Wellness bodybuilder and Olympian Tefani-Sam Genadi Razhi has some of the best glutes in the game. She recently shared her leg day workout in mid-February 2025, showing how she focuses on low-moderate reps with heavy weights, pushing to failure. This workout was part of her prep for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro contest in May.
Razhi’s Glute Workout
- Pendulum Squats: 3 Sets x 8, 8, 10 Reps
- Unilateral Leg Presses: 3 Sets x 8-10
- Machine Angled Squat: 3 Sets
- Leg Extensions: 3 Sets
Razhi’s workout is aimed at glute hypertrophy and hip extension. Though she didn’t perform the moves during this session, she also advocated for deadlift variations, hip thrusts, and lunges.
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Progression Unlocks Growth
Progressive overload — gradually increasing weight and reps to stimulate growth — is key for building rounder, firmer glutes. (1)(2) After warming up, Razhi started with 180-pound pendulum squats for eight reps to failure.
Muscle scientist and fellow bodybuilder Jeff Nippard ranked pendulum squats highest on his leg exercise tier list due to their stability, stance options, and natural arc, calling them a “brilliant quad builder.” Machines produce comparable gains to free weights. (3)
Importance of Warm-Ups
While Razhi primed her legs with pendulum squats, shifting to unilateral leg presses demanded a new challenge and, thus, more preparation sets. Thorough warm-ups improve muscle elasticity, reduce injury risk, optimize movement patterns, and help maximize performance. (4)(5)
Razhi is single-leg pressed with a low foot position, topped out at nine 45-pound weight plates per leg. Unilateral (i.e., single-leg) training helps maintain balance and potentially deepen the stretch.
Razhi trains heavily for growth. “I haven’t seen a man do this and it shocks me,” Razhi observed, adding, “It’s not that women are more capable; men aren’t pushing hard enough.”
Heavy Compounds for Big Butts
Since compound lifts like heavy squats and leg presses involve more overall muscle recruitment, Razhi feels she benefits beyond just leg hypertrophy.
“I use so much [effort] when pushing — it’s a full-body workout,” she said, explaining how that’s better for building strength.
Though heavyweights are a factor of hypertrophy, establishing a mind-muscle connection is another core component. Consciously focusing on the target muscle during exercise has been shown to increase its activation and muscle growth. (6)
Failure: A Potential Growth Trigger
A highlight of Razhi’s workout was her intensity. She left nothing in the tank, regularly hitting failure on her most effective sets.
My upper body grows because I use so much of it when pushing [the weight], which is so heavy.
—Tefani-Sam Genadi Razhi
Most hypertrophy experts suggest pushing sets close to failure for maximum growth stimulus. However, this may be more important when using lighter versus heavier loads. (7)(8) Excessive training to failure can cause fatigue and increase your potential for injury.
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References
- Chaves, T. S., Scarpelli, M. C., Bergamasco, J. G. A., Silva, D. G. D., Medalha Junior, R. A., Dias, N. F., Bittencourt, D., Carello Filho, P. C., Angleri, V., Nóbrega, S. R., Roberts, M. D., Ugrinowitsch, C., & Libardi, C. A. (2024). Effects of Resistance Training Overload Progression Protocols on Strength and Muscle Mass. International journal of sports medicine, 45(7), 504–510. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2256-5857
- Plotkin, D., Coleman, M., Van Every, D., Maldonado, J., Oberlin, D., Israetel, M., Feather, J., Alto, A., Vigotsky, A. D., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ, 10, e14142. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14142
- Schwanbeck, S. R., Cornish, S. M., Barss, T., & Chilibeck, P. D. (2020). Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 34(7), 1851–1859. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Ribeiro, B., Pereira, A., Neves, P. P., Sousa, A. C., Ferraz, R., Marques, M. C., Marinho, D. A., & Neiva, H. P. (2020). The Role of Specific Warm-up during Bench Press and Squat Exercises: A Novel Approach. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(18), 6882. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186882
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Vigotsky, A., Contreras, B., Golden, S., Alto, A., Larson, R., Winkelman, N., & Paoli, A. (2018). Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training. European journal of sport science, 18(5), 705–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1447020
- Lasevicius, T., Schoenfeld, B. J., Silva-Batista, C., Barros, T. S., Aihara, A. Y., Brendon, H., Longo, A. R., Tricoli, V., Peres, B. A., & Teixeira, E. L. (2022). Muscle Failure Promotes Greater Muscle Hypertrophy in Low-Load but Not in High-Load Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 346–351. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003454
- Refalo, M. C., Helms, E. R., Robinson, Z. P., Hamilton, D. L., & Fyfe, J. J. (2024). Similar muscle hypertrophy following eight weeks of resistance training to momentary muscular failure or with repetitions-in-reserve in resistance-trained individuals. Journal of sports sciences, 42(1), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2024.2321021
Featured image: @teffanysam on Instagram
