With their model looks and toned physiques, Victoria's Secret models are the envy of women all around the world. However it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to look that good.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is the culmination of weeks – if not months – of intense preparation from the Angels, who prioritise health and fitness to ensure they look and feel their best on the catwalk.
We put some of their favourite exercise routines and diet plans to the test to see just what it takes to get runway ready.
EXERCISE:
The Victoria's Secret models train for months ahead of the show
Victoria's Secret models prioritise strength over being skinny, with many mixing boxing, barre and resistance training with yoga and Pilates for a varied and effective exercise routine.
Their workouts, which last for up to two hours a day, six times a week, would be hard to maintain for anyone with a full-time job. However you can still get a Victoria's Secret inspired workout with the following classes…
BOXING
Boxing is a workout the Victoria's Secret models love
A knockout workout loved by Gigi Hadid and Adriana Lima along with many of the other models, boxing is no longer just for men. We went along to KOBOX in Chelsea, West London to try it out for ourselves – and it was no easy feat.
These classes mix punching work with resistance exercises such as lunges and squats to ensure you receive a full body workout that you will definitely feel the next day. We can see why Gigi is such a fan!
£20 per class, kobox.co.uk.
SPINNING
Many of the models love spinning for a cardio workout
Alessandra Ambrosio is just one of the Victoria's Secret Angels who uses spinning classes to stay in shape. While we are yet to get celebrity favourite SoulCycle in the UK, we went along to BOOM Cycle, a London-based spinning class which promises a high-energy fitness experience. Taking place in a darkly lit studio, we loved the way our workout was timed to the motivating and uplifting music, as well as utilising weights to focus on the arms and upper body too.
£16 per class, boomcycle.co.uk
BARRECORE
Barre classes help to achieve the models' lean physiques
Former Victoria's Secret model Jourdan Dunn is just one of Barrecore's many celebrity fans, and for good reason. These classes focus on toning and strengthening the body without bulking up for the long and lean silhouette the Victoria's Secret models are known and envied for.
£28, barrecore.co.uk.
FOOD:
Peter Cox, a clinical nutritionist from Omniya, advised that the models would achieve healthy fat loss in the lead up to the show through eliminating refined sugars and eating more lean proteins. Think fish and organic poultry along with naturally rich sources of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids, such as avocadoes, raw nuts, nut butters and virgin oils.
The Victoria's Secret models need a lot of willpower to maintain this plan; after sticking to high protein meals and snacks for almost two weeks, our love of carbs proved too strong to resist.
Fresh Fitness Food delivers healthy meals to your home or work
Food delivery services Fresh Fitness Food gave us a helping hand in meeting the nutritional requirements and resisting temptation, swapping those 3pm sweet treats for green juices, along with freeing up time preparing meals.
At a minimum of £20 per day, a plan from Fresh Fitness Food isn't cheap, but worth considering if you want fresh protein-rich food that will support your fitness goals. There are a number of packages to choose from, and a nutritionist will work with you to tailor your plan to your nutritional requirements and tastes.
Pure Package is also offering a three-day cleanse
Alternatively Pure Package is launching its three-day nourishing cleanse in January, just in time to kick start that 'New Year, New You' goal you know you've been meaning to keep! The cleanse is designed to revive your digestion and nourish the body, without depriving you of energy and nutrients. Meals include the sea bream Thai green curry, wakame and mushroom miso broth and salmon and lentil salad. Each soup and evening meal comes lovingly packaged and ready to eat, while the ingredients for your morning smoothie are packed to blend fresh on the day. The cleanse costs £139.
To get you even more motivated, Pure Package are offering readers a £30 discount until 1 February 2017. Simply use HELL30 at the checkout!
EXTRAS:
More than just models, Victoria's Secret stars would actually be considered "Athletes" due to their sub-18% body fat. Keep a track of yours with Withings Body Cardio (£149.95), smart Wi-Fi enabled scales that measure full body composition, including weight, BMI, total body fat and water percentage plus bone and muscle mass.
Victoria Sport is both fashionable and functional
Even if you're far from being a Victoria's Secret model, you can still look the part in kit from the label's Victoria Sport collection. Angels including Adriana Lima, Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver all wear the exercise gear almost exclusively, showing it's not only fashionable, but functional too.