Do you find yourself logging endless miles on the treadmill with little to show for it? It might be time to switch things up. And before you worry about bulking up, know this: weight training builds a lean, strong body, not an overnight transformation into a comic book character.
The good news is that resistance training works, and plenty of well-known women have made it a cornerstone of their fitness routines. Here is a look at who is lifting and what they are doing.
Rosamund Pike
The Gone Girl star posted a deadlift milestone on Instagram, announcing she had crossed the 100-pound threshold during preparation for I Care a Lot. In the film she plays Marla Grayson, a manipulative fraudster who preys on elderly people and gets caught up with a dangerous criminal organization. Her caption said it all: “Marla Grayson is a lioness. And lionesses need to be strong.”
Angelina Jolie
Want to move and perform like an action film lead? Incorporating squats, rowing movements, and overhead pressing into your weekly routine is a solid starting point.
Hilary Duff
Duff has never shied away from the heavier end of the weight rack. She told Cosmopolitan with a laugh that she considers herself quite a strong woman, and her training backs that up.
Cameron Diaz
Trainer Teddy Bass, who guided Diaz through her fitness journey, shared with Women’s Health that resistance training is one of the most important tools for developing a firm, defined physique.
Megan Fox
Coming back to training after having children back to back is no small feat. Fox opened up to Hello magazine about how incorporating heavy circuit training into her routine helped her regain her strength and feel like herself again.
Jennifer Lopez
Elite trainer Gunnar Peterson, who has long been part of J.Lo’s support team, told Pop Workouts that compound lower-body movements like squats and lunges are highly effective for building strength and definition in the legs and glutes.
Sofia Vergara
Peterson works with Vergara as well, and he told Marie Claire that squats are a consistent and central part of what they work on together in the gym.
Eva Mendes
Speaking to Glamour, Mendes described how stepping away from traditional cardio and replacing it with weighted interval sessions delivered visible improvements she had not seen before.
Khloé Kardashian
Gunnar Peterson gave Hollywood Life an inside look at Khloé’s training plan. Her sessions bring together kettlebell swings, lower-body compound lifts, and bodyweight work including push-ups.
Alison Brie
Preparing physically for her role in GLOW required Brie to take on a demanding and varied training schedule. Insider reported that her workouts included heavy deadlifts, loaded carries, push-ups, and some unconventional additions like carrying teammates on her back.
Minka Kelly
Kelly keeps her workouts intense and unconventional. Insider noted that her training includes flipping tires, throwing spears, and pulling heavy deadlifts on a regular basis.
Scarlett Johansson
Johansson has been open about the philosophy behind her physical conditioning. She told French ELLE, as reported by The Express, that the key is committing to heavy resistance work and training with genuine intensity rather than holding back.
Shakira
The Colombian singer’s legendary movement quality comes from consistent hard work. Business Insider reported that her trainer Anna Kaiser programs lunges and squats as key components of her routine.
Blake Lively
Don Saladino, who oversees Lively’s training, told Insider that sumo-stance deadlifts using a kettlebell were a particularly effective tool in helping her develop lower-body strength and overall conditioning.
Kate Upton
Upton does not shy away from serious weight. She told Insider about performing hip thrusts and sled work with impressive loads, and credited heavy lifting with fundamentally changing how she thinks about fitness.
Ellie Goulding
Goulding summed up her attitude toward strength work simply when she told Shape: “If getting stronger means getting more toned and slimmer, so be it.”
Emma Stone
Jason Walsh, who oversees Stone’s training, told Hello Magazine that deadlift variations form the backbone of his programming and are the movement he returns to most consistently with his clients.
Demi Lovato
Fitness Magazine noted that Lovato regularly includes squats and lunges in her workouts. She has spoken about how committing to consistent training improved her stamina, raised her energy levels, and gave her a stronger sense of physical and mental wellbeing.
Gal Gadot
Gadot told E! News candidly that she prefers lifting weights to cardio every time. Given the physical demands of playing Wonder Woman, that preference has clearly served her well.
Jessie J
The British singer told Shape that deadlifts and squats appear in her workouts on a regular basis and are movements she genuinely values.
Gwen Stefani
Trainer Mike Heatlie puts Stefani through demanding weight sessions built around compound movements. Shape reported that her typical workout covers squats, lunges, dips, and rowing variations, creating a full-body challenge that clearly delivers.
Jessica Biel
Women’s Health confirmed that Biel’s training consistently features squats, lunges, and shoulder pressing, giving her a well-rounded strength base.
Ashley Graham
Graham’s trainer told Women’s Health that lower-body compound movements including squats and lunges are a regular and important part of how the model trains.
Emily Blunt
Trainer Jason Walsh pushed Blunt’s training to a new level by having her perform full workout sessions while wearing a weighted vest loaded to 30 pounds, as he shared with Women’s Health.
Nicole Scherzinger
Women’s Health reported that Scherzinger keeps muscle development at the center of her training goals, with squat variations forming a reliable part of her gym sessions.
Kristin Cavallari
Cavallari’s trainer Michael Sorrentino spoke to the Daily Mail about her program, which is built around foundational strength movements including deadlifts, lunges, rows, and good mornings.
Kim Kardashian
Pop Workouts revealed that Kardashian’s training consistently comes back to three foundational movements: squats, rows, and lunges.
Erin O’Connor
Trainer Nicola Addison told Healthista that resistance training stands out as one of the most reliable and efficient methods for increasing calorie burn and improving overall body composition.
Before starting any new fitness program, speak with a qualified healthcare or fitness professional, particularly if you have any existing health concerns.
