5 Butt-Sculpting Classes to Work Your Best Asset All Summer

With Beyoncé on tour, capturing the global gaze with her music, her magnetism, and that justifiably celebrated derriere, isn’t it time for a little self-reflection—in profile view or, better yet, from behind? After all, what you can get away with in winter (say, slouchy Levi’s and Spanx-like leggings) changes in summer when breezy sundresses and bikinis are default weekend wear.

“We are a crisis clinic right now with the launch of bathing-suit season,” fitness impresario David Barton says with a laugh. At his latest gym, TMPL, which opened three months ago in Manhattan’s Hells Kitchen neighborhood, the rear end does not take the back seat. “We have a whole room devoted to the lower body—of course, we affectionately call it the Butt Room,” he explains of the sleek basement-level space, where it’s not uncommon to see women lining up at the squat rack, erasing the evidence of a modern sedentary lifestyle. “Sitting at a desk all day long was not what the body was actually made for,” he says. “Given the inactivity that we are faced with 23 hours a day, we have to spend that other hour activating the muscles in the glutes and training in such a way that they’re going to respond by defying gravity.”

Easier said than done—but not impossible. “Change is within one’s grasp!” Barton says, explaining that a well-rounded mix of exercises targeting muscles around the thighs and backside can sculpt and reshape the posterior landscape. To that end, we’ve rounded up five classes around the country that aim to get the butt in high gear. “I can rattle off benefits all day long of having strength in the lower body—everything from walking up stairs to being able to more efficiently pump blood,” Barton says. “Last but certainly not least: Looking good on the beach.” We’ll second that.

Shake Up the Squats at TMPL in New York City
Thirty minutes for a dialed-in, rear-centric class might seem quick until you’re pulsing in a deep lunge, legs quaking. Props vary per instructor (seek out the spirited Bryan Jarrett, TMPL’s group fitness manager), but expect a mix of resistance bands, free weights, and a step platform to shake up the squats, stabilizing moves, and balance work. Cool down with a dip in the dimly lit saltwater pool—not to mention some quality time with a foam roller.
tmplgym.com

Boost Your Lower-Body Power at Equinox in Miami
The aptly named Best Butt Ever workout—which revs up the glutes and whittles the waist—might be offered around the country at Equinox’s many well-appointed locations, but it seems most at home in this sun-soaked, party-ready city. Come prepared to use gliding discs for advanced plank variations, dumbbells for isometric holds, and a step board to boost lower-body power and cardiovascular endurance.
equinox.com

Target the Glutes at Rise Nation in Los Angeles
Personal trainer Jason Walsh boasts a high-profile client base, but at his boutique rock climbing studio in West Hollywood, his entire fitness flock is on the up-and-up. The concentrated 30-minute Climb class takes place on a VersaClimber that’s momentum-neutral, meaning all movement is hard-won. “Climbing not only targets the glutes, but also minimizes impact on bones and joints,” Walsh explains. And with exercises that hit multiple muscle groups, “you get more bang per minute invested.”
rise-nation.com

Kick Your Own Butt at modelFIT in New York City
Long, strong, and lean is the end game at this downtown studio that’s popular among its namesake clientele. Though the focus of the Sculpt class series varies, a recent hour-long session with trainer Lauren Ashley revived that cliché about kicking butt. Lateral lifts with ankle weights, dynamic lunges on gliders, and tabletop rear extensions are only the beginning—and, with practice, the start of a powerhouse seat.
modelfit.com

Fine-Tune It All at On Your Mark in Chicago
At this pair of handsome, industrial-style gyms, functional movement reigns supreme, as seen in their group class approach. A 45-minute abs and glutes–focused class cycles through core-strengthening planks, squats turbo-charged with medicine balls, and toning balance exercises, all with fine-tuned corrections from the hands-on teacher—a taste of what’s on offer with their popular personal training sessions.
oymtraining.com

 

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