Top 5 Workout Video Pet Peeves

I’m just 1 person who watches a lot of workout videos. After doing at-home workouts for years, there are some common things I notice in workout videos that get on my nerves. Here are my top 5 workout video pet peeves and how I learned to deal with each.

1. There is No Warmup or Cooldown Included

Pet peeve: I usually have a certain amount of time blocked out in my day for a workout, and when I start a video and find I’m supposed to jump right in, it means having to tack on minutes for which I hadn’t planned. The worst, however, is when there’s no cooldown. I’m sweaty and exhausted and I am forced to go to my computer and look up a cool down routine that matches the areas I’ve just worked. I also run the risk of sitting down in my desk chair to find a cool down video and then not standing back up again.

How I got over this: My best solution is to simply check the beginning and ending of a video I’m doing for the first time. If there isn’t a warmup or cooldown, I know I’ll need to either choose a different video that fits better into my schedule or get those items cued up before I start into a YouTube playlist so they can autoplay for me. POPSUGAR Fitness has some nice warmups and cooldowns that are quick and easy to find in a search.

2. Trainers Who Don’t Do Their Own Workouts

Pet peeve: There are certain trainers (you know who you are!) who tell you what exercise to do, demo it for a couple reps, and then stop doing the move. I don’t mean trainers who occasionally check other people’s forms and point out ways to improve; that is useful. I mean trainers who stand and talk instead of doing the exercise. Not only is it more difficult for me to keep up my pace and maintain the proper form without a visual example, but it also annoys me that I am on this side of the screen working hard and the trainer seems to be taking it easy. I want a trainer who is sweaty and winded, just like me, but keeping up with the moves anyway. It isn’t fair for a trainer to ask me to give my all and then not put in the same effort.

How I got over this: I know it must be incredibly difficult to give verbal instructions and do the moves at the same time; I also know I couldn’t do it. But I really do want a trainer who is right there in it with me the whole time. So I keep a list of trainers whose styles do not match what I’m looking for. If I notice this flaw pop up in several different videos, I add the name to my list. So the next time I go looking for workout videos, I can more easily decide which to choose and which to skip.

3. There is No Time to Get the Required Equipment

Pet peeve: It’s frustrating when I’m halfway through a workout and the instructor suddenly throws in weights or gets out a mat. I’m sure it’s just a matter of making the most of their onscreen time, and they cut out the boring equipment setup part. But I can’t make my mat instantly appear like theirs do in a jump cut, so I have to go pause the video, get what I need, and come back. By then, my heart rate has dropped and so has my mood.

How I got over this: Very quickly I learned the value of watching videos by trusted trainers and on trusted channels where equipment is announced at the beginning of a video. When I hear “For this workout, you’ll need resistance bands” and I haven’t replaced my set of old, snapped bands yet, I know that’s not the video for me right now. I love channels like POPSUGAR that make a point right up front in the video itself of letting me know what equipment will be used, especially as I don’t always read the video description details beforehand either.

4. Not Being Able to See the Move

Pet peeve: Occasionally, a trainer will have me get into a position where I cannot see the screen to follow along. This isn’t usually a problem with a good trainer who can verbally explain the proper technique. However, there are a few trainers who just assume I can follow along and forget to tell me out loud when to switch sides, for example. There are other times when I need to modify and the camera angle or video editing make it impossible for me to see the person on screen doing the modified version.

How I got over this: There isn’t a whole lot I can do, but there are a few options. One, I can take a breather and watch until I can clearly see how the move gets performed. Then I can back the video up and join in. This is time-consuming, but it works unless the workout is livestreaming. Or, two, I can give it my best guess. Most times, I get pretty close based on experience, and this option allows me to stay moving and keep up. However, this option also means I might not have the right form or be working my body the way the trainer intended.

5. Trainers Who Say “Lay” When They Mean “Lie”

Pet peeve: All right, I admit it, I’m a grammar nerd. It gets on my nerves when a trainer tells me to “lay down” because I have absolutely no skill in laying flooring tiles or any physical way of laying eggs. It breaks my mood to have to yell a grammar correction at the screen while I’m transitioning from jumping jacks into bicycles.

How I got over this: I learned to acknowledge that each one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, talents and shortcomings. I could never do what these trainers do on a daily basis—putting together well-balanced routines, practicing and refining them, and leading them for an audience of tens of thousands. So as long as they give me a great, enjoyable workout, I give them a pass now if their grammar isn’t perfect.