Shakira is gearing up for her recently rescheduled El Dorado world tour—which kicks off in Germany in June and wraps up in California in September—and part of that prep involves spending time in the gym. Thanks to several Instagram posts published this week by her trainer, Anna Kaiser, founder of AKT in Motion, whose clients also include Alicia Keys, Karlie Kloss, and Kelly Ripa, we know the Colombian superstar is putting in serious work.
“In less than two months, this mama is going to step on to that stage and blow your mind for almost two hours!!!” Kaiser wrote on Instagram underneath a photo of the two posing together at a fitness studio in Barcelona. “So we are making sure that her strength and stamina are at their BEST so all she has to think about is ???????????? up that stage.”
You can check out the post via @theannakaiser here:
Just as we were getting increasingly curious about precisely what Shakira is doing to achieve said strength and stamina, Kaiser followed up with an Instagram video sharing a six-part butt workout. The caption reads, “I actually did these EXACT exercises with @shakira TONIGHT here in Barcelona.” (Kaiser’s publicist tells SELF that Kaiser just spent two weeks in Spain training Shakira.) The circuit, unsurprisingly, looks tough as hell—and it’s all about the glutes.
You can check out the video via @theannakaiser here:
“This is a full, well-rounded glute workout,” Stephanie Mansour, Chicago-based certified personal trainer, tells SELF. In addition to targeting the gluteus maximus (your biggest butt muscle), this circuit works the gluteus medius (a smaller hip abductor muscle on the outer side of the pelvis that supports your hip and rotation of the thigh) and gluteus minimus, as well as the inner thighs, internal obliques, external obliques, hamstrings, and stabilizing muscles around your ankles. Essentially, it’s a great glute and core and overall lower-body workout.
Having strong glutes is an important component of your overall strength and stability.
“Your glutes are one of the strongest muscle groups in your body,” Sara Solomon, certified personal trainer, CrossFit Level 1 trainer, and Bodybuilding.com athlete, tells SELF. “Having strong, well-balanced glutes makes it easier for you to move well in both daily activities and fitness activities without pain or problems.”
When your glute (and/or hamstring) muscles are weak, your body has no choice but to compensate with the muscles on the front of your body—like your quad and hip flexors, explains Solomon. This can place undue stress on your knees and hip flexors, which over time, can lead to pain and injury in those areas.
Having strong glute muscles also protects your lower back, especially when performing hip hinging movements at the gym, like deadlifts, or in everyday movements, like bending over to pick up a heavy item, says Solomon. This hip hinging movement should be driven by your glute muscles, and if your glutes aren’t strong enough, your body may try to compensate with your lower back, which puts unnecessary (and unsafe) stress on your spine and increases your risk of injuring it.
Most glute-building exercises, like squats and lunges, focus on the glute maximus, but it’s important to do exercises (like the ones in this circuit) that target the smaller butt muscles as well.
Your glute medius and minimus help keep your hip joint strong and stable, explains Mansour. Any weaknesses or instability in the hip joint can translate up into the lower back and down into the knee, which is why it’s so important to regularly work your glute medius and minimus alongside your glute maximus.
With Kaiser’s circuit, you’ll target all of your butt muscles. Here’s how to do each move:
Before starting, watch Kaiser demo the moves in her Instagram, above, to get a better understanding of what each move looks like.
Passé Lunge
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your spine neutral, and your shoulders back.
- Bend your left knee slightly and take a giant step back with your right foot so that you land with just your right toes touching the ground. Place your right hand on the ground for stability. Pause here for a moment in the deep lunge.
- In one quick motion, stand back up, and balance on your left leg as you drive your right leg forward and up toward your chest.
- Pause here for a moment. This is 1 rep.
- Do 16 reps. Switch legs and repeat.
This lunge variation works the glute maximus, minimus, and inner hamstrings—plus the stabilizing muscles around your ankle joint in the leg that is stationary. Kaiser is pushing through these lunges quickly, but consider doing yours at a slower pace to ensure you have the correct form and are using the right muscles, says Mansour. “This is more of a strength move and less about cardio” she adds. It will also work your balance.
As you move through the reps, really drive through the heel of the foot that’s on the ground and keep your weight here to avoid leaning too far forward. This will keep the burn where it should be: on your glutes and inner hamstrings, and not your quads or knees, says Solomon. At the top of each lunge, stand all the way up and squeeze your butt to engage the glute here as well, adds Mansour.
Throughout the movements, make sure that your stationary knee doesn’t go too far forward over your toes—this will protect your knee joint. And lastly, brace your core throughout to prevent your spine from arching. This will protect your lower back.
Knee Repeater
- Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart, your spine neutral, and your shoulders back.
- Bend your left knee slightly and take a giant step back with your right foot so that you land with the ball of your foot on the ground. Place your right hand on the ground for stability. You should be in a low lunge position.
- Lean your torso forward and anchor your left foot firmly into the ground. Rest your left hand lightly on top of your left quad.
- In one quick motion, lift your right foot up and drive your knee forward and up toward your chest.
- Without pausing, drive your right leg back again to the lunge position. This is 1 rep.
- Do 16 reps with your right leg. Switch legs and do 16 reps with your left leg.
This move targets the same muscles as the passé lunges (the glute maximus, minimus, inner hamstrings, and stabilizing muscles around your ankle joint), but because you are not standing up, you are keeping constant tension in the glute max and inner hamstring, which will result in a “serious burn,” says Solomon.
As with the lunges, make sure you are continually pressing down through the heel that’s grounded to activate the correct muscles. Keep the stabilizing hand on the ground in line with your toes and your shoulders in line with your knees.
Band Kick
*For this move, Kaiser suggests using a medium-strength resistance band, but choose what’s most appropriate for you. You want to feel noticeable tension, but not enough that it’s extremely difficult to move. You can also do this with no band, or one without handles.
- Start on all fours with your knees under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Loop the handles of a resistance band around your thumbs and press your palms down into the floor to secure the band. Angle your arms slightly forward, which will help create tension in the band during the next step.
- Bring the closed end of the band between your legs and loop it around the middle of your right foot.
- Lift your right leg up and flex your right foot as you kick your leg straight back until it’s completely straight.
- Bend your right knee and bring the leg back in toward your chest, pausing for a moment when the knee is in the starting position, directly under your hips. This is 1 rep.
- Do 20 reps. Switch legs and do 20 reps on the other side.
These kicks work your glute maximus and minimus as well as your inner hamstring, outer hip, and external obliques. Make sure you keep your hips stable and in one straight line as you go through the reps. You’ll also want to tuck your tailbone to engage your external obliques, which will help keep your lower back stable.
As you push your leg back with each rep, make sure it stays straight and doesn’t rotate outward. An outward rotation would target the glute medius more, which makes it a “different exercise entirely,” says Solomon. Take these movements nice and slow, advises Mansour. “This is warming you up for quicker, faster pulse movements” in the next exercise.
Band Pulse
- Start on all fours with your knees under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Loop the handles of a resistance band around your thumbs and press your palms down into the floor to secure the band. Angle your arms slightly forward, which will help create tension in the band during the next step.
- Bring the closed end of the band between your legs and loop it around the middle of your right foot.
- Lift your right leg up and flex your right foot as you kick your leg straight back until it’s completely straight.
- Bend your right knee and bring the leg back in toward your chest halfway, pausing for a moment when the knee is about six inches off the ground. This is 1 rep.
- Do 30 reps. Switch legs and do 30 reps on the other side.
This works the same muscles as the band kicks—the glute maximus, glute minimus, inner hamstring, outer hip, and external obliques—but in a partial (rather than full) range of motion, explains Solomon. The main goal with these pulses is maintaining constant tension in your glute maximus and hamstrings. “It’s not about kicking super high, but rather about continually engaging the correct muscles,” Solomon says. As you pulse, keep your tailbone tucked to resist arching your back, she adds.
Abductor Lift
- Start on your knees with your legs hip-distance apart.
- Grab your resistance band and grip one handle with your right thumb. Run the band under your right knee, and then lift your left leg and loop the band around the middle of your left foot. Hold the other handle with your left hand by your left hip. (You can also do this with no band.)
- Lean over toward your right side so that your right hand and right knee are on the floor, and your left leg and left hand are elevated. Your gaze should be focused down on your right hand.
- Straighten your left leg so that it’s a few inches below hip level and adjust the resistance band so there is tension against your left leg.
- Keeping you left leg straight, raise it up to hip level, pause for a moment, and then lower it back to starting position. This is 1 rep.
- Do 20 reps. Switch legs and do 20 reps on the other side.
These lifts target all of the glute muscles (maximus, medius, and minimus) as well as the internal obliques.
As you do these lifts, make sure that you are engaging the inner thigh on the stabilizing leg. “This will keep your hips aligned,” says Mansour. You’ll also want to engage your internal obliques on this side to keep your body properly lifted. And lastly, make sure you are maintaining constant tension on the band throughout this set; if you lower your leg too far, you may notice the tension loosen.
If you’re a beginner, try this move with just your bodyweight before adding in a band, suggests Solomon. You can also place your upper hand on the outer side of your butt to better feel the muscles you’re trying to target. Your glute medius should be the major workhorse here, says Solomon—you shouldn’t feel it in your hip flexor muscles.
Magic Circle
- Get in the same starting position as the abductor lifts, with your right hand and right knee planted on the ground, your left leg raised a few inches below hip level, and your left arm bent so your hand is at your hip. (Again, you can do this with or without a resistance band.)
- Flexing your left foot, keeping you left leg straight, and keeping tension in the resistance band, raise your left leg up and move it in small circles. One circle is 1 rep.
- Do 10 reps forward and then 10 reps backward. Switch legs and do 10 reps in each direction on the other side.
This move targets the same muscles as the abductor lifts (glute maximus, medius, and minimus, as well as the internal obliques and outer hips), just within a different range of motion. Your back will naturally want to arch and then straighten as you do the circles—let it, says Solomon.
As with the last exercise, you’ll want to feel the deepest burn in your glute medius. “If you feel it more in your inner thigh, you are likely making too big of circles,” explains Mansour. Also, be sure to engage your obliques on the side that’s grounded to keep yourself properly lifted.
If you feel any pain or tension in your hip flexor or knees as you do any of the movements above, that may be a sign that your glutes aren’t quite strong enough yet for the intensity of this circuit, says Solomon. And that’s totally OK—this circuit is “not at a beginner level,” she says. Scale back the number of reps accordingly so that you are building up your glute strength safely.
