Celebrity Bodies in my Thought Bubble: Hilary Swank, Cindy Crawford, Madonna

Over the years, I've kept a mental list of celebrities whose physiques/habits are inspiring for me whenever I work out. One of my favorites is Hilary Swank:

I never forgot this photo when it came out in Vanity Fair (around the time of "Million Dollar Baby"). Though she's a different body type and size compared to me, what I love most about this picture is the freedom she embodies. This picture sums up how I'd like to feel: free, graceful, and powerful.

In turn, I am inspired.

Another person who inspires me is none other than Cindy Crawford. She's been a favorite since I was 16, when I thought this was the shit:

Amazingly enough, it's still on sale.

Now, even though her video is a relic from long ago and the workout itself wasn't that great, I can't resist mentioning it because I thought Cindy Crawford was cool. She actually made me enjoy exercise for myself- something my PE teachers never succeeded in doing, and definitely not something my mom or aunts ever encouraged.

Plus, body-wise, I also like how her body was curvier and bigger than the super-skinny girls that were modeling during her time. She looked stronger- like she could take on a whole army of the other starving girls.

And damn straight, the woman still looks great at 43:

Uh, yeah.

Now, it's hard to talk about celebrity bodies without mentioning Madonna. You can't knock her discipline, but I think she's gotten a little scary-looking in recent years:

Er, yeah.

As I get myself back in shape, I think I'll just stick to picturing myself running a la Hilary Swank, or looking solid and strong like Cindy Crawford. But I'll leave Madonna out of that mix.