Swanepoel’s Secrets to her Supergirl Body

Candice Swanepoel @angelcandices

Although this blog is titled Eat Like An Actress, some of the most enviable women in the world, to most girls, are without doubt the VS models and well, models in general. I am always interested in discovering what these girls do to achieve that glowing healthy look we all strive for and when I find a celebrity in general whose diet and fitness routine is worthy of sharing with my readers, I don’t mind stepping outside the “actress” box and sharing their methods with you. Plus, models are just a different form of actress aren’t they? They too play a character in their daily line of work and today’s model is not different. She plays the part of an angel. A victoria’s secret angel to be precise.

Candice Swanepoel is a gorgeous South African Model best known for her strutting her stuff down the Victoria’s Secret runways and posing in exotic locations in beautiful bikinis. Out of all the VS modes she is most certainly one of the general female populations all time favorites. Her gorgeous lean body, dewy skin and long blonde hair are undoubtedly worthy of admiration and I was of course curious as to how she achieves that glowing look.

Many people complain that some VS models, including Candice are underweight which must stem from them starving themselves, but the majority of them are extremely tall ectomorphs. An ectomorph is one of three body types (mesomorph and endomorph being the other two) which is naturally thin and usually has a very fast metabolism meaning they burn calories very quickly. My sister is an ectomorph and all her life has been a certain body weight that against “normal standards” would be considered underweight, but she is undoubtedly one of the healthiest people I know. She has always been quite active and eats a very healthy diet. She can eat far more than me (an endomorph) and she never gains weight. So I just want to clear that up for those that criticize the models for not eating anything hence that’s why they are so thin. That is not usually the case. Especially I imagine not for a busy model like Candice who would need constant calories to supply her fast metabolism in order to sustain her energy so she can keep working.

According to Candice, she avoids “strenuous running and cardio” as she  burns calories too quickly, and sticks more to using her own body weight in resistance training and pilates/ballet/yoga style exercises which elongate her muscles and build strength. She focuses on quality not quantity, in that she performs each exercise is a very slow and controlled manner looking for the “burn”.

“The slower you work out, the more you feel it, and the more you really build,” she explains. “A lot of people just want to do their workouts quickly, and it doesn’t work. The workouts I do—I feel each muscle that I’m working. Because I’ve been working out so many years, it’s a machine that I know, so my trainer will be like ‘OK, we’re gonna work out this part, ‘ so I know the angles and the way I need to do it.”

She also focuses on developing her balance which is required for her job, so she doesn’t fall in high heels on the runway. Here is an example of the kind of exercises she does with her trainer Justin Gelband

She exercises three times a week and for the two weeks before the VS fashion show at Christmas she works out everyday leading up to it.

She occasionally likes to mix it up with some light boxing for her arms and core.

“For me, mixing workouts like boxing, jump rope, and basic ballet works best,” Swanepoel says. “Boxing works my arms and core, ballet elongates my muscles, and jumping rope is a great way to warm up before any workout.”

Of course she engages in activities as much as she can on a daily basis and as with any person enjoys exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise.

“My favorite exercise is something that doesn’t feel like I’m exercising at all, such as swimming in the ocean or playing paddle ball.”

When it comes to her diet, Candice generally has a healthy lifestyle and has said she has always sought out fresh clean foods because that is what she genuinely enjoys eating.

For me, I’ve always had a healthy lifestyle. If I eat something that’s not fresh, I feel it immediately, so I crave good food,” she told OK! Magazine last year. “I crave meat. I grew up on a dairy and beef farm, so I crave that. I don’t cut anything out, and I just work out more.”

Candice has is many interviews stated she prefers organic fresh fruits and veg over any processed junk food and seems to follow a sensible daily diet where she consciously chooses more nourishing foods that fuel her body and help it glow from the inside out.

So to sum up, we must remember Candice has an ectomorph body type and so the workouts she chooses suit her body.

****She focuses on mostly resistance training 3 times a week intermixed with light boxing sequences and ballet.

****And she maintains a healthy wholesome diet throughout the year eating fresh organic meat, fish, veg and fruit.

I would recommend anyone looking to follow a routine similar to Candices to take up Yoga or Pilates and light weight classes as these workouts are closest to the kind of training Candice does.

Follow Candice on her instagram at @angelcandices

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