On every Hollywood red carpet, we see the same slender silhouettes, the same tapered arms that hold the haute couture dresses. Behind several of these ultra-shaped bodies, from the abs of the Vanity Fair Oscar Party to the toned back of lingerie campaigns, hides the same architect of the movement: the American coach Megan Roup.
Founder of the method The Sculpt SocietyMegan Roup is the celebrity trainer who shapes the arms of
Miranda Kerr at the Met Gala, the abs of
Kate Hudson or the toned silhouette of
Dakota Johnson for Calvin Klein. Its particularity lies in a very calibrated mix of strengthening, cardio and postural work, but also in a simple idea: the real secret of the stars is not an extreme bootcamp, it is consistency and the pleasure of moving, as she explains during an interview for Vogue France.
Megan Roup’s The Sculpt Society method, behind the scenes of a star body
Megan Roup summarizes the basis of her method in one sentence: “The Sculpt Society is based on the belief that moving should be enjoyable and make you want to come back“. Concretely, its sessions combine strength trainingcardio, dance-inspired barre and Pilates. The objective is twofold: to sculpt muscles while triggering an influx of endorphins for that feeling of well-being
which keeps us coming back session after session.
Her classes focus on full body work, with lots of standing movements, small weights, lunges, floor series for the glutes and core. Megan Roup promises: “You will feel energized, invigorated and strong with every session“. This promise of energy rather than pure slimming fits with an underlying trend observed throughout the North American fitness market, where short and fun formats appeal to both busy stars and home app subscribers.
How Megan Roup prepares Miranda Kerr, Kate Hudson or Dakota Johnson before an event
When a client is about to climb the stairs or shoot a campaign, Megan Roup refuses the last-minute shock plan. She explains that her clients “simply want to feel their best: full of energy, supported and confident. This often requires consistency, not last minute changes.“. In the weeks leading up to the event, she mainly schedules full bodystrengthening, mobility, deep sheathing and lots of recovery.
The day before or the days just before, everything is designed to activate the body without exhausting it: short sequences, emphasis on posture, breathing, deep abs to hold the dress or tuxedo. Megan Roup insists: “The goal is to feel good in your body, without stress or overwork“. A logic that contrasts with the very intense methods popularized ten years ago around certain Hollywood sets.
Megan Roup’s Golden Rules for Sculpting Like a Celebrity
The heart of its approach lies in three pillars. First, regularity: “Regularity is essential. Short, regular workouts are more effective than intense, irregular workouts“. Then, the quality of the effort via the famous time under tension: she advises slowing down, keeping the muscles engaged and cultivating “neuromuscular connection: it’s not just about doing the repetitions, but also the quality of your movements“.
Finally, Megan Roup insists that “rest, sleep and a suitable diet rich in protein are just as important as the workouts themselves“. This speech comes from her own journey: she says that at 20 she was dieting, training excessively and “constantly devaluing herself”, before transforming her vision by discovering the pleasure of movement. From now on, she wants to help women, famous or not, to “feel powerful in their body”, by making strength and longevity the new language of the star body.