As a personal trainer, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do I get the body of a male fitness model?” in order to get male modeling jobs

I’ve lost count of the number of young guys who want me to turn them into a Hollister model or make them look like some shredded dude on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.

Unfortunately, like any desirable physique, there is no quick fix or magic overnight pill that you can take to miraculously attain this well-proportioned look.

Like anything worthwhile, it takes years of hard work, discipline and perseverance.

However, here are my top five tips which you can use to expedite your gains.

1)     Focus on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

First off, drop any steady state cardio from your fitness regime NOW.

If you want to look like a male fitness model, cardio is going to play an important role, and the best way to increase your anaerobic threshold is via HIIT, and not plodding along on the cross trainer while you watch ‘Deal or No Deal’.

In other words, focus on short intense bursts of max effort, whether this is on the treadmill, bicycle, or in your garage using adjustable dumbbells, as this will help you get fitter much quicker.

2)     Reduce your calorie consumption… gradually

For most men looking to get ripped, cleaning up the diet is the toughest part.

Unfortunately, your routine does not end when you clock out of the gym, you need to closely monitor every calorie you consume.

However, getting shredded it’s not just a simple as drastically dropping your calories overnight, as this will force your body to go into starvation mode and ‘store up’ calories to maintain homeostasis.

You need to let your body adapt.

My advice, for example, is to start by cutting 400 calories from your daily intake and go from there.

3)     Sacrifice strength gains

Most weight lifting workouts for men are focused on exclusively on packing on as much size and strength as possible.

However if you want the physique of a male fitness model you need to alter your gym goals.

By dropping your calorie intake your strength levels will inevitably suffer.

It might be a bitter pill to swallow dropping 20kg on your bench press PR, but this is par for the course as cardio and eating clean become more important than squatting with the world on your shoulders.

4)     Up the ab work

If your dream is to one day grace the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine, then you’re going to have to up the intensity when it comes to your ab training.

Besides eating clean and incorporating lots of HIIT, which will help chisel your abs, diversify your workouts by introducing hanging leg raises and planks, ensuring you are hitting your sick pack from all angles.

This will lead to that clamoured-after ‘v shape’ between your pelvis, which, in this industry, is what separates the men from the boys.

5)     Put in the hours

This is the most important tip I can give you: you NEED to be logging in the hours if you want to look like a male fitness model.

The majority of male models will be working out for more than two hours per day.

Looking shredded is a lifestyle choice, which means you either need to be 100% in our out, there can be no half measures!

Wrapping It Up 

So there we have it, my top five tips to help you achieve that ripped, well-proportioned male model look.

I hope this helps and be sure to let me know how you get on!

About the Author

Henry is a fitness author and health fanatic with a passion for helping others achieve their goals. You can find him blogging over at GymTalk.