Bar Refaeli’s Swimsuit Issue Diet

Most of us do a little last-minute toning work before we head to the beach. So imagine what we’d do to prepare for the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue! For current cover model Bar Rafaeli, it was cake. Literally. The 21-year-old Israeli supermodel admits she ate whatever she wanted and didn’t do any special workout to prepare for the shoot.

“They tell you ‘you better not go on a diet before the shoot’. Girls tend to think, ‘Oh my God, I have to be in swimwear, I have to look amazing’. They just say, ‘You better not, girl!’ And they just let you eat all the time during the photo shoot. They love that; they love their girls healthy,” said Rafaeli.

When asked about her typical regimen, her answer was simple, “exercise and eat right.”

Her fitness routine includes horseback riding, which she has done since she was a little girl. Horseback riding can actually be quite a trying sport (burn about 400 calories/hour), and is good for toning the core and creating good posture, as well as working the back, thighs, calves, and abs. She’s no stranger to working in the stables on her family’s farm either, which benefits the arms, shoulders and back.

To keep those long legs (she’s 5′ 8″) in kicking shape, Rafaeli kicks. She and her trainer work on martial arts and Krav Maga, a hand-to-hand combat style of defense developed in Israel.