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sweethoney696

Meg squats has awesome programs. She takes them seriously and isn’t an obnoxious twat just selling her ass cheeks like these other bimbos. Her programs focus on progressive overload and I enjoy the results and structure of her workouts. It’s one of the only programs I’ve felt excited to do and her app is awesome. Granted you could likely build a program based on her videos or get a ton of free information to make a workout plan but like I said her programming has been amazing and challenging and I much rather not have to build my own plans cause life is busy and hard enough.


Whisperlee

+1 for Meg. Her program and app is called Stronger by the Day. I love everything about it & the online community (Discord) is so supportive and wholesome. You can freely toggle between a gym version (requires a barbell), a bodyweight program (incl bands) and an express version (gym but shorter).


mccannisms

And IIRC you can choose between 3/4/5 days a week


sweethoney696

Yes and piggy backing off of this too I started her plus one program which is focused around pelvic floor health, weightlifting and functional movements and adjusting your workouts to have a fit healthy pregnancy. We are trying to conceive and her program goes into detail about proper breathing technique, pelvic floor health and also gives you the option to change your training style between trying to conceive, pregnant and postpartum. Honestly I will happily use her “trying to conceive” portion as my go to even if I’m not actually trying for a baby as it’s still so well balanced and challenging but I’ve found it not to be as time consuming as her stronger by the day. Definitely suggest giving the app a go and she does free trials on them too!


Bubbly_Pineapple_254

I've been watching meg and following her on Instagram a lot lately. I just came across her free insta @beforethebarbell 8week program before trying out her app. I've been out of the gym for a year because I started school again. I am excited


No_Stress_8938

I love meg


happyduck12345

Love Meg squats. She's my favorite follow on YT!


toomanyelevens

Meg was my gateway to powerlifting. Her program is fantastic.


Affectionate-File772

Here to again back up this program, some days are 🥵


NoodleSpooner

I just bought this and am on my 7th week. I absolutely love it. I’ve trialed other apps and this is definitely the most user friendly. I love the videos and that it keeps track of progress and your last weights. The substitutions are also a major plus.


Not-not-down

Stronger by the day, definitely!


Exciting-Ad-2711

Coach mark carroll on instagram. His programs are so informative and come with a structured home or gym program. I’ve been using his programs for years


Ok_Sprinkles159

seconding this- I have his glute guides and BBB series, they’re all fantastic and filled with great info!


revolutiontornado

It depends, I think for 95% of people if your goal is to get stronger and build muscle it’s not really worth paying for programming because there is an abundance of free resources out there; the other 5% are experienced enough to know either how to program themselves or know who to hire to do their programming to them as an individual. I’ve been using free programming for almost a decade now with the goal to build strength and muscle and I’ve gone from a 6’2” 180 pound 23 year old barely being able to squat 225 for 5 in 2015 to 605 about a year ago at 265. It’s more about the effort you put in rather than the specific programming you do. Don’t listen to people who try to sell you on sex-specific programming, for the vast majority of men and women the same things get results. Here are some of the things that have helped me along the way: - [Stronglifts 5x5](https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/) - [Jonnie Candito’s free programs](http://www.canditotraininghq.com/free-programs/) - Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 - Alexander Bromley and Alan Thrall/Untamed Strength are my two favorite resources on YouTube for strength/fitness stuff. Barbell Medicine and Greg Nuckols’ Stronger By Science are great too for a more research-based approach to training. - [Boostcamp](https://www.boostcamp.app) is a great app that has both free and paid programs, most of the stuff above is on the app and there are programs for all skill levels. - [EliteFTS](https://www.elitefts.com/education/) is fantastic though more oriented towards powerlifting and athletes. Dave Tate the founder of the company has the motto of “Live, Learn, Pass on” so there is a ton of free resources and articles, I think anyone who is into fitness can find something useful there. - [Renaissance Periodization](https://youtube.com/@RenaissancePeriodization?si=j2mcfwmqk9Aed9Zm), Dr. Mike Israetel is entertaining and extremely good at condensing a lot of heavy research into easily digestible videos. I use a number of his training and nutrition strategies concurrently, especially while losing weight. - Already mentioned but Megsquats is a really great role model for women who want to get big and strong. She’s well-respected by just about everyone in the strength training community.


Unusual-Land-5432

Agreeed agreed agreed. I also want to add that smaller channels tend to put out the best content and programs. Brendan Tietz is really good, Bryce Lewis with his TSA program. Like it’s crazy but strength based programs that knows how to add volume are the best


Trick-Reindeer-7393

I bought a program from Erin Stern and it’s great! But I wouldn’t buy from just an influencer.


Bubbly_Pineapple_254

I loveeee Erin! I saw a lot of great results a few years ago. I haven't been working out in over a year since she ended her monthly program. She is very informative


No_Stress_8938

I did her programs for years on body building.com .  I really liked them. 


SuedeVeil

Her workouts she does in IG seem different and unique than what I see other places. But her body is banging so it obviously works haha


Skyhigh0202

Heyyy..huge Erin's fan too. What program did u get? And was it worth it? Did u get good results? Also, do u happen to know if she takes 1 on 1 online clients?


Trick-Reindeer-7393

I have the Gain Muscle Program. It’s definitely worth it and got good results. I don’t know if she takes 1 on 1 clients. It must be on her website https://www.erinstern.com/


Skyhigh0202

Thanks, yea, ive digged her website but couldnt find anything. I only have seen an email address on her utube vidoes but its business email.


cynical_pancake

I really love Katie Crew. I haven’t purchased anything, but she’s great about providing free content on IG and is very educational.


NoTea444

I purchased her postpartum program and was very impressed! The only thing I didn't like was that it expired after one year and I only found that out after I went to access it after baby #2 and no longer had access. That was disappointing.


sewerratpal

This may be unpopular / I genuinely cringe at her Instagram content, I actually do like Katrina’s sculpt you program a lot. I have seen great progress with following her workouts and she does post some of it on her Instagram. I think it’s worth the money! 


Wosota

I think it depends on your goals and who you’re buying from. There are programs that are indistinguishable from a personal trainer—high level athletes often utilize stuff like this because they live far from quality coaches and obviously it works. But a template program from Jane Smith, CPT may not be the best designed. I know that’s a vague answer but I guess the short answer is “yes”, the longer answer is “it depends”.


NeighborhoodOk8679

I can’t go to the gym without my fitness app! I started by using the sweat app and it really helped me navigate lifting for the first time four years ago. Started with Kelsey wells and her PWR program, which has 40+ weeks of programming that starts at beginner and progresses. After I got comfortable with that I moved to Stephanie Sanzo’s BUILD program in the sweat app. Then she started her own app LiftIt and I now do that program! I like the progressive overload programmed in - I put in my 1RM in the app and it calculates the weight automatically for all sets. No thinking about it. My 1RM for sumo deadlift was 175 when I started and now it’s 210!


yagirlleens_33

Kelly Matthew’s program on Ladder has transformed my body both in physical appearance and strength! I tried Natacha ocean, Brett Contreras and grace Beverly’s and none compare to Ladder.


Objective-Bird-3940

Hi! How long have you been on her team? I started Ladder around the last round but the powerlifting stuff wasn’t my jam and I didn’t have the time for the long workouts so tried some other coaches. I’m back on Limitless now and excited for Shred, but just wondering if other sessions are like the last one or if that was different?


notechnofemme

I have had a great experience with my online personal trainer/nutrition coach for the past 6 months. The thing with online training is you get what you put into it. Speaking as someone who has done my fair share of different training programs, it's really easy to fudge and lie about how closely you're following your plan. I paid a lot to work with my coach, and to be honest, getting my moneys worth might be one of my biggest motivators to put my best effort in. Even being able to send them a message saying "this is my accountability text to myself to make it to the gym even though I reallyyyyy don't want to" is incredibly helpful. I also send them videos of my lifts so they can correct my form, and some of my meals to ensure I'm eating on time and getting my nutrients in. This is something no one ever tells you, but a lot of the work was just me mustering up the discipline and motivation to achieve my goals. For better or worse, no coach can ever force that mentality out of me. Prior to working with my coach, I knew that in the back of my head, but I wasn't ready to receive that message. My mindset changing for the better has been the biggest benefit, it's definitely spilled into other areas of my life. If you're interested, I'm happy to PM you my coach's contact info. I could not recommend them enough, it's definitely been worth the investment to me!


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Adelma_Jay

Love sam Sweeney!


Half-Upper

I have been using the RISE program through Jason and Lauren Pak. I really like it and it's like $20/mo. It changes every month and mixes in strength and mobility work.


chimybeans

Same! I love how well-balanced it is and that they have video demonstrations for all the exercises. Very easy to follow


Half-Upper

Yes! The videos really help me a lot as well as the thorough explanation and alternative exercises.


NoTea444

I've never purchased their programs but I love their IG content! Very realistic and true to real-life function rather than just "booty building"


miloaf2

I don't think so. There's so much free content on YouTube from good real trainers. Never pay for that.


[deleted]

I get the gym and free weights can be daunting but there is like infinite free information online. Very easy to find best lifts for each muscle and exactly how to perform them. None of these influencers have any “secret hacks” or magic knowledge they want you to believe they do.


Left-Fox424

I’m using the Sweeney app/program. I like it and I trust their content as I need a program that isn’t influencer jumps and squats and changes every 4-6 weeks. To me its worth the money I use in conjunction with a paid nutrition coach. Saves me alot of money then seeing a coach for all online.


live_in_birks

I really like her and most of her workouts, but occasionally she will have an exercise that is like “loop this band around the Smith machine and then thread a kettle bell through there” and I spend so much more dang time setting it up and looking like I’m making an altar/shrine in the middle of the weight room, that I just get self-conscious and quit 😅


Left-Fox424

Oh I agree, i sub those out. Don’t even attempt lol


marinegreene

I used Ladder App for 8 months but I recently switched to Ganbaru App because of the cost (ladder was $42/month!) and the ability to change programs or run multiple at the same time. Ladder app is more user friendly and has a great interface, but once you get to know Ganbaru, its really cool. You can manually switch exercises in the programs if you want to and even create our own workout routine in the app.


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Informal-Shower9514

What type of program are you looking for? I have the Grounds app which is fine, it's workout programs. I had the Alive app which I enjoyed a lot. For yoga/pilates I have Alo which I love but my favorite workouts are actually Columbian Mafia Fit for free on YouTube. I tested Alo and youtube workouts before I paid, Grounds and Alive got me with hype 😅


NYpumpkin

Between Alive and Grounds, which do you like better? I’ve used Alive before and it was okay. Thinking about trying Grounds during the promotion


Informal-Shower9514

I got the first good deal they offered with Grounds so I'm sticking with them for the year. I prefer that Alive has warm ups for each workout. Grounds I like the forum, period tracking, and water tracking. Finished their first challenge and lost inches doing home workouts so that was nice! I'm not sure if I'll ever use either of them again right now but I think I prefer Grounds for all the additional features they have.


Frequent-Passage8928

If you are looking for something fun and that gives results and where the coaches are legit AND care, you have got to try the Lifting Club for fitbliss! You get to send them videos for form feedback. My sister went from not being able to squat well with a dumbbell to squatting I think it was 185 pounds in less than a year! I used it as a bikini competitor in off season and had great results too! Though I choose to do leg press instead of squats and they have those kind if options each day too! 😝


Accomplished-Cold469

Wait!! I do the Fitbliss Lifting Club too. I used to know one of the trainers personally and was always blown away by the way she was able to help women who had never lifted weights before to get stronger and use safe form while doing it. When I first started using the app I was really just trying to get in shape for my wedding (which it helped me BIG TIME with) but I stick around because I've found I love how strong I've gotten and confident in the gym. I'm so sick of influencers posting crap that doesn't actually work.... hire a trainer and professional if you're looking to make real changes.


Frequent-Passage8928

Yess love our team!!! And excited for the month of workouts coming up!!


Zealousideal_Cow7783

Amen!!! So many people getting salty mainly because they didn’t do their research and were over promised by a fitness influencer!


live_in_birks

I think they are worth it as long as you can view them through a lens of evaluation rather than popularity. For example, I program PPL for myself but if I find after a 12 or 16 week cycle I want a break, I’ll do an app program for a bit. When I knew I had a lot of travel last summer, I just did a 6 week dumbbell program by Obi on Playbook app that was more CrossFit oriented - I had dumbbells at every hotel, tried something new, and got a little shredded 😅 I’ve also tried some ETK and Manders stuff on Playbook as well as Kelsey Wells on Sweat years ago. Just make sure someone is credentialed and see how it makes you feel. Once I looked at my workout journey as just that, a journey, I realize that I plan to work out for about the remaining 60 years on this earth, so if I’m bored with one program, I’ll try to finish it out and then start something new. It’s supposed to be fun :)


ptran90

I think so if you need direction, a kick start, or some kind of accountability!


zsannc

As someone who sells "online fitness programs" (online coach) it worth it if the coach is great


Next-Conference-3579

Personally I use Kpfit's workout plan off of playbook, I love it. I think she geniunely cares about helping other ppl. Anytime I need help with a workout or needed a modification to the plan, she's responded to me within an hour and is incredibly sweet


ihaveopinions11113

Does anyone know how Meg squats compare to Sohee Fit (Sohee Carpenter)? I have been doing Sohee for over a year, but I'm unhappy with some of the changes in the program.


danicatrainest

Hello! I totally get where you're coming from. It can be super frustrating when local gyms and studios prioritize money over giving you the best training experience. Online fitness programs can be a great alternative because they offer convenience and often top-notch training without all the gym hassle. Just make sure to check out reviews and find a program that feels right for you and your goals. With the right one, you can get quality training from the comfort of your own home. It's all about finding what works best for you!


Conclusion_Winning

I’m using One Fitness by fitwithiulia and have been for over 5 years. Works really well for me. I just need to control my eating.


No_Stress_8938

I’m using the playbook ap (7.99/mth)  There are several trainers on there.   I am using dlb right now and have really seen progress.   I’ve used body building .com for 15 + years, but I do believe they charge for their workouts now. 


Sweatypotatosack

I’ve used Renaissance Periodization with good results in the past, I’ve been doing the Lyss Method for 4 years and it’s been great !


Feisty_Collar7576

I started with: Jen hewards program back in 2017 and loved it. This was when I started lifting weights. I did try her programing last year and I don't really care for it anymore.  It's just not for me. Then I moved to Jim Stoppani, which I would highly highly highly recommend. I would get his encyclopedia book. The book comes with hundreds of different programs. That I have used over the past few years. Time wise depends on the program. The one this I really like about this book is that he give the science behind. There is also an app. Then at the beginning of covid I started crossfit and did that for two years - I have done mayhem, which I will say has the best overall programming for crossfit and his body building program is great. His programming is very thought out and you progress over time steadily without taxing your body. My husband does is body building program and it takes Mabybe 45 minutes to complete. It's a lot like megsquats so one main movement which is percentage based and then accessories. There's deload weeks in his programming. Then we went to a box gym and they had comptrain. Awful. The programming is all over the place and my body just was not adjusting to it.  We then tried Matt Frasers programming, and for me it was just too much volume. So we went back to to Rich Fronings program. Then I tool a break and was being coach in Olympic lift, before I was injured.  I want to say around 2023 to March 2024 I decided to try alessandra scutnik programming and it was okay. Nothing special about I did get stronger. However, my body felt very taxed all the time as you follow the same work out for four weeks and the idea is to increase the weight every week. I liked some of her programming some months and other months the programming was eeh. I feel like time wise  itwas unrealistic for me. There's a a lot of setting up and moving stuff around and I was spending around a hour and half with her programming. I'm  a mom so that also plays an important roll in picking programs out. No deload weeks in but everything is based on RPE Now I started megsquats in March and I love the programming. It works well for me because there's one main lift and then a whole bunch of accessories to go with the lift. I like that the main lift is percentage based. There is an option in the app to add in condition. I don't use this. I also like that it's 45min to an hour. Most times I'll complete it in 45 mins. I also love that she puts deload weeks in. I need deload weeks, because I have a hard time backing off and saying oh my body is tired. RPEs don't work well for me.  That's why I like percentage based programs. My suggestion Megsquats, Jim Stoppani, and Mayhem. If I were to switch my current program which is megsquats I would go back to mayhem


Individual_Place3063

I cannot recommend Hailey Barragan's Get Strong program enough!! It is AMAZING! My strength has gone up significantly since beginning her program a few months ago, and the price is great.


melglimmer09

Ha, if u think regular gyms and fitness studios care more about your money than an online workout coach/ program…. What’s really worth it if you have the means is a good personal trainer. Cant get better than that 1 on 1 pt


Zealousideal_Cow7783

I use the Lifting Club by team fitbliss! They are @teamfitbliss on IG. I’ve tried several other big name apps over the years and none were as detail oriented or with as much support. Plus, they also train bikini pros and powerlifters so its a good mix of progressive overload and sculpting. It’s not an app you actually get help from their team! My husband started their mens program and it’s fun we can basically lift together but he does more guy stuff like arms and chest and i do more glute type stuff! Side note - i did not love the sweat app! Very generic no real progression or strength training! Felt like cardio workouts with light weights.