Tess Daly Upper Body Workout Routine: What the 56-Year-Old Strictly Host Actually Does

Tess Daly, 56, trains two to three times a week with personal trainer Sam Shaw at Lemon PT Studios, focusing on dumbbell presses, resistance bands and core integration.

Picture the moment. Tess Daly, 56, on the Strictly floor in a sleeveless dress, arms and shoulders defined in a way that looks entirely natural. The interesting part is that the routine behind it is not extreme. It is consistent.

For nine years she has trained two or three times a week with the same coach, focusing on simple compound movements with dumbbells and resistance bands. Her approach is about vitality, not aesthetics, and it is built around her own body’s needs, including core work to support a long spine. This article lays out what she actually does, the NHS-relevant reasons it works so well at 56, and a practical 25-minute version you can follow at home with minimal equipment.

Who trains Tess Daly and how often

Tess Daly’s long-term trainer is Sam Shaw, who works from Lemon PT Studios in London. They have been training together for around nine years. Their regular routine involves two to three hour-long sessions each week. Sam reportedly tailors every session to what Tess needs that week, blending full-body strength with cardio circuits.

Tess has spoken about having a long spine, so a lot of their work focuses on building core strength to support it. On the days between her gym sessions, she does her own movement. This includes yoga, swimming, trampolining, skipping for five minutes most mornings, and long walks with her dog. She has said in interviews that this variety is what makes the routine sustainable.

On a particularly busy week during the Strictly season, she adapts. Rather than skipping training altogether, she might swap a gym session for an hour of yoga or a long, brisk walk. The principle is moving regularly, not rigidly sticking to a plan.

The upper body moves Tess Daly has shown publicly

From clips on Sam Shaw’s training reels and Tess’s own Instagram, we can see the upper body exercises that feature most often in their sessions. These are not flashy or complicated. They are foundational moves, done with a focus on good form and controlled movement, usually in the 8 to 12 rep range for two or three sets.

Dumbbell shoulder press

Sit upright on a bench or a stability ball, holding dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Brace your core. Press the weights straight up until your arms are extended, but do not lock your elbows. Lower them back down under control. Aim for 8 to 12 reps. Sam often pairs this move with a core hold to reinforce stability. From an NHS perspective, maintaining shoulder strength is important for everyday tasks like lifting items onto a high shelf, which becomes a known fall-and-injury risk as we get older.

Dumbbell chest fly

Lie on a bench or on the floor with your knees bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest, palms facing each other, with a slight bend in your elbows. Slowly open your arms out wide in a controlled arc, stopping when your elbows are roughly level with your shoulders. Squeeze your chest muscles to bring the weights back to the starting position. Do 10 to 12 reps. Tess posted a clip of this exact move. A key form point is to avoid bouncing at the bottom of the movement.

Bent-over row

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang straight down. Pull your elbows up and back, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower the weights with control. Do 10 to 12 reps. This builds upper-back strength, which directly counters the rounded-shoulder posture many of us develop from desks and phones. It is one of the few moves NHS posture-clinic physios cite by name.

Resistance-band lateral walk

Loop a mini resistance band just above your knees or around your ankles. Sink into a slight squat position to create tension in the band. Take ten controlled side-steps one way, then ten back. This primarily targets your hip stabilisers, but when programmed as a warm-up before upper-body work, as Sam often does, it also helps activate the small stabilising muscles around the shoulders. The bands are cheap, joint-friendly, and require very little space.

Plank shoulder tap

Start in a high plank position, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your hips as still as possible, lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder. Return it to the floor and alternate sides. Aim for 20 taps in total. This exercise forces the shoulder stabilisers to work hard while also integrating the core, which is exactly the combination Tess has said she focuses on. You can modify by doing it on your knees if needed.

Triceps kickback

Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips with soft knees, keeping your back flat. Tuck your elbows into your sides and bend them to 90 degrees. From here, extend your forearms back until your arms are straight, squeezing the back of your upper arms. Return to the start under control. Do 10 to 12 reps on each side, or both at once. This targets the triceps. Honestly, spot reduction is a myth, but stronger triceps do have higher resting tone, which can give a more defined look under sleeveless dresses.

The foundation of Tess Daly’s routine is consistency with simple, effective movements.

A 25-minute at-home version using what you probably already have

Here is a practical circuit drawing on Tess’s exercises. Warm up for 5 minutes: 60 seconds of skipping or marching on the spot, 30 seconds of arm circles, 30 seconds of shoulder rolls, and repeat.

Main circuit – complete 3 rounds:
12 dumbbell shoulder presses
12 chest flys (on the floor)
12 bent-over rows
20 plank shoulder taps

Finisher:
12 triceps kickbacks each side
30 seconds of resistance-band lateral walks in each direction

Rest for 60 seconds between rounds. For equipment, you need two dumbbells in the 2 to 5kg range (full water bottles or cans of beans work as substitutes), a mini resistance band (available for £5-10 from Argos or Amazon UK), and a mat for comfort. The whole session should take about 25 minutes.

Why this kind of routine works at 56

From our 30s onwards, we naturally lose lean muscle mass, a process that accelerates after menopause. Structured resistance training is one of the few interventions with strong evidence for slowing this loss. The Royal Osteoporosis Society recommends loaded movement at least twice a week to preserve bone density at the wrist, spine and hip. NHS Live Well guidance aligns, advising 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly plus muscle-strengthening on at least two days.

The upper-body focus is particularly important for women over 50. Wrist fractures from a fall are one of the most common menopause-related injuries, and shoulder strength affects everything from carrying shopping bags to lifting grandchildren. Beyond the physical, there is good evidence that regular strength training can help reduce anxiety and support cognitive function during midlife, benefits Tess has also spoken about.

What this routine cannot do (the honest part)

It is important to be realistic. Tess Daly has access to resources most of us do not: a long-term trainer who knows her body, time blocked in her schedule, professional styling and lighting, and a genetic predisposition for a certain physique that the camera treats kindly.

A 25-minute home version of her routine will build genuine upper-body strength, support your bone density, improve your posture, and help your mood. It will not give you Tess Daly’s exact arms. Genetics, body shape, and decades of consistent movement are doing a lot of the visible work. The value in borrowing a celebrity’s routine is in borrowing the structure and consistency, not in expecting the same physical outcome. The only useful target is being stronger and more mobile than you were yesterday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Tess Daly’s personal trainer?

Her trainer is Sam Shaw, who is based at Lemon PT Studios in London. Tess has worked with him for approximately nine years. Their sessions, which happen two to three times a week, combine full-body strength, cardio circuits and mobility work, and are tailored to what she has on that week.

How often does Tess Daly work out?

She does two to three hour-long sessions a week with her trainer, Sam Shaw. On most other days, she does her own activity, which includes yoga, swimming, trampolining, skipping for five minutes most mornings, and long walks with her dog. During busy work weeks, she will swap a gym session for yoga or a walk rather than doing nothing.

What weights does Tess Daly use?

Based on the clips she has shared, she uses dumbbells in the 2 to 5kg range for most upper-body exercises, along with resistance bands. The priority is good form and control, not lifting very heavy weights. This aligns with general NHS strength-training advice for women over 50.

Can I get arms like Tess Daly’s from a home workout?

You can certainly build real upper-body strength and visible muscle tone from a consistent 20-30 minute home routine done two to three times a week. However, you likely cannot replicate her exact arms, as genetics, natural body shape and decades of consistent activity play a large role. Aim for being stronger and better defined, not for a celebrity copy.

How long until I see results from this routine?

You may feel stronger within the first 2 to 4 weeks, as your nervous system adapts. Visible changes in muscle definition typically take 6 to 12 weeks of consistent training, alongside adequate protein intake. NHS guidance suggests adults need about 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Improvements in posture can often be noticed within 3 to 4 weeks.

Is this routine safe in perimenopause?

For most women, yes. Resistance training is one of the most strongly recommended interventions in the NICE guideline NG23 for menopause. The Royal Osteoporosis Society also recommends it to support bone density. If you have a diagnosed condition like osteoporosis or a heart issue, or are recovering from an injury, please consult your GP or a musculoskeletal physio before starting.

This article is informational only and does not replace personalised advice from your GP, pharmacist, or another qualified healthcare professional.