Getty/Valerie Macon
- Margot Robbie doesn't lift weights because she prefers pilates, boxing, tennis, and dancing.
- Her personal trainer, David Higgins, focuses on pilates to teach people how their bodies move.
- But strength training provides lots of health and aesthetic positives that would benefit most people.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Lifting weights has become increasingly popular among women over the past decade, with supporters of the exercise touting the health and aesthetic benefits of picking up a heavy dumbbell or two.
For many women, weight lifting is fun and provides a sense of empowerment. Margot Robbie is not one of those women.
Speaking to Women's Health, the Australian actor said she's "not a fan" of lifting weights, preferring pilates, dancing, and tennis.
"[I] really got into Pilates when I moved to LA [in 2013] and always feel a lot better after a good stretch," Robbie said. "I found boxing sessions and fighting practice for 'Suicide Squad' really fun, but quickly realized I wasn't so much a fan of lifting weights. When I'm not preparing for a role, I prefer to do workouts I really like, such as dance classes or playing tennis with friends."
Robbie's personal trainer favors pilates for learning how the body moves
David Higgins has been Robbie's personal trainer since 2016, and he favors a pilates-based approach to working out.
"I teach my clients about how their body should move, should function, should feel, mobilization, stretching, engagement, core activation, glute strength," Higgins told Insider.
The focus is on improving posture, breathing, and any imbalances in the body - as a starting point.
However, Higgins changes Robbie's workouts depending on what role she's preparing for, and he recommends most people incorporate strength training into their fitness regimes.
Training in the same way as Robbie won't necessarily make you look like her though, because a person's physique is shaped by more than just their preferred workout style - genetics and diet are key factors in overall shape and body composition too.
"It's important not to confuse correlation with causation," personal trainer Luke Worthington told Insider. "Margot Robbie is genetically very blessed."
Strength training has both aesthetic and physical benefits
Whether you're lifting weights or using your body as resistance, there are numerous scientific benefits to strength training.
If you're looking to lose fat, weight lifting helps you hold on to muscle while in a calorie deficit, creating the "toned" physique some people desire.
"To preserve lean tissue while losing body fat, you need some kind of resistance stimulus," Worthington said.
Luke Worthington
Strength training also keeps your metabolism high, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest.
"Nothing is 'essential' for losing weight other than energy balance," Worthington said. "But the benefits of weight training go far far beyond burning calories."
Resistance training is important for your health: It strengthens your bones, lowers risk of type 2 diabetes, improves heart health, and reduces injury risk.
Moving in ways you actively enjoy is important
If you want to make activity a part of your lifestyle, you need to be doing something you enjoy.
"It's better to do pilates and boxing than nothing, because there are so many more reasons to exercise than losing weight," Worthington said.
And Higgins agrees that doing something you enjoy is crucial, but you need to find the balance between what your body needs and what you want to do.
"It's very important to exercise and do what you like, but also to challenge yourself and do what you need," he said, giving the example of hyper-mobile dancers or yogis who could benefit from strength-training.
Ultimately, however, Higgins thinks fitness shouldn't be complicated, and there's no such thing as a perfect way to train.
You don't need to set aside lots of time or buy expensive shoes or clothing. "Just get out and move," he said.