I'm a Fitness Editor, and I Recommend These 16 YouTube Workouts to Everyone I Know

Word of warning with this YouTube workout: it's probably the hardest cardio workout I've ever done. If I remember correctly, it almost reduced me to tears the first time I tried it, but it was tough to tell the tears from the copious amounts of sweat pouring off me. That being said, there's a reason I keep coming back to it, and it's not because I love the literal sprints at the midway point. The instructors are amazing, the music is on point, and the moves are seriously effective.

Raneir Pollard is hands-down one of my favorite trainers, and this workout will show you why. He's hilarious and inspiring, and his moves are the real deal; this was one of the first dumbbell workouts I ever did, and it's still challenging when I do it today.

Just looking at this YouTube workout video makes me shudder (in a good way?). It's only ten minutes long, but half of that time is spent in an endless plank sequence, going from hip dips to side planks to my forever kryptonite, the dreaded creepy crawler. I like doing this one before my runs for a nice core burn.

Dance cardio is *always* a challenge for me (a side effect of having no sense of rhythm), but this workout with Sheela Awe is a new favorite. It's tough, but not in an "I'm losing the beat entirely" kind of way, and Awe's motivational, upbeat instruction makes it a sweaty and fun routine.

This full-body Pilates workout gives me an intense burn while being totally low-impact
, and it's perfect for small spaces, too. This was one of my dorm room go-tos!

I distinctly remember the first time I did this 45-minute cardio boxing YouTube workout. I was absolutely drenched in sweat, lying on my bedroom carpet, and feeling exhausted, strong, and empowered. Bonus: My arms and abs were so sore the next day.

Bowflex gifted me an amazing adjustable kettlebell a few years ago, but I wasn't entirely sure how to use it; I was always more of a dumbbell person at the gym. I tried a bunch of kettlebell workouts, but this was my favorite. I love how it combines cardio with strength moves to hit all your muscle groups.

When you go into a workout with Jake DuPree, be prepared to laugh (because he's hilarious), but also cry (because he shows no mercy as a trainer). This Pilates-style workout focuses on abs and glutes, from bridge sequences to plank pulses that make my abs shake. My advice: smile through it and get a few extra endorphins to go with the burn.

I love yoga classes that really work abs, so Christa Janine's 10-minute YouTube yoga class was a must-try for me. You get plenty of plank work (ugh), followed by Superman-style, back-focused moves, and end with a lower-ab sequence that fried my core.

This YouTube ab workout with Pilates instructor Cassey Ho, creator of Blogilates, is almost entirely on your back, so it's been great for me when I need a break from being on my feet — whether I'm sore from running or dealing with an injury. That doesn't mean it's not challenging; the eagle arm crunches are one of the toughest ab moves I do.

When I need an active recovery day, this is the YouTube workout I turn to. You get 20 minutes of tough abs and arms moves followed by ten minutes of stretching, so you leave this workout feeling strong and refreshed.

This YouTube workout is filled with compound exercises (moves that target multiple muscle groups). I love how strong I feel after I've completed it. Apple Fitness+ trainer Betina Gozo also has upbeat energy that pushes me through the hardest sets even when all my muscles are shaking and quaking.

You'd never guess a seven-minute YouTube workout could be this intense, but it's created by Cirque du Soleil performers (who are also NASM-certified personal trainers), so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I'm not sure I've ever finished this routine without stopping for a rest at least three minutes in. Nothing wrong with a quick break — just goes to show how tough it really is!

Yes, one more from Jake DuPree, because he really is that good. This full-body barre-style cardio class is guaranteed to exhaust you, probably within the first 15 minutes. My strategy is to just focus on DuPree's energy and commentary (how does he talk through these workouts?) to get me through the endless plank and lunge sets.

When I'm not in the mood for squats but want to wake up my glutes
, this is the quick YouTube workout I turn to. Get ready for fire hydrants and lots of pulses, with five minutes on each leg that feel way, way longer.