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

Man at home doing a deficit push-up with both feet on the couch

This 3-move bodyweight shoulder workout carves your pecs, deltoids and triceps in 20 minutes

By Sam Hopes published

This no weights chest and shoulder workout sculpts the triceps, pecs and deltoid muscles in 3 moves and 20 minutes.

Woman performing a forearm plank pike with hips elevated in the air and feet down on the mat

Dolphin planks: How to do them and 3 variations to build steel core muscles

By Sam Hopes published

Learn how to do dolphin planks, benefits, common mistakes and three variations to try.

CrossFit workout

I tried the 17-minute CrossFit workout Fight Gone Bad — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

What is the Fight Gone Bad CrossFit workout, how do you do it and what happened when our writer tried it for the first time.

Male muscular athlete showing animal flow sport elements isolated over grey background.

I tried this 30-minute animal flow workout every day for one week — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

What is animal flow, how do you do it and what happens if you do it for 30 minutes a day for a week.

Male training topless during ab workout with hands on his shoulders laying down

Forget sit-ups — this 3-move ab workout chisels concrete core muscles in 15 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

This no sit-ups ab workout sculpts concrete core muscles in 3 moves and 15 minutes.

Man holding a kettlebell at his shoulder outside during workout

Offset farmer's walk: How to do it, and the benefits for stronger core and shoulders

By Sam Hopes last updated

Learn how to do the offset overhead farmer’s carry, common mistakes, the benefits and variations to try.

Male torso with six-pack muscles standing against white background

This abs workout for beginners sculpts a strong core in 4 moves and 20 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

This 20-minute ab workout is suitable for beginners and strengthens your core using four abdominal exercises. Talent trainer Harry Sellers explains how to do it.

Male with back to camera and arms raised against grey backdrop

Back pain? Try this 7-move yoga for sciatica routine instead of weights

By Sam Hopes last updated

If you suffer from sciatic nerve pain, try this certified yoga teacher's seven-move yoga for sciatica routine.

Man at the bottom of a barbell back squat during gym workout

Cross training shoes vs weightlifting shoes: Which is best for you?

By Sam Hopes last updated

Should you be wearing cross training shoes or weightlifting shoes in the gym? Our in-house personal trainer explains which shoe is best for you and how to decide.

Kettlebell lunge performed by woman against a grey brick wall with right leg forward and arms by sides

Oh My Quad — this 4-move kettlebell leg workout builds your quads and glutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

This leg workout with kettlebells shapes your quads, glutes and hamstrings in four moves and under 15 minutes.

Woman in red exercise clothes standing against a grey wall with right hand to face during standing workout

I did the standing dead bug ab exercise every day for a week — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

Our in-house personal trainer did 70 reps of the standing dead bug exercise every day for one week. Here's her results and how to do the ab exercise yourself.

high angle view of young sportsman with bare chest doing abs exercise on fitness ball at gym

5 best ab exercises for sculpting and strengthening your oblique muscles

By Sam Hopes last updated

These are five of the best ab exercises to sculpt and strengthen your oblique muscles without hurting your lower back.

Woman against smoky background holding a kettlebell with both hands while doing an upright row

Forget push-ups — this kettlebell shoulder workout chisels your pecs and shoulders in 3 moves

By Sam Hopes last updated

This upper-body kettlebell workout chisels the pecs, triceps and shoulders without push-ups, using just three exercises in 8 minutes.

Male with back to camera and arms raised against grey backdrop

I'm a personal trainer — here are 3 best compound exercises for cutting V-shaped back muscles

By Sam Hopes last updated

Our staff fitness writer is also a personal trainer, and these three back exercises are her best compound exercises for building muscle and strength.

Woman standing with hands behind head in blue workout gear against grey background

Forget planks or crunches — these 5 standing core exercises will torch your abs

By Sam Hopes published

Forget planks or crunches. These five standing core exercises strengthen your abs without them.

Two men doing straight leg crunches topless during ab workout

I did 70 starfish crunches every day for a week — here’s what happened to my abs

By Sam Hopes last updated

Benefits of the starfish crunch exercise, how to do it and what happened when our writer did 70 reps a day for a week.

Man performing a lateral raise exercise using a dumbbell in his left hand with back to camera

I'm a personal trainer — here are 3 best compound exercises for building shoulder strength and muscle

By Sam Hopes published

I’m a personal trainer and these three dumbbell shoulder exercises are my favorite compound exercises for building strength and muscle.

Man in a squat position holding a kettlebell with both hands against grey backdrop

Forget lunges — this kettlebell leg workout sculpts your glutes and quads in 3 moves

By Sam Hopes last updated

This 15-minute lower-body kettlebell workout sculpts stronger legs without lunges, using just three leg exercises.

Woman kneeling with hands on hips at the gym studio in activewear

Nordic hamstring curls: How to do them and the benefits for strengthening your glutes and hamstrings

By Sam Hopes last updated

The Nordic hamstring curl is one of the most effective hamstring strengthening exercises. Here's how to do it, the benefits, common mistakes and two variations to try.

a photo of a woman doing a bear crawl exercise

I did the 7-minute Bear Crawl exercise every day for a week — here are my results

By Sam Hopes last updated

Benefits of the bear crawl exercise, how to do it and what happens if you bear crawl for seven minutes each day for a week.

Man leaning against a tyre with one hand and performing a dumbbell bentover row with his left arm

Forget Arnold presses — 3 dumbbell exercises to blast your chest, back and tricep muscles

By Sam Hopes last updated

This upper-body dumbbell workout sculpts chest, back, shoulder and arm muscles using three moves and 15 minutes.

Woman holding dumbbells in each hand in sports bra and shorts against grey blue backdrop during abs workout

Forget Russian twists — this 3-move standing ab workout builds chiseled oblique muscles

By Sam Hopes last updated

Forget Russian twists. This standing ab workout uses 3 exercises and 15 minutes to chisel your oblique muscles.

Woman performing a yoga exercise during seated chair yoga routine in an exercise studio

Forget squats — this 20-minute chair yoga routine sculpts stronger legs and core muscles without weights

By Sam Hopes last updated

Here's a 20-minute chair yoga workout to strengthen muscles and build flexibility without weights or standing up.

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

Forget ab workouts— this calisthenics workout blasts your whole body in just 15 minutes

By Sam Hopes last updated

Forget ab workouts because this bodyweight routine uses 15 exercises to blast your whole body in just 15 minutes.

Woman in white activewear performing a crunch exercise against blue background

I did 50 frog crunches every day for a week — here's what happened to my abs

By Sam Hopes last updated

Benefits of frog crunches, how to do them and what happens if you do 50 reps everyday for one week.

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