In her nearly 14 years in the fitness industry, celebrity trainer Kirsty Godso has worked with a wide range of clients – most recently Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Kaia Gerber and Charli XCX, to name a few.
Over that time, she’s also watched the fitness industry shift and evolve, becoming increasingly shaped by data, rising intensity and social media chatter. But amid all the noise, Godso has maintained a very different mindset when it comes to training.
‘To me, a quieter, more intuitive approach is really at the heart of how I train my clients and myself,’ she tells Women’s Health. ‘In an industry that always has a new training trend and a lot of outside noise, I always focus on putting the personal in personal training. It’s about focusing on the specific needs of each client and not getting distracted by the latest and greatest things that the algorithm is serving you.’
In fact, the concept of intuitive training is at the heart of her recent Set the Pace campaign with Vuori, an activewear brand she collaborates with. The campaign centres on the idea that movement is something to feel rather than something to prove.
These days, the 37-year-old trainer also listens to her body far more than she did in her 20s, paying attention to what feels good and what doesn’t.
‘For me, strength training is authentic to me. It’s what feels nurturing, fun, challenging and supportive to my body,’ she says, adding that she always asks her clients what kind of movement they enjoy and makes sure it’s built into their weekly routines.
‘You likely won’t love every workout in your schedule if you’re following a proper training plan, but having those workouts that feel really in line with your needs and authenticity will get you through the hard stuff, too.’
While her training approach may be intuitive, it’s also highly functional – with a focus on stability, mobility and overall strength.
Here, Godso shares five go-to strength exercises that all of her celebrity clients do – and love.
5 full-body strength moves Kirsty Godso swears by1. Hip thrusts
(Demonstrated in the second video clip above)
‘I absolutely love hip thrusts in many versions. They’re an amazing exercise when done properly and are an essential glute strength movement.
‘I use a lot of different variations such as barbell hip thrusts, single-leg hip thrusts, single-leg elevated hip thrusts, dual-leg elevated hip thrusts. It’s a movement I coach and personally do multiple times a week so I like to mix up the variations to keep hitting the glutes a little differently.’
How to do it:
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your upper back resting against a workout bench. Hold a barbell or weight across your hip creases. Position your feet so your knees are stacked over your ankles at the top of the movement.
- Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to extend your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Lower your hips back down with control. That’s one rep.
Godso’s tip: Have a mirror next to you so you can check your positioning. ‘If the foot is too far out you’ll feel more hamstrings, and if the foot is too close, you’ll feel more quads. Make small adjustments to find a position you can hold at lockout at the top without rib flare or arching through your lower back, then add the weight once the feet are set.’
2. Cable face pulls
(Demonstrated in the fourth video clip above)
‘This exercise is all about that sexy, strong upper back and helps work on your posture. I do this exercise at least twice a week and swear by it.’
How to do it:
- Set the cable to around shoulder height and attach a rope.
- Stand in a staggered stance with a slight bend in your knees and your back heel raised. Hold one end of the rope in each hand.
- Pull the rope towards your face, allowing your elbows to flare out at around shoulder height.
- Pause briefly, then return to the starting position with control. That’s one rep.
Godso’s tip: Slow it down. ‘When you squeeze at the max range of the pull position, try holding it for one to two seconds before controlling the rope back in. When you go slower you’ll also feel more core engagement.’
3. Deadlifts
(Demonstrated in the first video clip above)
‘I think deadlifts are an essential exercise not only as a lower-body exercise but for how well they light up your entire posterior chain. They’re amazing for the glutes and hamstrings but also require a lot of core strength.
‘I predominantly use kettlebell deadlifts with my clients and will alternate between Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) and split-stance deadlifts with one or two weights. I love to incorporate single-leg exercises in my workouts to improve stability.’
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart, with a barbell, kettlebell or pair of dumbbells positioned in front of you.
- Push your hips back and soften your knees as you hinge forwards, keeping your spine neutral and the weight close to your body.
- Drive through your feet and squeeze your glutes to extend your hips and return to standing.
- Pause briefly at the top, then hinge at your hips to lower the weight with control. That’s one rep.
Godso’s tip: ‘If you struggle with the hinge in a deadlift, try attaching a thick resistance band to a pole, stepping into it and securing it around your hips, then step away far enough until you feel some tension on it. The band will help guide your hips back into the hinge position and will also give you more glute work when you have to push back up against it to come to the top of the move.’
4. Cable triceps extensions
‘My clients and I are absolutely obsessed with these! I love to use them as a burnout exercise at the end of a circuit and do high reps using a moderate weight so you can control it. Trust me, it burns.’
How to do it:
- Stand facing the cable machine with your feet around hip-width apart. Hold the attachment with both hands and keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.
- Keeping your elbows still, extend your arms until they are straight, squeezing your triceps at the bottom.
- Slowly bend your elbows to return the attachment to the starting position with control. That’s one rep.
Godso’s tip: ‘The key to getting the most out of this for your triceps is to keep your elbows tight to your rib cage the entire time, maintain a slight hinge forward in your torso so you’re not standing completely upright and pull your shoulders away from your ears so you’re not trying to work from your traps and shoulders.’
5. High-plank single-arm row
(Demonstrated in the final video clip above)
‘This is the one my clients love to hate and vice versa! It’s an upper-body exercise that works your entire body and your core like crazy.’
Godso recommends two variations.
Option 1: dumbbell row
- Get into a high-plank position with your feet wide to help stabilise your hips.
- Elevate one hand on a bench or yoga block, keeping it underneath your shoulder, and hold a dumbbell in your opposite hand.
- Row the weight towards your ribs without allowing your hips to rotate or losing your flat-back position.
- Lower the weight with control and repeat.
Option 2: cable row
- If you’re more advanced, set up in a high-plank position with your feet wide.
- Hold a handle attached to a cable set at its lowest position.
- Perform a single-arm row while keeping your hips and torso as still as possible.
Godso’s tip: ‘Both of these exercises require a huge amount of stability, making a lighter weight feel more difficult. Start light and build your confidence, focusing on form first.’
Kirsty Godso’s training non-negotiables
When it comes to intuitive training, there are a few principles Godso encourages all of her clients to follow.
- ‘I prefer that women don’t train fasted, even if they have something small before their morning workout so they have more energy and some fuel to burn! My go-to is some protein powder in my morning coffee or matcha.’
- ‘I love to add 15 to 20 minutes of walking or StairMaster at the end of my strength workouts when I have time. Some studies show this can help both speed up recovery and burn fat but honestly, I mostly do it because it feels good!’
- ‘Take time to prep your body for your strength workouts through foam rolling and activation. A lot of people skip this but it’s really important for mobility, better recovery and better activation and connection in your workouts. It doesn’t have to be long, just five to 10 minutes at the start of your workout.’
- ‘I prefer a focus on step count across the day versus trying to get 10K steps in one go. Small 10-minute walks post meals help stabilise your blood sugar and aid digestion as well as give you a nice little mental break, especially if you can get outside.’
Kristine Thomason is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating content for print and digital publications. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at mindbodygreen, and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has appeared in Men’s Health, Travel + Leisure, Health, and Refinery29, among others. She holds a journalism degree from New York University, and is certified in personal training by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).