Kim Kardashian’s bottom half has become one of the things she is best known for — her covetable bum, glutes, and toned legs are gym inspiration for millions of women all over the globe.
Perhaps you’ve wondered just how you can get sculpted glutes the Kardashians would be proud of, or perhaps you spotted Kim’s recent run on the Peloton Tread and wondered what her workout routine looks like. Either way, you’re in luck. Kim’s personal trainer, Melissa Alcantara, has shared the exact workout she swears by.
Even though it's a favorite of Kim's, and her legs and glutes are some of her most celebrated features, Alcantara shared that Kim only does these workouts twice a week.
Sharing more about Kim’s workout routine, Alcantara told Women’s Health, "Kim loves to work the back of her legs—the hamstrings and the booty!". "The legs are a large muscle group and need time to recover," she explains, "that’s when they grow, that’s when everything happens”.
To find out more, I grabbed a pair of dumbbells and put the workout to the test. It’s worth noting that what works for Kim Kardashian might not be right for you and your body, and if you’re completely new to any of the exercises listed below, or you’re returning to exercise post-injury, it’s a good idea to check your form with a personal trainer before adding weights.
Looking for more workout inspiration? Here’s what happened when our fitness editor tried Khloe Kardashian’s workout.
What is Kim Kardashian’s glute workout?
Alcantara told Women’s Health that both she and Kim like to work out early in the morning. Alcantara didn’t share the exact weights Kim uses, but you should select one that feels difficult by the final few reps, without compromising your form.
After warming up, Kim follows the following routine:
Walking lunges (4 sets of 20 reps on each leg): Start with your feet together, keeping a long spine. Bring the chest out, squeeze the shoulder blades together in your back, squeeze your core in and move your body downwards into the lunge.
Elevated glute bridge (4 sets of 20 reps on each leg): Whilst resting your upper back against the edge of a bench, bend your knees to 90 degrees, and keep your bum close to the ground. Using a resistance band around your thighs, raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, and hold your position for five seconds.
Elevated goblet squats (4 sets of 12-20 reps): Standing on top of two heavy dumbbells, making sure they aren't light enough to wobble, keep your feet hip-width apart and hold another dumbbell between your hands, before extending the dumbbell in front of you. Push your hips backwards and bend your knees into a squat. As you move back up, bring your hips forwards and inner thighs upwards.
Glute kickbacks (5 sets of 50 reps): Starting on all fours with hands and knees hip-width apart, keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle as you lift your legs into the air and your body forms a straight line. Keeping the core tight, reverse the movement from return to start.
Bulgarian split squats (4 sets of 12 reps on each leg): Stand about two feet apart in front of a step, or something that you can raise up onto. Extend your right leg backwards and place your foot on the step, with your hands on your hips. Bend your knees to lower your body as much as you can whilst keeping your shoulders back and back straight. Pause, and then repeat.
Dumbbell hamstring curls (4 sets of 12-20 reps): Positioning yourself so that your hips and upper body are on a steady surface, squeeze your core and bring your legs out straight. Be careful not to lock your knees, and keep your feet flexed. Contract your hamstrings and pull your heels towards your bum.
I tried Kim Kardashian’s glute workout — here’s what happened
To put Kim's famous workout to the test, I set up my dumbbells and small steps in my living room. I love a workout where you don't need a great deal of equipment and this one can easily be completed with just a set of the best resistance bands and best adjustable dumbbells. I made sure that I had completed a long stretching routine beforehand, complete with plenty of focus on my hamstrings as they tense up quite easily.
The complete workout from start to finish took around 40 minutes. It wasn’t a particularly quick workout, especially seeing as it focuses on one particular area of the body, and doesn’t involve any real cardio. Despite finding the glute kickbacks relatively easy to complete, I could tell almost instantly that my glutes had been given a great workout.
I really enjoyed how easy it was to make the workout easier or more challenging. On exercises where I felt I was lacking stability, I was able to lower the strength of the resistance band, or grab a lighter dumbbell. On other exercises, such as the dumbbell hamstring curls, I was able to hold a dumbbell between my ankles on the last few reps, for that extra push.
My biggest takeaway from trying this workout? Effective glute routines don't need to be intimidating, nor do you need a ton of equipment or to be a total gym bunny. The day after this workout, I could really feel it in my legs, and I realized in order to build the sculpted pins of my dreams I need to diversify my lower body workouts more often. I’m just glad I don’t have another leg day on the cards for a week…
Looking for more workout inspiration? Read what happened when our fitness editor tried this Alexis Ren ab workout with 50 million views, and here's what happened when she walked 50 miles in the Skechers Go Walk shoes. Plus when this fitness writer did 50 bird dogs a day for a week.
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