Dance Your Way to Fitness with Caleb Marshall, AKA the Fitness Marshall

Whether you’re following along to his dance tutorials or livestreaming a three-minute workout class, Caleb Marshall, AKA the Fitness Marshall, knows how to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Hailed as the modern-day Richard Simmons meets Britney Spears, the self-described fitness pop star has built a devoted social media following by helping and encouraging everyone to be their best selves. Along with his two Backup Booties, the trio celebrates every age, size, ability, color, and gender expression.

Marshall teaches live cardio concerts around the world to sellout crowds and has become one of YouTube’s top creators utilizing the membership feature to offer exclusive long form workouts for his members all around the world. As he continues to dominate the fitness industry, he is passionate about making it much less intimidating and a lot more welcoming. Marshall helps fans with a range of topics including feeling confident, motivation tips, finding a workout balance, as well as outfits, meals, and playlists for your workouts.

Get ready to let loose and have a fabulous time.

OFM caught up with Marshall to talk more about his dance videos and passion for helping others, as well as workout balance and his inclusive activewear line Active Booty, which aims to create clothing that works across all shapes and sizes.

Let me begin by asking, have you always had a passion and interest in fitness?

No, not at all (laughs). I had a passion in becoming Britney Spears, and that was my dream as a kid. I wanted to be a pop star and perform because dancing made me happy. It made me feel confident in myself during times when I felt like I didn’t have friends or a great body image. Dancing and pretending to be Britney Spears is what got me through the tough times, and when I got to college, I started taking these dance fitness classes for fun, and it was as if a light bulb moment clicked.

I fell in love with moving my body, and I got the same feeling I got when I was a kid, but it was in a fitness setting. I never realized that exercise and fitness could actually be fun. So, it sparked this whole thing in my brain, where I was like, I want to make other people realize that moving your body doesn’t have to be about looking a certain way or burning calories. It can be about endorphins, mental health, and just feeling amazing.

You started posting videos of your workouts on social media during the midst of the pandemic, is that correct?

No, during the pandemic is when people really started to flock to our channel. We started in 2014, so it’s crazy because the first six years were just this slow grind. We had a few videos that really popped off and did well, but our main thing was touring around the world and just seeing people in-person. When COVID happened, everything changed, so we went all-in to streaming full length classes. That’s why we created our Booty Army and livestream memberships. The pandemic is what changed everything, but we’ve been working towards that for a minute.

Were you at all surprised by how viral you suddenly went?

I think my first “aha moment” post pandemic was when I saw people quarantined, I think it was in China on a cruise ship, and people, like the kitchen staff, were doing my Justin Bieber “Yummy” dance while they were stuck on the ship. This was when we still didn’t really understand what was about to happen, but it was like, whoa, people are in crisis, but instead of full-on panicking, they took the moment to feel joy and used my content to do that. I knew it was powerful, but that was a huge spark.

Then once the pandemic started, I would receive videos of families doing these gym classes with their kids in their living rooms. Things just started to snowball, and I realized how important it was to not worry about being the best and needing everything to be polished. It was like, we’re all stuck at home in our living rooms, but we can all dance and still pretend we’re at Madison Square Garden.

Currently, what are some of your most popular videos?

Long form, Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too” and Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” are so massive for us. We also did “Taki Taki,” which was a huge international hit. That was very big, and again, I’m the biggest Britney fan, so every Britney video I’ve done has a special place in my heart. I love pop girlies such as Ariana, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, all that stuff. I think that’s what we’re most known for, but I would say Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too” is what changed it for us.

What do you ultimately hope people take away from your content and workout sessions?

I want them to feel empowered, and I want them to feel joyful. I think that is the biggest thing. Once your brain can associate joy with fitness activity, it changes everything. I never go into one of my workout classes thinking it’s a workout class. I even hate calling it a workout class because I’m going up there to have a good time and just dance. That’s what I really want people to get out of it, especially people who feel like they’ve been left out by fitness. Like, they don’t have the body for it, they don’t have the coordination or the physical ability. I just hope that we can be a space where people don’t feel judged and intimidated, and they can mess up and just have fun.

What would you say is the best way to keep people motivated?

We started doing weekly live streams, where I would usually take a three-minute video, and I have over 300 free videos on the internet. People can go do them, but it gets repetitive when you do the same thing over and over. So, we created weekly live streams, and we’ll do 60- and 30-minute live streams every single week for our members, and it’s going to keep it fresh.

Any way you can find a way to do something you love but also not get bored by it, that’s the key. Even just doing the same dance but doing it live and in a different way. Adding some spontaneity gives people a reason to come back, and then maybe I’ll throw in a new joke to get them to laugh or giggle. Making some kind of human connection is the most important thing.

There are a lot of people, me included, who find themselves constantly busy and not making time to work out. What’s the best way to find a good workout balance?

I think not overselling yourself on your goals. Start realistically, and if you’re like, I don’t have time, that’s why I offer three-minute videos. People can just do that. Even if you’re at an office. I have chair workouts, where I’ll sometimes sit down in the chair and do all the movements with my arm, and that’s enough. If you can just do those little things that will spark, “Oh, that feels good,” then maybe the next time you’ll be able to find time to do it for five minutes, and then 10 minutes.

You launched Active Booty, an inclusive activewear line which aims to create clothing that works across all shapes and sizes. Can you tell us more about that?

That was really our dream from the beginning because so many people who work out with us and follow us don’t have activewear that’s necessarily made for them, or there’s a tiny section in the store or online that’s made for them. And it’s not like the clothes are even made for everybody. Specific clothes are made for small bodies and larger bodies, so we wanted to make everything. An Xs to 5x is what we started out with, and we’re not saying we’re done there, but we are just so intentional about creating clothes. No matter what product you want, you’ll find it in any size. It’s a very wide range.

We also tailor every single style of clothes to that body. The way our small shirt might fit on a 5x, it’s going to be the same product, but we’re going to tailor it to fit different bodies better in a way that’s more comfortable. We use different-sized models for that purpose. We’re very thoughtful, and we want to make affordable activewear that’s really good quality because that’s also another hurdle. Things are tight these days. It’s fun to shop, but it’s not fun to spend money. We want to be a place where we’re not as focused on the profit margin but focused more on accessibility.

Who are some of your biggest celebrity followers?

Meghan Trainor and I connected after our video of her song blew up, so it was really cool to have her support, and also, the Property Brothers. Drew Scott found us while he was about to get engaged to his now wife, and he had us come out and perform at their wedding. They loved our cake dance, so that was a lot of fun. We’ve been able to connect with so many people. Miley Cyrus has shared our stuff; Cardi B has shared our stuff, so it’s been really cool to get celebrity support.

In your opinion, what is the best food to eat before and after a workout?

You know, I love that you asked me this question because I don’t have an answer, and I shouldn’t give you an answer because I don’t have a license to tell you that (laughs). I hate when influencers speak on things that they don’t have the knowledge or the credentials to speak to, so if you want an answer, I would defer to a dietitian.

What is currently on your workout playlist?

Oh! I have a Spotify playlist that I make and curate because I am so tired of being at the gym or wherever, and I’ll just be skipping through songs. I have ADHD, so I have to get the dopamine hit. So, I made a playlist called “Workout by the Fitness Marshall.” It’s on all streaming platforms, but it has everything I love to dance, lift, and walk to.

Do you try to work out every day for at least a couple minutes?

I don’t work out every single day, but I try to be active every day, whether that means parking further away at a shopping center or taking stairs instead of the elevator. It’s those little everyday choices that you don’t think about that make a difference. I think it’s all about the mental reframing of not viewing exercise as a punishment. Get your brain to be like, “Oh, that’s not a chore, I’m just working my body for 30 seconds walking up those stairs.”

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?

Gosh, that’s such a great question. We are about to embark on our first tour in five years, so another goal is just to meet people face-to-face because I love the internet so much, but I think the pandemic showed me how much I crave in-person connection. I’m so excited to get out and tour again; I’m excited to continue with Active Booty, and there are some other things currently in the works, but I just can’t talk about them yet.

I’m just enjoying where I’m at in life and the opportunities that I have. I think in the beginning of my career, especially online, you are always comparing yourself to other people. You always feel like you could be doing more, like you haven’t reached the goal, but through a lot of therapy, I’ve learned that being content and happy with the present is the best way to be your best self. So, that’s what I’m focused on.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Marshall by following him on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @thefitnessmarshall, or visit thefitnessmarshall.org.

Photos courtesy of Caleb Marshall and David Avalos