Wanna know how Gigi Hadid gets her incredible figure? The model shared a clip of her working up a sweat in the boxing ring.
“When you’re boxing, you get so into it mentally that you kinda forget what’s going on, you forget that you’re working out. You always want more.”
When Gigi Hadid first landed a modelling contract, she vowed not to succumb to the fashion industry’s super-skinny standards. “When I walked into IMG, my one thing was like, ‘I’ll be fit.’ I’ve always been an athlete my whole life but there’s one thing I will not even do if it means turning away a dream of mine and that is to be too thin.”
The 20-year-old stunner, who has managed to maintain that healthy attitude, made headlines last week when she copped a barrage of criticism from online bullies labelling her too fat for the runway. The in-demand model admitted the comments did get her down, but rather than let it overcome her she came back swinging, posting the perfect response to the haters.
“No, I don’t have the same body type as the other models in shows. No, I don’t think I’m the best in any given show. Yes, I want to have a unique walk but I also know I have to improve. No, I’m not the first or last model of my type in this industry. You can make up all the reasons you think I am where I am, but really, I’m a hard worker that’s confident in myself, one that came at a time where the fashion industry was ready for a change. I’m just doing my job.
“I represent a body image that wasn’t accepted in high-fashion before, and I’m very lucky to be supported by the designers, stylists, and editors that I am: ones that know this is fashion, this is art; it can never stay the same.”
“It’s 2015. But if you’re not one of those people, don’t take your anger out on me. Yes I have boobs, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs, but I’m not asking for special treatment.”
Gigi says she keeps her model figure in shape by sticking to a simple mantra: “Eat clean to stay fit: have a cheat day to stay sane!”. The model admits it’s all about balance and doing what makes you feel good, “You find how you feel your best,” she told Refinery29. “Whether you feel better when you’re eating gluten-free or whatever it is. I feel better when I eat a burger every other night.”
As for Gigi’s favourite way to work up a sweat? She says she can’t go past boxing. “When you’re boxing, you get so into it mentally that you kinda forget what’s going on, you forget that you’re working out. You always want more.”
Jesinta Campbell stole the show at the David Jones Spring 2015 fashion launch earlier this year when she stepped on to the runway with her rock-hard abs and perfect pins. The 24-year-old admits she gave up alcohol and fast food in the lead-up to the show, and that she upped her training, incorporating boxing and barre work into her regime.
“I just worked really hard. I actually just started boxing with Lauryn Eagle. So doing professional boxing training which was so much fun.”
“Boxing is all from your core and my legs and I’ve been doing barre work which is a combination of ballet and pilates,” she added.
Jesinta says it’s all about consistency when it comes to health and fitness, but that there is no ‘ideal’ body shape. “It’s all up to the individual and whatever is healthy for the individual,” she says.
“That may look like a size 8 or that may look like a size 16. I feel as fit and healthy as I have ever felt, but the message I want to portray is my fit and healthy is not the same as someone else’s.”
Ronda Rousey is an American mixed martial artist, judoka, model and actress and became the first female to win an Olympic medal in Judo in 2008. Rousey also starred in the 2015Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in February this year, and opened up about being a role model for women. “I was so happy to have this opportunity because I really do believe that there shouldn’t be one cookie cutter body type that everyone is aspiring to be,” she told the magazine.
“I grew up thinking that because my body type was uncommon, it was a bad thing,” she told Cosmopolitan. “Now that I’m older, I’ve really begun to realise that I’m really proud that my body has developed for a purpose and not just to be looked at.”
“To be honest, it took a lot of time to develop a healthier relationship with food and with my weight. My mind was backward. I thought I wanted my body to look a certain way so I could be happy.”
Misty Copeland was told she would never make it in ballet as she didn’t have the right body type to be a ballerina. This year she became the first African-American woman in the 75-year history of the American Ballet Theatre to be named a principal dancer and she was also named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015. “All you can do is be your best self. I’ve always felt that I had to be that much more aware of how I present myself. I’m representing more than just me. I think every person should think that way.”
“I believe with the right training and an understanding of how to take care of your body, you can mould it to be whatever you want it to be.”
Serena Williams is one of the most successful female athletes of all time, but through much of her career has been the target of hurtful criticism over her athletic physique. “I’ve been like this my whole life and I embrace me. I love how I look. I am a full woman and I’m strong, and I’m powerful, and I’m beautiful at the same time,” the 33-year-old told Good Morning America. “I don’t have time to be brought down, I’ve got too many things to do. I have grand slams to win, I have people to inspire, and that’s what I’m here for.”
Khloe Kardashian credits the gym with helping her overcome a number of difficulties in her personal life, using it as a refuge, using fitness as “a form of therapy and as a stress reliever.”
“My fitness journey will be a life long journey. Fitness is not about being better than someone else… It’s about being better than you used to be. I’m not where I want to be and who knows if I ever will be,” she wrote on Instagram. “But I am healthier than ever and due to my consistent workouts, I am slowly seeing results.”
“Looking back at pictures of myself I didn’t realise at the time how unhealthy my lifestyle actually was. People love to call me the fat one but as weird as it sounds I still don’t think I would consider myself fat back then. Definitely overweight and unhealthy, yes. About two years ago I decided to turn to fitness as a form of therapy and as a stress reliever. I started slow and eventually I started working out 4 to 5 days a week,” she wrote in the photo’s caption.”
“We all have to start somewhere and doing something is better than nothing at all. Start small so you don’t get discouraged and give up. Remember it is all about consistency. There are no quick fixes if you want long-term results. Working out is a huge part of my life now. I genuinely enjoy sweating out my frustrations and living a healthier life. My workouts are not all about vanity. They are about clarity for my mind and soul. We all have different journeys in life, make sure your journey is for you and you alone. Remember in the end the turtle won the race. Slow and steady. dedication and tenacity.”
“It ain’t about the ass, it’s about the brain,” says Girls star Lena Dunham who says it took her a long time to understand the importance of exercise for overall wellbeing. “To those struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression: I know it’s mad annoying when people tell you to exercise, and it took me about 16 medicated years to listen. I’m glad I did.'”
“As a younger person … I was like, ‘I love my body and I feel good about who I am, so I don’t need to fucking exercise.’ I didn’t understand that it’s about so much more. You have to move so you don’t die. You have to move so your brain doesn’t atrophy. You have to move so that you look a little bit like a person that you might want to be.”
