Finding the right fitness program to kickstart one’s fitness journey can be a daunting task, with so many options to choose from. On this post, I suggest four programs that I am convinced will yield results (simply because I have tried three of them myself and the fourth has amazing transformation pictures shared by the trainers, so I know they’re legit). Two of them have more of a personal trainer feel to them and focus more on building your glutes, while the two other ones are more general (and less pricey, but still very efficient), and focus on all muscle groups.
All four creators of these fitness programs have huge followings on Instagram and are well-respected by their peers.
If you are not used to exercising or eating clean, you may feel a little overwhelmed with the amount of information or work that it takes to live a healthier lifestyle. If you find that you need a little extra help to guide you through your diet and workouts, here are four trainers (and fitness programs) that will help you get started in the best possible way.
You may also like:
- Top 3 Fit Girls To Follow On Instagram For Inspiration and Motivation
- 5 Crucial Truths I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Fitness Journey – Nutrition, Workout, Mindset & More
- Workout In Style: The Hottest Fitness Outfits You’ll Absolutely Need To Get You Motivated At The Gym
- Tips To Overcome Lack Of Motivation To Exercise & Stay Committed To Your Fitness Goal
-
-
Sonia Tlev and her Top Body Challenge, to build a bubble butt; lean, toned legs and a firm body
Sonia is passionate about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. Her own fitness journey began when one of her friends, who happened to be a trainer, provided her with essential pieces of advice to transform her body, which worked wonders. Sonia started posting pictures of herself on Instagram and quickly became a fitness influencer, sharing her knowledge and workout tips.
In collaboration with certified trainer Lucile Woodward, Sonia launched the Top Body Challenge, which comprises two fitness programs of twelve weeks each, as well as two meal programs. The programs focus on building a “bubble butt”, while having a fit and lean body and consist in three sessions weekly, of 30 minutes each, dedicated to strength training; and two sessions of 45 up to 90 minutes of cardio twice a week.
The only things you will need to complete the strength training exercises are a sports mat, dumbbells, a skip rope and ankle weights. The ladder is not mandatory, add them only if you want your glutes to grow. As far as the cardio sessions are concerned, you can complete any activity you want: swimming, dancing, running, biking, hiking; basically anything that will make you sweat and accelerate your heartbeat.
The results from women who completed Sonia’s fitness program “Top Body Challenge” are quite impressive. You can check Sonia’s Instagram page at Soniatlevfitness, where she shares some of the transformations. I have to say that I, myself, started my fitness journey with Sonia’s TBC1 and 2 programs and feel like it was the best way to ease my way into fitness. Because I was alone in my living room, I didn’t fear not executing the movements correctly, and… I could cry my eyes out in peace, in the comfort of my home when I found a workout routine or a movement too challenging (like the first time I performed single leg bridges!). If I could share one piece of advice though, it would be to either search on YouTube every exercise to make sure you execute them properly, or try and take one session with a trainer at a gym so they can show how to do the movements correctly. I say this because a fee weeks into the TBC1, I did squats with the wrong form and ended with a knee injury that had me stop exercising for months! The TBC consists of 3 “resistance training” sessions per week, and 2 weekly cardio workouts of your choice, to get your heart rate up. I really loved her fitness program.
If you are interested in meal plans too, Sonia offers one as part of her many programs.
-
-
Kathy Drayton and Luther Freeman, The 30 Day Transformation plan, to build a bigger butt, bigger thighs and slim waist
Kathy and Luther are certified fitness trainers (they train celebrities too) and they have come up with a 30 Day Transformation Plan, also called the Thick Curvy plan, that focuses around building bigger butt and legs, creating a slim waist and toned body. The 30 Day Transformation plan also comes with a meal plan.
The good thing about this program is that you check back every week with a trainer (not directly Kathy or Luther, but someone from their team) to see your evolution and you can address your questions or doubts. Kathy’s body is the prime example of how efficient Luther’s method is. He has literally sculpted his fiancé’s body and provides you with the technique he has mastered.Depending on your needs, you have the opportunity to choose between the 30 day plan and the 90 day one, which is obviously more expensive. Note that the plan does require that you have access to a treadmill or elliptical bike.
The reason why we particularly love this couple is that besides them being extremely talented, (Luther has really mastered the art of literally transforming all body types to “thick curvy”), their purpose goes way beyond solely training people. They are committed to deeply changing lives. They urge people to realize that nothing good comes easy but if you are willing to dedicate your entire self to achieving your goals, no matter how challenging it might get, you will succeed. The beautiful thing is that when you do achieve your physical goals, usually your whole attitude about your life changes because you have acquired self-discipline and sometimes even self-love. You need access to gym equipment to be able to complete their workouts.
3. Fitness Programs – Kayla Itsiness BBG programs
I personally went with Kayla’s programs after finishing Sonia’s TBC 1 and 2, but much like Sonia, Kayla has different workout programs to suit your fitness level. The reason why I decided to go with Kayla was simply because I knew she was super popular on Instagram (I didn’t follow her on the platform at the time, but was heavily targeted by all her Facebook and Instagram ads, so her marketing 100% got me, haha! When the time came to pick a new program, I naturally gravitated towards her).
Kayla Itsines is a certified trainer based in Australia, and she had build an incredible community of millions of people on Instagram to whom she seems extremely committed. She often insists that she is not one of those influencers that decided one day they would launch a fitness program because they were popular on Instagram. Kayla makes it very clear that she is a certified personal trainer with YEARS of experience and that she was training real people way before Instagram. I have to say, her passion for helping women is admirable.
I didn’t really know what to do after finishing Sonia Tlev’s fitness programs, as I didn’t feel I knew enough about fitness to train myself and thought I needed to follow an exercise plan. So I decided to go straight to Kayla’s BBG 2 program, as I felt I was no longer a beginner. I found the BBG 2 really challenging, much more than Sonia’s TBC 2 but I loved it (except arm days that had me dying – I often found myself unable to finish arm exercises!). What I didn’t like much about both Sonia and Kayla’s programs, was that my goal was to lose weight and strengthen my body, but I also really wanted to build my glutes. I hoped to build a perky, round booty and I found that none of these programs helped with that (my abs were popping though, especially after Kayla’s program!). The BBG workout programs consist of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions performed three times a week for three months and will have your heart rate going crazy!
Kayla also offers tons of healthy recipe ideas when you subscribe to her fitness app SWEAT.
4. Fitness Programs – Gorgeous Glutes, by Bret Contreras aka the Glute Guy
Listen now, if your goal is to build your glutes, this program is for you. Bret Contreras is considered as the king of glute building. He has made it his specialty for years and all the fitness influencers you admire the most follow his guidance when it comes to creating the perfect glute. For instance, Danni Belle (@dannibelle on Instagram – 1 million followers) and Krissy Cela (@krissycela on Instagram 2.6 million followers on Instagram) both have posted YouTube videos with Bret, to share his talent with their community. He is one of the most passionate fitness experts I “know”, and always tries to give back by sharing his knowledge on social media.
Bret has a PhD in Sports Science, he is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Distinction, an author, he is the Founder of The Glute Lab, which is his gym located in San Diego and Las Vegas, and he also launched his very own line of fitness equipment, with the most popular ones being the hip thruster and the glute loops, which are resistance bands.
I have tried the Gorgeous Glutes program, which can be found in Bret Contreras book Strong Curves which is an amazing book to read if you want to learn about muscle growth. The book offers three fitness programs, with Gorgeous Glutes being the one that focuses exclusively on booty building.
The Gorgeous Glutes program last three months and consists in three sessions per week. I think you could redo it after finishing the program by increasing your weights or your reps to make it challenging and elicit muscle growth. I have to say the results were extremely impressive. Not only were my glutes rounder and perkier, but I have really stubborn fat and cellulite around hips that this program has helped significantly reduce, so I highly recommend it.
Bret also offers personal training, which I also subscribed to but only for a couple months as I found it WAY too hard. I found that the program that was given to me did not suit my fitness level at the time, which discouraged me from continuing. I think you have to be extra committed and willing to suffer to do the personal training program (which is also quite pricey, in my opinion).
If you are trying to build your glutes, definitely sign up to Bret’s personal training services, or purchase his book and try one of his 3- month programs.
Are you ready to get your heart rate up and muscle groups working? Which workout programs are you starting with? If you are on a weight loss or fitness journey, it doesn’t matter your current fitness level, you will always find a program that suits you. My personal piece of advice if you are just getting started and don’t have access to a gym, would be to start with Sonia’s program (that is what I did) and once you become a bit more used to the movements and more athletic, you can start working with Kathy and Luther, who will help you attain your fitness goals.
