Five years ago, the Cut featured Jasmine Tookes as “The New Girl.” The up-and-comer talked about her enviably fast metabolism, which let her skip workouts, eat pizza, and never gain weight. Half a decade later, Tookes is a Victoria’s Secret Angel, the face of the brand’s Scandalous fragrance, and the lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you see her three-hour bra fitting) wearer of the diamond-encrusted $3 Million Fantasy Bra. Her metabolism might still be fast, but she’s got a disciplined fitness routine now too.
The Cut talked to Tookes about what she does to get a bigger butt, why she still works out, and how she resists comparing herself to anyone else. This year’s Victoria’s Secret show will air December 5 at 10 p.m. EST.
How I start my day: I love to sleep in, but I feel good when I get up early and get the day started. I try to get up early, work out in the morning, and get it over and done with. If I wait for the evening, it’s not going to happen. So, I wake up and have a protein shake. I’ll put in banana, chocolate whey powder, peanut butter, strawberries, and almond milk. I like the Isopure chocolate whey powder; it’s one of the cleanest ones. Then I’ll have breakfast, which is usually two hard-boiled eggs with spinach.
On food: I love to eat tons of food with lots of carbs. I balance it with working out. But generally, I try to be very clean and eat healthy, and always have a lot of protein. I do have a lot of cheat days. I feel like you should be able to eat what you want.
How I like to eat when I’m alone: Really messy. I love to have hot wings and French fries.
What wellness means to me: It’s about being the best version of yourself and not comparing yourself to others. Everyone’s body is different.
How wellness changed for me: Growing up, I did gymnastics for 16 years. For a while when I was modeling, I completely stopped working out. I thought, I’m fine, I don’t have to work out, I have a fast metabolism. But feeling really strong has changed my mind-set so much. You feel really good.
How I sweat: I like to mix it up. I work out about four times a week. I love doing barre classes once a week. I do Physique 57. Their class is less cardio-based — it’s slower. I love doing Pilates on a reformer for tightening and lightening. Twice a week, I’ll do weight training to build thighs and bulk up a little more. I’ll go to Dogpound. They really listen to you and what you want to accomplish. And for me, I want to build my legs and my butt. That’s always a goal. I love a bigger butt.
There’s a stigma surrounding heavy weight lifting, but you just have to figure out what’s good for you. Some people might bulk up with doing heavy weight lifting, but I don’t. I would say, try it once a week. Add more lengthening and Pilates and see if you see a difference. For me, personally, because of my metabolism, I try to stay far away from cardio for my body type. I also need a lot of protein. It’s the only way for me to maintain my body.
On weekends, it’s so hard to go work out. I remind myself to do it. I also go with friends. If I sign up with Josephine [Skriver] or Romee [Strijd], I can’t say no. Josephine and I created an Instagram account called @Joja to show people what to do. We love working out together. We mostly do it ourselves or have a photographer snap a few images.
Once you see improvement in your body from working out, you can’t really stop. I don’t work out based on my job. I work out based on what makes me feel good. If the client doesn’t like that, they can go find someone else. I’ve always had a very strong mind-set. I’ve never compared myself to anyone.
My wellness shortcut: I take a little travel workout pack. You can do things in your hotel room. I bring my ankle weights so I can do a few butt workouts. If I don’t, I lose the momentum and take two to three weeks off.
This interview has been condensed and edited.