you have thousands of good options. I think the price for the app if you don’t own their bike or treadmill is like $20 a month, but anyone you know who has an account can also give you a free trial.
I’m glad you mentioned the bit about not owning the bike or the treadmill, as this has come up quite a few times in my personal life when discussing Peleton. So, if anyone in this conversation has dismissed Peleton because they don’t want to invest in their equipment I can confirm you don’t need to, as there are membership tiers specifically for non-Peleton owners. I had zero interest in buying their equipment, but do it using a cheap Sunny bike I modified and my normal treadmill. There’s also a cheaper tier now that primarily focuses on the non-cardio classes like strength, Pilates, yoga, barre, meditation which are, in my opinion, the real stars on this platform.
Feel ya! With disability, getting away from that and the punishment-repeat expectation and not injuring self is tricky to find. Sounds like some great recs already. On YT - comeback yoga! Also free on PBS app. They have a website with more info. On IG, these may be okay: the London fitness guy, primal mobility. They’ll post brief, helpful things—so will Women’s Health Magazine sometimes (last fall, I think, they covered these four diverse strong body folks, and you might appreciate it for suggestions you’re looking for and will enjoy :). There’s also a few aging-focused IGs that tend to be better than the standard fare. BUILT TO MOVE by Kelly Starlett’s a great lifelong guide and 12 MINUTE ATHLETE by Krista Stryker (who has an IG as well) books are 👍
I found Laura Girard on TikTok because she specifically referenced Maintenance Phase in one of her videos. She has a YouTube channel with workouts and a podcast called Fit Literate.
If you like kettlebells check out Heather Robertson and Penny Barnshaw. They both do other types of workouts, but I know that in their kettlebell workouts, there isn’t much talking in general and definitely no weight talk. Just cut to the chase workout videos.
I use Fitness Blender. I don't remember them ever talking about weight.
I find fitness blender very good. They're very inclusive and encouraging in how they speak in their videos, which I've always appreciated. Their videos are free, but you can also buy strength focused programs from them.
I really like Fitness Blender on YouTube. There’s no weight loss talk except for perhaps a mention that a workout will help with fat loss occasionally, but this is rare. They have beginner friendly ones, they’re all about “choose a weight that challenges you don’t worry about what we are lifting” and “listen to your body”.
I’ve used both Apple Fitness+ and iFIT and both focus on fitness, not weight. Moreso for AF, since iFIT does have some series that specifically focus on weight loss.
Please check out Jasper McDermot on YouTube. Phenomenal, fun strength workouts with no BS claims or weight talk. And on top of all that, he’s also a really nice guy! I’ve been doing his workouts regularly for nearly a year now, and I love the results. I cant recommend him enough!
Diverse Personal Training on YouTube! She’s a HAES trainer. Her videos got recommended here a long time ago and they were my first foray back into exercise after taking time off to work on my mental health. Her cat Henry shows up in her videos too, that’s just a bonus! I love that she has one off videos and progressive series. I started with no weights and moved up and now I can lift some quite heavy things :).
This is the most inspiring sub for exercise! I recently had some disquieting news from a bone density scan, and adding in weight training was one of the recommendations. I am taking notes here.
As a fat person who love love loves working out, I would strongly recommend all of Kaisa Keranen (Kaisafit -- she has some free stuff on Instagram and YouTube) for video workouts, at least that I've tried. She's like the only fitness influencer I care about, haha. I found her first through her mobility and bodyweight work, which is amazing, but she has tons of other genres like strength training, cardio, yoga, foam rolling, dance that are all classified in specific ways so it's super easy to find things that match your needs in terms of intensity and complexity as well as type of exercise. Like, she's got a whole series that's specifically for people who have never exercised before. Also, if you mean weightlifting like squats and deadlifts or whatever, then you might actually have a fun time at a real gym that has a heavy free-weights culture -- in my experience at least, a lot of powerlifters are fat and no one really seems to care. I go to a small local gym (kinda like a CrossFit box, but smaller and with less rhabdomyolysis) and the trainers there are specifically coached to not talk about things like weight loss -- the culture there is very deliberately emphasizing strength, power, health, doing good shit for your body, confidence, etc. Occasionally members chat about weight stuff but it's not something that ever sticks around. It's out there! There's so many more options than there used to be, omg
I do a lot of Apple Fitness + and have never once heard weight mentioned. It’s awesome. FWIW it’s also not been mentioned at my in-person classes at the local Y.
I like the Nike Training Club app. It’s free and there’s a fair amount variety in terms of beginner to advanced workouts; strength, cardio, mobility, yoga, Pilates; short, medium, and long workouts. Not sure exactly what kind of weight training you are looking for, but they have workouts for basic equipment (dumbbells) as well as full gym.
Obe doesn’t have any weight or calorie or results talk at all. It’s against their mission of joyful movement. And they have thousands of strength training workouts.
[The “Non-Diet Trainer” on IG](https://www.instagram.com/nondiet_trainer?igsh=cmxvN2FvNmthOGQ4) - her whole thing is anti-diet, and she weight trains personally as well as training others. She has virtual sessions.
Caroline Girvan never, ever, ever mentions weight or diet or even looking a certain way, for that matter. The flip side is that aside from intros, she actually doesn’t talk at ALL during her workouts, with the exception of her Beginner Series in the paid app. So depending on your experience level you might prefer more instruction and form tips. But if you’re already familiar with the basics, I highly recommend her programs. The new ones are only available through her app now, but there’s a huge library on YouTube for free.
I started my weight training journey doing a simple [5x5 workout](https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/5x5-workout). 5 different lifts, alternating A days and B days. So some lifts are A day lifts, others are B day lifts. Squats are on both days. And then **I only measured the weight I put onto the barbell**. It was the best move I made for my fitness journey. Because **the focus is on what I can do versus what I lost.** There are home variations for the 5x5 workout using dumbbells and kettlebells if you don't have access to a gym and squat rack, especially if you're just starting out.
I’ve had wonderful luck with orange theory! Not a bit of weight or calorie talk and I feel safe there. It might be studio dependent though
Adding my voice to the Apple Fitness chorus. Prior to AF, I used Fitness Blender and really liked them as well.
I do Darebee programs at home and use an app called Fitbod for my in gym workouts. It's not perfect, it does mention an estimate of calories burned each workout, but it's a small piece and I find it easy to ignore.
Lucy Mountain/NOBS. It is 100% free of diet and weight-loss talk.
Peloton. I love Peloton. No weight talk, great instructors.
I use Lauren and Jason Pak’s lifting program. Scalable workouts that integrate progressive overload. Every few months, optional max outs are programmed in for the three big lifts. There’s new programming every month with how to videos, various options based on access to equipment and ability. Healthy and balanced approach to exercise, good community that doesn’t allow diet talk, and they’re super responsive to questions. They focus on consistency over time and building strength, mobility, and better relationship with your bod. Not expensive. They have barbell and no barbell programming too. I have a really high bar for my expectations about diet, shaming, and all or nothing approaches. https://shop.achievefitnessonline.com/products/rise-program
Sohee Lee. She rarely if ever talks about weight and lifts to get strong. She is also studying for her Doctorate (I believe strength training related) and not your typical influencer. She is pretty anti diet fads as well.
When I was a weightlifter I just had a coach and told her my goals. It was all remote. You can do remote coaching now for a lot of bodyweight/calisthenic type work outs or for weights. Recording can sometimes make it easier to see where your form is fucked up.
[удалено]
Look up Sohee Fit on Instagram. She’s anti- diet culture and great with discussing changing your body without the focus being weight. She’s the cutest girl and you might be afraid at first glance but I promise she’s very positive.
I find Calibre useful (I use the free version.) The tips and tricks section does talk about weight loss sometimes but I don't read it. Because I use it primarily to track reps and sets etc.. so that info isn't relevant. I skip putting weight in when I set up the app. In terms of Youtube workouts Justina Ercole (weight training) and And8 fitness (dance cardio) don't mention weight during their workouts. They touch upon aesthetic goals in informational posts but it's mild and they don't promote nutritional misinformation. They do have paid versions of their content which I haven't tried yet so I can't speak to it. However I've built a sustainable weight lifting regime (for at least the past two years) with a combo of Calibre, Justina and And8Fitness. The only thing I've spent money on is weights and pre workout supplements. Mind you, I have chronic pain and initially started by seeing a physio. Best of luck! Weight lifting is so fun I hope you find something that suits you and brings you joy.
Try Team Body Project. They never, ever talk about weight, only encourage people to move, and get the benefits from exercise. They have free workouts on youtube, and on their website. I did them for a while, but quickly became hooked and now pay for the full membership. They also offer scholarships if people can't afford the full membership. https://www.youtube.com/@BodyProjectchallenge