9 Instagram Accounts to Follow For Strength Training Inspiration

Social media for inspiration

Getty Images/Luis Alvarez

Social media outlets like Instagram have changed the way people interact. About 70% of people in the United States turn to social media to connect with others, get news updates, and share information. But what about inspiration?

There’s a plethora of health and fitness-related content on social media, everything from weight loss to detox diets to fitness plans. When looking for inspiration for fitness and health, it’s important to find professional “influencers” who deliver a supportive, helpful message. 

Here, you’ll find a list of Instagram accounts that you can follow for the strength training inspiration you crave.

Roxie Jones (@_roxie_jones_)

If you’re looking for a fitness professional who knows how to keep it fun and real, then you’re going to want to check out Roxie Jones for inspiration on Instagram. Founder of BodyROX, Roxie is a trainer and fitness coach, providing virtual one-on-one coaching, group coaching, and strength training classes on demand and live. She’s also a strength trainer on Alo Moves, an online fitness platform.

With more than 26,000 Instagram followers, Roxie provides inspiration for strength training sharing fact-based fitness and nutrition videos filled with humor.

Roxie is all about keeping fitness functional so it benefits your daily routine. She breaks down complicated exercises that work out your entire body into easy-to-follow steps. Roxie also shares tips on how to make strength training fit your schedule. 

Matthew Forzaglia (@forzag) 

When it comes to strength training, Matthew Forzaglia wants to help you take your workout to the next level. A fitness coach and trainer at Forzag Fitness, Mat’s Instagram account has a variety of strength training videos focused on different parts of the body, like the legs, shoulders, and core. He shares exercises that you can do at home or at the gym.

Mat believes that there’s no right or wrong time to start working. You can find a number of exercise videos on his page that fit multiple fitness levels.

Taylor Mei (@littletfitness)

You’re going to hit that follow button after watching Taylor Mei do backflips, handstands, and then more backflips in her video clips. From Toronto, Canada, Taylor is an International Federation of BodyBuilding Professional (IFBB Pro), athlete, and fitness trainer who focuses on strength, calisthenics, and mobility. 

Her Instagram page is filled with videos on how she uses her own body to get stronger. You can watch Taylor do pistol squats on a sidewalk in London, handstands at the beach in Miami, and Cossack squats (pistol squat and dragon pistol squat) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

You can also train with Taylor on her app. 

Exercise Snacks (@exercise_snacks)

Exercise Snacks on Instagram is an open-source library and resource of ideas from Joe Holder of The Ocho System. Exercise Snacks is all about making “movement a movement.” In other words, finding small "snack-size" ways to add more activity to your daily routine. 

Exercise Snacks has a library of quick and easy exercises you can do at home, work, or going about your normal routine that gets your muscles moving and your heart pumping. It's the perfect inspiration for those who have a packed schedule that leaves little time to work out.

Exercise Snacks also provides tips on how to stay motivated on those days you don’t feel like working out. 

Melissa Alcantara (@fitgurlmel)

Melissa Alcantara’s Instagram account is a one-stop shop for all things fitness: workout videos, recipes, and motivation. Mel is a fitness coach, personal trainer, and author of Fit Gurl: The Total-Body Turnaround Program, a USA Today Bestseller. 

When it comes to strength training, Mel provides her more than 1 million followers with sustainable workouts that focus on health and strength. A busy mom and business owner, she understands how hard it is to find time to work out. Her new program, Thick n’ Fit, is all about helping her clients get fit without spending hours at the gym. 

Like you and her followers, Mel wants to stay healthy and strong and still have plenty of time to enjoy life with her family and friends. 

Kanoa Greene (@kanoagreene)

For strength training inspiration that’s honest and real, you want to follow Kanoa Greene on Instagram. Kanoa is an internationally celebrated fitness trainer, yoga instructor, and outdoor adventurer. She started sharing her personal workout routines on Instagram in 2018, showing that athleticism, strength, and confidence come in all sizes. 

You can see her daily workouts in her Instagram stories and her traveling adventures in her feed. But what makes Kanoa’s Instagram account truly inspirational is that she openly shares her successes and failures, pictures and all. 

Kanoa says her biggest transformation is learning to celebrate her body “as it used to be, as it is now, and as it will be.”

John Rusin (@drjohnrusin) 

When looking for strength training inspiration on Instagram, you want to follow healthcare professionals who share safe and effective exercises. Dr. John Rusin is a physical therapist and one of the top fitness experts in the United States. He's also a leader in the pain-free performance model, blending strength training with clinical-based movement, and creator of Functional Strength Training (FST), a program that helps people look, feel, and function at their best now and in the future.

On his Instagram account, John uses pictures with clear labels and arrows, showing proper form when performing various strength-training exercises. He also provides guides on how to workout smarter, not harder, and offers non-exercise tips that can help you reach your goals.

For professional strength training inspiration that works for all fitness levels, you want to follow Dr. John Rusin.

Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan)

Joan MacDonald truly shows that anytime is the right time for getting fit and strong. Joan started her fitness journey at age 70 after her daughter expressed concerns about her health. Together, they joined an online fitness group. 

Now 75, Joan shares her transformation story, workout routine, and nutrition tips with her 1.7 million followers on Instagram. She’s also the author of the book, Flex Your Age, and is on a mission to inspire and uplift as many people as she can.

Dion Hudson (@dionmhudson) 

Working out with kids is hard, right? Not if you’re following Dion M. Hudson on Instagram. Dion is an online coach and fitness trainer, and the owner of Fit Fast Transformation, a private personal training studio. He’s also a proud dad. 

Dion’s Instagram account helps “parents shed the weight of life through a fun hybrid HIIT approach.” His page includes videos of simple, easy-to-follow, strength-training and aerobic exercises. Dion uses Instagram stories to keep you motivated and help you change your nutrition.

He also shares photos and videos of his adorable son, an added bonus.

A Word From Verywell

Instagram and other social media outlets are a tool often used to provide health information. When looking for inspiration for strength training, follow health professionals that you connect with and give sound and positive advice that fits your fitness needs and goals.

Health and fitness is a journey and one that requires flexibility. Hit the unfollow button if your “inspiration” has too many rules that are impossible to follow long-term.

Before starting any fitness program, schedule a consultation with a primary care provider to talk about your health and the physical activities that might work best for you. You may also want to consult with a certified personal trainer for an individualized workout plan. 

2 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Pew Research Center. Social media fact sheet. Apri 7, 2021.

  2. Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Lim MS. Predictors of "liking" three types of health and fitness-related content on social media: A cross-sectional study. J Med Internet Res. 2015;17(8):e205. doi:10.2196/jmir.4803

By Jill Corleone, RD
Jill is a registered dietitian who's been learning and writing about nutrition for more than 20 years.