Marilyn was not afraid of a light weight workout.
Iconic beauty and pin up Marilyn Monroe provided a fresh source of fitness inspiration this week.
Never seen before pictures of the blonde beauty, revealed by the MailOnline, have proved to women everywhere that even the world's most iconic bodies are the results of a committed gym routine.
'I couldn't stand exercise if I had to feel regimented about it.'
The snaps, taken by photographer Philippe Halsman for the LIFE magazine over 50 years ago show Marilyn in a skimpy bikini and jeans working hard to maintain the body that made her famous.
Cut from the magazine and replaced with a cover image of her in an iconic white dress, it's only now we see the images of the American bombshell working hard in her living room on a weights bench with a set of dumbbells and a trusty bar bell.
With the rising support for the 'strong is the new skinny' campaign who better than the Queen of curves to front our craze for strength training.
The MailOnline reported that Halsman, her photographer, commented: 'What impressed me in it's shabby living room was the obvious striving for self-improvement.'
Marilyn herself was not shy of her commitment to working out. She told reporters in 1952: 'Frankly, I've never considered my own figure so exceptional. Until quite recently, I seldom gave it any thought at all.'
'My biggest single concern used to be getting enough to eat. Now I have to worry about eating too much. I never used to both with exercises.'
And her approach to working out? She said: 'I don't count rhythmically like the exercise people on the radio; I couldn't stand exercise if I had to feel regimented about it.' (MailOnline.)
With women all over the country working hard to prep their beach ready bodies these archaic black and white shots prove that dieting alone won't give you the figure you want. Marilyn's relaxed attitude to fitness should inspire a new appreciation for light weight training as part of your gym routine.
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