Sam Hopes
Sam Hopes is a level III qualified 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
Forget the gym — 5 full-body strength exercises for beginners using one pull-up bar
By Sam Hopes last updated
Build full-body strength using just a pull-up bar and these five bodyweight exercises for beginners.
I did 50 kettlebell clean and jerks every day for one week — here’s what happened to my body
By Sam Hopes published
What is the kettlebell clean and jerk, how do you do it, and what happened when one personal trainer did 50 reps a day for one week?
I did 50 reverse burpees every day for one week — here are my results
By Sam Hopes last updated
What are reverse burpees, how do you do them and what happens if you do 50 reps every day for a week?
Hiking vs power walking: Which one burns more calories?
By Sam Hopes last updated
Does hiking burn more calories than power walking? Our in-house personal trainer decided to find out.
5 upper body strength exercises for beginners using just one resistance band
By Sam Hopes last updated
Build a stronger upper body using one resistance band and five strength exercises. Here's how to do them and a workout to try.
Forget treadmills — this 3-move walking workout strengthens and sculpts your abs, glutes and legs
By Sam Hopes last updated
A walking workout could burn calories, improve cardiovascular fitness, and build strength. This three-move walking workout strengthens the legs and core muscles in under 30 minutes.
Does yoga build muscle?
By Sam Hopes last updated
What is yoga, what are the benefits, and does yoga build muscle? Here's how to adapt your yoga practice for muscle gains.
5 best kettlebell exercises for beginners to chisel full-body strength and muscle
By Sam Hopes last updated
Our Tom's Guide personal trainer reveals five of the best kettlebell exercises for beginners who want to build full-body strength and muscle, and the benefits of kettlebells.
Best golf bags 2024 — rated and reviewed
By Mike Bailey last updated
We’ve found the best golf bags for walking, riding, and traveling in 2024.
I did the Camel Pose exercise every day for a week — here's what happened to my abs and back
By Sam Hopes last updated
Ustrasana, or camel pose, is a backbend posture found in yoga with plenty of mental and physical benefits. Our writer did it every day for one week and detailed what happened.
I did 50 reps of this sit-ups ab exercise every day for a week — here’s what happened
By Sam Hopes last updated
What are stand-up sit-ups, how do you do them, and what happened when our in-house personal trainer did them every day for one week?
Forget dumbbells — this chair workout builds full-body strength in just 15 minutes
By Sam Hopes last updated
A low-impact chair workout that takes 15 minutes and 15 exercises to build full-body muscle and strengthen your core. Here's how to do it and the benefits of chair workouts.
Forget Russian twists — this 30-minute yoga block abs workout sets your core on fire
By Sam Hopes last updated
This yoga block abs workout strengthens your core muscles using one brick and a series of Pilates ab exercises. Here's how to do it.
I did 50 frog jumps every day for a week — here’s what happened to my quads and abs
By Sam Hopes last updated
How to do frog jumps, the benefits of frog jumps, and what happened when our in-house personal trainer did 90 reps a day for a week.
3 things I wish I had known as a kettlebell beginner
By Sam Hopes published
We reveal three tips for kettlebell beginners, how to hold your kettlebell properly, and the best kettlebell exercises to learn for building strength and muscle.
The Oura Ring is my favorite gadget of 2023 — 3 best ways to use yours during the holidays
By Sam Hopes published
The Oura health app has several recovery features to manage stress, including Daytime Stress, Rest Mode and meditations. Here's how to access and ways to use them.
I’m a personal trainer — this CrossFit-inspired 12 Days of Christmas workout torched my body in 30 minutes
By Sam Hopes last updated
This 12-move, CrossFit-inspired 12 Days of Christmas workout strengthens every muscle group in less than 35 minutes. Here's how to do it.
Forget stairclimbers — this 5-move staircase workout sculpts full-body muscle
By Sam Hopes last updated
Our in-house personal trainer lists five full-body strength exercises you can do on a staircase, how to do them and the benefits of stairclimbing using bodyweight exercises.
Forget deadlifts — 3 kettlebell exercises that build full-body muscle in just 15 minutes
By Sam Hopes last updated
It only takes 3 exercises and 15 minutes to sculpt and strengthen muscles using this basic kettlebell routine. Here's how to do them properly and a workout to try.
Forget lunges — 3 lower body strength exercises you can do using a Pilates ring
By Sam Hopes last updated
These three lower body exercises strengthen your legs and glutes using a Pilates ring. Here's how to do them and a three-move leg workout to try.
7 Christmas gifts we recommend buying in the Adidas sales starting from just $18
By Sam Hopes last updated
Shop fitness holiday gifts with the Adidas sales, from hiking shoes to running gear, sports bras and apparel. There's a gift for everyone no matter the cost.
Forget running — 7 full-body strength exercises you can do using your treadmill
By Sam Hopes last updated
Our in-house personal trainer lists seven strength exercises you can do on your treadmill without running, how to do them and the benefits of building full-body strength.
7 best holiday deals I'd buy in the Nike sales from just $22
By Sam Hopes last updated
Shop the best fitness holiday gifts during the Nike sales, from running shoes to sports bras and outerwear apparel. There's a gift for every fitness and Nike lover.