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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm training for Hyrox in the Puma Fuse 2.0 cross training shoes — and they're just $54 ahead of Prime Day
By Sam Hopes last updated
The Puma Fuse 2.0 cross training shoe just went on sale ahead of Amazon Prime Day. Save up to $46 right now for a limited time.

Epic International Day of Yoga sale shreds 50% off the 'best yoga mat on the planet' ahead of Amazon Prime Day
By Sam Hopes last updated
Save up to 50% on the 'best yoga mat in the world' Liforme yoga mat for a limited time during International Day of Yoga sales.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I tried 90 dolphin push-ups every day for one week — here’s what happened to my body
By Sam Hopes last updated
What is the dolphin push-up, how do you do it and what happens if you do 90 reps every day for one week?

Stiff hips? This 5-move bodyweight walking workout builds flexibility and a stronger lower body
By Sam Hopes last updated
A five-move bodyweight walking workout could help build flexibility, strengthen your lower body, and boost your mood. Here's how.

I'm a personal trainer — strengthen your core and build lower body muscle with these 3 dumbbell exercises
By Sam Hopes last updated
Strengthen your core and build lower body muscle and strength using these three bodyweight exercises and a dumbbell.

I added a 1-minute gorilla stretch to my workouts every day for one week — here's what happened
By Sam Hopes published
The gorilla stretch is a yoga pose responsible for stretching the muscles of your posterior chain, including the lower back and hamstrings. Our writer did it every day for one week.
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