Recently on the social media platform Threads, a girl posted images in the gym, showcasing her figure, attracting thousands of views and sparking debates just hours after posting. Many comments suggested that the images shared by the girl were products of photoshop, even claiming she wore padded pants for her hips when taking the photos.
“I feel like it’s two halves of a person stitched together because the top and bottom don’t relate. The bottom is both short and wide, way too big compared to the top. Do you like that? Why not slim down the bottom a bit? Or is it the angle that makes it look bad?”, “That outline is definitely a padding, right?”, “Did you intentionally edit the photo to make your legs and hips look bigger? Explain it,”… were some comments from netizens. Many others believed that based on body proportions and workout methods, having a body like this in real life is not uncommon.
In contact with the Threads account holder mentioned above, the girl named Doan Thi Lan (24 years old, a PT leader, freelance PT in Ho Chi Minh City) expressed that she wasn’t too surprised by the mixed reactions from the online community, as she had faced many similar questions in real life before. Currently, she stands 1.49m tall, with measurements of 72-54-93 (cm).
“Actually, not only online but in real life, many people are also surprised by my appearance. They often ask if I’ve edited my figure because it’s too unusual. When I post pictures, the questions like ‘Is there photoshop? Did you cut and edit the photos?’ are countless. However, if you’re someone who has been working out for a long time, you’d see that this body is quite normal; with training, you can achieve it,” Doan Lan shared.
She also affirmed that the images she posted on social media are 100% real, with no edits, cuts, or wearing padded pants for her hips as many speculated. “In the past, if I encountered comments suggesting photoshop or padding, I would want to prove that this is my real body by taking pictures with a regular camera, recording videos.
However, even when taking pictures like that, people who don’t believe will still assume I’m wearing padded pants or that I’ve cinched my waist… So now, I choose to see those mixed opinions as a compliment; I work hard to have a hip size that makes people think it’s photoshop!”, Doan Lan passionately shared. Moreover, according to her, having a small waist measurement makes her hips appear fuller than usual.
Everyone has different standards of beauty, so for her, compliments and criticisms are just normal. “Some people criticize while others praise my appearance as ‘stellar’. Generally, I see that the slim body shape, slender figure, and small waist are still more popular and easier to wear and mix outfits with.
But for me, a healthy body and feeling beautiful is what matters, not having to follow the standards of the majority or anyone else. I’m satisfied with my current figure,” she shared.
Doan Lan also added that many people look at her body and feel intimidated or assume that working out will make one bulky or bigger. However: “Many girls often hesitate to choose gym as their daily workout because they fear getting bulky, but this concern is unfounded. In reality, it’s very hard to bulk up through gym workouts. Most people you see on social media have built their bodies over a long period, sometimes 5-7 years.
Moreover, that’s also their body goal. They have to follow a strict diet and workout routine to achieve a body like that, it’s not easy to just want to bulk up. Depending on your training goals, you build specific workout plans to achieve different body proportions; not everyone who works out at the gym will have a body like mine,” the female PT explained.
Doan Lan mentioned that she has been exercising since she was 12 years old, mainly running to lose weight because she was quite chubby at that time and faced many criticisms that led to insecurity. “Later, I started doing HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), and in 2018, I transitioned to street workout and have been doing gym since 2020 until now,” she shared.
To achieve a hip measurement of 93cm with a waist of only 54cm, she has established a workout regimen that suits her goals and physical condition, following it daily for effectiveness.
“Currently, I usually train powerlifting 4 times a week. Some exercises I enjoy for lower body workouts include: squats, deadlifts, RDLs, Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, hip thrusts, hip abductions….
As for my diet, I focus on eating plenty of protein and limiting fats as much as possible, but not overly restricting myself. Additionally, it’s important to stay hydrated before, during, and after workouts, while also maintaining a healthy, scientific lifestyle, and limiting stimulants,” she shared.
