I tested out the TOUGHEST model workouts – here are the exercises that will help YOU achieve a catwalk-ready body like Nina Agdal and Lais Ribeiro

Want to workout just like a model? Plenty of fitness studios cater to catwalkers, guaranteeing a model-approved fitness experience. 

On offer is everything from hot yoga sculpt to Pilates classes but they all have one thing in common: they’re the cream of the crop, and promise tight abs and sculpted arms that are ready for the runway. 

FEMAIL tried the workouts for ourselves to find out exactly what it requires to train like New York City’s most famous models – and consulted a personal trainer to find out how these classes stack up. 

From a brand-new method that first popped up at Casa Cipriani and boasts an A-list clientele to hot yoga sculpt with a mile-long waitlist, these are go-to fitness haunts of models across the city. 

Plus, if you’re interested in working out like a model at home, many of these studios offer virtual options.

Soto Method 

Soto Method is a model’s paradise – and everyone in class looks like they could walk a runway at any moment, with fitted Alo sets galore as class-goers snap selfies in the mirror. 

The Tribeca class, which first popped up at Casa Cipriani, is beloved by models because it’s the perfect mix of cardio and sculpting to get photoshoot-ready.

However, it’s equally accessible for someone who doesn’t spend every moment in the gym. Instructors make sure to give variations for every move, whether it’s not jumping during squat thrusts or planking on forearms instead of hands during the ab series. 

Soto stands for ‘sixty on, ten on,’ because the class works to fire each muscle group in a 60-second isometric hold, which is then sustained through 10 different dynamic movements. So, as painful as any given movement might seem, it will be over soon. 

Hilary Hoffman founded the class based on a method she developed while working nonstop at Goldman Sachs, and it’s meant to act as the ultimate workout for the working girl, leaving no body part left un-sculpted after a long day of sitting at a desk.

Model Molly Sims is a big fan, as well as Argentine model Eva De Dominici – plus, a whole slew of major influencers like Claudia Oshry (better known as Girl With No Job to her three million followers), Brigette Pheloung (Acquired Style on TikTok, where she boasts a million followers), sportscaster Erin Andrews, and Garrett Popcorn heiress Hannah Chody.

Victoria’s Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro even hosted a pop-up workout class in Miami with the founder at the Botanical Gardens. 

‘It’s so hard,’ the supermodel exclusively told FEMAIL about the fitness class. ‘So I’m in love because it’s easy when I’m traveling, when I don’t have a trainer.’

DailyMail.com style and beauty writer Jane Herz is a big fan of the Soto Method, and has been attending the classes consistently since February 2024.

‘A friend took me to a class with trainer Grace Freyre in February and I was instantly hooked. I also kept seeing my favorite Instagram influencers doing it, so that didn’t hurt!

‘I don’t typically love to work out (not great, I know), but Soto is one of the only classes I’ve tried in recent years that I can remember really enjoying.

‘I love that Soto incorporates cardio as well as the Bala Bangles. Since going to class a few times a week since the winter, I’ve definitely noticed a change in my body. My legs have gotten way more toned, and my arms feel much stronger.’

FEMAIL asked Sam Garcia, who’s a certified yoga instructor, NASM trainer, and holistic health coach, what she thought about the method. 

Sam, who previously taught classes at New York hot spot modelFIT, explained Soto works because ‘the idea is to maximize the active time spent working by using isometric holds through transitions.’

New clients pay $30 for their first class, followed by $40 for each class. 

Soto also offers an online option for folks who can’t make it to Manhattan, and the yearly subscription costs $239.99.

SLT

SLT, which fittingly stands for ‘strengthen, lengthen, and tone,’ has been a longtime favorite with the model set, who love how it does exactly what it says in the tagline. 

After taking one 50-minute, total body class at one of the New York City studios, you’ll completely understand why – the Megaformer engages muscles you won’t know you had until you’re sore the next day. 

Even if you’re a lifelong Reformer user, this is a totally different (and much more intense) workout, because the machine uses every single side, so you can do the same move in multiple directions. 

The Nomad studio even has an elevator for private classes, so celebrities can go directly to their one-on-one without being spotted by anyone else. 

Fitness coach Nancy Feinstein, a New York City-based trainer who has been teaching at SLT for six years, explained that each class was different, with a variety of playlists and moves depending on the class, which keeps things interesting. 

Many people – including the model clientele – choose to take classes three times a week to see the effects. 

One thing they all have in common? This sweaty sculpting class works to target the obliques, making for plenty of six-pack abs walking out and an exhausting class that uses every single muscle you have at once. 

Another Victoria’s Secret model Nina Agdal, who now has her own fitness method, Chrissy Teigen, and Dutch model Imaan Hammam are all fans.

Sam, who’s based in Los Angeles, said it’s best to take SLT two or three times a week combined with other modalities. 

In general Sam warned, ‘Don’t overdo it. Be consistent and find a routine that feels sustainable.’

Sam explained SLT works because ‘the activation of slow twitch muscle fibers enhances endurance and creates muscle definition’ and ‘slower movement combined with resistance is key to building strength.’ 

For beginners, Sam suggested an all-levels or beginners class, or doing a private session to get accustomed to the machine and terminology.

Sam also confirmed it is the best class to target obliques because of all the rotation on the Megaformer. 

The studio offers classes in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as well as virtual options. 

A single class costs about $42 in Manhattan and $50 in the Hamptons, and monthly memberships are available.

Bodyrok

Much like the other classes on this list, Bodyrok is an extremely intense workout that will leave you wrung out. 

And just like SLT, this isn’t a regular Pilates class with a few reformers in a quiet room.

Instead, think of SoulCycle with a Megaformer twist. 

The lights are low, the music is loud, and attendees cycle through reps of moves like lunges and squats that are broadcast on a television to try to keep up. 

Bodyrok has locations all over, from New York City to Nashville, where plenty of country singers and influencers attend class to get their rock hard abs. 

New York classes cost about $36 for a single class, with packages and memberships another option.  

The class has attracted attention from models like Carrie Lagree, as well as Ukrainian model Anastasia Bondarenko, who’s based in New York City, and model-slash-Pilates instructor Dominique Barrager. 

Sam explained that it might be better to move slowly on a Megaformer, as ‘Slower is better, that’s part of what makes Pilates so hard and effective.’

‘Pilates focuses on form, control, and mind-body connection, so moving too quickly would be counterintuitive.’

While Sam hasn’t taken the class, she suggests ‘finding a class where you can get more personal attention and that moves at a slower pace.’

CorePower

CorePower boasts a signature hot yoga meets sculpting class that’s built up a whole slew of model fans, including ballerina and cover girl Alicia Mae Holloway, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooks Nader, Victoria’s Secret model Keke Lindgard, and Shaun Ross, a model with albinism. 

The class first opened in 2002 in Colorado and has since expanded, with studios all over the country – and multiple locations in New York City that are constantly sold out. 

The class itself isn’t regular yoga. 

Instead, it’s in a dark room and you’ll want to strip down to your sports bra the second the heat starts pouring in.

Even if your class isn’t technically heated, it’s going to be hot as Hades. 

Get ready to lift weights, do burpees, and relax with an occasional Downward Dog pose – and to be dripping in sweat by the end of it. 

The Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco is a fan, as well as dancer Julianne Hough.

Devoted class-goers can pay $19 monthly for the online version or head to the class in person, with a free week for new members.

After the free week (although beware, it can be hard to get into the class at popular times, as it’s always booked up) a studio class is $40, but there are various class packs to save money.     

‘As a former CorePower instructor, I will say the heat is effective to an extent,’ Sam admitted. ‘Heat can help improve stress tolerance and increase cardiac output. It can also prompt muscle relaxation which often results in better flexibility, making yoga poses more accessible.

‘The heat is beneficial in slower classes where the intention is to detox and deepen postures. It should be moderate when used in conjunction with exercise. When the heat is too overpowering, the quality of movement can decline.’

‘You could do CorePower everyday but you must be mindful of hydration levels and be sure to replace lost electrolytes,’ Sam advised.

Studio Metamorphosis 

Studio Metamorphosis has locations in both Los Angeles in New York, courting models on both coasts. 

Fans include Natalie Ludwig, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, Sai De Silva, and Liv Pollock. 

It’s also a big hit with actors like Kristen Bell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, D’arcy Carden, Chloe Fineman, and Melissa Villasenor, who attend Morph on both coasts. 

Kristen raved about the workout, which is on a Megaformer and incredibly tough with quick transitions through moves, telling Shape it’s ‘basically a cross between Pilates and CrossFit.’ 

‘There are much heavier weights and stronger resistance compared to a traditional Pilates class, with the goal being to put your body into muscle exhaustion,’ Bell said, adding that ‘by the end, you’re basically shaking and falling off the machine.’ 

During a recent class in Boerum Hill, regulars moved swiftly through each intense movement. I activated my glutes through a series of of lunges and squats, which I was feeling for the next few days. 

Morph falls somewhere between SLT (ridiculously tough) and BodyRok (no loud music here), and is meant to kick your butt and sculpt it at the same time. 

FEMAIL editor Louise Cheer has been attending classes at Studio Metamorphosis since March 2023 and goes about three times a week.

‘I always feel like I’m getting a proper workout when I do Morph. I’m not someone who sweats heavily, so if I work up a sweat when doing a class you know it’s intense and Morph has done that to me from day one,’ she said.

‘I’m not going to lie, the first class was hard, I really battled through it, but it became easier over time. Even to this day though, it’s still challenging me and I love it.

‘Since starting, I’ve noticed I actually have shoulder muscles and my outer thighs have definition I’ve never seen before, so I’m definitely feeling and looking stronger.’

A single class costs $40 in New York, with privates and monthly memberships available.

While Sam hasn’t tried this class, she likes that there’s a variety of classes on the schedule.  

‘Generally you want to do any workout four to five times a week to see results,’ the fitness pro advised.