A toned midsection like that of the San Andreas actress, Alexandra Daddario, is the dream of several women. But while many put in hours of effort to achieve a similar stature, the 40-year-old trusts one exercise more than anything else for her toned abs.

Daddario has been through multiple planned workout routines for specific time periods to get her physique according to the requirements of her on-screen roles. However, she is also known to be thoroughly dedicated to her fitness and works out regularly with trainer Patrick Murphy.

On April 6, Daddario shared an Instagram post that displayed the secret to her lean midsection. While she refrained from giving the exercise a name, a report from Women's Health labeled it a "reverse crunch into shoulder stand."

Women's Health explained why the move is so effective for toning the midsection.

It mentioned that while most ab-focused exercises require flexing the spine constantly, they focus on just the upper section of the abs. For women who sit for hours at a desk, such exercises can have adverse effects, enforcing a drooping, rounded posture.

However, Daddario's reverse crunch into shoulder stand inverts the entire process of standard crunches, as it involves crunching the pelvis towards the chest. This is why the exercise also targets the lower abs and obliques, making the entire midsection much more toned than standard crunches.

Well, exercising frequently may be the biggest factor behind Daddario's lean physique, but it certainly isn't the only one.

Alexandra Daddario's diet is also a major part of her fitness

Daddario may not maintain a thoroughly strict diet, but she knows what it means to eat in moderation. In a 2017 interview with PEOPLE, she revealed that she doesn't believe in starving herself to maintain her physique.

"I try to stay away from anything unnatural, but if you are trying to stay healthy and you get too hungry, it will only be more difficult to stay away from things like too much sugar if you don’t give yourself what you want sometimes. I’m focused on being healthy and not stressing or obsessing over food," the 40-year-old actress said.

The report also disclosed the specifications of her usual meals in a day. Here's a look:

Hydration

• At least 8 glasses of water

Breakfast

• Omelet with onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms
• Side of blueberries and cantaloupe
• Almond milk cappuccino
• Iced tea

Lunch

• Earthbar Flax Master Smoothie with acai, banana, blueberry, Earthfusion protein, almond butter, maca, l-glutamine, cinnamon, flax oil, vitamin B-12, and coconut water

Snack

• 2 turkey meatballs with tomato sauce

Dinner

• 3 avocado tacos with salsa and lime on corn tortillas
• Quinoa bowl with street corn, jalapeño, cabbage, diablo salsa, chicken, and lime

Dessert

• ½ cup of Rice Dream Mint Carob Chip frozen dessert

The report disclosed that Daddario consumes a 1,697-calorie diet. Now, couple that with her reverse crunch into shoulder stand, and you have how she maintains such a toned midsection.

Are you thinking of trying out her ways to achieve something similar?

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Written by

Souvik Roy

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi