How Beyoncé, Chris Hemsworth, Kate Upton and Other Celebs Get Their Hot Bods
It's no secret our society is obsessed with celebs! Here are the workouts you'll find today's top actors, athletes, singers and politicians doing.
Overview
It's no secret that our society is obsessed with celebs! They're the most visible representations of beauty, fitness and culture — sometimes for better and sometimes not. But each of the following celebs are definitely inspiring people to get to the gym! Here are the workouts you'll find today's top actors, athletes, singers and politicians doing.
Beyoncé
Working out while pregnant is no easy feat. But for many women, it's the only thing that helps them feel strong and healthy while their body is going through so many changes. Celebs are no different: While carrying twins, Beyoncé — who was very active prior to getting pregnant — hit up a SoulCycle class almost daily. And when she showed up to a SoulCycle class shortly after giving birth, moms everywhere gave her a virtual fist bump.
For those who are unfamiliar with this workout with a dedicated following, SoulCycle is an indoor-cycling class that features high-intensity cardio, muscle-sculpting strength training and rhythm-based choreography. The focus on the mind-body connection is an added benefit for the pregnant or postpartum woman who feels like her body has taken on a life of its own.
Read more: Beyoncé's Intense Pregnancy Workout May Surprise You
2. Michelle Obama
Former first lady Michelle Obama certainly knows a thing or two about staying fit. This 53-year-old busy mom and staunch supporter of physical fitness likes to go for runs around the neighborhood and take boot camp-style classes with her close girlfriends.
So what do these famous boot camp weekends entail? Planks and crunches for developing core strength, lunges for a lower-body blast and single-leg lifts for core, low-back and hip strength. Her commitment to fitness and health is a good reminder that if we want to keep taking care of others, we need to take care of ourselves first.
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3. Britney Spears
Britney Spears is no stranger to working out. This 35-year-old mom to two boys says consistency is key, which is why she makes exercise a priority every day. While at home, she often takes her workouts outdoors and performs a combination of kettlebell swings, dumbbell exercises and yoga.
She also spends about 45 minutes doing a rotation of cardio and weights: 20 minutes of intense cardio, followed by light dumbbell work and body-weight exercises like push-ups, squats and sit-ups. On the days she ventures out for her workout, Spears likes to swim and take a cardio class called Totally Drenched that combines the treadmill with circuit training.
Read more: Britney Spears Shares Her Impressive Outdoor Workout Routine
4. Cher
At 71-years-old, this phenomenally fit superstar exercises every single day. If her daily commitment to fitness isn't enough to impress you, listen to this: Cher planks daily and holds the pose for three to five minutes at a time!
In addition to strengthening the abdominal muscles, this move also works the lower back, hips, glutes, quads, shoulders and arms. Most people will start with the basic plank and aim to hold the pose for 30 seconds. Once you master the basics, consider adding 10 to 15 seconds each day until you can rock this move for two to three minutes. You can also try one of the countless variations, including side plank, single-leg plank, side plank with leg lift and bird-dog plank.
Read more: Cher Looks Half Her Age Thanks to This One Hardcore Exercise
5. Chris Hemsworth
Hiring a trainer is a luxury for a lot of people, that's why Australian actor Chris Hemsworth says you need to learn to push yourself and lean on other people for motivation. "If you can't afford a trainer, that's totally fine. Use friends; use anyone," he told Men's Health.
To stay in peak shape, Hemsworth focuses on simple movements, flexibility and functional training. His workouts consist of things like box jumps between sets on arm day and diversifying with yoga, surfing and muay thai boxing. By incorporating bursts of aerobic exercise between strength moves, Hemsworth is able to increase his cardio and burn some extra calories.
Read more: Chris Hemsworth Gives Workout Advice Anyone Can Follow
6. Elsa Pataky
Chris Hemsworth isn't the only one in the family with rock-hard abs. His actress wife and mother to their three children, Elsa Pataky, is also in amazing shape.
Hemsworth, who likes to do a combination of cycling, rope swinging, weightlifting, medicine-ball throwing, pull-ups and push-ups, says his workout is nothing compared to Pataky's regimen. She swims, practices yoga, kickboxes, rides a stationary bike and does 40-minute circuit-training sessions four days a week. But that's not all! She also does Pilates several days a week along with muay thai. How's that for inspiration?
Read more: Chris Hemsworth Admits His Wife Is Fitter Than He Is
7. Emma Stone
Packing on muscle is not easy, especially for women. But Emma Stone didn't let that get in the way of gaining 15 pounds of lean muscle for her role as professional tennis star Billie Jean King. To get in shape for this physically demanding part, Stone used a strength-training program designed by trainer Jason Walsh.
Stone pushed around a 200-pound sled, deadlifted 185 pounds and did tons of pull-ups. Walsh also incorporated moves that focus on one side of the body at a time, such as single-leg squats, and he encouraged her to focus on lifting heavier weights with lower reps for her other strength-training moves. Stone also did cardio two to three days a week on an intense climbing machine called a VersaClimber. Now that's impressive!
Read more: Emma Stone Deadlifted 185 Pounds for New Role
8. Sam Heughan
Sam Heughan's physique is one of the many reasons viewer's are attracted to the show "Outlander." And it's easy to see why. This 6'3" Scotsman sports a build that is envied by any fitness buff.
In order to maintain his muscular strength and endurance, Heughan works out like it's a full-time job — sometimes two to three times per day. He credits trainer James White at Roark Gym for introducing him to a CrossFit-style workout that consists of a combination of deadlifts, Olympic lifts and a lot of conditioning work. But Heughan's secret weapon for training his famous glutes is the booty band.
Read more: How Outlander's Sam Heughan Gets That Infamous Butt
9. Paul Rudd
Revolving your life around eating and exercise takes time and dedication, but you don't have to tell that to Paul Rudd. For his lead role in "Ant-Man and the Wasp," Rudd had to make working out a top priority.
In preparation for his superhero role, Rudd stuck to a strict schedule of 5 a.m. workouts that combined free weights, pull-ups, jumping rope and lots of dumbbell bench presses and ab exercises. Outside of the gym he focused on gymnastics-style workouts that involved a plenty of flips and rolls and stunt work.
Read more: How Paul Rudd Got Ripped for Ant-Man
10. Kate Hudson
When you're the co-founder of a popular activewear company (Fabletics), it's pretty much expected that you'll stay in shape. So it's a good thing Kate Hudson doesn't let anything get in the way of working out, not even a lack of equipment.
On a recent trip to Greece, Hudson found herself without access to a set of dumbbells, but instead of skipping out on her daily workout she opted for a couple of bottles of rosé to perform her normal routine of biceps curls, triceps extensions and overhead presses.
Read more: If Kate Hudson Can Biceps Curl With Rosé Bottles, So Can You
11. Kate Upton
When Kate Upton proved to herself that she could pull a 500-pound sled across the gym floor and do hip thrusts with a 200-pound bar across her lap, she accomplished something her trainer, Ben Bruno, always believed she could do.
So what's so great about these two exercises? Well, hip thrusts strengthen the large muscles we spend so much time sitting on — the glutes. And sled drills, which are used for conditioning, fat loss, muscle building and sport-specific training, work basically every muscle in your body. Upton's physical accomplishments are amazing, but it's the confidence she has gained from lifting weights that makes her feel confident, strong and powerful.
Read more: Kate Upton's Weight-Training Routine Is Seriously Badass
12. Lance Bass
It's no secret that yoga is popular with celebrities, but what about "doga"? Former boy band member Lance Bass, along with his dogs, Chip and Dale, recently showed off their downward dog (and several other asanas) during a dog yoga class.
Bass likes to mix up his workout routines by including his dogs as much as he can. And he's not alone. More and more pet owners are being proactive when it comes to their furry family members' health by including their four-legged companions in their workouts.
Read more: Lance Bass Doing Yoga With His Two Pups Is the Cutest
13. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg may be the oldest liberal justice on the Supreme Court, but that certainly doesn't stop her from being one of the toughest and possibly most fit. Ginsburg has been working out with trainer Bryant Johnson since 1999, so he knows exactly what to do to get the Notorious RBG in shape.
Ginsburg regularly busts out 20 unmodified push-ups at a time. But those reps didn't come easily. In fact, Johnson had her start by working through a progression of push-up positions, starting with wall push-ups. After Ginsburg mastered the wall push-up, Johnson moved her to the floor for push-ups on the knees until she transitioned to full push-ups. Ginsburg also planks daily to help build both arm strength and core strength.
Read more: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Push-Up Routine Will Supremely Kick Your Ass
14. Hilary Swank
If you're looking for some serious workout inspiration, check out Hilary Swank's Fitness Friday videos on her Instagram account. This dedicated fitness fanatic posts weekly videos demonstrating some of her favorite moves that keep her in top shape.
In these short clips Swank can be seen doing variations of push-ups, BOSU-ball work, cable-machine exercises (including lunges and stiff-arm pull-downs — at the same time), kettlebell front squats, medicine-ball slams, single-leg kettlebell squats, single-arm pull-downs, box jumps, cable squats, single-arm chest presses on a stability ball and so many more.
Read more: This Is How Hilary Swank Gets Her Perfectly Toned Arms
15. Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot took her role as Wonder Woman seriously. Not only did this 32-year-old actress learn everything about the beloved superhero, but she also transformed her body into a hardcore muscle machine. Through intensive work with trainer Mark Twight, Gadot went from slender to someone who was happy to have a lot of muscle.
Twight had her completing 45-minute full-body CrossFit-style workouts that included a rowing-machine warmup, burpees, crab walks, pull-ups and ring push-ups. For extra cardio and upper-body strength, Gadot also regularly scaled the climbing wall at the gym. And the kicker? Gadot was pregnant with her second child during most of the filming.
Read more: Why Wonder Woman Gal Gadot Actually Gained Weight for Her Role
16. George W. Bush
George W. Bush knows a thing or two about working under pressure. So it comes as no surprise that he took his decision to live a healthier life with the same seriousness he did his previous job as president of the United States.
As part of his health transformation, Bush added a variety of activities, including mountain biking with military men and women and yoga. But one of his all-time favorite fitness pastimes is still speed golf, which is a variant of golf that scores both on strokes played and the time taken to complete the round. Hey, maybe George W. can bust out few downward dogs while waiting to sink a hole in one!
Read more: George W. Bush Is on a Wellness-Makeover Journey
17. Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish
There's something to be said about couples who can sweat it out together and have fun at the same time. And comedian Kevin Hart and his wife Eniko Parrish do just that as they ward off the dreaded fitness rut by training together at the gym.
And it seems these two are onto something: Studies show that couples who work out together report feeling more satisfied with their relationship and even more in love. Not to mention that all that adrenaline and sweat can also lead to a stronger bond in the bedroom.
Read more: Kevin Hart and Wife Eniko Parrish at the Gym Are Relationship Goals
18. Sofia Vergara
Working out and staying fit can often feel like a chore. That's why Sofia Vergara's message is so relatable. The 44-year-old star says she doesn't necessarily love working out, but she knows she needs to do it. And it's a good thing she has her "Modern Family" co-star and black belt jiujitsu phenom Ed O'Neil to help motivate her.
Vergara's approach to exercise is a bit eclectic, and she likes to switch things up every six months or so. Vergara is a fan of Pilates, but right now she is focusing her fitness on boxing. Since she has bad knees, Vergara stays away from CrossFit-style workouts and anything that requires a lot of jumping.
Read more: Sofia Vergara Feels Our Pain When It Comes to Working Out
19. Sylvester Stallone
Tons of celebrities do Pilates — but Sylvester Stallone? Who would have ever thought the star with a body that resembles a bodybuilder's more than a ballet dancer's would be first in line to perfect The Hundred?
So how did this fit, muscle-bound action hero end up in a Pilates class? Well, it looks like he can thank his daughter, Sophia Stallone, for introducing him. Stallone, who has done everything from lifting weights and playing football to boxing, wrestling and track and field, said he met his match when he came face to face with the reformer (a piece of equipment used in Pilates classes to perform a variety of exercises).
Read more: Sylvester Stallone Gets His Butt Kicked by a Trendy Fitness Class
20. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson both know what it's like to have your body scrutinized by everyone. After all, the stars bared it all in the "Fifty Shades" movies. They enlisted the help of celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza to help get them ready for some of the steamier scenes. Braganza used a minimalist approach that focused on exercises like leg lifts and planks.
Johnson concentrated on light weights and body-weight exercises, not using more than five pounds of weight. She also took hot yoga classes and trained with a ballet instructor. Dornan, on the other hand, focused on heavy squats, jumping rope and plyometrics to complement his usual upper-body workout. He also did deadlifts, lunges and step-ups.
Read more: The 'Fifty Shades' Workout the Stars Used to Get Sex-Scene Ready
21. Gisele Bundchen
For supermodel Gisele Bundchen, exercise is less about how she looks and more about how she feels. Bundchen spends her time with trainer Jill Payne, who doesn't focus on a specific muscle group during training; rather, she targets what she calls your body, focus and dialogue.
Payne asks clients to think of their bodies as a whole. Your "focus" is what you're thinking about, while "dialogue" refers to your inner thoughts about yourself. Her approach is similar to the growth mindset work a lot of people do. By focusing on being healthy, happy and positive about yourself and your level of fitness, your body and mind become better connected.
Read more: Why Gisele Doesn't Aim for a Six-Pack, and You Don't Have to Either
22. Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn
For business partners Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn, working out is a multimillion-dollar venture. The duo founded Tone It Up, an online community and method dedicated to women's fitness, in 2009. It is a business idea that has now grown to more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
So with all that's going on in their busy lives, how do these two stay fit? Dawn is a fan of yoga, and Scott tends to gravitate towards high-intensity interval training or booty workouts. They both like training with full-body workouts that include body-weight exercises, cardio blasts and stretching.
Read more: Tone It Up Boss Babes Share the Secrets to Business and Fitness Success
23. Michael Fassbender
Curious about what Michael Fassbender's tough workouts entail? Here's the program designed by his trainer David Kingsbury for Fassbender's role in "Assassin's Creed."
How it works: Complete 50 reps of each exercise, and rest 35 seconds between sets. The first set should be 12 reps, and then each consecutive set will depend on how fatigued you are. Do your maximum number of reps in each set, and finish all 50 reps of one exercise before moving on to the next. The moves are kettlebell front squats, pull-ups, weighted push-ups, body-weight rows, dumbbell clean and presses and ab wheel rollouts. For each one, pick a challenging weight that you can lift for 12 reps.
Read more: The "Assassin's Creed" Workout From Michael Fassbender's Trainer
24. Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer may be best known for her hilarious jokes, but it's her body positivity and work ethic in the gym that makes us adore her. In order to stay strong and healthy for her fast-paced life, Schumer busts out some intense sweat sessions with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, who has her doing intense cardio on a Helix machine, which works abductors, obliques, glutes and quads simultaneously.
She also does a circuit of total-body strength moves called the "simple seven," which includes lunges, dumbbell exercises, hip thrusts and planks. When she does all seven exercises, Pasternak has her do one to three sets of 15 to 20 reps. But when he decides to mix it up, he has her pick one of the exercises and complete anywhere from three to five sets with 15 to 30 reps.
Read more: Amy Schumer's Workout Proves She's Fit as Hell
25. Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley is in better shape at 63 than she was when she was in her 20s. This incredibly fit supermodel credits daily exercise as part of the reason she has remained ageless.
Brinkley's daily routine consists of walks and jogs on the beach with her two dogs, Maple Sugar and Chester, as well as bike riding, kayaking, playing tennis, standup paddleboarding, sweating it out in a Spin class and using her Total Gym. And her impromptu dance sessions with her daughter, Sailor, keep Brinkley smiling about staying active. The two crank up the music, move the furniture out of the way and dance their hearts out.
Read more: Christie Brinkley's Secrets to Aging Gracefully
26. Ariel Winter
The glutes — the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus — are the biggest muscles in your body. So it makes sense that training them with intensity should be a priority in your workout routine. And that's exactly why "Modern Family" star Ariel Winter loves to train her backside.
The 19-year-old works her glutes from all angles with heavy deadlifts, followed by a set of crossover squats on a workout bench. She also hits the powerhouse muscles with glute kickbacks and sliding lunges. But Winter's killer workout doesn't just end with her rear: She also does forearm planks with her feet sliding in and out on disks to give her core an extra challenge.
Read more: Ariel Winter's Booty Workout Is No Joke
27. Tom Hardy
MMA fighters are some of the toughest athletes around, and they certainly know how to train hard. So it's no surprise that British actor Tom Hardy chose to work with MMA fighter Nathan Jones and trainer Mark Mene to get in shape for his latest role in Marvel's "Venom."
But this isn't the first time Hardy has taken up MMA training to get in shape for a movie. For his role in "Mad Max: Fury Road," the ripped actor trained seven days a week for more than three months, and he also relied on kickboxing, boxing and muay thai to get in shape for his roles in "Warrior" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
Read more: Tom Hardy Is in Serious Beast Mode While Training for "Venom"
What Do YOU Think?
What do you think of these celebrities' workouts? Would you do any of them? What does your workout routine look like? Do you think you'll take some inspiration from any of the people on this list? Are there other celeb workouts you'd add? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!