Legit, Certified Instagram Trainers to Follow for Serious Fitness Motivation

This beauty is far from just a trainer on The Biggest Loser. She's a health and fitness expert in all respects, with National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Dynamax Master Trainer, and CrossFit Level 1 certifications under her belt, as well as a book: Diet Right for Your Personality Type. Scroll her Instagram feed for workout inspo, ideas, and her latest projects—then load up on her advice in our 40-Day Crush-Your-Goals Challenge to get just a taste of what makes this lady so special.

Looking for some strong and inspiring ladies to add to your feed? Look no further than Katie Crewe (a certified strength and conditioning specialist, nutritional practitioner, and health coach), who stocks her fitness Instagram feed with impressive fitness feats, #realtalk lessons in body positivity, workout ideas for every taste, and super-important form tips—even correcting some of the other mistakes you might see on IG. (Case in point: Watch her demo proper glute engagement during these common exercises.) Plus, she's got pregnancy-specific exercises for the expectant parents out there.

Following Joe Holder (a Nike trainer and run coach and fitness nutrition specialist) will not only give you a peep into how Victoria's Secret models and fit-lebrities like Hannah Bronfman train, but will also give you a dose of exercise science education and a kickass reading list too. Holder is a perfect example of the phrase "never not learning." His expertise goes far beyond "trainer." The former college football player has coined his own holistic health theory, The Ocho System, and taps into both nutrition and exercise to train his clients for performance and functional movement—not just six-pack abs.

Ben's no-nonsense training vibe is to work hard and smart—no excuses. He cut his teeth working at one of the most well-respected gyms in the business—Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning in Boston. Now, he has clients (celebs like Kate Upton, Chelsea Handler, and Jessica Biel) pushing heavy weights and running up and down the streets of LA (literally) pushing weighted sleds like it's NBD. His feed is full of casual workout vids of his clientele ("Bruno's Bitches") and himself crushing some classic strength work, as well as doing some new moves you probably haven't seen before, which is refreshing.

There's a reason trainer Kira Stokes' website reads, "20 years. 11 certifications. 0 bullsh*t." This woman means business when it comes to fitness. She holds personal training and performance-enhancement specialist certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, as well as specialized certifications in Schwinn Cycle, pre- and postnatal fitness, TRX, SBT-Suspended Body Weight Training, ViPR, and Kettlebell Concepts. She trains her clients—including Candace Cameron Bure—using The Stoked Method, her namesake training style (and accompanying app) rooted in science. (Want a taste? Try the 30-day arms challenge or 30-day plank challenge that Stokes created just for us.)

In 2017, Lauren Leavell was working your typical 9-5 job in the corporate world when she decided to make the leap into the wellness space–and you should be glad she did. The trainer is spreading amazing messages about inclusivity and body positivity, and her account is dedicated to answering your burning fitness questions and serving much-needed motivation. Not to mention, she's a NASM-certified personal trainer, a meditation leader, and a barre and HIIT instructor. (See more from her in: What It's Like Being a Black, Body-Positive Female Trainer In an Industry That's Predominantly Thin and White)

NASM-certified tranier Anna Victoria doesn't just serve up fitness motivation and ideas (per her FitBody Guides or new Body Love app—one of the best fitness apps out there)—but she serves up a lot of real talk too. For example, in this Instagram post, she explains exactly why she's not afraid of looking "manly" from lifting weights.

Jen Esquer, a self-proclaimed "avid mover," has been active since she was a kid, participating in gymnastics, track and field, and dance. She turned her love of movement into a career, becoming a doctor of physical therapy as well as a Pilates instructor and yogi based in Los Angeles. Her specialty, though, is mobility: She created an entire program called The Mobility Method, hosts free mobility challenges online, and serves up functional movement tips daily on her Instagram feed. You can rest assured knowing that anything you get off her IG is backed with serious knowledge of the human body and how it works.

You've likely seen this superfit lady going viral in the fitness Instagram world and on the internet—and for good reason. Not only can Kaisa Keranen come up with the most insane Tabata workouts ever, but she can find ways to work out anywhere, anytime. (Just watch this toilet paper workout she created.) And there's brainpower behind her gym acrobatics. The former track and field athlete has a master's degree in sports performance and injury prevention, as well as a performance enhancement specialist certification from NASM.

As the founder of Festive Fitness & Wellness in West Philadelphia, Mike Watkins is serving up body positivity, fitness tips, and posts that are sure to make you smile (I mean, just look at his!). Each of his workout hacks are founded on his bachelor's of science in athletic training and knowledge as a licensed and certified athletic trainer.

Put simply, Harley Pasternak knows all the things. He has a master of science in exercise physiology and nutritional sciences from the University of Toronto and an honors degree in kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. Plus, he's certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology, and he served as an exercise and nutrition scientist for Canada's Department of National Defense. It that's not enough to wow you, know this: He's also trained celebs like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Amy Schumer, and Alicia Keys.

Follow him on IG to see his healthy meals and his training with celeb clients, and to get a peek of his personal life—including the adorable ways he stays fit with his kids. (This Lady Gaga post may be the MVP.) Get a feel for his philosophy by reading about why he says exercise is the least important part of weight loss and what happened when one editor tried his Body Reset Diet.

A former Australian pole vaulter, Amanda Bisk turned to fitness and nutrition when she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue. Now she has degrees in sports science and exercise rehabilitation as well as coaching certifications in CrossFit, yoga, and pole vaulting. Her fitness Instagram feed is full of too-pretty-to-be-real-life yoga landscape shots as well as yoga flow videos, gym exercise ideas, and shots of her two pups (who have their own account, naturally, @westcoast_weenies).

Don't let his nickname, the "Glute Guy," fool you. Bret Contreras is serious about fitness. (Just peep his Ph.D. in sports science and a strength and conditioning certification from the National Strength & Conditioning Association.) His fitness Instagram feed is full of strength training inspo and creative techniques for building muscle all over (and, yes, especially in those glutes).

If you're a part of the Peloton camp, you've probably sweat out all your worries with Robin Arzón before. The former-lawyer-turned-fitness-fanatic is currently the vice president of fitness programming and head instructor at Peloton, where she teaches tread and cycling classes. Over on her fitness Instagram, you'll find expert training tips, powered by her experience as a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)-certified running coach, NASM-certified personal trainer, and Schwinn spin instructor. (Read about how a near-death experience inspired her to become a trainer and how she runs 100-mile races with diabetes, and you'll be in awe of her resiliency.)

As a doctor of physical therapy, certified strength and conditioning coach, fitness nutrition specialist, and certified personal trainer, Laura Miranda has almost every inch of fitness knowledge covered. She's dedicated to helping women get fit, strong, and healthy—and her Instagram feed is the perfect example. She posts moves and routines that prove you can "do fitness" everywhere—not just in a gym.

Alex Silver-Fagan started her fitness career fresh out of undergrad at New York University. She's accumulated personal training, functional strength, nutrition, kettlebell, flexibility, and yoga certifications, and doesn't just "work out," but "trains to live." Scroll through her feed for inspiration for everything from acro yoga to CrossFit, and be sure to watch her Instagram stories for a peek into her daily gym routine and moves to try on your own. (Or try the 30-day squat challenge she designed.)

Jeanette Jenkins goes by The Hollywood Trainer, and she's earned the title; the fitness rock star has worked with Pink, Alicia Keys, and Amber Rose, among other A-listers. (Remember that awesome aerial performance Pink did at the 2017 AMAs? Here's a killer core workout from Jenkins inspired by Pink's training.) But her star-studded client list isn't the only reason she's a top trainer. With a degree in human kinetics from the University of Ottawa and 18 other international certifications covering nutrition and training styles, Jenkins has the education to back it all up.

Bonus: She's generous with workout tips on her Instagram. Follow Jenkins for a balanced mix of workouts, healthy recipes, and motivational quotes.

Artemis Scantalides' motto is all you need to hear to become an instant fan: "I am not afraid to lift." Though her fitness life began with ballet and later Kung Fu (she's a black belt, FYI), she moved on to become a certified personal trainer, pre- and postpartum trainer, StrongFirst Team Leader, Certified Kettlebell-Functional Movement Specialist (CK-FMS), spin instructor, sandbag instructor, and Precision Nutrition Level I coach. Her fitness Instagram posts will inspire you to pick up the heavy kettlebells and to find a sweat squad who will do it with you.

Using his International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) personal trainer certification and bachelor of science in exercise science, Joseph David is crafting a fitness Instagram feed that will leave you inspired to do every plank workout out there. His profile is filled with home workout plans, dance-inspired exercises, and so. many. abs.

Based in the Fort Lauderdale area, Idalis Velazquez is an ISSA Elite Trainer and Beachbody Super Trainer–the first latina to earn the title at Beachbody. If her certifications don't convince you to give her a follow, all of her bodyweight, band, and dumbbell exercise videos and adorable photos of her children definitely will. Bonus: As a bilingual trainer, each of Velazquez's posts are written in both English and Spanish.

Born in the Dominican Republic and now training in L.A., Massy Arias is serving up fire workouts in bright and bold athletic wear. As a certified personal trainer, Arias incorporates a huge variety of techniques into her routines, including resistance training, calisthenics, yoga, high intensity interval training, and sprinting. And her Instagram feed proves just that: On Saturdays, she posts mobility exercises to help you stay injury-free, and other days she posts insane workouts, like this upper-body routine featuring single arm negative push-ups, pull-ups, and more.