How 6 Top Victoria’s Secret Models Stay in Shape
There’s a lot of conflicting info online about how to stay in shape. But if anyone knows how to diet and exercise, it’s a Victoria’s Secret model.
Sure, in interviews many of them give the same wink-wink-nudge-nudge “pizza all day and drink lots of water” response to fitness Qs, but not all of them. These six VS women aren’t afraid to admit to hard work for their gorgeous strong bods.
1. Candice Swanepoel
On diet:
A girl after our own hearts, Candice loves her steak and milkshakes, according to Shape.
“I like to eat fresh, organic food and loads of fruit and vegetables,” she told the mag. “If I eat something that’s not fresh, I feel it immediately, so I crave good food. And I crave meat — I grew up on a dairy and beef farm. I don’t cut anything out, and if I overdo it, I just work out more.”
And she loves her cake, according to Ok! Magazine.
“I don’t have a cheat day, I allow myself to have what I want but I do it in moderation,” she said. “If I want a piece of cake then I’ll have some, but I won’t eat half the cake. It’s about balance … I’m lucky enough that I don’t need to do any extreme diets, I do more stuff for my skin.”
She says diet is all about health for her, not slimming down.
“I like to make smoothies at home and put in different oils and supplements that I know will make my skin look better or improve my energy levels. I diet more for that than staying slim,” Candice claims.
On fitness:
Candice, like many other Angels, trains with the famous Justin Gelband, who also teaches at New York’s Model Fit studio.
Candice hates the gym according to Ok! Magazine, and I immediately feel kinship. I get’chu girl. Hey- maybe models are human!
“I have to say I don’t love going to the gym,” she said. “I like to do things outside, something that’s more fun and incorporated into my regular life. If I go to the beach I swim a lot, I run on the beach, I do paddle boarding. It’s about staying active and, if it’s more fun for you, in the end it’s better.”
Balance, indulgence, and the outdoors. We love it Candice, and it’s obviously working.
2. Adriana Lima
On diet
Steamed veggies and chicken are the way to go, according to Shape‘s interview with Michael Olajide, Lima’s trainer.
“Portion control was key,” Michael said. “Adriana is an extremely healthy eater. She had steamed meats, nothing fried. Everything was really plain with no sauces. She held back on sodium especially so her body wouldn’t retain water. That’s one of the many areas we can make a quick visible impact because new moms retain water more.”
On fitness
Okay, truth bomb. The girl puts in work. Approximately five hours of it a day, according to her trainer Michael Olajide.
“We only had five weeks to do it,” he said of prepping for the show after she gave birth, “so we were working out twice a day, seven days a week, for two to three hours per session. We’d start around 9 a.m. and finish the first session around 11 a.m. or 12 noon. Then she’d be back in the gym at 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. to put in another couple of hours.”
He added that she’s really into jumping rope and shadow-boxing.
Okay, got it. Portions, protein, and basically living at the gym. It doesn’t sound like there’s too much room for french fries or rest days in there, but major respect.
3. Alessandra Ambrosio
On diet
Alessandra loves her pasta, and her secret is knowing how to bounce back from indulgent weeks according to Elle — something that is tough to do when you are discouraged by bloat and the number on the scale.
“I’m all about moderation and eating something different every day,” Adriana said in a recent interview with Net-a-Porter. “Obviously I try not to splurge on pasta, but if I’m back in Brazil where everything is pasta- or bread-based — and so yummy — I’ll eat whatever I want, then go back to lots of salads and chicken or fish with veg as soon as I’m back in L.A.”
On fitness
Alessandra is also trained by the famous Justin Gelband, and she loves to switch it up with dance and pilates classes to train long lean muscles according to the Edit.
“What changed my attitude to fitness was finding all these classes that I really enjoyed doing,” she said. “I do one called Pilates Platinum in L.A. once a week, which makes your abs and legs super-tight and toned, and I’m obsessed with the Bar Method, which I do three times a week and reminds me of the ballet classes I did for eight years as a kid.”
4. Behati Prinsloo
On diet
Girls on their hustle: Behati gets you. She is fan of the quick and easy meal, and her daily food intake often includes healthy cereals paired with unsweetened almond milk, packs of almonds, and sushi.
“I go for quick and easy foods, but that doesn’t mean fast food, I live in New York City and there are many organic options that are grab and go.” says Behati according to People.
While she is a fan of the grab and go snack, Behati HATES juice cleanses to the point of considering murder, according to Elle.
“I tried a juice cleanse once and by the third day I wanted to kill everyone,” she said. “I honestly don’t even think it’s healthy. It’s not good for you to just drink juice.”
Her best diet secret: sticking to the good old protein and vegetables combo. Are you sensing a pattern here?
On fitness
Get ready to be majorly jealous. Behati only works out twice a week, according to Hello! Fashion.
Basically, she’s our best proof that working out doesn’t actually make you skinny. Abs are made in the kitchen!
She does say, however, that when prepping for the show she does try and do something every day for an hour, even if it is something low impact yoga or swimming.
5. Josephine Skriver
On diet
We aren’t quite sure what to think of this one. Josephine doesn’t believe in diets, according to an interview with AOL, and uses moderation to temper her love for chocolate.
However, the model did divulge that she eats a lot of protein, so we are guessing that she pairs it with the Angels’ favorite: vegetables to help her maintain her enviably toned bod.
For snacks, she favors clean treats that are easy to transport.
“I think nuts are very good, an easy one always to have in your bag. Fruit is good, too, but a little bit harder to carry around.”
On fitness
Even the other Angels are in awe of Josephine’s workout discipline!
Sara Sampaio and Behati want to know her diet and exercise routine too, according to a recent video on Victoria’s Secret‘s Instagram. They refer to the model as a “gift from god” and say they want to ask her what she does and what she eats to get that enviable bod.
We’ve got you girls! The secret is a combination of boxing and swimming, according to Vogue
“As a model you need to be in shape all year round,” she said, “but I do amp up more for the Victoria’s Secret show. Usually less cardio but more toning. So a lot of boxing at Gotham Gym in New York. I’ve also moved into a building with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, so I like doing that when I wake up.”
6. Lily Aldridge
On diet
By this point, I feel like you girls know what’s coming.
When asked how she was prepping for the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Lily said that she sticks to the increasingly more predictable route of protein and vegetables.
“Eating healthy,” she said. “Lots of roast chicken and vegetables, eating clean. I mostly cook my own food so I know everything that’s going into it.” she divulged to Cosmo.
On fitness
Lily doesn’t play around, and dedicates time in her day to workout twice according to Cosmo.
“I do a lot of Ballet Beautiful. I usually do two workouts a day leading up to the show. I do an hour in the morning, and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Or, I’ll switch it around. I’ll do 30 minutes of cardio, and then do [Ballet Beautiful] for an hour”
Okay, so genes might have something to do with it. And a general consensus of protein and vegetables.
But these Angels’ routines, while very disciplined, actually seem pretty balanced. Jumping rope and eating red velvet cake are definitely things I want to add into my routine. What will you steal from the Angels?
