Though a butt’s shape is largely genetic, well-rounded workouts can realize your aesthetic potential. In early November, Brazilian bodybuilders and models Fafa Araujo and Gracyanne Barbosa demonstrated their tandem glute routine, which we’re breaking down below.
Brazilian Butt Lift Workout
- Machine Abductions: 3 Sets
- Machine Hip Thrust: 3 x 15
- Single Leg Press: 3 x 15
- Cable Glute Kickbacks: 2-3 Sets
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To Stretch on Glute Day?
Araujo skips stretching before glute training. “If I stretch, it takes 30 minutes,” she reasoned. “Why would I take 30 minutes stretching [instead of training]?”Â
Araujo is not wrong. Stretching is typically advised after training since weight lifting also stretches muscles. (1)
Sculpting the Glutes
Araujo and Barbosa sat on the hip abduction machine and pulled their thighs apart to target their outer glutes. Barbosa achieves better stability and mind-muscle connection by pressing against the backrest while leaning forward.
Though abductions are often seen as a “shaping” exercise, they’re an effective muscle-builder and should be trained with decent intensity.
Hip Thrusts for Size & Strength
Many consider weighted hip thrusts a top-tier glute exercise because they offer direct hip loading, maximal tension, and a stretch while being less physically demanding than heavy deadlifts.
Araujo grabbed her glutes on a dedicated hip thrust machine to direct the tension, saying, “When I do this exercise, I completely stop [my] body and quads from engaging, and I move the glutes up and down.”
Conversely, Barbosa grabbed a belt in front of her hips. “I’m seeing stars,” Araujo said after a tough third set of 15 reps. “[The first 12] were fine; the last three were Sam Sulek style,” she joked.
Benefits of Dual-Action Leg Press
Leg presses can be quad or glute-dominant, depending on the positioning of the feet. Wider foot placement allows for a deeper glute stretch, while a narrower foot placement offers more knee flexion.
Araujo and Barbosa partnered on the dual-moving leg press, training legs independently, which gave them technique freedom, a better stretch, and unilateral benefits. They trained opposite legs with a reciprocal technique for 15 reps. “Do the workout; have a crazy pump,” Araujo avowed.
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Reference
- Afonso J, Ramirez-Campillo R, MoscĂŁo J, Rocha T, Zacca R, Martins A, Milheiro AA, Ferreira J, Sarmento H, Clemente FM. Strength Training versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Apr 7;9(4):427. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9040427. PMID: 33917036; PMCID: PMC8067745.
Featured image: @graoficial on Instagram
