Most people wouldn’t mind being a little bit fitter. But the fittest? That seems unreachable. However, many argue that all-conquering CrossFit athlete Tia-Clair Toomey is, by objective measures, the fittest woman in history.
Toomey, who is an ambassador for the fitness app Pliability, has won the CrossFit Games – an annual competition to find the fittest man and woman on earth – an unrivalled six times on the trot. In 2023, she paused to have her first child, then returned in 2024 and won the competition two more times.
In the midst of her winning streak, the 32-year-old also represented Australia in weightlifting at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won gold in the same event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics in the two-woman bobsled and completed a Hyrox doubles race in a lightning-fast 54 minutes 24 seconds.
In short: Toomey is incredibly fit. The average person might not be able to emulate her superior fitness levels, and most don’t want to – they simply want to be fit and healthy enough to thrive in everyday life. You can, however, benefit from her insights about how to approach exercise.
Read more: Do these three things each week to be fitter than most Brits
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Tia-Clair Toomey has been named the fittest woman in history (Pliability)
1. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
“You can’t be perfect at everything all the time,” says Toomey. “Trying to juggle too many things at once is where many people come unstuck, because you’re stretching yourself too thin. So it’s important to find balance.”
The aim is not to do everything immaculately, but to identify the things that are truly valuable to you – these might be your workouts, work or supporting your family – and take pride in throwing the (cluttered) kitchen sink at them.
“Even if it’s just a simple workout, you can feel really fulfilled at the end of the day knowing you gave it your best,” Toomey says. “I think a workout is a perfect place to demonstrate this.”
Read more: Walking experts reveal the number of daily steps you need to boost health – and it’s not 10,000
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There is a sense of fulfilment that can follow a challenging workout (Pliability)
2. Small changes make a big difference
Most people set themselves lofty fitness (and life) goals, then fall short of them. Just look at how many New Year’s resolutions have been discarded by the time February rolls around. Toomey suggests a more manageable approach.
“If you can get 1 per cent better every day, you can’t ask for any more than that,” she says. “It’s when you create excuses, stop challenging yourself and give up on pursuing your chosen goal that you stop progressing and plateau.”
She recommends making small tweaks to improve how you feel each day, rather than obsessing over a daunting target.
For example, you could head to bed 15 minutes earlier and keep your phone out of the bedroom, drink an extra glass of water, go for a walk after dinner or eat an extra portion of fruits and vegetables. Small changes soon accumulate to make a big difference over time.
“It takes a lot of pressure off people when they break their goals down like that,” Toomey says.
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Read more: Study reveals the small changes to your diet, sleep and exercise that can add years to your life
Not a big stretch: So many people think exercise is a daunting thing – but it takes many shapes and sizes (Pliability)
3. Be open-minded
A lot of people use the phrase “exercise isn’t for me”. This is likely linked to a less-than-pleasant experience at some point in their past.
But exercise is a very broad umbrella, and Toomey urges people to remain open-minded when approaching it. This is something she learned firsthand.
“I enjoyed my first CrossFit session, but I didn’t really enjoy the coach, so I opted not to go back for two months,” she says. “Who knows where I would be now if I never went back because of that one interaction.”
Toomey ended up trying a different gym and finding a coach who was more passionate and encouraging. “Then I was hooked and fully committed,” she says.
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For the everyday exerciser, this could mean changing the variables to make your workouts more fun. For example, if you don’t like how running feels, you could swap to a lower-impact activity like swimming or cycling. Or if you find solo strength training sessions boring, you might join an exercise class.
There is no need to suffer through a certain type of exercise just because someone told you it’s the best. Take a playful approach to your workouts and continue to experiment until you find something you enjoy. Because if your exercise plans are fun, you are far more likely to stick to them.
Read more: The easiest way to strengthen your entire body, according to this expert coach
When it comes to harder workouts, they have to be balanced with ample fuel and recovery (Pliability)
4. Put your ego aside
If you have ever watched Toomey compete, it’s hard to imagine her struggling with anything exercise-related. But, she says, when she first started CrossFit training she found it difficult to hold a barbell overhead in a stable position.
This was exposed in a CrossFit workout named “Nancy” – five rounds of a 400-metre run and 15 overhead squats (squatting while holding a 30kg barbell overhead).
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“I was a runner prior to CrossFit, so I would race ahead during the 400m runs, but then the overhead squats were very challenging for me,” Toomey says.
To learn the correct technique, she started by scaling back the overhead squats, using an empty barbell rather than one loaded up with weight. Then, as she improved, she gradually increased the load on the bar.
“It’s all about building confidence,” Toomey says. “Everyone wants to go from zero to 100, but you need to put your ego aside, take your time and put the work in to actually learn a movement. That is how people evolve.”
If Toomey is willing to scale back exercises to learn them properly, the rest of us should be too. That might mean starting with goblet squats rather than barbell squats, wall press-ups rather than full press-ups, or walking rather than running.
There are exercise options to suit all fitness levels – you just have to find the appropriate ones for you and gradually progress them over time.
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Read more: Sitting all day wreaks havoc on your hips and spine – here’s how to stop that from happening
It is important to find a workout that is appropriately challenging for your fitness needs (Pliability)
5. Variety is the spice of life
What is the one exercise Toomey wishes more people would do? She struggles to pick just one before prescribing variety.
“I just love seeing people active,” she says. “But constantly doing one thing will have a lot of impact on the body. I think it’s really important to have a variety of exercises. That way you’re constantly working different muscles, building broad fitness and stimulating the mind in different ways.”
This is good advice for any exerciser. The body works on a rough use-it-or-lose-it basis, so if you don’t use a joint or muscle to its full potential, it can weaken and tighten over time. Greasing the groove on a wide range of movement patterns is the best way to prevent this and stay mobile for decades to come.
Read more: After 50 you need to train smarter – the eight rules for strength training in midlife, according to experts
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Moving in varied ways is one of the best methods for maintaining mobility (Pliability)
6. Commit to a plan
A one-off workout cannot transform your fitness, but a progressive exercise plan can. This is why Toomey recommends finding a structured programme to follow over a longer time period than just a single session.
“That is going to help you stay motivated, particularly if it’s linked to some sort of sports or fitness goal like your first 10K, triathlon or pull-up,” she says.
“It gives you something to aim for. Otherwise people think, ‘Oh, I’m just going to keep doing this forever,’ and it can feel quite overwhelming. Following a programme helps you build healthy habits that you integrate into your daily routine and actually stick to.”
Read more: I specialise in coaching people aged 40-plus – do these six things for immediate results
Toomey wakes up with a stretching routine each morning to help soothe her muscles after a hard workout the day before (Pliability)
7. Look after yourself
Muscle isn’t built in the gym. What you do during your workouts triggers myriad positive physiological changes, but the actual adaptations happen while you are recovering.
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For this reason, Toomey places a great emphasis on sleep and nutrition, prioritising quality fuel and recovery between her training sessions.
As part of this, she regularly uses a sauna, breathwork and completes a stretching and mobility protocol via the Pliability stretching app shortly after waking each day.
“I tend to wake up feeling a bit stiff and sore from the previous day,” she says. “But I want to walk into the gym feeling strong and confident. That stretching session acts as a form of meditation as well, helping with both mobility and mental clarity.”
Read more: Swap the gym for this trainer’s six-move kettlebell workout to build full-body strength at home
Gemma Atkinson is a busy woman. When she’s not parenting her two children, six-year-old Mia and two-year old Thiago, she’s busy hosting on Hits Radio or managing her health and beauty brand Gem & Tonic. So, when it comes to working out, choosing exercises that maximise both efficiency and results is essential.
To build shoulder muscle, there’s one move she swears by: the seated shoulder press. In a video she recently posted on Instagram, she demonstrated the move and wrote: ‘Like I said, shoulders like boulders. Last set needs some F bombs to get me through. Always!’ Speaking of the importance of keeping your legs still in order to strictly isolate your shoulder muscles to prevent “cheating”, she added: ‘P.S. Elliot my PT will be screaming down the phone for me to keep my legs still.’
Instagram @glouiseatkinson
The seated shoulder press is a no-brainer for time-poor women looking to build muscle in minimal time as it’s a compound movement, meaning it trains several major shoulder and upper-body muscles simultaneously while allowing you to use relatively heavy loads safely with minimal setup time or effort required. In practical terms, a few challenging sets of seated shoulder presses can provide the stimulus equivalent to doing several isolation exercises separately, such as front raises and lat raises.
Personal trainer and Men’s Health UK fitness writer Kate Neudecker says that performing the move seated makes it especially effective: ‘Sitting down reduces the demand on balance, stability and bracing, so you can put more effort into the muscles you’re actually trying to train. That often means you can lift with more control, use a heavier load, and create more mechanical tension through the shoulders and triceps, which is one of the key drivers of muscle growth. There can also be a tendency to bounce at the knees to increase momentum on the standing shoulder press; the seated press eliminates this.’
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She adds that it targets the ‘deltoids, especially the front and side deltoids while also working the triceps as they extend the elbows. Depending on the bench angle, the upper chest can contribute too, while the upper traps and shoulders’ stabilising muscles help control the movement.’ Here’s how to do with proper form, plus how many reps and sets to do, and how to progress.
How to do the seated shoulder press
Sit, with your shoulders against the bench, chest proud, head facing forward with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend the elbows at 90 degrees with the dumbbells at ear level and palms facing forward.
Now straighten your arms and press the dumbbells towards the ceiling, then return to the start. Repeat.
How to work it into your workout
Neudecker advises: ‘Always tailor reps and sets to your own abilities and needs but for muscle growth, a good starting point is 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps using a load that leaves around 1-3 reps in reserve on most sets. Evidence indicates that a large range of reps and sets contribute to muscle growth but for good technique and results, that should be sufficient. Place it early in an upper body workout if shoulder strength or size is a priority, so that you can use max muscle power.’
When it comes to progressing, Neudecker says ‘You can add weight, add reps, increase sets or improve your control and range of motion over time to contribute to progressive overload. Because balance and coordination are less of a limiting factor, it can be easier to apply progressive overload directly to the shoulders.’
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
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As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
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Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
If you enjoy working out, then there is no end of exercises and techniques to help you build muscle. If that’s you, we salute you, but politely suggest the following won’t be of interest (perhaps you’d like to read about myo-reps instead).
For those of us who want the benefits of strength training, but don’t have the mental bandwidth to follow complicated plans, I have just the thing: a simple three-move home upper-body workout, courtesy of Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree.
“Together, these movements provide a balanced upper-body workout by training both pushing and pulling patterns,” she says.
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“They target the chest, shoulders, back and arms while also requiring core engagement.”
The beauty of this routine is that Chakoian has also shared several options to scale up each exercise, so as you get stronger, you just increase the challenge.
“I like these exercises because they are accessible for most fitness levels and can continue to challenge people for years simply by changing leverage, tempo and stability rather than relying on heavier weights,” says Chakoian.
1. Push-up
How to do a Push-Up | Proper Form & Technique | NASM – YouTube
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Sets: 3-4 Reps: 8-15
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“I chose this because push-ups are one of the most effective upper-body exercises because they train multiple muscle groups at once while also challenging core stability,” says Chakoian.
“Small changes in leverage can make them significantly harder without adding weight.”
How to do a push-up:
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Get on your hands and knees with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step your feet back so your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core—this is your starting position.
Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor with control.
Pause when your elbows are bent to 90°.
Press through your hands to lift yourself back to the starting position.
Make it easier:
Possible modified push-ups include:
Make it harder:
2. Pike push-up
Sets: 3-4 Reps: 6-12
“I chose this because many people overlook vertical pushing strength when training without equipment,” says Chakoian.
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“Pike push-ups are excellent for developing shoulder strength and can eventually lead to more advanced bodyweight movements.”
How to do a pike push-up:
Begin with your hands on the floor and your hips lifted, so your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep your legs straight or, if your mobility is limited, slightly bend your knees.
Bend your elbows to lower your head, keeping your elbows angled slightly backward as you descend.
Once your head gently taps the floor, press through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
Make it easier:
Place your hands on a raised platform and lower your head to the platform.
Make it harder:
Slow the lowering phase.
Increase the range of motion by elevating your hands on books or yoga blocks, allowing your head to go below your hands.
“I chose this exercise because pulling movements are often neglected in equipment-free workouts, yet they’re essential for posture, shoulder health, and balanced upper-body strength,” says Chakoian.
“Rows help strengthen the muscles that counteract hours of sitting and computer work.”
How to do an inverted row:
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Lie on your back under a sturdy table.
Grasp the edge of the surface with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Engage your core and make sure your body is straight from head to heels—this is your starting position.
Pull your chest toward your hands, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.
Make it easier:
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
Make it harder:
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“Don’t be a lone wolf, that’s my number one life hack”—Peloton instructor and ultra runner Susie Chan shares her weekly fitness routine and tips to get started
In just 16 years, Susie Chan has accumulated more miles and conquered more feats of endurance than most of us achieve in a lifetime.
All seven major marathons? Check. The notoriously punishing 156-mile Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman? Check. A 12-hour treadmill world record? Check. Check. Check.
Now 51, she’s just added the 81-mile Badwater Salton Sea ultra to her collection, featuring 9,000 feet of total elevation up Palomar Mountain in Southern California.
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All while holding down a physically and emotionally demanding job as a Peloton instructor, and raising her daughter.
What makes it all the more inspiring is that Chan had zero interest in sport or fitness until her brother signed her up to the Farnham Pilgrim Half Marathon in 2010.
“I didn’t even have trainers,” she tells Fit&Well. “I had gym shoes on. I had no clue.
“It really hurt—I’m not going to pretend it didn’t—but it showed me what I could actually do if I really wanted to.
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“That’s something I’ve maintained. That one little spark of what I can do if I really want to has propelled me to do all of the other long endurance races since.”
It has also propelled her into a new career as a running coach, to writing a book called Trails and Tribulations about the trials and tribulations she’s encountered along the way, and to inspiring others to lace up their running shoes—or gym shoes—for the first time.
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Recently returned from the Salton Sea ultra, I caught up with Chan to discuss what her weekly workout routine typically looks like when not scaling mountains or traversing deserts.
Susie Chan’s weekly workout routine
For the past decade, Chan has been clocking an average of 50 miles a week. When not hitting the road or trails with friends, she’s leading treadmill workouts in Peloton’s London studio or at fitness festivals around the country.
“If I haven’t got a race, I’ll typically run five times a week—minimum,” Chan says, casually.
“It’s my main source of exercise, but I’m also really enjoying my Peloton bike right now. I love it as an alternative. And I’m trying to dial down my mileage and build more strength.”
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Here’s how her week typically breaks down.
Monday 30min run or Peloton Bike class for recovery.
Tuesday Leading Peloton treadmill classes and full-body strength workout.
Wednesday Leading Peloton treadmill classes and easy eight-mile run with friends.
Thursday 30-60min interval or speed run, plus leg workout.
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Friday Leading Peloton treadmill classes and easy 60min run or ride with colleagues.
Saturday 45-90min long run.
Sunday 60min slow yoga class focusing on single-leg strength.
Susie Chan’s advice on how to get started with running
Start slow and steady
If you’re completely new to running, or you’re getting back into it, think tortoise, not hare.
“You’ve got to start off slow and steady,” Chan says. “In my very first run I just ran as fast as I could. It was awful. Don’t do that!”
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Instead, Chan recommends using run-walk intervals at a 1:1 ratio.
“If you’re brand new to running, alternating two minutes of running with two minutes of walking, or whatever it is that you can maintain, is a good place to start.”
After a couple weeks, you can increase the running intervals or reduce the recovery period to progress toward a 2:1 ratio.
Make it social
Chan says everything hard becomes easier when you share it with others. That’s especially true when trying to build momentum at the start of your running journey.
“I’m very much not a lone wolf,” says Chan, of the way she prefers to keep active.
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“If you have other people to work out with it just takes the edge off. They help drive you, encourage you, enable you. For me, that’s the number one life hack for training. It just makes everything feel easier.”
