Hayley Madigan knows a thing or two about staying strong and feeling good. The fitness influencer and creator of the Grow Girl app recently posted a workout on Instagram aimed at beginners looking to build upper body strength. Her caption broke it all down step by step: lateral raises for the shoulders, hammer curls for the biceps, and overhead tricep extensions—just to name a few. Madigan’s no-nonsense approach is all about making fitness accessible. Whether she’s lifting weights, hiking through the Lake District, or sharing tips on recovery, she keeps it real and relatable. If you’ve been looking for straightforward advice on getting stronger, Madigan’s routines are worth checking out. Here's how she balances hard work with self-care to stay in amazing shape.
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She Lifts Weights
Madigan is seen lifting weights in her Instagram post. ACE Fitness states that lifting weights has a lot of benefits. “Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”
She Hikes
Madigan likes to hike to keep herself in shape. She shared this post on Instagram of herself on a hike. Madigan captioned the post, “Celebrating my 35th Birthday exploring the Lake District, hiking Striding Edge and surrounded by nature 🥹🙏🏼🥳 It’s amazing how being next to mountains, lakes and nature can destress you in an instant 🙏🏼 I also don’t know how I suddenly blinked and I’m 35 years old 🥴😂 how the hell that happened so quickly I don’t know 🤣 Here’s to many more adventures and enjoying the beauty of our world 🫶🏻”
She Does Core Workouts
Madigan shared some of her favorite core workouts in this Instagram post. She captioned it, “Let’s build a stronger core 💪🏼 1) Kettlebell Frontal Raises - Whilst this exercise also works the shoulders, focus on controlling the weight slowly down - this is where your core is used to stabilise your body and keep your centre of gravity stable- Aim for 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets. 2) Standing Side Bends - Do NOT go too heavy on this exercise! Keep your torso and chest upright the entire time and if needed drop the weight and just use Bodyweight. You can Aim for 8-12 reps per side for 2-3 sets. 3) Kettlebell Pass Around the Body - Go slow and controlled ensuring the KB remains close to your body throughout. Aim for 6-8 reps per direction for 2-3 sets. 4) Overhead Hold with Knee Raise - If you hold the KB upside down this will also work and support your shoulder stability! Aim for 5 reps per leg then swap arms and repeat. Aim for 2-3 sets.”
She Prioritizes Recovery
Madigan makes sure to prioritize her recovery, especially during her menstrual cycle. She encouraged others to do the same in the caption of this Instagram video. “Our strength can change depending on where we are in our menstrual cycle. Now, everyone is different! You might not feel any changes or you may feel drastic ones! Due to the changes in our hormones - more specifically a drop in oestrogen and an increase in progesterone - you may feel like you just can’t lift the weights you lifted last week or compared to that in the first half of your cycle (hello epic strength during ovulation 🥳). And this is okay! This doesn’t mean you should stop all weight training during this time. Just simply listen to your body, decrease the weight if needed and aim for a higher rep range. Remember your pain threshold may be reduced meaning you may find exercise a lot harder to endure, your basal body temperature is slightly higher which can majorly affect endurance sports and your fatigue levels may be increased! Use this time to prioritise recovery. Progesterone is actually great for sleep quality, so try to maximise sleep! Aim for more rest days if you need them, focus on other means of recovery like massages, saunas and get that food in!”
She Works Her Back
Madigan makes sure to do back exercises to keep herself in shape. She shared some of her favorites in this Instagram video. Madigan captioned it, “Strong Back Workout Home Edition 💪🏼 You angels asked for it so here’s a home version for Back Day with only dumbbells/kettlebells: 1) Gorilla Row x 8-10 reps per arm for 2-3 sets. 2) Bent Over Wide Row x 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets. 3) Single Arm Narrow Row x 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets. 4) Seated Narrow Row x 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets. 5) Seated Reverse Fly’s x 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets. Ensure to have ~90 seconds rest in between sets and complete each exercise before moving onto the next 💪🏼”
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