UrbanUpdate

You know that recurring nightmare? The one where you realize that somehow, for some reason, you have found yourself naked in front of a jeering crowd? It is probably not a sexy dream, unless you are really good at dreams. Your muscles seem flat, your limbs feel gangly, and everyone who your subconscious has the misfortune of encountering gets to marvel at how dumb you are to be standing there, exposed, embarrassed, and very much in public.

Instead of waking up from this sequence, though, imagine adding a camera, and a photographer, and a handful of technicians scurrying about to get the lighting just right. This is no dream for Harry Hanson, a champion powerlifter and former model who has posed nude for magazine shoots, and whose bare, shining torso has been printed in full color on the fronts of risqué greeting cards. During his three decades in the business, Hanson has specialized in helping A-list clients prepare for revealing photoshoots of their own. Today, his SoHo fitness studio offers classes—co-ed classes, no less—in which attendees get buff in the buff.

In short, if anyone knows how to prepare to take the best nudes imaginable, it’s Harry, who shared his tips with us on looking your best when wearing your least.

Define your terms

Muscle strength comes from lifting heavy weights, with sets typically in the six- to ten-rep range. But for the type of man who gets paid to pose naked, growth is no longer the most important goal. “The physical foundation has been established,” he says. “For the shoot, you’re trying to tighten up.”

To improve definition, Hanson instructs his clients to lift lighter weights for longer periods of time. One of his favorite tools is the drop set: Performing an isolation exercise—a biceps curl, for example—until failure, and then swapping that weight for one that's a little bit lighter. Eventually, you will be straining to lift weights that might otherwise appear comically small. Drop sets help lifters conquer plateaus by shocking muscles that may have grown accustomed to the same lift-rest-lift-rest sequence.

Watch:Miles Teller is Not Interested in Going on a Naked DateAbs above all

When posing for nudes, you want stomach muscles that practically bulge outward, like six-perfectly formed hernias fighting for release. Hurrying through a few sets of crunches at the end of your workout is not going to get you there. “Abs are like any muscle—they need resistance to grow,” he says. Hanson prefers cable crunches, Russian twists, and decline sit-ups while holding a medicine ball, and he recommends going to a sort of modified failure, completing as many full reps as you can. Once the stomach muscles won’t contract, the set is over.

To develop the coveted “sex line”—the V-shape that forms where the abs meet the obliques—add a few sets of hanging leg raises. Be sure to control your speed on both the eccentric and concentric phases, and remember that these are raises, not swings. Once you find that you’re relying on momentum to hoist the legs skyward, stop. You’ve done enough.

Get low

In this context, the answer to the time-honored “How deep should I squat?” question is—and this is a technical term—ass-to-the-floor low, says Hanson. To prepare your body for this extended range of motion, stretch liberally beforehand, and take the time to loosen up your hamstrings with a foam roller. He advises following a set of standard squats by racking the barbell and, without rest, performing a set of body weight squats.

Slow and steady

Skip high-intensity interval training, says Hanson, which can inhibit development of the type of muscle tone to which you aspire, and stick to more traditional cardio workouts. Starting eight weeks before a shoot, Hanson suggests 30 minutes of cardio a day. To prevent unwanted muscle breakdown, though, he keeps the treadmill speed slow—like, 15-minute-mile slow—and uses the highest possible incline setting, maintaining a steady pace throughout. Four weeks before the big day, bump it up to an hour.

Do not pass the salt

Hanson starts his clients on a basic ketogenic diet—that’s a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein regimen—about 14 weeks before their shoots. (“Lunch should be a piece of chicken that fits into the palm of your hand.”) To preserve existing muscle while giving the body a chance to burn off fat stores, he recommends making moderate reductions to normal portion sizes—two eggs for breakfast, not three, for example.

His staunchest adversary when prepping for a gig? Sodium. Salt causes the body to retain water, which masks the muscle definition for which you’ve worked so hard. Avoid it in the days before the shoot. Your food is going to be bland, but you’re going to look great.

Finish strong

Speaking of water weight: Hit the sauna or steam room the night before or even the morning of the shoot, sweating out any stubborn moisture that may be lingering at the body's surface. Sipping on a natural diuretic like dandelion tea can help, too.

Just before getting in position—whatever position that may be—Hanson recommends a little quick, light resistance training to get the blood flowing and the veins bulging. Think push-ups, sit-ups, or some band work. Remember that famous post-gym “pump” sensation? It will never be more important than when these flashbulbs start popping.