Sophie Kay transforms her body in THREE MINUTES to expose 'fitspo' selfies

Home Top

show ad

Home Top

'And then the shark bit my arm off': Boy, 16, who lost limb in attack at Carolina beach shows remarkable bravery as he vows not to let it 'bring him down'
'There's no way I am standing behind her': Husband of 'Shawshank' prison worker will NOT be staying with 'cheating' wife who 'plotted to kill him'
Escaped white tiger from flooded Georgia zoo KILLS a man hours after government officials said all the dangerous animals had been rounded up
Former inmate reveals that prison workers would get intimate with staff in the meat freezer at jail where murderers escaped
'Shawshank' prison inmates 'kept notes about escape on their cell walls for MONTHS ahead of their breakout through steam tunnels'
EXCLUSIVE: 'She would have been killed within a week.' Clinton County Sheriff says that the 'Shawshank' escapees would have murdered 'lover' Joyce Mitchell
Can a standing desk change the way YOU work? One woman gives up her chair for a month... and the results will surprise you
'Off-the-charts dangerous' terror suspect 'who helped orchestrate shootout at Draw Muhammad event' wanted to attack the Super Bowl
Are YOU smarter than a Hong Kong first grader? Logic puzzle from Chinese primary school exam stumps adults but 6-year-olds can crack it in just 20 seconds
'When you have that kind of high you also have that kind of low': Esteemed designer Tom Ford admits he would have died if he hadn't stopped drinking
Whitney's sister-in-law accused of telling Bobby Brown it was 'costing too much money' to keep his daughter alive
See y'all! Michelle, Sasha and Malia leave Britain after whistle-stop tour that included tea with Prince Harry and a hug with the PM
$BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE \n\nUndated family handout file photo of Eleanor Hawkins, who has has pleaded guilty to a public nuisance offence, it has been reported, after she was blamed for triggering an earthquake by posing naked on a sacred mountain in Malaysia. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday June 12, 2015. Backpacker Eleanor Hawkins, 23, admitted the offence during an appearance at Kota Kinabalu Magistrates' Court in Malaysia, the BBC and Sky News confirmed. See PA story POLICE Malaysia. Photo credit should read: Family handout/PA Wire\n\nNOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.$ Is your teen going traveling? Jail for stripping off should be the LEAST of your worries... by a teacher whose horror stories will make you want to hide your little darling's passport
Golden State Warriors 105-97 Cleveland Cavliers: LeBron James loses in NBA Finals for the fourth time as Warriors win first championship in 40 years
So glossy...and so tall! No wonder girls look up to Michelle: JANE FRYER sees Mrs Obama inspire hundreds at London school
All grown up! How Malia and Sasha Obama have blossomed from awkward teens to the smart young style queens who walked down Downing Street
Hard-partying Getty scion was on meth when he died in his bathroom of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage - and his ex-lover says he did an 'eight ball a day'
Donald Trump says he wants Oprah Winfrey as his running mate in campaign to become Republican presidential candidate
Singer Neil Young criticises Donald Trump after using his song at the launch of his presidential campaign claiming he didn't ask for permission
White House hopeful Lindsey Graham explains why he never married in tell-all memoir: 'I haven't been lucky that way'
'She's gonna have to get used to it': Jeb hammers Hillary on press access after her campaign shuts DailyMail.com out of New Hampshire events, saying 'That's ridiculous!'
'There are no medical witnesses to my birth': Now unapologetic Rachel Dolezal says 'there's been no biological proof' she's related to her parents as she continues to insist she IS black
PIERS MORGAN: I identify Rachel Dolezal as a lying, deluded idiot
Rachel Dolezal admits her hair is a weave - despite posting pictures of the hairdo claiming she was 'going natural'

London-based Sophie Kay, 27, posted before and after images on her blog
Wanted to showcase unreliable nature of 'fitspiration' images
For second image, she twists her body, flexes and adds an Instagram filter

By Maybelle Morgan For Mailonline

Published: 03:42 EST, 16 June 2015 | Updated: 07:08 EST, 16 June 2015

122

View
comments

A fitness expert has set out to expose the tricks used by perfect-looking 'Instababes' who showcase the staggering effect of their tough workouts in 'before' and 'after' pictures on social media.

Sophie Kay, 27, from London, told FEMAIL that she used to use 'fitspiration' photos to help inspire her own workouts but felt only disappointment when she failed to look like the women in the pictures.

Now the personal trainer has highlighted that the images are the result of good lighting, the right pose and flattering clothes by posting two dramatically different underwear selfies of her own - which were taken just minutes apart.

Scroll down for video

Personal trainer Sophie Kay, 27, posted a 'before' image (left), followed by an 'after' shot (right) that appear to show the results of a tough workout regime - but the pictures were taken just minutes apart

Sophie said that other people's body images can be damaging for women who end up setting unrealistic fitness goals.

'As someone who has been overweight, underweight and unfit, I used to use online 'fitspo' as a means to motivate myself, but it only ever led to disappointment when I always failed to look like those women I was looking at.

'It's only when I realised that I can only ever be as good as my body will allow me to be that I started to love my body for what it can do and how strong it is.'

To highlight how misleading social media pictures can be she posed for selfies that look as though they came before and after an exercise programme.

In the first picture, Sophie is seen standing in the mirror, in unflattering nude underwear that is so tight across the hips it gives her the appearance of having a muffin top.

Her hair is scraped into a bun and her shoulders even look slightly hunched.

The London-based personal trainer says that exercise isn't easy and if it is, then you're not pushing yourself

But in the 'after' shot, Sophie is snapped posing to show off a toned waist, thighs with muscle definition and slim upper arms.

Now she has revealed how exactly she did it without lifting a finger between photos.

She stood to the side to let the light hit her body in the right way, picked flattering, well-fitting underwear that created an illusion of toned curves and untied her hair so it framed her face.

Sophie also lifted her shoulders and gave herself better posture, resting her hand on her hip, which in turn gave her arms a more toned appearance.

On her Tumblr she wrote that all she did for the 'after' image was 'turn off the overhead light, put on underwear that fit better, twist my body slightly to the side to show off my best angle, flex and, of course, add a [Instagram] filter.'

Tired of feeling pressured by unrealistically lithe and 'sweat-free' bodies on social media networks, the blogger wanted to illustrate how 'no one actually looks perfect if they’re working out properly'.

Sophie Kay shows how to get in shape on Instagram

Sophie Kay (pictured) says on her blog that you don't need to run fast to be called a runner and says when she's running, 'it's not pretty, it's not fast but I get the job done'

The 27-year-old also says that trainers don't all live like saints and enjoy their favourite foods, like pizza

The personal trainer admitted: 'Even I have been guilty of only posting the most flattering selfies but don’t trust what you see.'

After revealing the secrets of other people's 'fitspo' pictures, she adds: 'So don’t pay much attention to those ‘before and after’ shots!'

She told FEMAIL: 'I'm challenging misconceptions by trying to help men and women realise that their bodies are amazing and they can be fit and healthy without that six-pack or long trim legs.'

On ThisBlogIsSophiesBlog the 27-year-old also debunks the myth that to be fit, an individual must have a six-pack.

She explains: 'The shape of your abs is totally dependent on your genetics, some people can get a six-pack, some can’t.

'For the majority of people the lifestyle you have to live to achieve and maintain them would stop them living a normal life free from counting every single calorie.'

Sophie Kay told FEMAIL that she's challenging misconceptions by trying to help men and women realise that you can be fit and healthy without a six-pack or long trim legs