Alessandra Ambrosio Workout and Diet

Look at me! I just had a baby! But my tummy is totally flat!

Do you ever wonder how those glamorous Victoria’s Secret models like Alessandra Ambrosio always seem to magically bounce back into pre-pregnancy supermodel bikini shape in just a few months? I mean, isn’t it enough that these women are gifted with beautiful faces, perfect bodies, and long legs? Must they also be gifted with magically elastic bodies too? (Does Victoria’s Secret do genetic DNA testing to find these magic genes? One has to wonder…)

Alessandra Ambrosio Diet and Workout

While pregnant, Alessandra’s diet and workout revolved around indulging in favorite foods and practicing yoga. AFTER birth, plans had to change. The first thing to go – the diet based around cravings. Many high calorie foods like sugar and bread had to go, to ensure maximum safe weight loss. Many people think that they can simply exercise away the extra weight, but this is seldom true. One can exercise for two hours and only burn a few hundred calories – however, cutting 200 calories out of one’s diet is as easy as skipping an afternoon latte. When you cut the extra high calorie foods from your diet – these saved calories can add up very quickly.

Cardio was NOT optional – Alessandra reportedly did a lot of cardio (as part of her 2-3hr per day workouts) in order to get ready for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Conventional forms of exercise were used (such as treadmill work) but so was less conventional forms of exercise like  capoeira (a Brazilian dance-like form of martial art.) When you need to lose weight, moving as much as possible, in a safe and fun way can be just as productive as short, intensive forms of exercise (which can make you more prone to injury and burn out.)

Adding in hours of cardio is just not realistic for a lot of women. This is why I like programs like Fit Yummy Mummy which focus on short but really intense bodyweight cardio sessions which can give similar results in under 20 minutes per day. New mom are a LOT more likely to have 20 mins than 2hrs!

Weight training was key to lifting the butt back into place – Cardio may burn off the fat but it will not lift and shape a butt (which EVERYONE can see in those tiny little lingerie outfits….) Alessandra followed a specific Brazilian ButtLifting workout designed by her trainer using ballet moves, squats, and lunges.

Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlift burn a ton of calories and shape a great butt – however, many women have trouble with these exercises adding bulk to the thighs. The main reason women struggle with this issue is improper form and muscle activation. If you are not careful, you will use your thighs (quads) as the primary muscle used to lift and balance. Big mistake! When squating, doing lunges or deadlifts, you want to concentrate on activating your butt and back of the thighs  at every stage of the movement. Make sure most of your body weight is in your heels and not over your knees.

For some people, this kind of body awareness is really difficult. In this case, make it easy on yourself and do either box squats or goblet squats. Making a small change (sitting on a box and then standing up, or holding the weight in front of your body) in how you are standing and balancing your weight can make it nearly impossible to do the exercise wrong!

Here is an example of how to do goblet squats (skip the part when you push the weight out horizontally – this is a variation you do not need to do):

And here is an example of how to do box squats:

Make sure that when you do workout, you do so with a plan customized for shaping your body the way YOU want it to look. Too many women spend hours in the gym only to leave with flat butts and bulky thighs because their workout programs are not designed specifically for women who want a long lean look. I have personally used and benefited from Valerie Water’s Red Carpet Ready, I Want My Bikini Body, and now a new favorite – Venus Index. All of these programs are customized to achieve a feminine look while still working you out hard and improving your health.

How a Victoria Secret Model Bounces Back from Pregnancy as Fast as Possible

Heidi Klum doing a surprise trip down the Victoria's Secret runway one month after giving birth back in 2009.

Most models were not over weight or out of shape to begin with. In fact, many were likely under weight. Keep in mind – most women regain their pre-pregnancy bodies within a year of giving birth. So as you can see, the final result isn’t miraculous so much as the speed with which these Victoria’s Secret models bounce back.

Most models gain a lot of weight with their pregnancies – 40 to 60lbs sometimes. This sounds like a lot, but is it really? Keep in mind, most models are about 5ft 9in tall, and most weigh less than you or I – typically under 110lbs. I think it is safe to call most models underweight. Doctors typically advise underweight women to gain as much as 40lbs with their pregnancies. Also, 40lbs is a lot of weight for a 5ft 2in tall woman, but for women 5 ft 9in and up – proportionately this is just not as much visible weight gain. Women who are taller typically always look leaner and have naturally flatter stomachs than the rest of us – their limbs and torsos are simply longer! Unfair but true.

Celebrity model mothers listen to their doctors and their bodies (or at least that is what they tell us:)). Both Alessandra Ambrosio and Heidi Klum reportedly started out walking – up and down the drive way, on a treadmill, etc. The point is not to try to do too much too fast or you are likely to delay your recovery or even worse become injured – both can lead to extended periods of inactivity where you could end up gaining, not losing weight.

Models workout hard and OFTEN nearly every single day leading up to their big events – photoshoots, fashion shows, etc because they know without a shred of doubt that 6 weeks in the future they will be standing nearly naked in front of millions. This doesn’t allow for a lot of “I’ll do it tomorrow” mentality. For example, Alessandra worked out for two-three hours EVERY DAY with trainer Leandro Carvalho (NY based trainer) to get her body ready in just 3mo to walk down runway in the VS fashion show.

Okay, so you made it to the bottom of the post – now I want to reveal this -

Okay look at the belly - not so perfect after all.

Supermodels are a lot more like us than you would think. You can see here that there is a little “movie magic” going on here to cover up any visible flaws on Alessandra’s body. In the picture at the top of the post – the lingerie she is wearing is high waisted which seems to be hiding her belly. Other than that we have a nice professional spray tan to add tone and sculpting. So hey, if you just had a baby and things do look perfect yet, don’t despair. Its totally normal!