As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are following social distancing orders by staying quarantined in their homes. Students are completing their fourth quarter of school online, non-essential businesses are remaining closed and many parents are now working from home. While in quarantine, people have had the extra time to pick up a new trade, practice a new talent and use their free time in positive ways.

Many students have turned to exercising as a way to get out of the house and stay active while being stuck at home all day. Some students run or walk while others create their own routine or follow videos online taught by workout instructors. Despite being created eight months ago, one fitness trend has gained a huge following in recent weeks, mainly from teenage girls.

Chloe Ting, a YouTube blogger and workout instructor, regularly posts exercise videos for over 6.7 million subscribers. Many of her workouts are high intensity, and almost all of them require zero equipment. 

Ting’s workouts consist of sets in which she performs one exercise for 30 to 40 seconds, and then moves on to another. In between certain exercises, she also provides either a five or ten-second rest time for the viewer to catch their breath.

While Ting posts many different videos, her most popular videos are a part of her Two Week Shred Challenge, a free program posted to her YouTube channel. She created the workout program designed to help people get a flatter stomach and more ab definition. She posted the schedule for the challenge on her website as different days of the shred requires the viewer to watch different videos. While separately each of her videos ranges from ten to 15 minutes, Ting pairs the workouts together to create a longer and more beneficial routine. Some days have two videos to watch while others have three or four.

As a way to stay fit during quarantine, freshman Olivia Alvarez turned to the shred after her softball season was canceled.

“I first heard about her workouts from my friend who was working through the program and she encouraged me to try it because she was starting to see really good results,” Alvarez said. “While the workouts can get tiring, after only a week of following the routine I’m also starting to see a lot of positive progress.” 

For day one of the challenge, participants must watch two videos named EP1: Do This Everyday To Lose Weight and EP2: 2 Weeks Abs Workout Challenge. 

Each day of the shred varies in duration, but no workout is shorter than 25 minutes or longer than 50 minutes. Many of her videos include exercises like leg lifts, up and down planks, jumping jacks, bicycle crunches and an arrangement of other moves designed to work the arms, legs and core. Her program includes two rest days on the fifth and ninth day of the challenge where no workouts have to be completed. 

While the workout is a big commitment, many people have shown off their amazing results after following the program. People have taken to apps like TikTok and Instagram to show off their progress. Some are even creating their own YouTube videos to document what they look like each day of the shred as well as their overall progress.

While many rave of the workout Ting offers, the program is no easy commitment. The videos are tiring and repetitive and people may not see results if they are not eating healthy throughout the shred. If people find the workouts to be overwhelming, they can always complete the videos separately or break them up throughout the day. For some of her exercises, Ting offers an easier alternative that people can choose. An example is for burpees. An alternative she recommends is completing push-ups instead of doing burpees if the viewer is getting tired. 

Chloe Ting is only one of countless other fitness YouTubers helping people on their journey to get in better shape. In this time of isolation, exercise can serve as a much-needed break and a chance to get out of the house and work on building a stronger body.