WHEN SIX-PACKS AREN’T AS HEALTHY AS THEY LOOK!

Muscle models go to crazy lengths when preparing for magazine cover shoots. We might think the shirtless guy or actor on the front cover of a fitness magazine looks like that all the time, but often this isn’t the case. Some are in great shape year-round, but for some the six-pack that they’ll sport is down to a week of fairly extreme and unhealthy dieting and dehydration.

They’ll cut their calorie intake by up to 50 per cent by cutting out carbs such as rice, pasta and bread. They drink between eight-10 litres of water daily in the week prior, before cutting it back to one litre for the final day. This tricks the body into excreting water at a much higher level than normal, which creates an excessively lean, dehydrated look for a short while after they’ve cut their consumption.

They’ll then binge on carbs on the eve of the shoot, which their depleted body will send straight to their muscles, giving them a swollen look, which is temporary and artificial. On shoot day, they’ll barely drink any water and take breaks to smash out as many press-ups as possible to flood muscles with blood, creating a temporary ‘pump’. Not a pleasant experience!