Margot Robbie knows a thing or two about getting her body into tip-top shape. With starring roles in movies like I, Tonya, Suicide Squad, and Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood under her belt, the Australian beauty went through rigorous fitness routines to build muscle and tone her entire body. Heavy weights, boxing and Pilates were all a part of her training. Even when she’s not training for a physically demanding role, she still manages to maintain a strong and lean physique. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Robbie admits that her go-to workout is reformer Pilates. “If I’m making a conscious effort to exercise, I work with a Pilates trainer on a reformer machine, and that suits me and my body best,” she says.
Her Pilates instructor, Ballet Bodies founder Andie Hecker, revealed that her workouts are plank-heavy in order to strengthen the abs while elongating the muscles. Not all reformer exercises can be done without a machine, but here are 5 of Robbie’s favorite Pilates exercises that can be done on a mat.
1. Plank to Pike– Use sliders for this exercise if you have them, otherwise wearing socks on a slick floor will work. Get into a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders. Keeping your abs pulled into your back, pull your hips up as high as you can as your feet slide in towards your hand. Allow your head to drop so that your neck is in line with your spine. Slowly lower your hips back down until you’re in your plank position to complete one rep. Do 30 reps.
2. Plank Rocks– Get into a forearm plank position with your shoulders over your elbows. Press forward onto your toes while keeping your core engaged so that you rock horizontally forward in your plank position. Your shoulders will slide past your elbows. Flex your feet to rock your plank back towards your heels to complete one rep. Do 20 reps.
3. Leg Lifts (ankle weight optional)- Get down on all fours with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Keep your core tight as you straighten your right leg out behind you in parallel. Squeeze your right glute to lift your leg up to hip height. Slowly lower the leg back down. Do 25 reps on each leg.
4. Side Plank Hip Abduction (ankle weight optional)- Hold a side plank on your left forearm with your left elbow directly below your left shoulder. Stack your feet and place your right arm on your hip. Lift your right leg up to hip height in parallel and lower back down. Do 30 reps on each side.
5. Knee Tucks– Lie on the ground with your arms over your head keeping your biceps by your ears. Straighten your legs straight out squeezing your inner thighs together. Lower your legs as low as you can go without disengaging your abs and letting your lower back lift off the mat. As you exhale, bring your knees in and curl your upper body off the mat trying to touch your forehead to your knees. Allow your arms to reach forward and past your hips as you curl. Inhale lower your upper body back down and straighten your legs back out to complete one rep. Focus on curling up with your abs and not your arms. Do 20 reps.
Do Robbie’s fav workout 4-5 times a week to get a toned booty and defined abs!
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Photo: Margot Robbie via Instagram; Video: Crystal Chin
