Sam Hopes
Sam Hopes is a level III fitness trainer, level II reiki practitioner, and senior fitness writer at Future PLC, the publisher of Tom's Guide. She is also about to undertake her Yoga For Athletes training course. 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 not writing up her experiences with the latest fitness tech and workouts, you’ll find her writing about nutrition, sleep, recovery, and wellness.
Latest articles by Sam Hopes
Bottoms-up kettlebell press exercise: How to do it and the benefits for sculpting 3D shoulder muscles
By Sam Hopes last updated
Learn how to do the bottoms-up kettlebell press, the benefits for your upper body, common mistakes and variations to try.
I hiked the French Alps for the first time — 7 life changing fitness tips I learned
By Sam Hopes last updated
Our in-house personal trainer hiked the French Alps, Les Contamines, with sports brand Columbia. Here's what she learned first hand about physical and mental fitness.
I walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch Series 7 and Garmin Vivoactive 5: Here’s which was more accurate
By Sam Hopes last updated
Our fitness writer walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch 7 and the Garmin Vivoactive 5. Here's which device was more accurate with tracking steps.
I drank apple cider vinegar every day for 10 days like Victoria Beckham— here’s what happened to my body
By Sam Hopes last updated
What does drinking apple cider vinegar every day do to your body? We tested it out for 10 days to see what, if any, benefits exist.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 review: Is it ready to take on the Apple Watch?
By Sam Hopes published
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 has notable upgrades to screen design, size and sports features. It also includes comprehensive sleep and stress tracking to take on the Apple Watch.
I’m a personal trainer — this is the best tip I’ve learned for growing muscle and building strength
By Sam Hopes last updated
Should you use free weights or resistance machines to build strength and muscle in the gym? Our in-house personal trainer reveals the most effective method.
The 5 components of physical fitness you need to know
By Sam Hopes published
The five components of physical fitness are cardiovascular training, flexibility, body composition, muscular endurance and muscular strength. Here's what each one means.
Forget weights —7 best bodyweight back exercises to sculpt and shape muscle
By Sam Hopes last updated
These are seven of the best bodyweight exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back and biceps without weights.
Barefoot running vs running with shoes: Which builds more leg strength?
By Sam Hopes last updated
Does barefoot running build more strength than running with shoes? Our in-house personal trainer decided to investigate.
Do ab workouts burn calories? Our Tom's Guide personal trainer explains
By Sam Hopes last updated
Do ab workouts burn calories, and how can you increase calorie burn during ab workouts? Our in-house personal trainer explains.
I'm a personal trainer — here's the best plank variation to scorch your oblique muscles without weights
By Sam Hopes last updated
Plank hip dips build strength and muscle in your obliques, abs and shoulders. Here’s a three-move 15-minute core workout to try using plank hip dips.
I did 70 reps of the Scorpion Reach exercise every day for a week — here are the results
By Sam Hopes last updated
What is the Scorpion Reach exercise, how do you do it and what happens when one writer does 70 reps a day for one week?
3 bodyweight exercises that blast your chest and tricep muscles without weights
By Sam Hopes last updated
This three-move bodyweight workout targets your chest, triceps and shoulders in under 30 minutes. Here's how to do it without weights.
Zottman curl: What is it, and the benefits for bulking up your bicep muscles
By Sam Hopes last updated
Learn how to do Zottman curls, the benefits, common mistakes and variations to try.
Forget push-ups — chisel your pecs and triceps with this 3-move dumbbell chest workout and 15 minutes
By Sam Hopes last updated
This three-move dumbbell pecs workout sculpts and strengthens the muscles in your chest, triceps and shoulders in 15 minutes.
I did the farmer's walk every day for one week — here’s my results
By Sam Hopes last updated
This one move could build stronger shoulders, legs and core muscles, so our fitness writer walked the walk every day for a week.
I did the 7-minute Alligator Walk every day for a week — here are the results for my abs
By Sam Hopes last updated
Learn about the crocodile walk exercise, how to do it and what happens if you practice for seven minutes every day for a week.
Forget sit-ups and crunches — 3 best ab wheel rollout variations to chisel rippling core muscles
By Sam Hopes last updated
Three ab wheel rollout exercises to try, how to do them, and the benefits of ab wheel alternatives for your core muscles.
Forget deadlifts — this 5-move kettlebell leg workout torches your quads and glutes
By Sam Hopes last updated
This leg workout with kettlebells builds your quads, glutes and hamstrings in five moves and 30 minutes.
Oura Ring 3 new features unveiled — here’s what you need to know
By Sam Hopes last updated
Oura has released three new stress management features, including Daytime Stress, Reflections and Resilience in latest upgrade to health app. Here's what we know.
I did the dragon pistol squat exercise every day for a week — here are the results
By Sam Hopes last updated
What are dragon pistol squats, how do you do them and what happens if you do 70 reps a day for a week?
Forget sit-ups — 7 of the best ab exercises you can do with sciatica
By Sam Hopes last updated
If you suffer from sciatica, here are seven ab exercises you can do with sciatica and how to do each move properly.
I did a 7-minute dolphin plank exercise every day for a week — here are my results
By Sam Hopes last updated
What is the dolphin plank, how do you do it and what happens if you do it for seven minutes a day for a week?