When Kim Kardashian’s totally ripped trainer Melissa Alcantara shared the workout she created to sculpt the reality star’s butt, the team at Now To Love knew we had to give it a red-hot go.
While the origin of Kim’s back-side remains a mystery (Is it genetic? Is it surgery?), what we do know is she does one helluva great butt-and-leg workout to burn and firm her famous ($21-million-insured) behind.
Alcantara revealed to Women’s Health that leg-and-butt day is Kim’s favourite, and she does a routine of six exercises twice a week to achieve her legendary derrière.
Kim’s famous curves take a lot of hard working out – we would know, we did it!
So, with dreams of Kim’s plump peaches, Now To Love senior celebrity writer, Chloe Lal, and myself took to the gym to tackle the routine.
When your trainer looks like this, you know you’re in good hands! Celebrity trainer Melissa Alcantara helps sculpt Kim’s incredible physique.
Our verdict
It took us well over an hour to complete the workout, which we divided up into a circuit and repeated four times, just like Kimmy K.
I’m not going to lie, it was tough! The reps and weights had my muscles feeling on fire.
I go to the gym three times a week. My workouts focus mostly on cardio, particularly running, so when it came to an entire workout focused on my butt and legs, it was a struggle. For days after my glutes and things ached. Like, I-can’t-sit-down-or-walk ache. But while I was stiff and hurting, it was a satisfying pain that had me looking over my shoulder at my bum every chance I got to see if I was Kim-a-fied yet.
Meanwhile, Chloe (the goddess in the photos below), didn’t feel the burn as bad. Possibly because she has the same first name as another bootlicious Kardashian, but most likely because she trains hard, five times a week. Talk about fitspo!
After one crack at the butt workout, we’re not Kim clones from the behind, yet. But we both agree, we’d add this routine to our weekly workouts because it was achievable yet our booties felt well and truly worked.
What our expert had to say about the workout
We wanted to know if Kim’s butt workout was safe and manageable for all fitness levels, so we asked Vickie Lee, a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor at Sydney’s Premier Fitness for her thoughts.
“I really like the workout. I think the choice of exercises are perfect to target the legs and glutes. The timing, the reps and the tempo is spot on,” she said.
“The reps and the sets will definitely get he muscles firing.”
Lee says all fitness levels will be able to do Kim’s routines, with some modifications for beginners and intermediates, which have been added to the exercise explanations below.
KIM KARDASHIAN’S BUTT WORKOUT:
Some inspiration before you start your workout.
Walking lunges
Begin standing with your feet together. Keep your hands on your hips, or grip dumbbells for a greater intensity. Take a large step forward with your left foot, slowly lowering down toward the ground, until each knee is at approximately a 90 degree angle. Stop before your right knee touches the ground.
Press into your left heel and bring your right left forward to return to the starting position, and you have completed one rep. Repeat the movement, this time stepping forward with your right leg.
Do four sets of 20 reps on each leg.
Elevated glute bridge
Rest your shoulders and upper back against the edge of a bench. Keep feet hips-width apart, knees bent to 90 degrees and butt close to the floor. Wrap a mini band around your thighs and keep your head looking forward at a 45-degree angle. Your arms can be rested along the bench, or to step it up, hold a dumbbell on top of your hips.
Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause for up to five seconds, then lower your body back to the start position. That’s one rep.
Beginners should swap the bench for the floor and lying with their heels close to their bum.
Do four sets of 20 reps.
Elevated goblet squats
Kim does this workout standing ontop of two heavy dumbbells, but we struggled to keep our balance, so swapped out the dumbbells for two Bosus.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, on the top of two heavy dumbbells, or two Bosus, or alternatively on nothing at all. Using both hands, hold a third dumbbell in front of you, with your arms extended and shoulders pulled back.
Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, your elbows brushing the insides of your knees, ensuring your back is keep upright and straight.
As you move back up, focus on bringing your hips forward. That’s one rep.
Do four sets of 12 to 20 reps.
WATCH: See the elevated goblet squats in action!
Glute kickbacks
Start on all fours, with your hands and knees hip-width apart. Lift your knee directly up into the air, keeping it at a 90 degree angle, lifting your heel toward the ceiling. Reverse the movement and return to the start. That’s one rep; do five sets of 50 reps. Then repeat on the other side.
WATCH: The leg in the air kicks up to the roof when doing glute kickbacks.
Bulgarian split squats
This manoeuvre can be done with or without the added weight of dumbbells. Beginners should go without weights, plaicng hands on hips instead. Stand in front of a bench (or chair, or ottoman); extend your right leg back and place your foot. Bend your knees to lower your body as far as you can, keeping your shoulders back and chest up. Pause, then press through your left heel to return to start. That’s one rep.
Do four sets of 12 reps on each.
Dumbbell hamstring curls
Lay across a bench so that your hips and upper body are braced on the benches surface. Grip the bench with your arms to stabilise your body. Squeeze your core and slowly bring your legs out straight, almost parallel with the floor (but don’t lock your knees). Keeping your feet flexed, pull your heels in toward your butt. Pause, then lower back to start.
That’s one rep. Do four sets of 12 to 20 reps.
To add some extra challenge, squeeze a dumbbell in between your ankles. Beginners start with a light weight or even a resistance band around the waist and loop around your feet.
