What do you think of Victoria's Secret models?

I saw an article awhile ago about a trainer who works with a lot of models (including lingerie models) and the types of workouts he has them do.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/fashion/getting-models-into-fighting-shape.html?hp&_r=1&

I think there is a huge misconception about these women that is further flamed by those who do not understand fitness or their industry. Couple things to keep in mind.

1. Every one of them basically won the female genetic lottery based on beauty of our time. For a good majority of women, even if you follow their workouts and eating habits EXACTLY, you will never look like that.....ever. Your genetics just will not let that happen and there is nothing you can do about it.

2. Most people out there assume they just do cardio. In reality, you will never have those bodies without a vigorous strength training program. I am sure there is a 1% of the 1% that do not have to do anything but I am sure most of those girls work their *kitten* off with both strength training AND cardio.

3. Most people assume they have a eating disorder of some sort.This is likewise false. These women are professionals and have mastered an understanding for their bodies nutrition. I am positive most of them know their macros by heart and the exact affect of + or - the macros and what affect it will have on their body. Sure, some will go pretty extreme when they have a shoot coming up and will tweak their bodies but don't assume that is an eating disorder. They are pros, this is their job and they know how to prepare for it in regards of what and timing. How many people say Hugh Jackman has an eating disorder bc he eats 6000+ calories with heavy lifting to prepare for his wolverine role? I haven't seen anyone. In fact I see an article every other day talking about the dedication he has prepping for his role. He is a professional as are they. Same with pro athletes. Why is it ok for us to idolize them but not these models?

4. Photoshop, camera angles, lighting all come into play. The companies hire a professional model AND professional staff. Do you think the lighting is just for decoration when they do their VS show on TV? Hell no, they have pros in there figuring this stuff out for months on end. It is a business. Expect it.

At the end of the day these women are sexy, beautiful, empowered, top of their industry professionals, and should be admired for everything they have worked their *kitten* of for.

Who cares?

I read an article a while back that some of them use chicken breasts/cutlets in their swimsuits.

Really? Really? They model for a famous lingerie line that makes about any kind of push up bra they could ever need, and they use chicken? That makes perfect sense.

Hahaha they don't use chicken in their swimsuits! They have these silcone things that they will put in their bras and swimsuits to give them more cleavage, drag queens use them too Sometimes people will call them chicken cutlets because, well, that's what they look like.


To the OP: These models work their butts off, it is their job to do so. I'm sure they all do different things because each person has different needs. If you give your all during workouts and eat reasonably there is no way you won't be satisfied with your results

At the end of the day these women are sexy, beautiful, empowered, top of their industry professionals, and should be admired for everything they have worked their *kitten* of for.

You're kidding right? :indifferent:

In my reality, an airbrushed chick standing under a bright light in her panties doesn't even hold a candle to women who have actually contributed to society and actually earned admiration: Mother Theresa, J.K. Rowling, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks, Annie Sullivan, Harriet Tubman, Melinda Gates, Sacajawea, Eleanor Roosevelt, Indira Gandhi, Shirley Jackson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, S.E. Hinton, Anne Frank, Helen Keller, Jane Addams, Molly Brown, Gertrude Stein, Georgia O'Keefe, Harper Lee, Germaine Greer, Dr. Ruth, Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, Margaret Thatcher, Amelia Earhardt, Florence Nightingale, Hypatia of Alexandria, Mya Angelou......

But yeah, no, we should certainly reserve our admiration for underwear models instead. :grumble:

I think there is a huge misconception about these women that is further flamed by those who do not understand fitness or their industry. Couple things to keep in mind.

1. Every one of them basically won the female genetic lottery based on beauty of our time. For a good majority of women, even if you follow their workouts and eating habits EXACTLY, you will never look like that.....ever. Your genetics just will not let that happen and there is nothing you can do about it.

2. Most people out there assume they just do cardio. In reality, you will never have those bodies without a vigorous strength training program. I am sure there is a 1% of the 1% that do not have to do anything but I am sure most of those girls work their *kitten* off with both strength training AND cardio.

3. Most people assume they have a eating disorder of some sort.This is likewise false. These women are professionals and have mastered an understanding for their bodies nutrition. I am positive most of them know their macros by heart and the exact affect of + or - the macros and what affect it will have on their body. Sure, some will go pretty extreme when they have a shoot coming up and will tweak their bodies but don't assume that is an eating disorder. They are pros, this is their job and they know how to prepare for it in regards of what and timing. How many people say Hugh Jackman has an eating disorder bc he eats 6000+ calories with heavy lifting to prepare for his wolverine role? I haven't seen anyone. In fact I see an article every other day talking about the dedication he has prepping for his role. He is a professional as are they. Same with pro athletes. Why is it ok for us to idolize them but not these models?

4. Photoshop, camera angles, lighting all come into play. The companies hire a professional model AND professional staff. Do you think the lighting is just for decoration when they do their VS show on TV? Hell no, they have pros in there figuring this stuff out for months on end. It is a business. Expect it.

At the end of the day these women are sexy, beautiful, empowered, top of their industry professionals, and should be admired for everything they have worked their *kitten* of for.

I have to agree with this. I do some modeling on the side, and I sure as hell don't starve myself. However I do push myself harder before a shoot. Primarily because there are shoots I do where I wear a lot less then what the VS girls wear. Granted I haven't done any modeling lately do to I was taking care of my grandmother before she passed. I kind of let myself go a bit but now I'm getting back into healthy shape. There will always be pressure to look a certain way, and It goes in phases. From women wanting to look like Marilyn to looking like the tinier girls of today. I'm not going to kill myself to keep up with the latest trend for that reason. I stick with whats right for my body. The photographers I've worked with find it refreshing not shooting with someone who looks cookie cutter.

I have no problem with admitting that they've been successful in their industry. Sadly it's the same industry that tells girls and young women that their bodies aren't good enough. That to be considered sexy, beautiful, and admirable they need to aspire to, what for many, is an unattainable standard.

Right....and pro-sports and playing with ripped as hell G.I. Joes growing up are just two examples of industries where they tell me as a boy than a man that I will never be good enough unless I hit the steroids out of my mind. I simply can't be acceptable as having an athletic look unless I look like an NFL linebacker.

If you or your girl has this impression then you need to sit down and have a talk because you completely failed at this parenting thing.

So we shouldn't admire people who can hit a ball over a net in the Olympics? We shouldn't admire those who put a ball through a ring in the NBA finals? We shouldn't admire a marathon runner or a biker? Because they are just petty sports and don't really matter after all? Instead we should just reserve our admiration for a lady who flew a plane or a girl who wrote a diary while trying to survive the Holocaust?

I mean, these are all simple things that anyone could achieve just like getting your picture taken in your underwear. See how that sounds when you simplify it like that?

My son is going to be very disappointed that I won't allow him to watch his favorite college team this year. I never knew this admiration bucket could be overfilled so we can only admire specific things. Thanks poster, I can now save my son from getting his admiration bucket from being too full too soon.

1. Your point about athleticism is moot because I listed an athlete among the people I feel have earned admiration.
2. If you really believe in what you are saying, then we will simply have to agree to disagree because yes, I fully believe that things like learning to pilot and surviving the Holocaust are more admiration-worthy than having one’s picture taken in their underwear.
3. I don’t really care what you do with your son or his viewing of college sports, but keep in mind that you are the one who opened the door to questioning people’s parenting in this thread, not I.
4. Yes, I believe there is a certain amount of admiration that should be reserved for the deserving and not delved out to all. There is a saying “When everyone is special… no one is.” To admire everyone, for everything, decreases the value of what admiration is and negates the purpose it serves in society, which is to hold the more deserving in a higher esteem than others. I find it sad that we live in a world where people are placed on the same level for learning how to pilot a plane, survive genocide, overcome inequality, save lives, and free nations, as people getting their picture taken in their undies.
If you truly don’t see the difference between being held up in esteem for humanitarian and widespread historical accomplishment and being held up in esteem because you “have a hot body” then you are really missing a lot of the larger conversation taking place globally.
Again, agree to disagree.

1. Your point about athleticism is moot because I listed an athlete among the people I feel have earned admiration.
2. If you really believe in what you are saying, then we will simply have to agree to disagree because yes, I fully believe that things like learning to pilot and surviving the Holocaust are more admiration-worthy than having one’s picture taken in their underwear.
3. I don’t really care what you do with your son or his viewing of college sports, but keep in mind that you are the one who opened the door to questioning people’s parenting in this thread, not I.
4. Yes, I believe there is a certain amount of admiration that should be reserved for the deserving and not delved out to all. There is a saying “When everyone is special… no one is.” To admire everyone, for everything, decreases the value of what admiration is and negates the purpose it serves in society, which is to hold the more deserving in a higher esteem than others. I find it sad that we live in a world where people are placed on the same level for learning how to pilot a plane, survive genocide, overcome inequality, save lives, and free nations, as people getting their picture taken in their undies.
If you truly don’t see the difference between being held up in esteem for humanitarian and widespread historical accomplishment and being held up in esteem because you “have a hot body” then you are really missing a lot of the larger conversation taking place globally.
Again, agree to disagree.

So ignoring that number 2 point you gave there until you revise it.....

I believe you are missing the point entirely. You keep stating that all these women do is get their picture taken in their underwear. That is the same as saying that all that Michael Phelps does is swim. I have to remind myself that not everyone has had the pleasure of knowing one of these ladies in that field of work, even those in a semi-related field. The amount they sacrifice, the work they do in order to get anywhere close to even being considered at that level is absolutely astounding. It is not simply getting their picture taken in their underwear. They have to condition themselves to a point unknown to you and impossible to others. They have to keep that conditioning intensity up for years upon years upon years. They have to sacrifice more than you will ever think. At the end of the day, they successfully promote themselves to a business level that most CEOs will never see. I really do not think you realize how much goes into this.

But we will have to agree to disagree. What I a see is an amazing business women who has mastered her body over years and years of discipline and sacrifice. What you see is some good looking chick who's picture is sitting on the cover of a book in her underwear. Michael Phelps just is swimming in a pool, right? Nothing to see here.