A personal trainer has shared an empowering message to her followers alongside a photograph which captured something you don’t normally see on your highly curated Instagram grid.
Madalin Giorgetta, an Australian fitness model, posted an undoctored photograph to social media – despite dubbing the picture ‘gross’ – to make a really important point about female bodies.
The Woman’s Best ambassador was initially ‘a little embarrassed’ to share her ‘butt dimples’ with the world. After all, her livelihood as a fitness model is dependant on a curated portrayal of the female form and fitness goals which she tends to perpetrate on Instagram in paid posts.
However, Madalin had a change of heart when she shared this candid shot with a national magazine for an editorial fitness feature, and hasn’t looked back since.
Now the image has gone viral, she told UNILAD she’s proud of her natural physique:
I thought I might feel a little embarrassed, but I feel really proud. Next time I take a photo, I won’t be as bothered if I see a bit of cellulite or some back fat roll. It’s all good. There’s bigger things in life to stress about!
Regarding the toss up between Instagram success and honesty, she said:
It’s tricky, I won’t lie. My following will build if I post a good ‘ab photo’ or a booty pic. If my body looks good, my following increases.
But I have noticed recently that my followers increase when I post ‘real’ photos as well – of stretch marks and bloating and cellulite.
People love to see other women who they can relate to as well. So I’m lucky that I have such supportive followers!
Madalin continued:
There’s definitely a part of me that realises I can’t just ‘let go’ and lay on the couch for two weeks eating McFlurrys and watching Love Island.
Although working out is hard work, it makes me feel amazing inside and out, so I can’t complain!
If anything, I’m lucky that I have my Instagram account to keep me accountable.
It’s a refreshing break from the norm of so-called social influencers prancing about in their active-wear and perpetuating the false ideal of fitness perfectionism.
You know the type:
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Instead, Madalin wants to empower other women, adding:
It’s so easy to tell women to love their bodies, but it’s a lot more complicated than that! For me, I started to accept and love my body when I stopped hating on the parts that were never going to change.
I realised the positives in what I once viewed as negatives and appreciate that we all have different bodies, and we are all beautiful in our own way.
She concludes: ‘I’m a glass half full kinda woman, and always encourage women to find the beauty in themselves.’
After all, Instagram is a just bunch of pixels full to the brim of body myths and filtered physiques.
It’s not real life. Butt dimples are. End of story.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.