Rosie Huntington-Whiteley builds her strong upper body with banded chin-ups – get started for just £7.99

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley returned to the Victoria’s Secret runway last night after a 16-year hiatus, but the supermodel has continued to make fitness a priority throughout her career.

‘It’s really about consistency because I’m a gym girl – I’m always training and taking care of myself,’ Rosie told Vogue last week.

The former Burberry Body face has previously cited strength training as her main form of exercise.

‘I feel really strong and it’s improved my posture, muscle tone and definition,’ she said to Vogue on a separate occasion.

She recently shared a workout clip of herself doing an impressive upper-body exercise – the banded chin-up – just days before the show, writing: ‘No days off.’

Chin-ups are a compound exercise targeting your back and arm muscles, including the latissimus dorsi (lats), biceps and trapezius (traps).

A chin-up uses an underhand grip, with your palms facing you, while a pull-up uses an overhand grip, with your palms facing away.

Using a thicker band gives you more assistance when performing reps, while a thinner band gives you less. This versatile piece of equipment is also affordable and can be purchased for as little as £7.99.

Remember: while models’ and celebrities’ training routines can be inspiring, genetics also play a significant role in body shape, height and how easily someone builds muscle or stays lean. Take inspiration from the healthy habits – not the expectation of looking identical.

While the chin-up is a challenging movement, you can build up to your first bodyweight rep – without a band – using a few progression exercises, as recommended by WH US.

Holding yourself above the bar keeps your muscles under constant tension, which helps build strength.

This exercise requires you to lower yourself as slowly as possible from the top of the movement. People are generally much stronger in the lowering phase of an exercise than in the lifting portion, making it easier than trying to pull yourself up. However, the movement still works your muscles throughout the entire range of motion, helping you build the strength needed to perform a chin-up.

Rosie has highlighted the importance of focusing on skill and feeling confident over aesthetics.

‘For me, it’s really about feeling strong and fit, as opposed to thinking about a number on the scales or on a measuring tape. Competence builds confidence,’ she said.

Getting stronger brings her a sense of accomplishment.

‘There’s nothing more satisfactory to me than when I go up in weight,’ she added to Vogue. ‘It makes me happy when I start to see the results of [consistently] lifting’. In fact, regularly working out is ‘when [she] feels her strongest and fittest’.

She added that motherhood had given her a new perspective on her body.

‘I’m about to turn 40 next year; I look at my body and I have so much appreciation for having had two children,’ Rosie continued.

Want to train like Liz Earle?Her PT, Michael Garry has created a 4-week training plan exclusively for members of the WH COLLECTIVE. It’s designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to fitness: time. You’ll train for just 35 minutes three times a week – Liz’s exact strategy to build muscle, boost metabolism and support long-term health. Tap the link below to unlock 14 free days of training and start Liz’s plan today.

Kate puts together fitness content that covers functional and strength training, cardio, workout challenges, interviews and news. She’s often doing gym laundry or listening to music.

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