The glamorous Victoria’s Secret lingerie show returns to New York tomorrow after a five-year hiatus and for months the models – known as Angels – will have been preparing to walk down its iconic catwalk.
Someone who knows very well what it takes to be an angel is fitness trainer Megan Roup, who counts VS models like Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr among her clientele.
Mum-of-two Megan is living proof that you don’t need to exercise for two hours every day to look like a supermodel, although having endless legs and perfect skin clearly helps.
And as the founder of The Sculpt Society, her online fitness program, the 38-year-old has amassed a huge following in the seven years since its inception.
“For many years, fitness has been a very serious issue,” says Megan. “Let’s make it fun again and transform the way we look at exercise.”
Fitness trainer Megan Roup counts Victoria’s Secret models, including Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr, among her clientele.
Their videos cover everything from 50-minute full-body workouts to five-minute quickies. As supermodel Kerr, a mother of four, explains: ‘I love Megan’s short and quick options. You really feel like you’re getting great results.’
A former professional dancer and model, Megan’s successful show grew out of her experiences when she was in her early 20s.
She says, “I felt like I had to work for hours to make it worth it.” But the all-or-nothing mentality of “if I can’t do hours a day, then I won’t do anything at all” makes you more sedentary.
“By saying, ‘I’m doing this five-minute arm workout,’ that has a real impact.”
Here, Megan outlines the steps you can take to maximize your fitness and, as she says, “put the joy back into exercise.”
Commit to less
I was struggling with my body image when I was in my early 20s. I was stressed and exhausted from over-exercising, yo-yo dieting, and binge eating.
Many people, especially women, have done the same, believing that this would lead to a perfect body. Fortunately, I started listening to my body. I started doing more low impact sculpting and less cardio.
That’s how The Sculpt Society came about: I wanted to create a fitness experience that was accessible and fun and suited our different needs at different times. It seems counterintuitive, but I now exercise less than ever and have never felt better, both physically and mentally.
Fitness is not for the next 30 or 60 days, it is for the rest of your life. It should work with your lifestyle, feel good and be sustainable. My mantra is, “Commit to less so you can show up for more.”
Consistently attending, even if it is for a five-minute workout, will create the habit of moving and exercising and can therefore be sustainable for a lifetime.
1. The lateral reach
Bring your elbows to the sides of your body, palms facing up. Extend your arms to the sides with your palms facing back. Create resistance to engage your muscles – imagine moving through water!
Repeat 24 times. This strengthens your arms and opens your chest and shoulders.
The glamorous Victoria’s Secret lingerie show returns to New York tomorrow after a five-year hiatus and for months the models – known as Angels – will have been preparing to walk down its iconic catwalk.
2. The Split Lunge
Bring your right leg back and curl your toes under your leg. Bend both knees (front knee over ankle) and, keeping your weight on your front heel, stand up. Inhale as you go down, exhale as you go up.
Do 12 times and repeat on the left side. This is a great exercise to strengthen your legs and butt.
3. Cross plank
Set up your plank by holding a push-up position with your body weight on your forearms, elbows, and toes, engaging your core the entire time while breathing steadily.
Cross your right knee to your left elbow and take a step back. Do this eight times and repeat on the left side. Then lower it four times on your right side and four times on your left. Lower it again to twice to your right and twice to your left. Finally, make eight singles, four on each side.
This is a fantastic full body exercise that is great for working your stomach muscles.
4. The bird dog
Get on your hands and knees and get into a tabletop position. Extend your right leg back and your left arm forward, bend your right knee toward your chest, and bring your left elbow toward your right knee.
Do this 12 to 24 times and repeat on the left side. This is a great exercise to work both your butt and core.
5. Heel strikes
Lying on your back, with your knees bent in a 90-degree position over your hips, place your hands behind your head and lift them up with your shoulders slightly lifted off the floor. Strike the ground with your right foot and bring it up to hip height.
Repeat 12 times and then move to the left side. Another great core focusing exercise.
Megan, a mother of two, is living proof that you don’t need to exercise two hours every day to look like a supermodel.
Training without exercise
Find out what style of movement is fun for you, something that hardly feels like exercise.
I love going for walks, but it’s not about counting steps religiously. Even if you go out just for coffee, you’ll get some vitamin D and fresh air, and these little things will make you feel good.
Maybe your morning was crazy and you only have five minutes of free time? It’s a matter of incorporating what works into your schedule and making it a habit. It is not necessary to go from zero to one hundred for the movement to be effective.
eat the pizza
I’m a big believer in “intuitive eating” – trusting your body to tell you what it needs, without judging you. After exercising whatever makes me feel
Satisfied and energetic: This could be eggs and avocado on toast, or yogurt or granola. My husband, Morgan, makes amazing smoothies, so before I work out I drink one.
Years ago I was on a constant hamster wheel of on-and-off fad diets. It consumed me and was exhausting. But I think the positive thing about that dark time is that it has led me to where I am now, with a very defined mission to talk to women about fitness.
Before, if I occasionally ate a piece of pizza, I would have feelings of shame or the feeling that I needed to burn it. It was a huge waste of time, when there are so many more important things to do and think about.
But if you approach food with the understanding that it is energy, then if you fancy a slice of pizza, eat it and enjoy it!
For more information about The Sculpt Society, check out Instagram, @meganroup. See also thesculptsociety.com.
My low impact full body workout.
No equipment needed. Feel free to pick one and do five minutes of movement, and then tomorrow if you feel like doing all five, that’s great too.
These can be turned into what I call ‘quickies’ (short but effective workouts) and I do all my exercises to music, so put on your favorite song and get moving.
These moves will have you feeling energized and ready to take on your day!
As the founder of The Sculpt Society, her online fitness program, Meghan, 38, has amassed a huge following in the seven years since its creation.