Sent from the heavens to strut amongst us mere mortals, there is a reason why Victoria’s Secret angels are envied all over the world.
And while we might never grow to be 6ft tall or have an in-house hair and makeup artist to make us catwalk ready at the drop of the hat, what we can do is treat our bodies in the best, most angelic way possible.
While there’s no magic potion to make you grow that extra foot (sorry) – long, lean and toned muscles are all achievable aspects of your dream body, and a few simple diet tips and exercises can help you get on track – just in time for summer!
So without further ado, check out the below guide to building the toned body you want.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
DIET
Let’s start with the basics. In order to gain the body you want, you need to fuel up the right way.
1. Eat enough
One the most common mistakes people make when trying to slim down is not giving your body an adequate amount of fuel.
A balanced meal should include protein, complex carbohydrates, plenty of nutrients from fruit and veggies and last but not least, good fats.
Feeling hungry when working out will only slow your metabolism, and will ultimately turn your body to your muscles as a fuel source.
Meaning that if you choose to work out on an empty stomach, you will likely lose the abs you worked so hard to gain in the first place.
2. Hydrate
Drinking enough water helps prevent bloating and fluid retention, as adequate amounts of H20 will prevent your dehydrated body from clinging on if it knows there’s plenty more where that came from.
While simultaneously helping to flush toxins from your system, water aids in lean growth as it carries oxygen to your muscles, helping both their power and endurance.
3. Make a healthy switch
There are plenty of foods out there that help the body to build lean muscle such as spinach, eggs and beef, but brown rice in particular will help you on your merry way to the VS runway.
As a low GI alternative, brown rice provides the body with a long-lasting energy source throughout the day and your workouts to aid in lean muscle growth, endurance and weight loss.
“I was 19 when I discovered Pilates, and I’m still doing it,” says Kate Hudson “It’s the workout my body really responds to. It’s all about alignment, elongating your spine and strengthening your core. It makes me feel my strongest.”
EXERCISE
Now that we’re fuelling up the right way, we can get up in gym and start working on our fitness!
1. Stretch and strengthen
If lean muscle is what you want, then the two really do go hand-in-hand.
Working your muscles at their full extension is a super effective way to build slim tone and prevent bulkiness.
Disciplines like Pilates and Yoga work with this stretch and strengthen techniques, and when performed in conjunction with the above diet tips, can help you to slim down and tone up.
Check out these arm workout tips from VS angel Adriana Lima!
2. Hit the barre
By now you’ve probably/most definitely heard of Barre Body.
It’s a glorious fusion of Pilates, yoga and ballet that can give anyone the body of a prima ballerina – with no dance experience necessary!
Classes begin with a yoga-inspired warm up before moving onto interval training which focus on strengthening, cardio and toning, and it’s got the angel seal of approval.
“I’m obsessed with the Barre Method, which I do three times a week and reminds me of the ballet classes I did for eight years as a kid,” VS angel Alessandra Ambrosio says.
Watch angel Candice channel her inner ballerina in the video player below! Post continues…
3. Stand up straight
It’s time to listen to your mum when she tells you to stop slouching.
Practicing good posture not only helps you to appear taller, longer and leaner but can also improve back pain and headaches.
A strong core is key when it comes to maintaining good posture, and exercises like yoga, Pilates and you guessed it, Barre, will help you to get there faster.
“Pilates forces you to be aligned and pull up [to] re-create a ‘perfect-posture’ look,” says Pilates instructor to the stars, Nicole Stuart.
Learn how to build a strong core with Doutzen in the video player below!
