The Best Workout Videos by Burn Rate: Which YouTube Channels are the Most Effective?

Home-based exercise programs are extremely effective in improving both your physical wellbeing and overall quality of life. Plus, you can save time and money compared to heading to the gym throughout the week. 

But with so many YouTube channels devoted to fitness, how do you pick the best ones? We found the 10 most popular workout channels to find which ones help you burn the most calories so you can make the most of your at-home routine. 

Read on to discover the best channels overall, plus individual workout videos ranked by calories burned.

• SELF, DanceWithDeepti, and Body Project take the top spots for most calories burned per video. 

• Cardio, HIIT, and strength training videos burn the most calories. 

• Short videos targeting specific body parts burn the least calories overall. 

Here are the 10 most popular fitness channels on YouTube, ranked by the average amount of calories burned for their top five videos. 

1. SELF (671.16 calories per video)

2. DanceWithDeeptie (560.79 calories per video)

3. Body Project (479.27 calories per video)

4. FitnessBlender (437.92 calories per video5

5. wearecult (352.24 calories per video)

6. Walk at Home (348.97 calories per video)

7. emi wong and Pamela Reif (333.2 calories per video) - TIED

9. Chloe Ting (232.65 calories per video)

10. April Han (135.96 calories per video)

Want to build your own fitness playlist based on total calories burned? Here are all 50 workout videos we analyzed ranked by total calories burned. 

1. Fat Burning Cardio Workout - 37 Minute Fitness Blender Cardio Workout at Home (FitnessBlender) - 880.6 calories

2. Advanced fat burning HIIT cardio workout - 30 mins. (Body Project) - 785.4 calories

3. 30-Minute Strength & Conditioning Workout with Warm Up & Cool Down - No Equipment at Home | SELF (SELF); 32 Minute Home Cardio Workout with No Equipment - Calorie Blasting Cardio Training (FitnessBlender); DWD#85 | Burn Arm + Leg + Belly Fat - 30mins Aerobics Workout | Bollywood #dancewithdeepti (DanceWithDeepti) - 761.6 calories - TIED

6. 30 min Full Body Fat Burn HIIT (NO JUMPING) - Ab, Core, Arm, Back, Leg, Thigh & Cardio ~ Emi (emi wong); 30 Minute HIIT Cardio Workout + Abs At Home - With Warmup | SELF (SELF); DWD#89 | Burn Arm + Leg + Belly Fat - 30mins Aerobics Workout | Dilbar Mix #dancewithdeepti (DanceWithDeepti); DWD#82 | 30mins Daily BELLY FAT BURN Workout | Easy Exercise to Lose weight 3-5kgs #dancewithdeepti (DanceWithDeepti) - 714 calories - TIED 

10. 30-Minute HIIT Cardio Workout with Warm Up - No Equipment at Home | SELF (SELF) - 666.4 calories

11. 25 minute interval cardio workout from home (Body Project) - 642.6 calories

12. 30-Minute Lower-Body Strength Workout with Warm Up - No Equipment at Home | SELF (SELF) - 618.8 calories

13. 25 Minute Full Body Cardio Workout - No Equipment With Warm-Up and Cool-Down | SELF (SELF) - 595 calories

14. START! Walking at Home American Heart Association 3 Mile Walk (Walk at Home) - 535.5 calories

15. 20 MIN FULL BODY WORKOUT - Beginner Version // No Equipment I Pamela Reif (Pamela Reif); 20 MIN FULL BODY WORKOUT // No Equipment | Pamela Reif (Pamela Reif); GET ABS IN 2 WEEKS CHALLENGE | How To Get Six Pack Abs | 6 Pack Abs Workout | Cult Fit | CureFit (wearecult) - 476 calories - TIED

19. Full Body Weight Loss Exercise | Fat Burning Exercise | Weight Loss Exercise | Cult Fit | CureFit (wearecult) - 428.4 calories

20. FAST Walking in 30 minutes | Fitness Videos (Walk at Home) - 415.01 calories

21. 30 MIN WALKING CARDIO WORKOUT | Intense Full Body Fat Burn at Home ~ Emi (emi wong) - 401.62 calories

22. Low Impact 30 minute cardio workout- Beginner/intermediate (Body Project) - 364.44 calories

23. 15 Minute Belly Burn Workout By Cult Fit | Burn Belly Fat | Home Workout | Cult Fit | Cure Fit (wearecult); Do This Everyday to Lose Weight | 2 Weeks Shred Challenge (Chloe Ting) - 333.2 calories - TIED

25. 30 Minute Boosted Fitness Walk | Walk at Home (Walk at Home) - 312. 38 calories

DWD#59 | 30mins DAILY FLAT BELLY Workout - Beginner Bollywood | Easy Exercise to Lose weight 3-5kgs (DanceWithDeepti)

25. 30 mins BEGINNERS Workout | Lose 3-5 kgs in 1 month | BOLLYWOOD Dance Fitness Workout # 25 (DanceWithDeepti); 30 minute fat burning home workout for beginners. Achievable, low impact results. (Body Project); Low impact, beginner, fat burning, home cardio workout. ALL standing! (Body Project) - 301.96 calories - TIED

29. 20 Minute Walk at Home Exercise | Fitness Videos (Walk at Home) - 281.14 calories

30. 10 Mins ABS Workout To Get FLAT BELLY IN 30 DAYS | FREE WORKOUT PROGRAM (Chloe Ting); Abs Workout 🔥 Get that 11 Line Abs in 35 days (Chloe Ting); Get Abs in 2 WEEKS | Abs Workout Challenge (Chloe Ting); EXERCISE FOR BELLY FAT 10 Mins | Belly Fat Workout At Home| Calorie Burn Workout | Cult Fit| CureFit (wearecult); LOSE BELLY FAT IN 7 DAYS Challenge | Lose Belly Fat In 1 Week At Home | Cult Fit | CureFit (wearecult) - 261.8 - TIED

35. 10 MIN AB WORKOUT // No Equipment | Pamela Reif (Pamela Reif); 10 Min Abs Workout -- At Home Abdominal and Oblique Exercises (FitnessBlender); 10 MIN BEGINNER AB WORKOUT // No Equipment | Pamela Reif (Pamela Reif); 10 MIN SIXPACK WORKOUT // No Equipment | Pamela Reif (Pamela Reif); 10 min Standing Abs & Legs Workout | No Jumping ft. (emi wong); SLIM LEGS IN 20 DAYS! 10 min No Jumping Quiet Home Workout ~ Emi (emi wong) - 238 calories - TIED

41. 1.0 Mile Happy Walk | Walk at Home | Walking Workout | over 100M Views (Walk at Home)

42. Get Lower Abs in 14 DAYS! 5 min Beginner Friendly Lower Belly Workout, No Equipment (April Han) - 200.81 calories; The Most Effective Squat Challenge: 100 Rep Fitness Blender Squat Challenge (FitnessBlender) - 190.4 calories - TIED

44. Slim Down Calves in 7 DAYS! 12 min Beginner Friendly Slim Legs Workout, No Jump (April Han) - 156.19 calories

45. (Eng) Thigh Gap in 7 DAYs! | 10 Min Inner Thigh/ Leg Workout ( Knee Friendly, No Equipment) (April Han) - 145.78

46. 5 Minute Butt and Thigh Workout for a Bigger Butt - Exercises to Lift and Tone Your Butt and Thighs (FitnessBlender) - 119 calories

47. Toned & Slim Thighs in 7 DAYS |10 Min Beginner Slim Leg Workout, No Jump (Eng Sub) (April Han) - 104.13 calories

48. Slim Arms in 30 DAYs! | 8 Min Beginner Friendly Standing Workout ( No Equipment ) (April Han) - 83.3 calories

49. 10 MIN EXERCISE & STRETCH FOR SHOULDERS, NECK & THE COLLARBONE AREA ~ Emi (emi wong) - 74.38 calories

50. Do This Warm Up Before Your Workouts | Quick Warm Up Routine (Chloe Ting) - 44.63 calories

Get the data.

In order rank the most effective YouTube fitness channels, we first searched the platform to find popular workout content creators with the most video views. After identifying the top 10 channels, we selected each one’s five most viewed videos. 

From there, we assigned each workout a metabolic equivalents (MET) score based on the type and intensity of the routine. Then we estimated the number of calories burned per video for a female viewer who weighs 170 pounds (the average American woman’s weight) using the following formula:

METS x 3.5 x body weight/200 = calories burned

Finally, we averaged each channel’s top five videos by calories burned to find the most effective options. 

Ready to craft your own YouTube fitness routine? Follow these three tips to make the most of your time. 

• Choose fitness routines you enjoy: Consistency is key to a successful workout routine. If you don’t enjoy the routine you choose, you’re more likely to quit. Instead, experiment with different types of workouts to find a style that gets you excited. 

• Don’t forget your warmup: Avoid jumping straight into a high burn rate. Start with a set of warmup exercises, which can improve your performance by as much as 79%. 

• Set realistic goals: Find out the weekly recommended amount of exercise for your age group and break it down into daily goals. You may be surprised to find out that it’s a manageable amount to fit into your routine. For instance, in your 20s and 30s, shoot for 2.5 to 5 hours a week of moderate-intensity activity. If you shoot for three hours to get started, that’s just 30 minutes of working out for six days a week.