Fitness influencer Sarah Saffari gained fame in the industry with her athletic and feminine physique, which she achieved through hours of hard work at the gym. During an interview with Chris Williamson on October 4, 2023, Saffari shared the top 10 essential exercises that women need to include in their routines.
With millions of impressions across social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, Sara Saffari has quickly become one of the most talked-about names online in the fitness and bodybuilding niches.
Routinely appearing on the immensely popular Bradley Martyn‘s Raw Talk podcast, fans have gotten to know Saffari on a personal level — and both her wit and sarcasm have turned her into a star in a very short period of time. In addition to that, Saffari boasts a ripped six-pack with capped shoulders and impressive biceps, making her exercise selections a treasure for any woman looking to up their fitness game.
Sarah Saffari Breaks Down The Only 10 Exercises Women Need
- Leg press
- Romanian deadlifts with barbell
- Standing military press with barbell
- Incline dumbbell press
- Y-curl
- Weighted pull-ups overhand grip
- Standing hammer curls
- Dumbbell lateral raises
- Skullcrushers
- Hanging leg raises
Leg Press
Strength training exercise where the individual pushes a weight away from them using their legs. . Read our detailed guide on Leg Press here.
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“You can do different variations in it, you can hit different parts depending on how you put your legs.”
Romanian deadlifts with barbell
A hinge movement exercise focusing on the hamstrings and glutes, involving lifting a barbell from a bent-over position. Read our detailed guide on RDLs here.
Standing Military Press with barbell
An overhead press exercise that targets the shoulders and triceps, performed while standing and lifting a barbell.
“Standing to brace your core, you only get 10 exercises here,” added Sara Saffari.
Incline dumbbell press
The chest exercise performed on an inclined bench, pressing dumbbells upward from shoulder level. Read our detailed guide on Incline Dumbbell Press here.
“Can’t go wrong.”
Y-curl
An arm exercise where the biceps are worked by curling weights in a ‘Y’ shape path, typically using dumbbells.
“You flex your tricep at the bottom. Yup, love them.”
Weighted pull-ups overhand grip
A pull-up variation where additional weight is used, and the palms face away from the body during the pull-up. Read more on Weighted Pull-Ups here.
“That’s maybe one of the only back exercises I need,” replied Saffari. I’m not a pussy, come on, overhand.”
“Chris Bumstead said neutral,” replied Williamson.
Standing Hammer curls
Great bicep exercise performed while standing, curling dumbbells with palms facing towards each other. Read our detailed guide on Standing Hammer Curls here.
“Hammer curls to hit the other head of the biceps, standing hammer curls. Yeah we’re good with biceps now.”
Dumbbell lateral raises
Shoulder exercise involving lifting dumbbells out to the side while keeping arms straight. Read our detailed guide on Dumbbell Lateral Raises here.
Skullcrushers
A tricep exercise where a weight is lowered to the forehead and then extended back up, typically performed lying down. Read our detailed guide on Skullcrushers here.
Hanging leg raises
An abdominal exercise where, hanging from a bar, the legs are raised up towards the torso. Read our detailed guide on Hanging Leg Raises here.
“Then I think I’m going to have to do hanging leg raises, yeah [for abs].”
Saffari Recaps Struggles with Mental Health
Before wrapping up the video, Sara Saffari discussed her struggles with mental health and her decision to try out the gym, which was inspired after she dropped to her lowest weight ever of 100 pounds.
“That’s the lowest I had ever weighed, I was 100 pounds and I was very insecure with myself. I would always wear baggy clothes because I hated how… I just felt like I looked sick. That’s how skinny I was. I remember my meals like a McDonald’s little burger off the dollar menu and a large Coke would be my meal for the day; that’s all I’d eat.”
“My mental health was so poop. It was crappy. That went on for about six months and then it was just like a switch. I was tired of spending literally every hour in bed and just moping around, low energy, low confidence, and then I was like you know what I have nothing better to do, might as well hit the gym.”
Sara Saffari hasn’t been the only name in fitness to offer a list of their top 10 essential exercises. Thus far, nutrition coach Stan Efferding, four-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead, and Nick Walker have all taken up the trend.
Saffari’s athleticism and dedication to her health make her a great role model, especially for those on the cusp of trying out a gym. And her list serves as a great guide for any woman eager to retain muscle.
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