There’s nothing like a core-and-glute workout to get your muscles firing on all cylinders — just ask Tracee Ellis Ross, who hit the gym recently for a workout that’s guaranteed to to kick your butt (while strengthening it, of course). The best part: Ross is getting in ab work while targeting her glutes — hence her tongue-in-cheek “looking for my summer abs” caption.
Quick PSA on the caption, because there’s never a bad time to remind ourselves that your “summer body” is just your regular body in the summer, and that your “bikini body” is just your body in a bikini. You get to enjoy this season no matter what your body looks like, whether or not you have visible muscles, and whether or not you meet the expectations of today’s “ideal” body type (which is unrealistic and unattainable for most of us because of things like genetics, hormones, and metabolism).
With that said, there are reasons to strengthen your core and glutes that have nothing to do with aesthetics, including wanting to feel stronger and working on injury and pain prevention, especially in areas like your lower back. So, what moves does Ross’s workout include? She starts out with the classic donkey kick, then goes into a move I’m calling a glute push-off: stepping off the box she’s kneeling on and out to the side, then kicking up above her hips. From there, she moves on to a glute-bridge section that makes my legs shake just watching. Each of these moves require balance and stability in your core, which means you’re getting in some abdominal work along with the glute burn.
Here’s a full breakdown of Ross’s moves, plus a bonus stretch at the end, because recovery is important:
While this is likely just a snippet of Ross’s full workout, any of these four moves would be a good addition to your next butt or full-body workout. Want to challenge your muscles even more? Slide a booty band just above your knees and thank (or hate) us later. That thigh pulse with added resistance? Whewww. Check out Ross’s full workout snippet above, and happy sweating!