Sam Hopes
Sam Hopes is a level 3 qualified fitness instructor, level 2 reiki practitioner and senior fitness writer at Tom's Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course. Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3.
Having worked with fitness studios like F45 and Virgin Active, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight, calisthenics and kettlebells. She also coaches mobility and stretching-focused classes several times a week and believes that true strength comes from a holistic approach to training your body.
Sam has completed two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions in London and the Netherlands and finished her first doubles attempt in 1:11.
In her spare time, she enjoys CrossFit, hot yoga, and running and can be found perfecting her handstand walks and handstand push-ups in the gym whenever she has the chance to be upside down. At work, she can be found testing the latest in fitness technology and wearables, anything yoga and CrossFit-related and has a keen interest in nutrition, sleep and recovery.
Latest articles by Sam Hopes
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Sit-ups: How to do them with proper form and why it matters
By Lucy Gornall last updated
Are sit-ups bad for your back? Not if you do them correctly, says a personal. Here's how to do a sit-up with the correct form.
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Russian twist: how to do it, and the benefits for your core
By Jane McGuire, Sam Hopes last updated
How to do a Russian twist, the benefits of Russian twists, and the best modifications to try.
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Deadbugs: How to do them, and the benefits for building your core muscles
By Jane McGuire last updated
Learn how to do a dead bug, the benefits of dead bugs, and how to progress or regress the exercise for your ability.
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Arnold press: How to do it, and the benefits for building upper body strength
By Jane McGuire, Sam Hopes last updated
How to do an Arnold press, benefits of the Arnold press and the modifications to try.
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Forget pull-ups — you just need a set of kettlebells and these 5 exercises to sculpt your back and biceps
By Sam Hopes last updated
Build and strengthen your back and biceps with these five kettlebell exercises. Here's how to do them, according to a personal trainer.
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Forget Russian twists — this 15-minute standing abs workout sculpts a strong core and boosts ab power
By Sam Hopes last updated
Strengthen your core and boost upper body power with this short and effective standing abs workout and a set of kettlebells.
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CrossFit Games athlete shares a 9-move workout to sculpt full-body muscle and build strength and endurance
By Sam Hopes last updated
CrossFit Games athlete and Fittest Man in the UK, Harry Lightfoot, shares a 30-minute full-body conditioning workout that builds strength, muscle and power.
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Forget sit-ups — 3 reasons I’ve added GHD sit-ups to my abs workouts
By Sam Hopes last updated
How do you do a GHD sit-up, what are the benefits and why should you consider adding them to your exercise routine?
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You don’t need squats to strengthen your hips, glutes and quads — just this one bodyweight exercise
By Sam Hopes last updated
The yogi squat, or Garland Pose, is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the lower body and improves range of motion and flexibility in the hips, adductors and lower back. Here's how.
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Forget weights — this 4-move stretching routine builds lower body strength and boosts flexibility
By Sam Hopes last updated
I've been improving squat mobility with this four-move lower-body stretching routine, and it only takes 23 minutes.
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Forget weights — I tried this Pilates roll-up exercise that strengthens your core and boosts your posture
By Sam Hopes last updated
You don't need equipment to build a stronger core and boost spine mobility. Here are the benefits of the Pilates roll-up exercise, and how it can help your body.
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CrossFit athlete shares a 3-move barbell workout to build lower body strength, muscle and power
By Sam Hopes last updated
Build stronger legs and core muscles and develop lower body power with this three-move barbell workout, according to CrossFit Games athlete Aimee Cringle.
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I've added 5K runs to my weekly exercise routine — and the results have been surprising
By Sam Hopes last updated
One writer added 5K runs to her weekly exercise routine in preparation for Hyrox, and here's what happened.
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I did side planks with leg raises every day for a week to strengthen my core — here’s my results
By Sam Hopes last updated
This side plank variation targets your upper and lower body while building core strength. Here's what happens when you do the exercise every day for a week.
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Forget dumbbells — this 5-move ab workout sculpts a strong core and strengthens your hips using just a resistance band
By Sam Hopes last updated
This 25-minute resistance band workout strengthens your core muscles and hips in five moves. A personal trainer explains how to do it and the benefits.
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I tried this 35-minute bodyweight Pilates workout — and it helped release tight hips and boost core strength
By Sam Hopes last updated
A Pilates instructor says this 35-minute Pilates workout strengthens your abs and glutes without weights — so we tried it.
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Forget weights — this 10-minute calisthenics core workout sculpts a strong core in 5 moves
By Sam Hopes published
This equipment-free calisthenics workout builds a strong core with five exercises and 10 minutes. Here's how to do it.
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I'm a personal trainer who prefers strength training to bodyweight workouts — here's why I love this 20-minute calisthenics routine for beginners
By Sam Hopes last updated
I'm a personal trainer who enjoys strength training, but here’s why I use this 20-minute calisthenics routine for beginners instead of other bodyweight workouts.
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You don’t need lunges to build stronger legs, just this one bodyweight exercise and a kettlebell
By Sam Hopes last updated
Kang squats are a weightlifting exercise used to build muscle and lower-body strength. Here’s how to do Kang squats and what the benefits are.
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I’m a personal trainer — this 3-move bodyweight workout builds full-body strength and boosts your metabolism
By Sam Hopes last updated
This three-move bodyweight workout builds explosive full-body strength and boosts your metabolism without weights. A personal trainer explains how.
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I tried 3-minute dragon lunges to boost hip flexibility and build lower body strength — here's what happened
By Sam Hopes published
The dragon lunge and dragon pose variations strengthen the glutes, hip flexors, quads, and lower body joints — here's how to do the bodyweight exercise and the benefits.
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I just tried a 60-minute penguin yoga class— and the results surprised me
By Sam Hopes last updated
Here's what happened when our fitness writer tried a 60-minute vinyasa yoga class alongside a colony of penguins.
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3 breathing exercises for beginners to build mental strength, boost mood and strengthen your core
By Sam Hopes last updated
Breathing exercises like box breathing and lion's breath help me engage my core, build mental strength, and sleep better —here's how to use them.
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