'I've done 500 squats in a day'
SHANINA Shaik is the first to admit it takes hard work to get her body catwalk ready. The 20-year-old New York Fashion Week model shares her body secrets with Liz Graham.
The 20-year-old Australian model has already turned heads in the indust
ry. Her fans include Vogue Australia editor Kirstie Clements, who tweeted last month that Shaik is “one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen”, and compared her to supermodels Angie Harmon, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Shaik was runner-up on Australia’s TV modelling competition Make Me A Supermodel in 2008. Since then, she has moved to New York and has been modelling on the catwalk as well as for magazines and advertising.
Most recently, she became the youth ambassador for Australian underwear label Bonds and walked the
catwalk for Chanel in Paris.
Her biggest job to date, however, has been her appearance at the 2011 Victoria’s Secret show, the lingerie extravaganza which is televised to millions around the world and helped launch Miranda Kerr to international stardom.
!Workout secrets!
Shaik says to get the Victoria’s Secret gig, she had to become more muscular.
“I’m naturally thin, so I really worked hard to do something different with my body,” she says. “I did Zumba once a week and weights twice a week.”
Her favourite exercise for muscle toning is the squat. “Squats can change your body overnight. You’re toning your legs and bum, but also working your core,” Shaik says. “It’s about technique. You have to go slow.”
Shaik says doing 100 squats a session will produce a difference, but the most she has done in one sitting is 500.
“I did those using weights,” she says. “Every 20 squats, I’d alternate with 10 bicep curls. You could really see the muscle in my legs at the show.”
These days, Shaik still does squats and Zumba on a regular basis but isn’t so hell-bent on muscle tone. When she is not travelling for work, her favourite workout is running along the Hudson River in New York. “Running outside works your body a lot more than on a treadmill,” she says.
!Diet and beauty tips!
Shaik follows a high-protein, low-carb diet. “I eat a lot of fish, eggs, chicken, vegetables, salad and brown rice,” she says. Breakfast is normally yoghurt and muesli, or an eggwhite omelette with spinach.
“Sometimes it’s hard with travelling to fit in big meals, so I tend to snack throughout the day,” she says. “I also try not to have a late dinner.”
Shaik doesn’t drink soft drinks or coffee and sticks to water and fruit juices. She keeps pasta and ice-cream as “every-now-and-then” indulgences.
She is in an aeroplane at least once a week for work, so there is no avoiding airline food, but she says the secret is to eat the protein and veg in the middle of the plate and avoid the rest.
Her exotic features are due to her Lithuanian, Australian, Pakistani and Saudi Arabian roots, but she says baby oil and a high-quality face moisturiser help keep her skin in great condition.
“Using Johnson’s Baby Oil straight out of the shower is really good,” she says. “It stays in your skin for 24 hours. My boyfriend [US model Tyson Beckford] uses it too, and he looks great.
I also use Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream.”
Shaik keeps her make-up simple and says mascara and lip gloss are essential. “I use Maybelline New York Great Lash, and Laura Mercier’s Stick Gloss looks like a gloss and lipstick at the same time.”
How to do the perfect squat?
b+s trainer Damien Kelly says: “Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms to shoulder height. Engage your core and bend your knees as though you are about to sit down in a chair, keeping the weight in your heels. Aim to lower your butt to below knee level.”
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