How to Create Workout Videos with Timers [A Complete Guide]

The surge for Fitness Content on social media is ever-increasing. While the recent pandemic may have disrupted its rhythm, the fitness industry has certainly not stopped moving.

As the world slowly adapted to social distancing and the self-quarantined lifestyle, fitness didn't seem to hit the backburner. According to a recent survey, almost 16 percent of adults in the United States had taken to using more online exercise videos.

The shift to online mediums and resources for workout routines seems to have a more prolonged effect on fitness trends. Some (fitness/gym) operators expect only 25% to 30% of people to go back to in-person classes once the lockdowns are lifted, with the rest working out via online videos.

If you haven't already explored opportunities to take your fitness classes online, video is a good place to get started. Workout Videos are a great way to virtually expand your audience base and boost your marketing efforts by promoting yourself as a brand.

What are some great ideas for workout videos?

If you’re considering creating workout videos that are wholesome and will help you stand out as a credible expert, here are some topics you can add to your fitness content idea pool:

• 5 minute Mini Workouts Videos
• Workout Motivation & Tips
• Common mistakes with popular exercises and how to correct these
• Popular Exercises for specific goals (strength building/ cardio)
• Collaborations with other fitness/health/sport experts
• FAQs on topics like health, fitness, nutrition, fads & myths.
• Go Live (Zoom/ Facebook Live/ Instagram Live/ Youtube Live)
• Anything you’re excited about: promotions for social media, a course, offers, and available slots for your training programs.

Pro-Tip

Looking to make workout videos that stand out? Be authentic. 59% of consumers said that the authenticity of a brand’s content influences them to follow the brand. Here’s a good start to strike a creative spark.

Ideation

To choose good topics for your video, you’ll first need to define your audience. Think about who you want to reach out to with each video and try to pinpoint their interests.

You can start with the most basic questions to define your audience niche:

• Who do you want to address?
• What is their primary goal/ pain point or desire?

For example, if you find it easier to connect with young adults looking to get fit without the need for a hefty gym membership or expensive equipment, they might find your ‘no equipment’ workout routines worthwhile.

If you are a trainer working with an existing client base, it might be helpful to take a good look at identifying their health goals. You can then consider bundling goals into content topics for your videos.

Once you have a good collection of topics at hand, organize these into a flow so that you’re able to deliver videos consistently. Staying consistent with content is important to let your audience know when to come back to your channel for new posts.

Pro-Tip

See what the top fitness channels are doing particularly well. Use these insights to maximize the appeal of new video genres, creative strategy, and ideas for introducing new topics.

Story-boarding

Great stories build consistent engagement, but great stories also take a bit of effort. Now, you’re probably thinking, “Stories? Storyboarding? Nah, I just want to make a simple video minus the film technicalities.” Hold that thought.

• Plan Your Shots

Planning your shots before you start shooting for your video can save you an ample amount of time during the actual shoot and, possibly during editing. If you have clear and well-focused shots, you won’t have to spend too much time adding effects or zooming in to view workout movements better.

• Visualize A Sequence

A storyboard will help you plan and visualize your shots and the best angles that capture the right body postures when you’re in action. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate outline with details for every frame, but just a basic idea of what the movements are and where you can best place your camera for getting the best angle.

• Break It Down

If you’re planning to create a workout video that consists of a series of exercises in sequence, consider breaking down the routine to include variations segments for beginners/advanced levels. Doing this makes your content more approachable for all types of audiences.

• Script For Better Flow

You don’t necessarily need a script, but if you think it might help make your videos easier to follow along or if the moments you’re doing need a description, consider scripting directions that are clear and have an upbeat motivational tone.

Lastly, think of where you’d like to shoot your video. Choosing a place to shoot will depend on lighting whether indoor or outdoor ensure that the background of your shot is plain and aesthetic without any elements that might distract viewers.

Once you have your plan of action in place, it’s time to get to work.

Capture Footage (how to shoot, background, angles)

Shooting a workout video doesn’t need a lot of experience, video skills, or high-end equipment- a DSLR or even just your phone camera can give you high-quality footage if used right.

What you may need to invest in, however, is a tripod for some steady shots and good lighting equipment, if you’re considering indoor shoots.

The types of shots you plan from your storyboard will depend on the type of exercise you’re doing. When planning your shots, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Is this all going to be a single wide-angle shot? Or will there be a switch between wide-angle shots and close-up shots?
• Will there be an intro and outro that you’ll need to shoot as a separate sequence for your video?

Here’s a great video by Uscreen Health & Fitness that shows you how to film a workout video. (will embed the video)

Now that you’ve got great footage, it’s time to turn this into an exciting workout video.

Editing with Typito

Before you get started with the editing process, you’ll need to make sure you have a few things in place.

• Video Clips or photos of your workout, saved in a file accessible on your computer.
• Background Music, if you’re planning on inserting some upbeat or relaxing tracks to your video workout or a voice-over audio file saved accessible from your computer.

Once you upload your visuals onto Typito, you can rearrange your clips into a sequence and edit clips to play in slow motion, if necessary.

In the next section, we’ll walk through a detailed tutorial of how to create a highly engaging workout video with timer animations on your own, with Typito.

Over to the team’s inhouse video creator, Nisha Manoj, to walk you through 4 basic steps to create engaging workout videos.

How to Make a Workout Video with Timer and Overlays

To create a sample video we will take the example of a ‘Workout with me’ video.In Follow Along (Workout with me) videos, the instructor performs a gym or a fitness routine with recommended breaks while viewers can watch and follow along.

This video type includes a timer, which counts down or up the duration of each exercise and mid-breaks.

There are four quick steps to this tutorial:

1. Creating an Impactful Intro
2. Adding countdown and count up Timers
3. Adding Branded Lower Thirds
4. Adding an Outro to the video

Let’s begin with the tutorial. Log in to Typito.com and click on New Project. Choose the right format for the video. Assuming this particular video is for YouTube – Go ahead and choose the recommended 16:9 video format.

Upload the video file - this part is relatively straightforward. Once the video is uploaded, click ‘New Project.’

1. Creating an Impactful Intro

Intro set the context for the video and help create a striking first impression of your brand. For instance, the title ’10 Minute Abs Workout” gives you a fair idea of what you can expect from the video for the next couple of minutes.

To add an intro text animation template, go to the Text Tab and click the “Titles” button to view a list of beautiful title templates. You can choose to make the intro text bold to add more flair to the video.

Choose the text template that matches your video style and click on it to place it on the video. You can edit the text and also change the color to match your branding theme.

The duration of an Intro is usually 5 – 10 seconds long. You can go ahead and adjust the template overlay accordingly.

Title templates don’t only make great intros, you can also use these throughout your video to make it more comprehensive. How so? You can use title text animated templates to:

• Split your video into segments and to indicate the beginning of a new workout set.
• Give more context by adding the names of the exercise, additional information about the fitness routine. For instance, mention the total number of reps and the number of exercises.

When adding title overlays that stretch out across the video frame, the background of the video may hinder how clear and readable your title appears. A simple title overlay is sufficient for a ‘Follow Along’ type workout video. But it is crucial to ensure that the text is readable. Use a subtle background shape of a contrasting color to fix this.

You can add a background shape to the text by going to the Images tab and clicking on the option ‘shapes’. You can choose a shape that would be the best compliment for your text animation. Click on it, and the shape will pop up on the video as an overlay.

Click on the ‘placement’ option to place the shape behind the text.

If needed, you can resize the shape by selecting it, clicking, and then dragging the handles to cover the full video frame. We also suggest reducing the opacity of the shape to something between 60-65. Adjust the color so that it contrasts well with the text color, and we are done!

Now we can successfully move from part one to part two.

2. Adding a Timer Template

Typito provides a range of beautifully animated countdown and count-up timer templates. To choose the one that fits your needs, go to the Typito Templates gallery.

Click on the timer templates tag and choose one that will suit your video style. The Rhythm Count Up Timer is one of our favorites. To use the template – click on it and open the template details page. On this page, you can preview the timer animation by playing around with the timing, colors, or even different fonts. Once this is done, click on the Save button.

To place the timer animation on your video, go back to the project page and refresh the page. The template you just saved will appear in the saved menu in the Text Tab – To add it to the video – all you have to do is click on the template thumbnail.

Pro-TipPlacement is everything. The size of the timer should not be too small that the audience finds it difficult to see and follow; neither should it be too big that it distracts the user from workout happening on screen. Here’s a visual walkthrough of how to add timer templates to your videos.

Drag the template onto the top right corner of the video. Once you get the placement right – you can adjust the timer duration. It’s super easy with Typito.

As you click on the timer template, a menu pops up. On the left side, you can see the option to change the duration – type in length required. Based on the exercise and reps, you can allot the period.

The upward arrow icon indicates a count-up timer, and a downward arrow icon indicates a countdown timer. For the duration of a specific routine, A count-up timer is preferable. Whereas a countdown timer can be used for the duration of any rest between two routines or exercises.

A crucial element when it comes to a follow-along fitness video is to keep the audience informed about the different exercises. Therefore, let’s add the current exercise name and adjust the duration accordingly.

3. Adding a Lower Third

In the next part of the tutorial, let’s look at how to add a lower third in the video.

Lower third templates allow you to indicate what’s next in the fitness routine. Some of the lower third templates have an image placeholder to add a brand logo.

Go back to the Text Tab and click on the ‘Branded’ option to browse through branded lower third templates.

Choose a branded template of your choice and click on it to add it to the video.

Add the text that is needed, for example - the name of the exercise that’ll appear next in the video. In the image placeholder, you can add a profile picture of the fitness instructor featured in the video.

Place the template in a way that catches the eye of the viewer but isn’t too distracting and make sure you adjust the duration.

After the lower third is added for one exercise, you can copy and save the template style and reuse it across different parts of the video.

To improve your business’ video marketing efforts you can consider adding a logo in the image placeholder of the template.

4. Adding an Outro

Outros at the end of the video help warrant a response from the viewer with a call to action (CTA). The CTA you add in your outro can vary from asking viewers to sign up for a scheduled class to following your profiles on social media for more interesting videos.

Go back to the Text Tab and choose an appropriate ‘Social Media’ template to use as a call-to-action.

You can opt to have a CTA for one social media channel or multiple. Most fitness videos commonly ask the viewers to follow the business on Instagram and YouTube for more workout videos and tips.

We recommend you closely match the colors in the outro with the brand colors. Drag the templates to the desired position. The center of the video is a good option.

One Last Final Touch- Branding Workout Videos with a Logo

Online fitness studios are increasing rapidly, and it is crucial to distinguish from others and establish your brand among the viewers. ‘Workout with me’ videos should include the brand logo along with other brand essentials. This can help identify the fitness studio/center every time a video is produced.

Here’s how you can add your brand logo to a workout video - Go to the Images tab and click on the ‘+’ button to browse through your system files and upload your logo. Click on the logo in the Images Tab to add it to the video. The next step is to resize and place it on either corner of the video. The last part is to adjust the opacity of the logo, and you’re done!

Now you can preview the video and ensure that motion graphic text animation templates compliment your studio’s brand guidelines. Including brand fonts and colors in all videos is excellent to ensure brand recall.

If the video looks good, click Export. And we did it!

Now that you’ve explored the steps involved to create a fitness video that engages and converts, we hope you feel ready to get started and try creating videos on your website with Typito.

Create a Workout Video Now

Video Design For Fitness Videos

Now it’s time to walk through key components of video design that will help you produce engaging fitness studio marketing videos. Let’s get started.

We’ve made video design almost intuitive on our application so that you can produce videos quickly and leave the technical details of your video to us.

1. Video Format

The video format you choose will depend on the social media platform you intend to use to distribute this video.

You can create a single video in the format specifications of your primary channel, say your website and then resize the same video on Typito for your Social Media Accounts.

2. Brand Essentials

Your brand essence doesn’t have to be something painstakingly fancy, it just needs to reflect you in the most authentic sense and be human in tone, voice, and approach.

Create a brand for your channel if you haven’t already. Once you’ve defined the basics of your brand theme, you can create branded video thumbnails and metadata that appeal to your core audience and enhance your views.

Let’s look at an important element of branding that make your videos engaging and memorable- Text Templates

Here are some key templates your video should have:

• Intro/ Outro Text Templates - great for reinforcing brand and inviting social media follows for more interesting content.
• Animated text and Automated Video Subtitles - effectively increases your content's accessibility and message retention.
• Timer Template - a must-have for a time-bound sequence in your video. Here are a few ideas for all the creative ways you can use the Timer Template on your video.

3. Logos

A lot of popular fitness channels add a logo to their video discreetly reinforces brand recall and helps viewers identify their videos when shared (or reposted by avid followers) on social media.

4. Audio and Music

If you’re using an audio sound-track we have a decent collection of tunes you can use directly from the Typito Audio Library. Another great go-to source for free soundtracks is YouTube’s cost-free Audio Library.

Now that we’ve covered the foundation element for Fitness Video Design, you’re ready to export your video and amplify your fitness brand.

Before you go, we have one more nugget of information to share with you to give your videos an edge over your competitors: Our Complete Guide to Videos For Fitness and Wellness Studios. If you prefer to watch we’ve got you covered.

Best Channels to Distribute Fitness Video

You’ve created an awesome video, and how you’re wondering where to distribute it, and more importantly how do you make sure that you are getting the best Return On Investment (ROI) for your video marketing efforts?

Here’s our recommendation on some of the best organic platforms to consider:

• Website

Sharing fitness videos to your website can help build a rapport with an audience directly. Moreover, if you build a steadily impressive click-through rate and higher retention you can consider monetizing your efforts and build backlinks.

Pro-Tip

Make shorter promotional versions of your website video content for the social media platforms where you have the largest following. Then, direct viewers to visit your website for the full workout video.

• Youtube

Almost 79%of YouTube sports viewers say YouTube has sports and fitness video content that they can't find anywhere else. Sounds like a platform you wouldn't want to miss out on.

• Instagram & Facebook

Instagram has over 400 million daily users, and there are over 180 million uses of #fitness on Instagram. Both Instagram and Facebook have immense potential for heightened visibility and great story-telling leeway with various types of posts that let you post video content in various short and long-form formats with Live, Stories, IGTV, and Video Posts.

Pro-Tip

Consider using the description field to list all exercises and suggested reps. This is not only useful for viewers deciding which videos to watch but also serves as rich metadata that can help YouTube’s discovery systems surface your videos more effectively.

Now that you’ve explored how to get started with creating engaging fitness videos and the secret sauce of video design for fitness videos that will help you stand out, it’s time to get to action. Ready? Over to you!

Create Engaging Workout Videos