It’s a new year, which means New Year’s resolutions. Many of you probably have some form of “work out more” or “be healthier” or “take care of my body” on that list, right? But how often do you ever actually get around to those resolutions? Well, I’ll make it easy for you and share my secret on how I was able to keep active while in a small apartment instead of making the trek to Ratner or purchasing a Peloton.
You may have heard of fitness influencers like Chloe Ting, who posts workout videos on YouTube and is known for her “2 Weeks Shred Challenge.” You may have even tried it yourself during peak quarantine. Although I never tried it, I remember hearing friends who started it but were never able to finish, or who did the entire thing and didn’t really see much of a difference in their physique. Well, let me tell you why Sydney Cummings is a different kind of “influencer” and why she is, frankly, the best.
Free workouts:
Sydney posts a brand-new workout every day at 5 AM as part of her fitness company she runs with her fiancé called Royal Change. These videos are posted to YouTube, where you can view them for free! She even refuses ads so that they don’t interrupt the videos and more importantly your workout! Although many of her workouts use dumbbells or other home equipment, she often mentions ways you can modify the exercises if you don’t have the proper gear. She is committed to showing how anyone, regardless of living space or fortune, can get up and be active.
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Researched, enjoyable workouts:
Because Sydney is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, she has the proper knowledge that many fitness influencers don’t actually have. Each month, she creates a theme and designs daily workouts that are made to progressively increase your strength, conditioning, and overall health. By the end of the month, you’ll be surprised at just what your body can do! Plus, she makes working out fun: the special effects of her set, her motivational words, and her very unique exercises will make you love getting up to work with her.
This month’s theme, “Ignite.” Image via
Optional group membership:
Outside of YouTube, Sydney offers entrance to a group called the “Sydney Squad.” While this membership isn’t free, it is a Facebook group of 3.3K+ driven people who foster an incredibly supportive environment. I was in the Squad for a few months in quarantine, and seeing people post their transformations since starting with Sydney was incredibly inspiring. Plus, if you were to post, you would get about fifty comments from complete strangers praising you with the sweetest of messages. In a time of strife and hardship, it’s a blessing to know that there are people who have your back, even if they don’t know you. This group also offers a workout schedule for the entire month so you know what will be coming, private Q&As with Sydney, daily challenges, a nutritional program based on your specific needs, recipes, and knowledgeable guest speakers.
Sydney with some members of the Squad early last year. Image via
A different idea of health:
I won’t sugarcoat it: most influencers are super skinny. Sydney has a very muscular physique: while she certainly has minimal body-fat, she doesn’t have the same type of Chloe Ting skinniness that many teenage girls strive for. In an era of increasing awareness of different body styles and a changing definition of “beautiful,” Sydney offers something different: to be healthy and beautiful is to be strong. Strong can mean both physically, where you can bench X number of pounds, but can also mean mentally. She makes the point that every day when you do her workouts, you exhibit mental strength because you were able to push through the pain and finish. At the end of every workout, she delivers a pep talk where her pride in you genuinely shows and motivates you to show up the next day. Sydney teaches people that if you can get through her workouts, you can get through your day or any other struggles you may be going through; you just have to search for that determination you have in your workouts and apply it to your daily life.
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Sydney Cummings is one of the most inspirational people I have seen on the internet: she has gone through the struggles of losing a brother in an accident, losing a job, and even getting shot. Still, every day, she shows up for her audience. She shows up because she knows she can make a difference in their lives and spread good in the world. She has picked me up when I’ve felt down and has motivated me to become my best self. You won’t find another fitness trainer like her, I guarantee you.
Subscribe to her at https://www.youtube.com/c/SydneyCummings.
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