golden goddess

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;___;♡♡♡♡

genuine question from someone who would rather chew their arm off than go to a public gym, and also doesnt have a lot of money: how do you safely get into strength training? are there youtube channels, apps (android), etc anyone recommends that makes it approachable and don't lean into diet culture / body shaming?

Okay, so this may not technically be strength training, but muscles are dumber than bricks and cannot tell the difference between your own bodyweight and actual weights.

I second Hybrid Calisthenics, that's the program I use. It's run by one guy who's taken it upon himself to make exercising more accessible and it's completely free! Each exercise has different variations based on your ability and each variation is further divided into different levels of difficulty so you can work up to where you want to be. If you can't do a single push up for example then this program will help you work up to the point where you can, and if you're a master of push ups then there are more advanced body weight exercises you can tackle so you can keep moving forward in your training without stagnating. The routine offers a full body workout with absolutely no equipment required for the beginning levels. The only reason you would need to buy anything is if you want to work up to a full pull up, at which point you would need actual pull up rings

Sorry to hijack but I personally cannot recommend yoga enough. Charlie Follows on YouTube is a fantastic instructor with a very diverse selection of practices that place a strong emphasis on mindfulness. I am not the most qualified person to make these judgments but I feel she is very respectful toward yoga’s Hindu roots insofar that her practices are rooted in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and she does not misappropriate Hindu culture. Her videos don’t have annoying royalty free music and she has literally never done a brand deal as far as I’m concerned. Beyond mindfulness, the focal points of her practices are strength, mobility, balance, and flexibility as opposed to physical aesthetics. She even has a whole series for beginners!! I’ve been following her practices for almost two years now and I am the strongest I have ever been. My mindset toward fitness has been completely reshaped and I’ve become a much more patient person - plus, it has really helped me cope better with my anxiety. All you need is a mat and WiFi!

I hope this picture of a quetzal makes your day at least a little bit better :)

The Resplendent Quetzal: a birb