Sam Hopes

Sam Hopes

Staff Fitness Writer

Sam Hopes is a level III fitness trainer, level II reiki practitioner, and resident fitness writer at Future PLC, the publisher of Tom's Guide. Having trained to work with mind and body, Sam is a big advocate of using mindfulness techniques in sport and fitness, and their impact on performance. She’s also passionate about the fundamentals of training and building sustainable training methods.  When she's writing up her experiences with the latest fitness tech, you’ll find her writing about nutrition, sleep, recovery, and workouts.

Articles by: Sam Hopes

Woman in a low lunge position on a yoga mat with right arm extended overhead and gently bending backwards, right leg forward

Sciatica? I'm a personal trainer and here’s the 3-move stretching routine I swear by

By Sam Hopes published

If you suffer from sciatica nerve pain or hip flexor pain, here are the three stretches our in-house personal trainer recommends to improve symptoms.

Woman performing an Arnold press with elbows bent holding dumbbells whilst supported against a gym bench

I did 50 Arnold presses a day for one week — here are my results

By Sam Hopes published

If you want to build and sculpt your shoulders, the Arnold press is killer. Here's how to do it, the benefits and what happened when our writer did them every day.

Man in a forearm plank position fists clenched, on exercise mat in a light and airy room at home

Commando planks: How to do them, and the benefits for strengthening your core

By Sam Hopes published

Learn how to do commando planks, the benefits, common mistakes and variations to try.

Man against concrete backdrop performing a crunch with hands behind head

Here are the 3 best ways to strengthen and build abs without weights

By Sam Hopes last updated

Here are three ways to strengthen and build abs without weights. You don't need a gym or equipment to adopt these core building methods.

Man holding a trap bar with plates in his hands performing a farmer's walk along grass in a gym

Farmer's walk: How to do it, and the benefits of walking with weights

By Sam Hopes published

Learn how to do the farmer’s walk, its benefits and some variations to try

Man sitting on the floor of a. gym post-workout holding his phone smiling

Forget ChatGPT — this workout app lets you text your personal trainer 24/7

By Sam Hopes published

Our in-house fitness writer tested the Caliber strength training workout app. Find out why its expert human coaching feature could be the answer to ChatGPT training plans.

Woman performing a crunch on her yoga mat with hands behind her head

Forget weights — the 7-minute workout builds strength and boosts metabolism in 12 moves

By Sam Hopes last updated

This scientific 7-minute workout claims to boost your metabolism, burn calories and build strength using just 12 moves.

Woman in black activewear on a yoga mat performing a side plank with left shoulder down and right hand on right hip

I did 70 side plank dips every day for a week — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

What are side plank dips and what happens if you do 70 reps every day for a week? Our in-house trainer found out.

Left image Arnold Schwarzenegger smiling to camera, right image woman performing a seated Arnold press using dumbbells in the gym

I tried Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 3-move full-body workout — here’s what happened

By Sam Hopes last updated

Our in-house PT tested Arnold Schwarzenegger's three-move full-body workout with weights. Here's what happened and how to try it for yourself.

Woman holding dumbbells performing a plank hold outside on her yoga mat during dumbbell workout

Build strong ab muscles with this 1 dumbbell Pilates plank workout

By Sam Hopes last updated

This 8-move Pilates plank workout could build stronger abs and hit every muscle group using one dumbbell. Here's how to do it.

Woman standing against a grey backdrop in workout clothes holding two dumbbells in front of her during dumbbell workout

Forget ab workouts — this 5-move compound exercise routine torches your whole core

By Sam Hopes last updated

This 5-move compound exercise workout torches muscles across your entire body, and only takes 15 minutes. Here's how to do it.

Fiit team running on treadmills in Fiit HQ fitness studio facing a workout screen during treadmill workout

I added this fitness tracker to my workouts — and the results surprised me

By Sam Hopes last updated

Here's what happened when our fitness writer tested the Fiit fitness tracker 2.0, powered by Prevayl.

Woman in activewear running along a road with an arm band and headphones in

I just did the Memorial Day Murph workout — here are my results

By Sam Hopes published

One writer completed the CrossFit Murph workout for Memorial Day. Here's what happened.

Man performing a Turkish get-up during workout with left arm extended holding a kettlebell and left leg bent and right leg extended

I did 70 Turkish get-ups every day for 1 week to strengthen my core — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

What happened when one writer did 70 reps of the Turkish get-up exercise every day for one week.

Woman against a grey backdrop in active wear performing a dumbbell bicep curl with left arm raised

Isolation vs compound exercises — which is better for building muscle?

By Sam Hopes published

Should you prioritize isolation or compound exercises to build muscle? We cover how to use them to maximize muscle growth and the benefits.

Man and woman outdoors on steps performing dumbbell squat variations in the sunshine. Man in front rack squat and woman in sumo squat

Forget kettlebells or planks — this dumbbell workout sculpts muscles with 5 rounds and 20 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

You only need one set of dumbbells and this 20-minute full-body workout to help build stronger muscles and endurance.

Woman on a yoga mat in workout studio on all fours lifting her back toward the ceiling

Forget back pain — 7 best Pilates exercises to boost flexibility and strengthen your lower back

By Sam Hopes published

Pilates is renowned for improving posture, building strength and improving muscular endurance. Here are 7 Pilates exercises for back pain to reduce stiffness.

Woman in a plank position on yoga mat holding two dumbbells with her right arm outstretched overhead in a twist

You only need these 7 exercises and a 7-minute EMOM workout to torch muscles and build strength

By Sam Hopes last updated

Boost your metabolism, burn calories and build strength using this 7-move 7-minute EMOM workout with dumbbells. Here's how to do it.

Woman performing a barbell hip thrust in the gym on a bench

I'm a personal trainer — and this is the best thrust exercise to grow your glutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

The hip thrust exercise is one of the best at strengthening and building your hips, glutes and quads. Here are the benefits of hip thrusts and a 15-minute workout to try.

Man performing a push-up on exercise mat with dumbbells and medicine ball next to him

This 5-move metabolic circuit torches muscles and burns calories in 15 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

Boost your metabolism, burn calories and build strength and stamina with this 15-minute 5-move metabolic circuit workout. Here’s why it works.

Woman on a yoga mat in a tabletop position with hands on her mat and knees bent

I did 70 bear squats every day for a week — here’s what happened to my quads

By Sam Hopes published

What happened when this writer did 70 bear squats every day for one week.

Man in the gym attempting a heavy deadlift using a barbell with several plates on each end

How to test your one-rep max and why it matters

By Sam Hopes published

We discuss how to test your one-rep max (1RM) and why anyone who lifts weights should know theirs. We also discuss common mistakes to avoid and how to lift safely.

a photo of a woman walking

How to burn calories by switching up your daily routine — what is NEAT?

By Sam Hopes last updated

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to energy expenditure outside of eating, sleeping and exercise. Here's how it could help you burn more calories each day.

Woman in black workout clothes performing a side lunge on her left leg outdoors against a concrete background

This 6-move calisthenics workout builds functional muscles and endurance in 12 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

This six-move calisthenics workout builds muscle and endurance in 12 minutes using your bodyweight.

Best strength exercises: man running uphill outdoors in the countryside in the sunshine

9 best strength exercises to improve your running performance

By Sam Hopes published

Find out the best strength exercises to improve your running performance and how to do them, according to our in-house personal trainer.

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