‘Training for Two’ by Gina Conley is a comprehensive guide to prenatal fitness, offering research-backed exercises and expert advice to help expectant mothers stay strong, prepare for childbirth, and recover postpartum. Designed for women of all fitness levels, this book empowers readers to approach pregnancy with confidence and vitality.

Accuracy: ★★★★☆
Gina Conley presents well-researched, evidence-based advice tailored specifically to pregnant women. The book’s inclusion of over 200 photos and detailed instructions ensures readers can confidently perform exercises. While the guidance is comprehensive, some readers might wish for deeper explanations of how certain exercises affect labour outcomes.

Perspective: ★★★★★
As both a certified personal trainer specialising in prenatal fitness and a registered birth doula, Conley brings a unique and highly credible perspective to the subject. Her combination of professional expertise and hands-on experience with expectant mothers makes her guidance authoritative yet approachable.

Relevance: ★★★★★
Pregnancy is a transformative and universal experience, and ‘Training for Two’ provides valuable, practical tools for maintaining strength and preparing for childbirth. Its relevance extends beyond fitness enthusiasts, offering solutions for women of all activity levels looking to stay active and prepare for labour.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
The book’s clear organisation by trimester and inclusion of modifications for all fitness levels keep the content engaging and accessible. However, some sections could benefit from additional personal anecdotes or motivational content to keep readers inspired throughout their pregnancy journey.

Readability: ★★★★★
Conley’s writing is concise, clear, and easy to follow. The structure - organised by trimesters, complete with photos and step-by-step instructions - ensures that even first-time exercisers can navigate the material effortlessly.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
The book’s empowering tone and focus on practical, actionable advice make it a pleasure to read. While it’s an excellent resource, the tone is more instructional than inspirational, which may leave some readers craving a bit more warmth or personal connection.


‘Training for Two’ is an indispensable guide for expectant mothers who want to stay strong, prepare their bodies for childbirth, and recover effectively postpartum. Gina Conley’s expertise and practical approach make this book a valuable resource for women of all fitness levels, ensuring they feel supported and empowered throughout their pregnancy journey.

Gina Conley’s Training for Two is an invaluable guide for expectant mothers looking to stay active and healthy during pregnancy. With clear trimester-specific workouts and over 200 photos, it combines safety with practical fitness. The inclusion of labor preparation exercises and postpartum recovery tips makes it more than just a fitness guide—it’s a holistic resource for pregnancy wellness. Accessible and empowering, this book supports women in maintaining strength through life’s transformative journey.

As someone who is currently not pregnant but hopes to be some day and is very active, this book is a great resource for exercise during and after pregnancy.

The explanation of the science and even pictures of the exercises with additional QR codes for videos on how to do the exercises is very helpful since we are talking about movement. As a fitness instructor myself, having a demonstration is so helpful in mastering moves and preventing injury.

Im grateful for have received an eArc of this book from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Grouo and will be purchasing a physical one for myself in the future!

I stumbled upon Gina’s joint instagram account Mamastefit and I cannot explain enough how valuable her content is. I am currently pregnant with my 5th baby (due right before Thanksgiving) and I have been incorporating Gina’s third trimester training into my workouts. I know I cannot control how the pregnancy or labor goes, but I can control how I take care of myself during this time and Gina’s book Training for Two has been a beacon of hope for my wellness self. Gina offers so many great resources for each stage of the pregnancy and she even provides postpartum care tips and insight. For any first time mamas out there DO NOT over look this section or phase in the pregnancy journey!
The number one thing I did enjoy was the step by step guide for the workouts and plans. The images are helpful and she even includes a QR code to access the videos (hallelujah!).
The only thing I wish was that I had read this information before my first born, because I feel like it would have made such a big difference in my pregnancies. I cannot wait to purchase this book and give it to my Midwife so it can go in her lending library for all the mamas at her practice.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital review copy.

This book was more than I expected.
Sure, it has exercises that are safe to do during each trimester, exercises that help you prepare for birth, but there is more information than that. It talk about how exercises really impact your body during pregnancy, about myths regarding exercising as a pregnant woman and so much more.

I think it is a great resource if you want to do some exercises while pregnant. I feel like you can even use some program samples even if you are not pregnant and just want to be moving a bit more.

Short and sweet, this book is jam-packed with why exercise is important during/after pregnancy. Gina provides stretches, workout plans, and tips on how to maintain exercise throughout your pregnancy. I appreciated the mix of scientific research and practical application. Being in my second pregnancy currently, there was a lot I was able to apply and will incorporate into my exercise regimen.

This book would be a great starting place for anyone who doesn't know how to incorporate exercise with your pregnancy. A couple things I wish it had more of - more pictures of stretches/exercises. There was a lot of directional jargon that I sometimes had trouble visualizing in my mind and wish I had more pictures to look at. Gina does provide QR codes to videos which were super helpful as well. One other thing that would be helpful to incorporate is a nutrition section. I agree that it's important to exercise during pregnancy, but also equally important to have good nutrition before/during/after pregnancy.

This is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to physically prepare for birth. Conley has done a great job balancing training concepts, the science background, and how that helps prepare for the big event. Complete with peer reviewed references for further digging if you choose. This would be a great baby shower gift!

This is a great resource for an active pregnancy! It has a wealth of specific, helpful information (e.g., statistics extolling the benefits of prenatal exercise; sample workout routines with photographic demonstrations). The author is obviously very knowledgeable about fitness, and I learned a lot.

This would have been a five-star read for me if it had felt more accessible to beginners and if there had been more specific in-text citations to justify particular exercises (in addition to the general list of references at the end of the book). Some of the labor positions seemed helpful, but others seemed very unlikely to conserve the energy needed for pushing.

I still recommend this book - and I also recommend running your prenatal workout routine by an OB/GYN just in case.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital review copy. I post this review with my honest opinions; I was not required to post a positive review.

This is a great guide! It takes you through each trimester so you know what is safe to do during each! I also liked the exercises to prepare for birth! Definitely buying this for when I do get pregnant!