Celebrity Trainer Shares Her Top 4 Exercises for a Sculpted Figure—EXCLUSIVE
Celebrity trainer and founder of The Sculpt Society Megan Roup has worked with many A-listers, including Dakota Johnson, Sabrina Carpenter, Elsa Hosk, and Miranda Kerr. Because these celebs always look downright spectacular, we caught up with Megan to learn four of her top exercises to build a strong physique.
Megan Roup's Top 4 Exercises for a Sculpted Figure
1. Split Lunge
The split lunge is a go-to exercise for targeting the legs and glutes while improving balance. It's also been shown to enhance athletic performance.
"This move is great for targeting the legs and glutes," Megan explains. "To do it, step your right leg back, curling your toes under. Bend both knees to lower into a lunge, inhaling as you descend. Then, push through your front heel to stand up, exhaling as you rise."
- Reps & Sets: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 reps before switching to the left leg.
- Benefits: Strengthens the legs, tones the glutes, and enhances balance.
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2. Cross-Body Plank
Besides strengthening your midsection, doing plank variations like the cross-body plank can help tone your arms and legs.
Megan tells Celebwell, "This is a powerful core-strengthening exercise. Start in a plank position with your core engaged and hips level. Bring your right knee toward your left elbow, then return to the plank position. Repeat on the other side by bringing your left knee to your right elbow."
- Reps & Sets: Megan prefers doing 8 reps on each side, then reducing the rep count to 4, then 2, and wrapping up with 8 single alternating reps.
- Benefits: Strengthens the deep core, engages the arms and legs, and challenges stability.
3. Bird Dog
The bird dog is a fantastic full-body exercise that research shows can help strengthen the core, glutes, and back while improving posture and balance.
To do it right, Megan instructs, "Begin on all fours in a tabletop position with a neutral spine. Extend your right leg straight back while reaching your left arm forward. Bring your right knee and left elbow toward each other under your torso, then extend back out to the starting position."
- Reps & Sets: Repeat for 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 24 reps before switching sides.
- Benefits: Enhances balance, strengthens the core and glutes, and improves posture.
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4. Heel Taps
"For core strengthening, I love heel taps," Megan says. "Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle over your hips. Place your hands behind your head and lift your shoulders into a crunch position. Lower your right foot to tap the floor, keeping the left leg stationary, then return the right leg to the starting position."
- Reps & Sets: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 reps per side.
- Benefits: Strengthens the abs, especially the obliques, while working the lower body.
How to Incorporate These Exercises into Your Routine
Incorporating Megan's go-to exercises into your routine doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. She offers the following tips for staying consistent with your workouts, especially when life gets busy:
1. Find Time in Your Day
Planning ahead can help ensure that your workouts become a regular part of your schedule, even when life gets hectic.
"I totally understand having a busy schedule and how difficult it can feel to fit in exercise," Megan says. "One thing that helps me is to dedicate time to plan out my workouts."
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2. Make Small Adjustments for Big Impact
Even small changes, like doing a few quick sets of bodyweight squats, wall pushups, or planks in place of idle time can add up over the course of a week.
"If you're finding it hard to make time for exercise, swapping the five minutes you may spend scrolling on your phone to do something that actually makes your body feel good could amaze you with its impact," Megan notes.
3. Choose Workouts You Enjoy
"The best workout for you is the one you love to do," Megan advises. "You shouldn't dread working out." Make sure to incorporate exercises you truly enjoy, like dance cardio or low-impact exercises to keep you motivated and on track toward your fitness goals.
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4. Stay Consistent
While you should always listen to your body and rest when needed, Megan says regular, consistent workouts are essential for seeing results.
"Sprinkle in dance cardio and focus on low-impact movement, and listen to your body to build a flexible routine," she explains.
Nutrition to Fuel Your Workouts and Recovery
Megan Roup recommends focusing on well-rounded eating habits rather than eliminating entire food groups.
"Bring diverse foods to your plate—that means dairy milk, vegetables, fruit, fat, carbs, and all for a balanced plate," she says.
To make life easier, Megan suggests pre-planning your meals and choosing foods that are easy to prepare and grab on the go.
"I like to pre-plan my weekly recipes and prioritize foods I can make ahead or grab and go for easy fuel, like my Cold Brew Smoothie and Tomato Feta Frittata, and Chocolate Protein Muffins, each made with real milk," Megan explains.
Protein is crucial, especially for recovery after workouts. Megan points out that one 8oz glass of dairy milk contains "8 grams of high-quality protein to help you stay energized and feeling good."
