The Victoria’s Secret Angels have the best bodies in the business. Here’s how.
The countdown is on until the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and you can bet your bottom dollar there are supermodels out there right now cramming in the sit-ups, squats and HIIT workouts to ensure they look as toned as possible before donning, well, quite frankly not much at all. Instagram has been in overdrive in the last week or so with the Angels posting their gym sessions and fitspo photos under the trending hashtag #trainlikeanangel. From boxing to ballet, pilates to planking – these models have every workout covered.
While the sight of these perfect bodies could be enough to have us reaching for the nearest Twix, instead we’re planning to use their workout ideas to give us the summer beach body motivation we need:
CANDICE SWANEPOEL
Aside from aerial yoga, Candice switches things up with a variety of workouts which she always kicks up a gear in the lead-up to the show.
“About a month before I start working out a lot more than I usually do. I do boxing. I do Pilates on the machine. I do a lot of lunges. I ran on the beach this year, which really tightens everything up.”
GIGI HADID
One of the new recruits this year, Gigi has been working out twice a day – ballet in the AM, boxing in the PM.
“mornings with @balletbeautiful, nights with @gothamgym”
good morning @gothamgym ⚡️⚡️ A video posted by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) on
JOSEPHINE SKRIVER
Yep, that’s what we’d call beast mode!
“As a model you need to be in shape all year round, 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.”
LILY ALDRIDGE
As the wearer of this year’s $2.9m Fantasy Bra, all eyes will be on Lily.
“[I’m] eating healthy. Lots of roast chicken and vegetables, eating clean. I mostly cook my own food so I know everything that’s going into it. And I do a lot of Ballet Beautiful. I usually do two workouts a day leading up to the show,” she told Cosmopolitan magazine.
ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO
Her body looks pretty effortless to us but apparently a lot of work goes into Alessandra’s Brazilian curves.
“It’s important to break a sweat every day, and I love the way Pilates makes me feel long and lean,” Ambrosio told Self Magazine. “In Brazil, it’s all about the butt. Some girls naturally have the big round one, and they aren’t shy about it. Others have to work out to have it. For mine, I put five pound weights on each leg, get on all fours and kick each heel up toward the ceiling.”
JOAN SMALLS
The best way to avoid workout fatigue? According to Joan, it’s variation. And chilling when you need to.
“When the show is coming I go the extra mile and make sure my routines are different. I do three different routines – I’ll do kick boxing, I have my personal trainer and I’ll do reformer pilates. I do all those three alternate, work out on my own and go for a jog. It’s making sure you stay active and have fun doing it and not over stressing it because that might create the anxiety. Just chill!”
Last Morning workout before NYFW ends @puma #Workout #FashionWeek #SidePlank A photo posted by Joan Smalls (@joansmalls) on
BRIDGET MALCOLM
The Perth native trained for three months before the casting to make sure she was show-ready, should the call come that she had made it into the line-up. The planking clearly paid off!
“I started cleaning up my diet and making sure I worked out a lot leading up to the castings. Every time I saw a horizontal surface I’d plank on it. Then a month before the castings I stepped it up to twice a day workouts, so I would do Ballet Beautiful or a Pilates-based workout in the morning. I love boxing, it’s such a great cardio workout and leaves you so toned, I do that a lot. I really, really love it.”
ELSA HOSK
Elsa is also a proponent of the twice-daily workout. Boxing and ballet seem to be a lethal (and effective) combination.
“I have been doing a lot of working out,” Hosk told Elle.com. “Two workouts a day! I have boxing in the morning and then a barre class at night so I have been trying to mix high speed cardio with strengthening, lengthening, and toning.”
Strong❗️happy❗️healthy❗️healed❗️ thank you Greece @amanzoe @t1advertising @luxuryretreats A photo posted by elsa hosk (@hoskelsa) on
SHANINA SHAIK
Aussie Shanina is a workout fiend – is there any type of exercise she can’t do?!
“I really ramped up my exercise in the 3 months leading up to the show and would work out 6 days a week doing personal training, boxing, pilates, soul cycle and then I’d have a day off to let my body rest.”
ADRIANA LIMA
Veteran Angel Adriana is a fan of the sweaty selfie.
“The secret is to watch your portions but I also work out a lot,” she told Hello!. “Working out a lot isn’t necessary but I am very active and my body can endure intense workouts.”
4 WORKOUTS TO GO BOOM #TEAMLIMA A photo posted by Adriana Lima (@adrianalima) on
KARLIE KLOSS
Former ballerina Karlie maintains her dancer’s physique with Ballet Beautiful classes but isn’t averse to tough training sessions, too.
“I trained as a classical ballerina growing up. Ballet and dance are passions of mine. But I also love to learn and practice different ways to strengthen my body by trying out different strengthening exercises and intense workouts like the ones I’ve done with Nike Training Club Master Trainers. I like to switch it up and think that’s the best way to really challenge my body and become stronger in every way.”
BEHATI PRINSLOO
They say having a workout buddy is a good way to keep motivated. We think we’d be pretty motivated too if our workout buddy was Behati’s husband – Adam Levine of Maroon 5.
“For summer, I definitely love doing stuff outside. I love beach volleyball if you’re close to something like that. It’s really fun, you can do it with a lot of friends. I do love stand-up paddle boarding, that’s a really great workout. Yoga, Pilates—In the summer I really love to be outdoors, so I try to keep it like, hiking, and going to the beach and doing fun things.”
Kinda have a thing for my trainer A photo posted by Behati Prinsloo Levine (@behatiprinsloo) on
