Can Dancing Really Give You That Teyana Taylor Body?

The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards aired on August 28, and Kayne West (in true Kanye fashion) dared to be different. He used his airtime to premier singer Teyana Taylor’s ‘Fade’ video. While people aren’t talking too much about the actual song, the internets are buzzing about how amazing Teyana’s body looks. Not that the 25 year old hasn’t always had a super fit physique, but she just gave birth about 8 months ago. In the words of Kanye, How Sway?

People wanted to know how she does it. How in the planet earth does she get that body? According to E! News, Teyana doesn’t really diet and attributes her fit body to dancing. A lot of dancing. Taylor tells E! News, “Dancing is my workout. I just dance. I almost feel like dance is so underrated in the fitness world.” This has everyone creating playlists and searching for the nearest Zumba class. But can dancing really give you that Teyana Taylor body?

Well, yes and no. Dancing is a whole body workout that is great for your heart. Even though you aren’t lifting weights, you are using your own body weight which can still tone and build muscle. Not just any dancing will do. It depends on the type of dance, how long you’re dancing, and the intensity at which you’re dancing. Even though dancing typically focuses on the lower body, you use your arms too so they get a workout as well. Dancing also engages your core muscles. Teyana even announced on Twitter that she is going to release her dancing workout routines on DVD. While they will be an instant best seller, Teyana is leaving out one key contributor to her fit body.

Read More: Why Women Should Lift Weights

My guess is Teyana’s genetic body type is probably her biggest secret weapon. We all know people who can eat any and everything, and stay fit or never gain weight. Those people are what the American Council on Exercise call mesomorphs. According to the American Council on Exercise, mesomorphs are naturally muscular and hypertrophy (a fancy word for increase in size) quickly. More muscle burns more calories, so this genetic advantage is why people like Teyana can seem to eat what they want and still stay slim. And if they add a vigorous workout routine like they kind of dancing Teyana is doing, they can maintain a very fit physique.

What about the rest of us? Well there are endomorphs who have a greater fat distribution, and ectomorphs who are thin and linear. My name is Jonna, and I am an endomorph. My muscle is simply covered up by fat, so in order to reveal them, I need to focus on strength training and cardio (more strength training than cardio) for fat loss. Words straight out of my weight loss physician’s mouth. Ectomorphs may gain less muscle mass than mesomorphs, but are still slim.

Since our muscles don’t grow as easily as the mesomorphs like Teyana, we have to work a little harder for our muscles. To get the those results, you may have to be more conscious of your diet, spend more time on strength training at the gym or at home. But it is possible with proper strength training to build muscle. Incorporating strength training will be beneficial to you in addition to that Teyana Taylor dance workout. So make sure you pick up some dumbbells when you order that Teyana Taylor dance DVD.