- "Barbie" trainer David Higgins said the cast got competitive during push-up and pull-up challenges.
- Higgins said Gosling won the pull-up challenge, while Simu Liu got first place in the push-ups.
When it came to pull-up challenges on the "Barbie" set, second place was never "Kenough."
London-based personal trainer David Higgins, who worked with the cast during filming last summer, recently spoke with Insider about how he got both the Barbies and Kens in shape for the big screen.
That included multiple challenges to see who could do the most push-ups and pull-ups. And although the camaraderie was strong during every workout, Higgins said things definitely got competitive.
"No one wanted to be the first person to drop, which kind of spurred everyone on at the same time," he told Insider. "It was a real fun and competitive environment for everyone involved. The shirts came off and we got the muscles out."
Higgins, who is also the author of "The Hollywood Body Plan," revealed that Ryan Gosling "definitely" won the pull-up challenge, while Simu Liu took first place in the push-up competition.
Gosling was so invested in the pull-up challenge that he even integrated it into the film, Higgins added.
Meanwhile, Margot Robbie took first place in the cast plank challenge — beating Gosling by over a minute. She held a plank for four minutes and 10 seconds, while he clocked in at three minutes and two seconds.
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Higgins used the challenges as a way to help track everyone's fitness progress and inspire them as their times improved each week. The Barbies also did four days of Pilates and two days of strength conditioning, while the Kens did the reverse.
Higgins told Insider that Robbie was so committed to her fitness schedule, she even did Pilates one day in her "Barbie" hair, makeup, and costume.
"She was dressed up in one of the 'Barbie' outfits, full wig and everything," Higgins recalled. "She jumps on the Reformer and we do a quick 30-minute express workout. She said, 'Don't make me sweaty!'"
"She just needed to move, and that's the beauty of Margot," he added. "I was talking to her as she's doing whatever she's doing on the Reformer and I was like, 'This is crazy.'"