My Glutes Were Definitely NOT Prepared For This Olympic Gymnast's 6-Move Booty Workout

Updated on July 13, 2019 at 10:55 AM

When I tested out an ab routine from former Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone Quinn two months ago, my core was in for a treat. With plank ankle taps, plank rocks, and tabletop step outs, it really did challenge my deep core in the best way. So when I saw that Alicia, who won silver in the 2008 Beijing Games during the team competition and has 10 World Championship medals, posted a new routine focused on the lower body, I just knew I had to give it a try.

Like her ab workout I reviewed, this one is also a routine you can do anywhere (I did it at home in my bedroom, no less). Alicia didn't list the exercises in her June 29 Instagram, but she provided POPSUGAR with the appropriate names of each. She captioned the post with hashtags like #mybuttisalreadysore and #yourewelcome, and she calls it a "sneaky booty/core burn." After doing it, I mainly classify it as a butt workout — and I explain why later on.

Alicia Sacramone 6-Move Bodyweight Butt Workout

Make sure you activate your glutes beforehand. Here's a good warmup to try.

Directions: Perform three sets of 30 seconds for each exercise, making sure that you do both sides for the moves that require it. Below, you'll see exactly how I did each exercise.

Alternating single-leg glute bridge with kick: 3 sets, 30 seconds
Kneeling side leg lifts: 3 sets, 30 seconds per leg (I alternated between 30 seconds on the left and 30 seconds on the right.)
Supported hip dip to fire hydrant: 3 sets, 30 seconds per leg (I alternated between 30 seconds on the left and 30 seconds on the right.)
Single-leg kneeling half squat: 3 sets, 30 seconds per leg (I alternated between 30 seconds on the left and 30 seconds on the right.)
Side elbow plank with front and back circles: 3 sets, 30 seconds per leg (I alternated between 30 seconds on the left and 30 seconds on the right, and I split each 30-second work period between 15 seconds forward circles and 15 seconds back circles.)
Straight leg side to side kicks: 3 sets, 30 seconds per leg (I alternated between 30 seconds on the left and 30 seconds on the right.)

Don't forget to cool down afterward with some lower body stretches. You can watch Alicia demonstrate each exercise in the Instagram above (and ahead). To add difficulty to that fifth move, she said you can do a regular plank instead of one where your bottom knee is on the ground. I personally didn't choose this more advanced version because, well, you'll see. Keep reading to check out my thoughts about the workout.

How I Looked After My Glutes Burned 2 Exercises Into This Workout

This took me a little over 20 minutes to complete, and I used a timer on my phone for the 30-second intervals. Doing three sets of each exercise was definitely harder than I thought it would be, even when alternating between legs. The moves that focused more on my side glutes (aka glute medius) like the supported hip dip to fire hydrant and kneeling side leg lifts were the most challenging for me. They burned so much that I felt like someone was taking a hammer to my glutes.

This brings me to another point: though Alicia said the workout would target your glutes and core, I felt it in my glutes more. That being said, many of the moves made my obliques heat up. If I'd done the side elbow plank circles with both legs off the ground like Alicia had indicated for an advanced variation, it probably would have produced a greater oblique burn (they also, by the way, targeted my hamstrings and quads a ton). It's hard to keep your stability intact, too, when you're holding those planks and doing kicks at the same time — which is why having one knee on the ground helps.

Ultimately, this workout was an intense glute burn in a short amount of time, and there was the added bonus of challenging my core stability. I have one tip: for those single-leg kneeling half squats, you might want to put a towel under your knee if your workout mat is thin. I will definitely, moving forward, incorporate some of these exercises into my fitness routine because the booty burn — accurately described as a booty blaze — says it all.