Fitness models use their bodies for their jobs and need to keep them in top shape. They also need to maintain a healthy diet.
Many models like to mix up their workouts. Gigi Hadid, for example, spars daily in the boxing ring. Other popular cardio exercises include Reformer pilates and bodyweight floor workouts.
Resistance Training
VS models and Angels like Adriana Lima, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Irina Shaik and Romee Strijd work hard in the gym to keep their sculpted physiques. They do so in addition to making healthy food choices. Whether you’re hoping to become a model or just want to look the part, following their workout and diet is a great place to start.
Most models spend at least a portion of their fitness regimens working out with resistance training. This type of exercise uses external resistance to increase muscle strength, tone, mass and endurance. The resistance can be provided by weights, rubber exercise tubing, your own body weight or other items like bricks or bottles of water. Compared to cardio exercises like running or aerobics, resistance training burns less calories during exercise but it increases your overall calorie burn at rest by building more muscle.
Some models follow the “straight sets” method of strength training which involves completing an exercise, resting and then performing the same exercise again. While this does have some merit to help increase your strength, it’s terribly inefficient when done every workout. A much better way to go would be alternating between one large muscle group (chest/biceps, back/shoulders and legs) and a small muscle group every set. This will give you the best results in the least amount of time.
In addition to burning calories and building muscles, resistance training also helps improve vascular condition, reduces resting blood pressure, lowers blood fat levels and may even reverse some of the physiological effects of aging. It has been linked to increased bone density, reduced risk of diabetes and improved metabolic functioning.
For models, resistance training isn’t just a workout it’s an essential part of the entire modeling process. They need to maintain their sculpted physiques for photo shoots and runway shows while eating well to prevent excess weight gain. In addition to regular workouts, models should perform daily stretching routines to elongate their muscles and improve balance and flexibility. They should also consume a diet that is low in fat and sugar and high in fruits, vegetables, lean protein and starches with a low glycemic index.
Cardio
Many models like to do cardio workouts that help them burn fat and tone up their legs, butt, back and chest. For example, VS model Hunter McGrady is a big fan of SoulCycle and says it’s a great way to tone up the body. Other popular exercises include kettlebell goblet squats, curls off a bench, wood chops and cable glute extensions. Other models including Candice Swanepoel, Sara Sampaio, Josephine Skriver, Taylor Hill and Romee Strijd enjoy hiking to help them keep their legs looking chiseled.
While some models may lift weights to build muscle, most of the time, they rely on cardiovascular exercises to burn fat and keep their bodies lean. Most of the time, a model will spend about an hour or less exercising multiple times per week. This will often include some form of high intensity interval training and cardio drills, such as HIIT or jumping rope.
In addition to cardio and strength training, a model will also have some sort of full body circuit workout that will include all the major muscles in the body to look balanced and symmetrical. Some examples of full-body circuit workouts include brisk walking, jogging or dynamic warm up exercises such as push-ups, triceps extensions and deadlifts.
Before a big runway show or photoshoot, some models might even increase their workout routines and concentrate more on certain areas of the body to “pump up” that area for the occasion. However, most of the time, a model will stick to their regular workout regimen year-round and stay in peak condition with consistent training.
For male models, the goal is to be chiseled, rather than muscular, and this will often mean doing cardio to keep their bodies in that ideal shape. Most of the time, a male model will spend about an hour or less working out multiple times per week.
Some male models may also choose to use some weight lifting exercises to build muscle, but most of the time, they will rely on cardiovascular exercise to burn fat and keep their body in that ideal shape. Some of the most common weight lifting exercises for a male model will include dumbbell seated extensions, triceps pushdowns and preacher curls.
Abs
While some models have a love of weightlifting, most prefer bodyweight exercises to build strength and tone their bodies. Bodyweight exercises such as boxing, jogging and cycling are often part of the workout routine. Other models choose to use resistance bands and Reformer Pilates to target specific muscle groups. For example, some fitness models focus on building a strong core with exercises such as mountain climbers and half-tucks with gliding discs, plank variations, renegade rows and crunches.
Getting a six-pack is a major goal for some models, but it can be difficult to achieve a chiseled ab appearance without a balanced physique. Models need to be able to tone every area of their body, including the inner and outer thighs, hips and waist. To do this, some models incorporate squats and overhead presses into their workout to build overall body strength. This helps them burn fat and build a symmetrical physique.
Most models also include some high-intensity cardio to burn calories and boost their metabolisms. Cardio exercises such as jogging, swimming, jumping rope or cardio kickboxing may be included in the exercise regimen. In addition, some models, such as those who walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (before it was canceled) and other editorial and runway models, like to do interval training.
For instance, they may start with a one-mile warm-up jog, followed by high-intensity sprints, and then back to low-intensity cardio such as a light jog or swimming. The alternating cardio sessions help them stay lean, burn calories and improve their endurance.
Other exercises that are part of the model’s workout include seated cable rows for their upper back, wide-grip lat pulldowns to hit their outer lats and dumbbell shrugs to work their traps. The models also perform standing calf raises and hamstring curls to develop their legs. These exercises help them keep their long, lean limbs while helping them maintain the classic V-shaped figure that many clients want to see. While many models have personal trainers and nutritionists, they still need to put in hard work at the gym and make healthy eating choices to look their best.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. This includes movement from flexion (bending) to extension (straightening) as well as movement from other angles such as rotation and adduction. Flexibility is an important component of fitness, because it improves posture, promotes efficient movement and reduces injury risk. Flexibility can be improved through exercise, stretching and a regular routine that incorporates dynamic flexibility exercises.
Regardless of whether you were a fan or not of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (which was finally canceled in 2019), there is no denying that the models who walk the runway are all incredibly fit and toned. This is largely due to their stringent workout routines that focus on building lean muscle and reducing body fat.
A typical model’s workout consists of high-intensity resistance training and cardio sessions that burn calories quickly. They often start their workouts with a few rounds of a full-body circuit and then finish up with some cardio or dynamic flexibility exercises to cool down.
Models typically use a variety of resistance exercises to target all major muscle groups. This may include dumbbell exercises, squats, lunges, bench presses, triceps dips and shoulder extensions. They also perform a lot of core exercises such as planks, crunches and ab exercises to keep their stomachs tight and their spines strong.
When it comes to cardio, boxing is the most popular workout for models. This full-body workout was popularized by Adriana Lima, and many models including Candice Swanepoel, Sara Sampaio, Romee Strijd, Josephine Skriver and Taylor Hill enjoy hitting the gym to do a boxing session. Hiking is another popular cardio workout for models. It’s a great way to get some fresh air while working out your lower body, hips and glutes.
In terms of flexibility, studies have found that there is a minimal association between flexibility and health outcomes in youth. This could be a result of a lack of consistent testing, poor study design or the inclusion of variables that influence both flexibility and health outcomes. However, flexibility should be included as part of a holistic fitness program that also includes strength training and cardiovascular exercise.
