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Credit: Instagram @sweethadid
Social supermodel Gigi Hadid had five wardrobe changes yesterday when she played host to iHeartRadio’s Much Music Awards in Toronto (also known as The-Night-Drake-Took-Home-Every-Award). But it was this non-modest ab display that encouraged a collective gasp from Manhattan to Mumbai – with a temporary streamed stopover down under in Australia at 3pm. Because, time difference.
Yes, the allure of a notably slimmed-down Hadid is congenial; she’s likeable, non-polarising (when we’re not talking about that Versace campaign) and for the most part, a seemingly normal 21-year-old. Her admission to eating a burger a week when she moved to New York made the supermodel seem part normal albeit a little unrealistic. How did she eat her way through an entire city and still earn a pair of wings on the eminent Victoria Secret Runway? Great genes, maybe. Hard workouts? For sure.
Regardless, Hadid is the poster-woman for body inspiration. When she’s not shooting, she spends time printed out and pinned to corkboards on work desks across the country, a bombshell reminder and antonym to Jon Snow: Summer is coming. The good news is Sydney-based personal trainer Rawson Kirkhope says Hadid’s perceived otherworldly body is achievable with a lot of hard work. “As the saying goes, summer bodies are built in winter,” says Kirkhope. “Don’t leave it too late and spend hours training in Spring trying to get that body when you could be outside enjoying one of the best times of the year.
“One of the main things to remember when training abs is they are like any other muscle group and need to be trained in different ways that don’t only include a standard sit-up,” says Kirkhope.
While Kirkhope says diet, hydration and rest is the main key to getting that lean athletic physique, here’s five exercises he recommends to start now for Hadid abs by the Australian Summer.
Credit: Instagram @sweethadid
1. HIGH KNEES
“Stand with your feet hip width apart, core engaged and back straight. Hold your arms steady or swing them, whichever feels more comfortable. Sprint or jog on the spot for 60 seconds ensuring you bring each knee as high as possible towards your chest.”
2. MEDICINE BALL TWISTS
“Start by laying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor while holing a medicine ball to your chest. Raise your body so your torso is at a 45 degree angle from the floor. Bring the medicine ball to one side, twisting as far as you can. Repeat on the other side. Complete 2-3 rounds of 20-30 reps per side.”
3. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER CROSSES
“Start in plank position with your shoulders directly above your hands and engage your core. Bring one knee across your chest toward your opposite hand. Return to start position and repeat with your other knee. Keep your core engaged and aim for 2-3 rounds of 40-50 fast reps.”
4. SPRINTING
“The king of cardio exercises, sprinting can be described as anything you do for a short period of time at the highest intensity that you can safely go. The benefits of sprinting (before resting and repeating) include boosting your metabolism, improved cardiovascular health and very fast results that allow for continued fat burn when your workout is over. Measure two cones 10 metres apart and sprint as many times between the cones as you can for 30 seconds. Rest for one minute and repeat five times.”
5. PLANK
“This is an incredible move to help build core strength and help with lower back pain issues which is very common given the amount of time people spend sitting at desks. Try holding a plank for 1-2 minutes, three times, with arms on a BOSU ball if you have one. It’s a great finishing exercise.”
And once you have the toned tummy, pop over here to copy her MMVA braid.
