Trainer responsible for Margot Robbie’s body reveals the nine steps to getting a Hollywood body

Margot Robbie’s trainer David Higgins has revealed the nine steps to help you get a Hollywood body – and the diet plan you need to follow for rock hard abs.

The PT – who also counts Claudia Schiffer and Nigella Lawson as fans – is the man who Hollywood stars turn to when they need to get in shape for roles or the red carpet.   

David, 35, from Melbourne, revealed exactly what you should do with regards to training – and why intermittent fasting is the answer if you want a sculpted mid-section.

Margot Robbie’s (pictured) trainer David Higgins has revealed the nine steps to help you get a Hollywood body – and the diet plan you need to follow for rock hard abs

The PT (pictured) - who also counts Claudia Schiffer and Nigella Lawson as fans - is the man who Hollywood turn to when they need to get in shape for a red carpet occasion or a role

The PT (pictured) – who also counts Claudia Schiffer and Nigella Lawson as fans – is the man who Hollywood turn to when they need to get in shape for a red carpet occasion or a role

1. Don’t kill yourself with high intensity workouts

While high intensity or HIIT workouts might be all the rage right now, David told Healthista that the ‘quick, instant, kill yourself-type workouts’ aren’t always the answer.

‘It’s all about creating longevity and a pain-free, happy life rather than just a quick fix,’ he told the publication.

Instead, David’s Hollywood Body Plan – which he has made into a recent book – teaches clients to enjoy exercise rather than dread it.

David encourages ‘conscious training’ – like leg lifts, the ‘cat’ stretch (arching the back on all fours, then sinking the back down) and crunches.

‘It’s about building yourself up from the inside out,’ he said. ‘I’ve focused more on what you can do, rather than what you can’t,’ he previously told Daily Mail Australia.

2. Take ego out of your workouts

The second thing David said is key to a Hollywood body is that you have to take ego out of your workouts. 

‘If you are looking to improve your fitness, which many of us are, we need to learn and re-gain some elemental strength that we have lost over the years or even decades, after not moving in the way our bodies are designed,’ David told Healthista. 

His plan aims to will close the gap between how you currently move and how you should move. 

David recommends you both do bodyweight exercises, Pilates and more high intensity workouts – but don’t go too hard too soon. 

This is a forever plan, not just a quick fix.

David said you shouldn't kill yourself with too much high intensity training - and instead you need to adopt reformer Pilates into your workout like Margot Robbie (pictured)

David said you shouldn’t kill yourself with too much high intensity training – and instead you need to adopt reformer Pilates into your workout like Margot Robbie (pictured)

3. Intermittent fasting is the easiest way to control your diet

The Melbourne-born PT is a huge fan of intermittent fasting – which he said he has followed for years with great results.

‘The reason I have always been a big advocate for intermittent fasting is because it isn’t one of those exclusion diets, where you can’t eat, that’s bad for you, you shouldn’t eat that.’

Instead, he likes it because you can allow yourself a bit of everything in moderation.

Speaking previously to Daily Mail Australia, David said he is all about finding whatever eating plan works for you – but he is a fan of the 16:8 approach – whereby he eats for just eight hours and fasts for 16 hours of the day.

‘Give your body a bit of a break,’ he said. ‘Often, eating is a habitual thing we do to pass the time. We don’t actually need to eat every few hours. It helps to reset things a bit.’

David subscribes to eight food rules (detailed below), which include eating the rainbow, cutting down on sugary and processed foods and slowing down to eat your food.

‘It’s a great place to start to stay away from anything that is bready,’ he said.

‘I’m not talking about a good, seeded bread, but more processed cafe food.

'Fitness, diet and self-care shouldn't be segmented and all aspects should be equally as important and seen a whole – we need all three for a healthy lifestyle,' David said (pictured: Margot Robbie)

‘Fitness, diet and self-care shouldn’t be segmented and all aspects should be equally as important and seen a whole – we need all three for a healthy lifestyle,’ David said (pictured: Margot Robbie)

What do some of David’s clients say? 

‘David Higgins is a legend. He put me in the best physical shape and he educated me on stretching, strengthening and nutrition!’ – Margot Robbie

‘When I met David, I was broken, physically. He patiently and caringly put me together again. His combinations of strength, Pilates, stretching and active release… are nothing short of spectacular.’ – Samuel L. Jackson

‘His unique approach taught me to be conscious of my postural habits and to control my movement so as to maximise strength and ability. I have incorporated David’s methods into my daily routine and they continue to deliver results I’d never believed possible.’ – Colin Firth

‘David made me look forward to exercise instead of dreading it.’ – Claudia Schiffer 

 

4. Learn how to look after yourself

You might think you know yourself and your body, but in actual fact so many of us neglect one of the three core aspects of overall wellness.

‘Fitness, diet and self-care shouldn’t be segmented and all aspects should be equally as important and seen a whole – we need all three for a healthy lifestyle,’ David told Healthista. 

Make sure you pay attention to all three, especially when one is suffering more than the others.

5. Focus on your core and glutes 

While your entire body is obviously the principal focus of a workout, David said the core and glutes are by far the most important parts.

David said he likes reformer Pilates for the way it tackles core strength and glute activation, and Margot Robbie is a huge fan too. 

Incorporate some Pilates into your weekly exercise routine, and your body will soon see the difference.

David (pictured) is a huge fan of intermittent fasting, which, he said, is great for the body - he follows the 16:8 approach whereby he eats in an eight-hour window and fasts for 16 hours

David (pictured) is a huge fan of intermittent fasting, which, he said, is great for the body – he follows the 16:8 approach whereby he eats in an eight-hour window and fasts for 16 hours

6. Spare just 21 minutes 

You might think that to get a Hollywood body you need to spend hours slaving away in the gym.

But David said 21 minutes is all you need to get honed and toned.

‘It only takes 21 minutes a day to do the exercises, but it will put you back on the right path physically,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

Everyone can spare 21 minutes – whether they’re watching TV or on the way home from work.

The most important thing is to be consistent.

What are David’s eight food rules to live by? 

1. Variety is key: Create a plate that is filled with colour and diversity. Look for reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and purples in your food.

2. Eat less meat: David said we eat too much meat and too few vegetables.

3. Drink more water: Drinking water can help you lose weight by making you feel more full.

4. Ditch the fried food and cut down on sugary treats: Don’t use sugar to reward yourself and avoid low-fat foods. 

5. Reduce your portion size: When we pile more on our plate – even if we don’t want it, we eat it. So swap your plate for something smaller.

6. Cut out alcohol: When you’re doing the 21 day program, David said you must go cold turkey on alcohol. Alcohol not only makes you worse at exercise, but it can affect anxiety and control.

7. Try a probiotic first thing: David isn’t the only PT to extol the benefits of a daily probiotic. But he said they have helped to keep him well since 2016.

8. Stop wolfing down your food: Try to chew your food before swallowing – and enjoy each mouthful with 10 chews before you swallow. 

It's obviously a bonus to look great, but the Hollywood PT said his plan is as much about feeling great as it is looking a million dollars (pictured: Margot Robbie)

It’s obviously a bonus to look great, but the Hollywood PT said his plan is as much about feeling great as it is looking a million dollars (pictured: Margot Robbie)

7. Realistically manage what you are able to take on board 

David is the author of The Hollywood Body Plan (pictured)

David is the author of The Hollywood Body Plan (pictured)

David’s seventh tip is that you are realistic about what you are able to take on board.

He said he has seen so many people give up because they take on ‘too much too soon’ and it leads to injury. 

Set goals, but make them achievable – and reward yourself (not with food) each time you hit them.

8. The day isn’t a write off after one mistake

In the same vein, if you fall off the wagon and end up eating ice cream, it doesn’t mean you have to write the entire day off.

‘Making a mistake isn’t the end of the world as long as that little mistake doesn’t see you end up in McDonalds. The day is not over after one mistake,’ he told Healthista.

Simply reset – and go back to as you were.

9. Aesthetics are a bonus 

What are David’s tricks for staying motivated?

1. Be your own cheerleader: Celebrate and recognise what you are achieving.

2. Be consistent: Aim to exercise at the same time each day, for example.

3. Don’t obsess about the number on the scales: Do track your weight, but not obsessively. 

It’s obviously a bonus to look great, but the Hollywood PT said his plan is as much about feeling great as it is looking a million dollars. 

‘My final chapter in the book – The Forever Fix – will teach you things you can do for yourself, to help yourself,’ he told FEMAIL.

For instance, if you have pain in your chest and shoulders, you can help this yourself.

You can also look after your hips with a foam roller sequence, or help a struggling back.

This, David said, is what will benefit you long term.

David Higgins’ book, The Hollywood Body Plan, is published by Hachette Australia and is available now. For more information, please click here. To follow David on Instagram, you can click here.



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