We’ve already brought you the benefits of calisthenics: no need for equipment, easy on your joints, develops full-body strength, burns body fat, improves coordination and flexibility, and even heightens your body’s response times to external stimuli.
And if you’re looking for some female inspiration to get fit, look no further! These ladies have got it going on in the fitness department. In a niche that is typically male-heavy, here are some women who have succeeded in creating full-scale businesses with their knowledge and charisma.
Our pick of incredible female calisthenic YouTubers appears here in no particular order, as they are all amazing!
#1 – Kayla Itsines
If you only check out one of these fabulous women, check out Kayla Itsines.
Most well-known for her fitness book series Bikini Body Guides, and her fitness app Sweat With Kayla (the top-selling fitness app of 2016), Kayla has made it her mission to support women who want to get – or stay – in top shape.
Originally from Australia with Greek origins, Kayla had planned to become a beauty therapist. She had always exercised by playing sports, and she even found gyms intimidating, until one personal trainer told her to start somewhere, so she did.
Kayla enjoyed the feeling she got from gym workouts so much that she trained as a personal trainer. Working with her clients, she discovered that many women wanted lean thighs, a trim abdomen, and upper body strength without getting bulky. She began leading aerobics workouts, which women really enjoyed, and went on from there.
Kayla’s workouts focus on women’s bodies. Her YouTube playlists feature a 4-week challenge entitled the Sweat Summer Series, with exercises designed to work up a sweat while concentrating on one part of the body each time.
You can also connect with Kayla on Instagram and Facebook, or join her BBG (Bikini Body Guides) community from her website.
#2 – Cassey Ho
“Train insane or remain the same” is said to be one of Cassey Ho’s favorite sayings.
Cassey started posting fitness videos while still in college, and when she moved to Boston to pursue a career as a fashion buyer, she discovered she didn’t enjoy it. She started teaching Pilates instead while continuing to upload videos to YouTube.
She later created Blogilates and Poppilates, where her focus is on promoting a healthy body image and lifestyle. Her YouTube channel hit the top of the fitness channels in 2014.
Cassey focuses on making workouts fun while also working the whole body, to ‘find the joy in fitness’, as she puts it. She specializes in intense Pilates interval training and teaches a variety of types of exercises. She also has a line of activewear called Popflex.
Her YouTube playlists feature a 6-week Body Training Bootcamp, a 12 Minutes to Toned series, and a Bridal Bootcamp, among others.
One of her most popular fitness videos is her INSANE Abs & Obliques Workout, with over 1.4 million views.
And if you want some fun, check out her Women Try Guessing Each Other’s Weight: A Social Experiment with over 3.3 million views!
You can also find Cassey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
#3 – MadFit
Michelle Lymburner (previously Michelle Anne Demal) is originally from Canada, and is the woman behind MadFit. Michelle says she is “Mad about making a difference in the fitness world.” Her name gives the acronym MAD which for her stands for Making A Difference, hence MadFit.
Michelle believes in a balanced life: you don’t have to cut everything out, just keep things in balance, and make sure you move.
She started her fitness journey as a dancer at age 3. She danced competitively until age 17. While she was in high school, she got a part-time job in a health food store where she was inspired to go vegan. She began vlogging about her food on Instagram and YouTube, and because she was no longer dancing and wanted to continue training, she got into calisthenics.
Maddie created a separate channel for her fitness videos, which was quickly successful. She focuses on quick workouts for people who are short on time and/or motivation. (Sounds like a lot of us, right?)
MadFit’s YouTube channel playlists feature throwback music from the 2010s, dance moves, and exercise moves, and are for all abilities and ages. There are playlists for full-body workouts, dance party workouts, apartment workouts, and more.
Here’s an example: her most popular workout video featuring Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy (over 11 million views).
Maddie also is known for her videos on vegan dieting, lifestyle, and travel.
You can also find Maddie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
#4 – Natacha Oceane
Natacha Oceane’s work is all about intense workouts with minimum equipment to help you look and feel more athletic. She also includes a lot of nutritional information as well as making the science of fitness understandable and entertaining.
Natacha is from England and, impressively, has a Ph.D. in biophysics and is a former Iron Man competitor.
Her YouTube channel playlists have full-body workouts, high-calorie challenges, and fitness experiments on things like intermittent fasting, running an ultra marathon with no training, and halving her sleep for a week!
Natacha’s 20 Minute Home HIIT video is one of her most popular, with over 2.5 million views. And if you like the sound of her experimental videos, her I Took The US Army Fitness Test Without Practice is an excellent place to start: over 2.7 viewers can’t be wrong!
She is also the creator of the Home Reload app, which has workouts plus nutritional tips, as well as her Home. Reload Training & Nutrition Guide and her recipe ebooks.
In addition to YouTube, you’ll also find Natacha on Instagram.
#5 – Pamela Reif
Pamela offers full-body workouts as well as a variety of healthy recipes.
Originally from Germany, Pamela had always enjoyed sports, but particularly dancing until age 16 when she decided to start going to the gym with a friend. She began posting pictures on Instagram of her lifestyle at age 16, and her following grew from there.
First famous as an Instagram model, Pamela’s following quickly expanded when people wanted to know more about how to emulate her lifestyle. She shared fitness workout and food tips, and soon had a thriving online business as a social media star.
People love her workouts, which target specific muscle groups without using equipment. Pamela’s YouTube channel playlists feature a wide range of exercises, including stretching, intense, dance, song, and for beginners.
In addition to YouTube, Pamela has Instagram accounts for both her workouts and her food. You can also find her on Facebook.
If you’re curious to know more about a typical day for Pamela, you can check out this full profile of her diet and workout routine.
#6 – Whitney Simmons
As Whitney says, “It’s a beautiful day to be alive.” Whitney promotes health, fitness, and inspiration, and believes that life should be about balance. In other words, you won’t find her saying no to an occasional hot dog.
Whitney started as a competitive gymnast from age 11 till 18. When she retired at 18 from the sport, she found herself in need of a new focus, and she settled on the gym.
She specializes in weightlifting, but her YouTube channel playlist features a variety of calisthenic workouts such as Fit For Summer, Beginners Fitness Guide, and a Monthly Fitness Favorites series.
She also reviews workout clothing, makeup, and healthy meals. Her website features her Alive app that focuses on daily workouts for different areas of the body, as well as a line of fitness apparel.
You can also find Whitney on Instagram and Facebook.
#7 – Chloe Ting
Chloe Ting was born in Brunei and received three degrees from Monash University in Australia, including a Master’s in Philosophy. She used to work as a statistician, but she was always passionate about fitness, health, beauty, and travel.
Chloe quickly became famous on YouTube for her makeup tutorials, travel vlogs, and product reviews.
Her workouts are all about shedding pounds and building up your core strength while not taking yourself too seriously. Chloe has a lighthearted attitude to fitness, and she shares results from her tribe to encourage others to go for the results that they want.
She has a lot of free workouts on her website, and her YouTube channel playlist features an Hourglass Challenge, a 2 Weeks Shred Challenge, and an Abs Workout Challenge, which is her most popular video to date with over 170 million views.
In addition to YouTube, you can find Chloe Ting on her main Instagram page as well as her Instagram community page and Twitter.
Where to go from here
There you have it! Our top female calisthenic YouTubers to follow to get you lean, strong and fit without the need of an expensive gym too. Did we miss any wonderful women out? Feel free to let us know.
