Earlier this month, SWEAT app co-founder Kayla Itsines announced that she's officially renamed her infamous Bikini Body Guides program because, in her mind, it represented an outdated view of health and fitness. This is just one of many ways Itsines has strived to make the SWEAT app and her workout content more inclusive and accessible since getting her start in 2014. In addition to her mega popular high-intensity programs, Itsines has also launched Post-Pregnancy, Beginner, Zero Equipment, Low Impact, and Pilates and Barree programs over the past few years — and with them, included a slew of new trainers from different fitness backgrounds. Meanwhile, SWEAT trainer Kelsey Wells has also made her offerings more accessible with At Home and Zero Equipmentalternatives to her popular gym-based PWR program.
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Now, to take things a step further, SWEAT is announcing yet another new program, this one geared specifically towards beginners. Move Again, which launches today, Monday, May 24, will feature four, easy-to-follow, beginner-level fitness programs designed to empower women to start working out (whether for the first time or after a hiatus), regain their self-confidence, and prioritize their health. The program will be available exclusively on the SWEAT app.
Move Again was inspired by research commissioned by SWEAT that revealed how the coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted women's relationship with fitness and with themselves. Of the women surveyed, only 7 percent reported feeling confident, and 54 percent revealed that they felt insecure and didn't feel good about their bodies as a whole, according to a press release. (Related: Exercising Regularly Is One of the Best Ways to Lower Your Risk of Severe COVID-19)
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"The majority (84 percent) of the women we spoke to said if they were able to exercise regularly it would help them feel more confident, but they needed to find a workout program that felt achievable, realistic, and motivating," Itsines shared in the statement. "Our mission at SWEAT is to listen to the needs of women and make fitness as accessible as possible. We quickly realized that we needed to create a new collection of beginner fitness programs to meet women where they are today and support them to return to fitness on their own terms."
What's the Move Again Program All About?
Move Again includes four new programs: one led by Kelsey Wells and the three others led by new trainers Anissia Hughes, Samantha Ortiz-Young, and Marilyn Rodriguez.
Each program is four weeks long and features two 20-minute workouts per week that include a mix of high-intensity, strength, and low-impact exercises. This easy and attainable workout structure is designed to get women moving and foster a sustainable relationship with fitness. (Related: 7 Workout Motivation Tips That Will Get You Off the Couch)
The programs were also created with accessibility in mind, which is why every workout can be done from the comfort of your home. All you need is a set of dumbbells (mostly optional), an open space, and a yoga mat to get started. With a total of 16 weeks of new workout content, the programs are designed to be interchangeable with one another and complementary.
Read on for an in-depth breakdown of each program and exclusive insight from the trainers.
Low-Impact Strength with Kelsey
Wells's new Low-Impact Strength program is perfect for anyone who wants to get into fitness but isn't quite sure where to start. Wells, who is a certified personal trainer and a prenatal and postnatal fitness expert, designed her program to help women build foundational strength and endurance without putting any undue pressure on their joints. (Related: 8 Low-Impact Workouts That Still Burn Major Calories)
The four-week program starts with one week of foundation classes to help women get accustomed to working out followed by three weeks of workouts focusing on full-body fundamentals and lower-body strength. There will be optional upper-body and core workouts to tack onto the program for those who are interested.
"Through my new Low-Impact Strength program, I want to encourage more women to start being active and moving their bodies to care for their health," Wells tells Shape. "I want to help women build strength and confidence lifting weights by teaching them the foundational and basic movement patterns of lifting exercises with dumbbells." (Related: How to Pick the Right Size Dumbbells for Your Workouts)
Bodyweight Strength with Anissia
A new member of the SWEAT family, Hughes is a former college basketball player and a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer known for her balanced approach to fitness. "I have always had such a strong passion for helping others and for fitness overall," says Huges. "So I am very excited to be able to put the two together and collaborate with SWEAT to help empower women through fitness."
Her new Bodyweight Strength program offers two 20-minute beginner-friendly full-body workouts per week, each one made up of two low-impact circuits. And just like in Wells' Low-Impact Strength program, Hughes' workouts are designed to introduce women to the fundamentals of movement — but without the use of any equipment. The four-week program gradually increases in difficulty and also offers an optional, next-level workout for women who're ready to kick things up a notch. (Related: Can You Build Muscle with Only Bodyweight Exercises?)
"I designed my new Bodyweight Strength program to encourage women to get moving again but to also push them out of their comfort zone and show them just how capable they are of accomplishing anything they put their mind to," shares Hughes.
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Low-Impact HIIT with Samantha
Another new face on the SWEAT app, Ortiz-Young has been passionate about getting women to move ever since she started her fitness career in her parents' basement at a young age. The American Fitness Institute certified functional strength coach and certified personal trainer brings 10 years of fitness experience to the table and has amassed quite the fan base for her fitness style, which combines compound movements and cardio to help build muscle and endurance simultaneously. (Related: Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like)
"I'm proud to be collaborating with a company that is committed to increasing trainer diversity and recognizes that my background, culture, and life experience help make me the trainer and woman I am," says Ortiz-Young.
Her new beginner-friendly low-impact HIIT program follows the same blueprint and is designed to help build strength and endurance while making HIIT training an enjoyable and achievable experience. The four-week program will feature three 20-minute workouts per week — each of which will challenge different parts of the body. Get ready for some low-impact Tabata, AMRAPs, and express workouts that will get your body used to a variety of movements — no equipment required.
"Through my new beginner-level SWEAT program, I want women to see that fitness really can be achievable for everybody," she says. "I believe it's never too late to begin your fitness journey and you can start at any stage simply by moving your body and taking that first step."
Another new face on the SWEAT app, Ortiz-Young has been passionate about getting women to move ever since she started her fitness career in her parents' basement at a young age. The American Fitness Institute certified functional strength coach and certified personal trainer brings 10 years of fitness experience to the table and has amassed quite the fan base for her fitness style, which combines compound movements and cardio to help build muscle and endurance simultaneously. (Related: Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like)
"I'm proud to be collaborating with a company that is committed to increasing trainer diversity and recognizes that my background, culture, and life experience help make me the trainer and woman I am," says Ortiz-Young.
Her new beginner-friendly low-impact HIIT program follows the same blueprint and is designed to help build strength and endurance while making HIIT training an enjoyable and achievable experience. The four-week program will feature three 20-minute workouts per week — each of which will challenge different parts of the body. Get ready for some low-impact Tabata, AMRAPs, and express workouts that will get your body used to a variety of movements — no equipment required.
"Through my new beginner-level SWEAT program, I want women to see that fitness really can be achievable for everybody," she says. "I believe it's never too late to begin your fitness journey and you can start at any stage simply by moving your body and taking that first step."
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Strength & Cardio with Marilyn
Rodriguez's love affair with fitness began after an impromptu trip to the gym with her friend, which inspired her to embark on a journey to become the healthiest and most confident version of herself. Today, she holds an International Sports Sciences Association personal trainer certificate and is known for her goal-oriented approach to fitness that encourages women to work out to feel good, instead of to look good.
"My goal as a fitness trainer is to help as many women as possible develop a healthy lifestyle and understand the power of movement," explains Rodriguez. "My new Strength & Cardio program incorporates fun and effective exercises to help keep women motivated while establishing a foundation to strength training that they will be able to utilize in any setting, whether it be at home or the gym!"
The new SWEAT trainer's four-week program features two 20-minute workouts per week made up of a strength superset and a cardio circuit that focus on full-body strength and endurance. Similar to Wells' program, the first week of Rodriguez's Strength & Cardio program will include foundational classes to help women kick-start their journey. In terms of equipment, all you need is a set of dumbbells and a chair. (Related: The Best Workout Apps to Download Right Now)
Ready to get started on one of the Move Again programs? First, download the SWEAT app, then commit to working out with one of the fabulous trainers and their programs above. (You can try it free for one week, and then access costs $20/month or $120/year.) Whether you're just starting out, getting back to it after a hiatus, or want to brush up on your fundamentals, these programs are sure to make you feel amazing.
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