Margot Robbie has captivated audiences with both her acting talents and striking appearance, especially during the recent press tour for her film Wuthering Heights, where she embraced the Georgian era’s aesthetic. Just a year after giving birth to her first child in October 2024 with husband Tom Ackerley, Robbie has revealed remarkable fitness progress, drawing attention to her sculpted physique through her post-baby transformation. Insights from her personal trainer, David Higgins, shed light on the Margot Robbie fitness secrets behind her toned figure.
Combining Strength Training with Reformer Pilates
Central to Margot’s fitness routine is her commitment to both strength training and reformer Pilates, a combination that maintains her physique while accommodating her recovery as a new mother. David Higgins, her personal trainer, highlights that she begins workouts with foam rolling as a warm-up before moving into a series of exercises including supine chest presses, bent-over rowing, standing bicep curls, seated shoulder presses, and supine skull crushers. Each repetition is typically done 15 times, fostering muscle tone and endurance.
Margot integrates a rigorous 100-rep abdominal challenge into her sessions, consisting of 20 crunches, toe taps on both sides, and curtsy lunges performed on each leg. Higgins reveals that these sequences are usually repeated five times per workout, adding up to an intense total of 500 repetitions targeting core strength. The trainer also notes her impressive ability to hold a plank for over four minutes, demonstrating her advanced core stability.
Tailoring Workouts to Body Responses and Avoiding Traditional Cardio
Margot listens closely to her body’s needs when choosing between strength training and reformer Pilates on any given day. Higgins explains that duration is prioritized over the number of repetitions during reformer Pilates, with about two minutes spent per exercise to maximize benefits. Interestingly, Margot opts out of conventional cardiovascular workouts, instead relying on strength training to provide cardiovascular benefits. Higgins describes this as “secret cardio,” pointing out that full-body workouts require the heart to redirect blood efficiently throughout the upper and lower body.
A Consistent, Structured Approach with Experienced Trainers
The actress has sustained this winning fitness formula through consistency developed over many years, working with trainers like David Higgins and Rik Melling. Training sessions last around 45 to 60 minutes, five days a week, especially during demanding periods such as filming schedules. David Higgins explains,
“We would train together five days a week, for 45-60 mins each time,”
emphasizing the dedication needed to maintain her fitness level, particularly during projects like Barbie.
Margot Robbie’s Balanced Approach to Diet
Margot’s diet complements her workout routine with a focus on clean eating when preparing for a role, while allowing flexibility otherwise. For breakfast, she usually consumes porridge topped with blackberries or a nutrient-rich “green machine” smoothie filled with kale and apple. Her lunches often include lemon chicken with brown rice or a mackerel salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. Evening meals commonly feature tuna steaks with sweet potato or a vegetable hot pot with rice noodles.
Despite this healthy framework, Margot admits to indulging her sweet tooth regularly. She told Emirates Woman,
“I’m not good at doing moderation. I get miserable if I don’t eat. I can’t just have a salad every day and a half a glass of wine every second day. I can’t do it.”
She also shared her love for beer, fries, and burgers but switches to clean eating before significant events, saying,
“If I have to get into a bikini then I’ll eat carrot sticks for three days. I’m one extreme or the other.”
Leading up to premieres or movie events, she eliminates saturated fats, fast food, sugary drinks, and chocolate from her diet, maintaining stricter discipline for optimal results.
Fitness Preferences Rooted in Personal Goals and Roles
While Margot commands a stunning physical presence, she prioritizes strength over being thin, a philosophy she has maintained throughout her career. For the 2016 film The Legend of Tarzan, she famously chose not to slim down for the role of Jane, explaining that a naturally fuller figure suited the character’s 19th-century setting better. She admitted to skipping gym sessions in favor of socializing at London’s pubs, saying,
“I’m not going to look thin just for the sake of it.”
This attitude extends to her workouts, where increased emphasis on strength training and core work reflects her desire to feel powerful rather than merely lean. Robbing the notion of “skinny” from her fitness goals, she focuses on building a body capable of endurance, agility, and overall wellness.
Incorporating Boxing and Functional Training
In addition to Pilates and weight training, Margot enjoys boxing and leg workouts, activities she discovered during preparation for her role in 2016’s Suicide Squad. These dynamic exercises enhance her strength and endurance while offering varied, engaging routines that support her demanding schedule as an actor and mother.
Significance of Margot Robbie’s Fitness Journey
Margot Robbie’s fitness regimen reveals a disciplined yet adaptable approach to motherhood and career demands. Through a blend of strength training, reformer Pilates, and targeted core workouts, she has rebuilt her post-baby body without traditional cardio, relying on full-body exercises to maintain cardiovascular health. Her honest insights into diet underscore a balance between enjoyment and clean eating, embodying a realistic model for others seeking fitness after childbirth.
Continuing her work with trainers like David Higgins, Margot’s routine exemplifies how consistency and body awareness can drive impressive transformations. As she promotes major films and embraces her evolving roles, these Margot Robbie fitness secrets offer an inspirational blueprint for postpartum health and performance.
