Victoria Beckham lifts the lid on her diet and fitness secrets – from ditching calorie counts to enjoying wine
FIFTY and fit - Victoria Beckham shows us all that reaching mid-life doesn't mean letting yourself go.
As lean as she was as one of the Spice Girls almost three decades ago, it's hard not to be impressed by Victoria's dedication to a regime.
Not only is she a pop-star, fashion designer and reality TV hero - she's now made a name for herself as a health and fitness icon.
She boasts toned arms, strong legs and killer abs. But just how has she done it, especially after four kids?
The Sun recruited personal trainer and nutrition coach Sarah Campus to unpack the mum's routine.
Founder of , Sarah said: "Victoria has a strict nutrition and fitness regime.
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"It is by sticking to this consistently that she achieves her now-signature look."
In the gym
Posh Spice might seem prim and proper, but her social media suggests she's a beast in the gym.
Victoria squeezes in as many as six sessions every week, regardless of her schedule.
Even with a foot injury, Victoria has been staying as active as possible.
She revealed in February she "fell over in the gym" and was sporting a boot as well as using crutches - but she didn't let that stop her.
Even after "basically re-breaking it" in Paris after ignoring doctor's orders to rest and recover, she kept at it.
VB is so committed to her fitness that she took top London-based personal trainer Bobby Rich with her on holiday.
The former Team GB judo competitor said in 2022: "Victoria’s training is a priority to her and her dedication is nothing short of impressive.
"She is with me in the gym five days a week – and even if she’s travelling there are no excuses, and we move to online sessions.
"Either way, she’s putting the work in."
He added that the biggest change in the ex-singer's routine is the introduction of strength training - primarily overhead squats, cleans and snatches - in place of 7km morning runs.
A friend previously told The Sun: "There’s been a seismic cultural shift of late, with more and more women wanting to look strong, not skinny — and Victoria has very much jumped on this bandwagon.
"Nowadays she wants to look athletic and be a great role model for women.
"For the past few years she’s been a dedicated runner, but over the last few months she’s added weight training, Reformer Pilates — which uses a machine rather than a mat — and mobility into her schedule.
"She’s never been so lean, while also putting on about 2kg in pure muscle."
While Sarah said: "Victoria has moved from cardio as she's clearly realised that lifting weights is what's needed to get a bum and boobs.
"She has realised that weights and having fun is important for long term health benefits.
"It won't make you bulky, and the results are just incredible - defined muscles, improved bone and joint health, and an overall strength boost.
"It also targets body fat, reduces your risk of diabetes, prevents injury, and burns more calories than cardio."
Part of that fun is getting husband David involved. The pair have shared videos of them doing couple workouts to tone their abs.
Victoria said: "I never want to look like I’m complaining, but there were times in the past that I haven’t felt confident enough to sit on a beach and watch my children play.
"[Now], I feel stronger than I did when I was 20.
"This is how I look. I’m going to make the best of it, work hard at it."
Work out like Victoria
Victoria is a regularly pictured hurling dumbbells from floor to ceiling - known as dumbbell snatches - and squatting with a hefty bar on her back.
To work out like Victoria, Sarah recommends:
- Overhead squats - stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell in either hand, engage your core and drive the weights straight overhead while bending the knees and sending your bum back
- Weighted lunges - with a dumbbell in each hand, take a big step forward, bend at the knee until the right thigh is parallel to the ground, then step back and repeat on the other side
- Clean and presses - lift a weighted barbell from the floor to the front of your shoulders, then press and raise overhead
- Tricep dips - place your hands behind you on a bench or chair so your fingers face forwards, extend your legs and bend your elbows, before dipping down to the floor and back up again
- Rotations - hold a weight with both hands in front of your chest, keeping your elbows high, then rotate your body to each side
A combination of these exercises can burn around 600 calories a session - and Victoria will keep burning them long after finishing.
In the studio
As well as pumping iron in the gym, Victoria also likes classes - particularly barre, boxing, spin, and Reformer Pilates.
Sarah said: "Victoria looks to mix things up.
"To avoid her body getting too used to one type of exercise, she changes her activities each day.
"She loves barre, which uses high repetitions whilst being low impact, which improves muscular strength and endurance.
"This type of workout mix has helped her to achieve the lean aesthetic 'dancer's body' that Victoria has achieved."
Low impact exercise also includes walking, swimming and yoga - which you could do in a studio or following a YouTube video in your living room.
Sarah did, however, emphasise that the mum-of-four also has a good balance and ensures she includes ample time for rest and recovery.
"She also stretches and mobilises as this allows her body to reap the results she's looking for," Sarah added.
In the wild
And if gruelling gym sessions and tricky classes weren't enough, the mum also stays active outdoors.
The multimillionaire entrepreneur has shared photos of her playing tennis with her daughter Harper, doing yoga in the garden, and water skiing across a lake with David.
In the kitchen
Of course, hard physical work must be complemented by eating well.
Victoria has previously spoken about being pretty rigid when it comes to her eating - with smoothies for breakfast and plain fish and veg for dinner.
David once said: "Since I met her, she only eats grilled fish and steamed vegetables. She will very rarely deviate from that."
But the fashion guru has reportedly become a lot less restrictive since upping her exercise and bolstering her metabolism.
She is no longer scared to tuck into healthy fats such as nuts and oily fish, it is said.
And she eats throughout the day, rather than focusing on the traditional three meals.
Her favourite snacks are reportedly protein shakes, almonds, fruit and avocados.
An average day might look something like this:
- 5am: Skin supplements (e.g. Augustinus Bader)
- 6am: A shot of apple cider vinegar
- 7am: Black coffee with collagen peptide powder
- 8am: Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with a green smoothie with apple, lemon, kiwi, spinach and broccoli
- 12pm: A salad topped with grilled salmon
- 1pm: Coconut water
- 3pm: Sparkling water
- 6pm: Grilled halibut with steamed green beans
"She refrains from eating red meat and dairy products, out of choice, but really likes a slice of wholegrain toast as a comforting snack," Sarah said.
"She loves to eat a lot of healthy fats essential for her hair, skin and nails, which are also high in protein and omega-3.
"We've seen that she is happy to admit that she is a restaurant's 'worst nightmare' due to her strict food choices."
Victoria told Grazia in May 2024: "I’m very disciplined with the way that I eat, the way that I work out and the way I work. That’s just who I am."
But she no longer cares too much about calories. And thankfully, the 90s idol still knocks back the odd shot of tequila and glass of fine wine.
"I do like to have a drink, and I'm not going to be one of these, 'Ah, there are too many calories in a glass of wine,' types," she added.
"Life's too short. Let's have a nice time."
In the mind
And finally, a lot of Victoria's jaw-dropping results come from within, Sarah said.
"She is very disciplined," she added.
"Like a lot of A list celebrities, Victoria recognises that consistency is key, and she makes sure she stays accountable, working closely with her PTs and tracking her workouts and nutritional intake."
Vic sleeps with crystals next to her bed and carries one in her handbag as she is convinced they have healing properties.
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She also loves meditation to relax the mind and body.
According to her Instagram, a typical "self-care Sunday" involves a face mask, LED light and plenty of serums and moisturiser.