We recently covered how wellness mogul Liz Earle used strength training – which she began in her 50s – to completely change her body. And now, she’s given us an insight into the specific exercises she’s used over the last decade to transform her upper-body strength – and they’re way simpler than you might think.
Working with personal trainer Michael Garry, Liz says the focus has always been on ‘doing a few things that really work – so [the exercises are] very time-efficient.’ Before going into the specific moves in a YouTube video, Liz flags that it’s taken her 10 years to progress to where she’s at, and that the best thing to do is start with very light weights and build up slowly. ‘I certainly couldn’t do this in the beginning,’ she adds, referring to the heavier weights she can now lift. ‘Work at your own pace. Do what feels right for you… The golden rule is if it hurts, stop.’
Cautioning that she’s not a qualified personal trainer – ‘I’m just repeating what Michael tells me and showing you what I do personally’ – she also encourages viewers to seek some expert guidance before starting. ’
The moves she credits for her strong arms
‘One of Michael’s favourite exercises is the hammer curl,’ says Liz. Demonstrating the exercise, she says ‘keep your elbows in, and just literally lift and lower.’ Using a 7kg weight, she says she performs 25-rep sets. ‘Michael’s always told me it’s best to go heavy if you can,’ adds Liz. ‘Fewer reps with heavier weights – that’s what seems to get results for me.’
Hammer curls use a neutral grip (palms facing each other), which places more emphasis on the brachialis (upper arm) and outer forearm (brachioradialis). This can help support more balanced arm development when combined with other curl variations. The neutral grip may also help reduce risk of wrist strain.
Front raise 
Another exercise Liz does with her 7kg dumbbell is front raises. ‘Keep your core on, pull your tummy button back towards your spine, shoulders down, head nicely balanced and straight,’ she says. ‘And this is just using straight arms – you bring that [the dumbbell] up so it’s level with your nose.’ Liz adds that she usually performs around 15 reps before having a break – and that she uses some old horse riding gloves to help with grip.
This move is great for building shoulder strength, and can help prevent injury when you’re lifting things – whether that’s in the gym or in everyday life – by improving mobility and range of motion.
‘One of the key things for the upper body is the good old push-up,’ says Liz, before demonstrating the move against a wall, and highlighting that you can then progress it by pushing up from a countertop. ‘I’m a great fan of exercise snacking,’ she adds, referring to sprinkling smaller bouts of movement throughout your day, for example, wall or countertop push-ups waiting for the kettle to boil.
‘Then, as you get stronger, you’ll find that you can do full-body plank push-ups,’ says Liz, adding that you can make the move easier by positioning your hands wider apart. She usually does 3 sets of 30, but sometimes likes to add an extra 10 to reach 100.
A compound (targets more than one muscle group), functional bodyweight exercise, push-ups are a valuable addition to any workout routine. ‘The wall press-up is amazing for arm and core strength and perfect to do while dinner is cooking. It can also be modified in so many ways to make it work for almost anyone – I’ve recommended it to clients in their 30s and in their 80s,’ personal trainer and former bone surgeon Dr Kate Ella previously told WH.
And last but not least: the tricep dip – which Liz says she always finishes with. ‘I just do this on a bench or you could do it on the back of a chair or a sofa or the bed,’ she adds. ‘Here, I’ve got my hands on the edge and I’m just going to go down – try and get your bum towards the floor – and I do sets of about 30 [reps].’
To progress the movement, Liz says she takes one foot away, swapping between them after about 15 reps.
Strength training doesn’t have to be hard, she adds, nor do you have to go to the gym to benefit. ‘It’s just about bringing it into your everyday life.’
Having a strong core is about far more than sporting a six-pack. Build functional mid-section strength – while also improving your power, posture, coordination and balance – with WH COLLECTIVE coach Izy George’s 4-week core challenge. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access the full training plan today.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
