How long do you have to work out each day to have a "perfect" body?

[astro]

Re those muscular male and female hard bodied models in bikinis and board shorts in the ads for workout machines, beer, good times etc.

How long would you have to be in the gym or on the road each day to have a body even vaguely like that. How hard do those models work re fitness or is it mostly genetic blessings?

Anyone know?

[Shagnasty]

It obviously varies with the person and the starting point. I have read 1 1/2 - 2 years of working out 5 days a week or more to get to the fitness model level. Steriods optional only for some levels of muscle development.

[myskepticsight]

While some people are blessed with great metabolism, etc., I believe most probably adhere to pretty strict diets and a strenuous exercise regimen. It's hard work to look that good, which is why most people don't.

[Dr_Paprika]

Many ads feature models who: have good genes, adhere to strenous diets (or have anorexic-bulimic habits or body dysmorphic disorder) and work-out on a regular basis. Most ads also feature photo-retouching techniques and very well placed lighting.

This topic has been addressed before. Suffice to say, a sensible diet and a couple years can give you a good body. No one has a perfect body. You can't photo-retouch yourself in real life and may not have the genes to be a model. Don't sweat it.

[slortar]

And you have to keep in mind that even fitness models don't look like fitness models during the off-season. You can really only diet down to that level of bodyfat for a relatively brief period--it's very hard for most people to stay down that low for various reasons.

On top of that, you can get away with a lot with proper posing technique, airbrushing and makeup.

Anyway, once you've built up your musculature to an acceptable level (a year or two, more if you want to be really muscular), it's mostly diet that gets you looking like that.

[Sailboat]

How long do you have to work out each day to have a "perfect" body?

The "perfect" amount, of course.

Sailboat

[ultrafilter]

Re those muscular male and female hard bodied models in bikinis and board shorts in the ads for workout machines, beer, good times etc.

Blessed with good genes and good photographers. A lot of the guys are even steroid users.

[Burrido]

On top of that, you can get away with a lot with proper posing technique, airbrushing and makeup.

As a graphic designer for a number of years, this is what I did do. First thing you would do with an image of a person is airbrush it.

[El Escorpio]

Here is a cool-but-freaky website that shows animated gifs day by day of this guy's transformation from regular schlub to in-shape tough guy to overmuscled terror.

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/php/t_ani_1_year.php

It's a pretty neat effect, anyway.

[El Escorpio]

Here's a better link, actually (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/php/1_year_mov.php)