What the heck is in the water the Victoria’s Secret models are drinking?! Seriously, we’ve all wondered how they keep in such great shape, & we’ve all been dying to know their secrets (& give them a try ourselves). Well, here’s one of the biggest ones: Megan Roup. We discover how the VS model trainer whose virtual workouts help anyone anywhere become their best fit self.
MEGAN ROUP'S DIET AND WORKOUT ROUTINE
Megan Roup wearing Varley. Source: Varley
“I honestly do with the VS models exactly what I do in class,” she says. “What I did with Elsa [Hosk] today is literally online at obé right now.” obé, which stands for ‘Our Body Electric,’ is an online streaming platform where you can take virtual classes with Megan & other top trainers, all from the comfort of your home.
While dance has always been a huge part of her life, having studied dance at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts and being a part of the Brooklyn Nets’ dance team, the Brooklynettes, Megan gets that some of us might not be as confident dancing in a public class. She says, “I think boutique fitness studios can be intimidating. That, plus dance cardio if you’re not a dancer will make you go, ‘Holy shit! I’m never going to that class ever again.” Her classes don’t just target all parts of the body, they target all types of people, regardless of dance experience.
Train Like An Angel: Lais & Megan Roup. Source: Youtube
Clearly a computer-savvy entrepreneur in utilizing the web to teach clients from all over, Megan also understands the power social media has on a career, especially when you reach that ever-sought-after “influencer” title. All her hard work in the gym & on social media to gather a following have led to her biggest opportunity yet: being selected to lead ‘Train Like an Angel,’ the training program for the VS models leading up to their famous fashion show. “A year ago,” Megan exclaims with a squeal, “I would have just died for that & then to see it happen—it was a pinch-me moment.” As much as she loves working with such high-profile clients as the VS models, Megan notes that she enjoys sharing her passion with all her followers just as much. She says, “It’s fun to go around the country, doing pop-ups & meeting these people who stream with me online or just aren’t in New York.” She’s so excited that she can work with some of the biggest names in modeling, then share those workouts with the world so that you, too, can train like an angel.
Megan Roup making avocado toasts for breakfast. Source: PLSR
But what about the whole food part of it all? Good question, especially since nutritional biochemist Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, notes, “Weight loss is generally 75 percent diet & 25 percent exercise.” As a former professional dancer, Megan recalls, “I probably dabbled in every diet. In my early twenties, I was really overly obsessed with what I was eating. Now it’s more just listening to how I feel. I actually noticed a massive change when I made that shift. I like food too much.” Sure, if you want to eat like Megan & stay fit, you’ll have to sign up for two or three training classes a day, which isn’t very doable for most of us. And it’s tough when we go on social media & see a model who loves pizza, & we think we can eat like that & still look like them, but what we don’t see too often are the vigorous workouts & the steamed broccoli that they’re eating for every other meal. The number one question Megan gets asked on social media is about what she eats, but she wants her followers to know that they need to find what works for them, & that it might take some experimenting to get it right.
MEGAN ROUP'S BREAKFAST: AVOCADO TOAST
Megan Roup's avocado toasts for breakfast. Source: PLSR
Serves: 2 slices
Ingredients
- 2 slices of Ezekiel bread, sesame
- 1 avocado
- Kite Hill chive vegan cream cheese
Instructions
Toast Ezekiel bread until golden brown. Remove from toaster & top with a thin layer of Kite Hill cream cheese. Immediately mash avocado on top of cream cheese. Serve & enjoy!
LUNCH: ARUGULA SCRAMBLED EGGS
Arugula Scramble Eggs. Source: Love and Lemons
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, whisked with a splash of water or milk and a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, for the pan
- a few handfuls of arugula
- a few spoonfuls of kale pesto
- chopped chives
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Pour in the whisked eggs and let them begin to set (10 seconds or so). Stir to scramble. After the first stir, toss in handfuls of arugula so that it wilts down slightly with as the eggs cook. Continue to scramble until your eggs are slightly underdone. Serve with spoonfuls of pesto, chives, salt & pepper to taste
SNACK: ORGANIC TORTILLA CHIPS
Oven backed tortilla chips. Source: Homemade Hooplah
"I LOVE tortilla chips and Siete is a great grain-free option."
The time I eat it
5 P.M.
How I make it or where I get it
Grocery store
SNACK: GRILLED VEGGIE KALE SALAD
Broccoli Salad. Source: How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 heads of broccoli, you want 4 to 5 cups broccoli florets
- olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large shallot, diced (about ¼ to 1/3 cup, or add as much as you like!)
- ½ cup toasted, sliced almonds
Instructions
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
To grill the broccoli, slice it top down into thick pieces. I spray mine with an olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the grill has been hot for 10 to 15 minutes, place the broccoli pieces on the grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until it’s charred and golden. Remove the broccoli and let it cool slightly, then chop it into pieces.
You can also use florets and a grill pan or basket, follow the same steps above. Grill it for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan and tossing the broccoli occasionally. Let it cool slightly before using.
As a third option, you can roast the broccoli at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Or you can use the broccoli raw!
Once the broccoli has been chopped (I prefer smaller pieces, but chop it into a size you enjoy), place it in a large bowl. Add in the diced shallot and almonds. Toss the mixture together.
Drizzle on half of the dressing and toss the salad well. At this point, you can determine how much more dressing you want to add. You can also add a sprinkle of salt and pepper here if the salad needs that.
Serve immediately! Leftovers store pretty well in the fridge (I love them myself, but wouldn’t necessarily serve it this way to friends), but I would not make this a day or night ahead for a party. I would assemble the ingredients the morning of and add the dressing on right before serving.
THE WORKOUT
Get ready to build long, lean muscles with this nonstop, calorie-burning workout. Megan Roup's The Sculpt Society incorporates dance cardio and sliders to target and tone every limb.
