Sculpt your own Brazilian bumbum

Rio de Janeiro is a great place to get fit!

Beaches and stunning landscapes make Cariocas (people from Rio de Janeiro) a bunch of fitness fanatics. The weather is warm year-round and Brazilian gyms are usually closed on Sundays, when Cariocas tend to head to the beach, put on their tiny sexy swimwear and show off the bodies they've been working hard for all week.

I’m sure you’re all aware of the Brazilian booty (ahem..) I meant body. How does one achieve such a body? Is it the food, their genetics, are the training methods different to Australia?

Portuguese - Africans - Germans & Italians

The Brazilian “look” is in fact extremely diverse and too complex to quickly describe. In a nutshell, Brazil was discovered and settled by the Portuguese in the 1500s, however slavery began long before this where over 4 million African slaves were imported. Large populations of Europeans migrated to Brazil, particularly Germans and Italians in the South (Gisele Bündchen ring any bells?). Hence the multicultural melting pot of the modern Brazilian body.

Fernando 

Academias

During my recent trip to Brazil, I interviewed 25 year old PT Fernando, who has been working in the industry for 4 years. Fernando is a PT in a real Arnie early-days, grassroots style gym called ‘Academia Brother’ (gyms are called academias in Brazil). Fernando always played sport, has a passion for fitness and looks up to Ronnie Coleman. 

PT’s in Brazil are employed to assist people with spotting, techniques and general assistance. They are obligated to do this and interestingly, Brazilian personal trainers must complete a four-year course in order to be permitted to work.

I quizzed Fernando about the various exercises I observed Brazilian women doing. “In general, Brazilian women want to improve the shape and increase the size of their butt, flatten the stomach and have better leg muscle definition (quads, hamstrings, calves”.  I noticed the majority of women using a faster tempo, pumping out many repetitions with a moderate weight. “This is to burn more fat and tone, rather than for hypertrophy” Fernando replied.

"Lift my bum bum"

Marta at Ipanema beach

I asked 27 year-old fellow gym member Marta what her main fitness goals were “I want to reduce the size of my hips, tighten my thighs and lift my bumbum without the bulk, isn’t that what every woman wants?”.

Half of the weighted area of the gym floor is dedicated to free weights and machines which target the lower body.  

Academia Brother has many squat racks, press and extension machines plus countless other machines I had never seen in my life, to specifically work on women’s ‘problem areas’ of the: glutes, inner and outer thighs and stomach. 

I noticed Brazilian women work 1 or 2 body parts per day, in additional to various bumbum exercises.

So how do you work that butt aka “Bum Bum” in Brazil? 

This nickname is actually pronounced as boom boom.

Squats are fabulous as they work out your whole lower body and is a commonly performed exercise in academias. However, if your goal is to transform your bumbum, you need to train all the muscles within the butt (glute medius, maximus, and minimus) from many different angles. 

So in conjunction with back squats, front squats, lunges, leg presses (double and single leg), hamstring curls (double and single leg), lateral leg raises with ankle weights/cables (to name a few), here are 5 of my favourite new bumbum exercises:


*Please practice these moves with your trainer to ensure correct technique!

1. Hip thrust with barbell

Hip thrust with barbell 
Image: redefiningstrength.com

Perfomed on a bench with a slight dip down (like the prone hamstring curl machine) with a barbell ranging from 15-45kg (depending on your level) and sitting just below your hips. Fernando always helps women to pick up and adjust the barbell, as it’s quite an awkward and difficult move to get into. 

On the upward motion of the thrust, raise up high on your tippy toes (wait 1 second) and have your hips sky high with a micro-pause, before releasing your hips and heels slowly down.

     

2. Romanian deadlifts       

Romanian deadlift

Hip thrusts are supersetted with romanian deadlifts. Use a heavier weight if you can. Otherwise, start off by using the same weight as your hip thrusts. These are a Brazilian favourite. 

Romanian deadlifts are a great way to build mass in the bumbum and hamstrings. Maintain the arch in your back and hinge forward at the hips while keeping the bar in close contact with your legs. Perform 3 sets of 12.

3. Kick-backs (with ankle weights and/or cables/Smith)

Kick-backs on the Smith machine

So do I need ankle weights? According to Fernando and Marta yes! Using them will enhance any butt type and build more lean muscle mass. “In combination with a clean diet, ankle weights will also reduce the appearance of cellulite” according to Fernando. 

If you wish to experiment with ankle weights, try to find the adjustable ones so you can gradually increase the weight with each workout, until you can use about 3kg on each leg. Depending on your level of fitness, I would suggest to start low (1kg per leg) and increase to as much as you can handle, feel the burn without injuring yourself. Academia brother has plenty of ankle weights, up to 8kg.

Brazilian Fitness Model Gracyanne Barbosa
performing a cable variation

Brazilian women perform hip extensions on all fours with ankle weights. With the knee bent at 90 degrees, raise your flat foot up to the sky for 1 set (12 reps). Without a break, extend a straight leg, kicking your heel up to the sky for 1 set (12 reps). 

Tri-set this by bringing your straight leg across the body (and across the kneeling leg) and tapping the toe of the straight leg to the ground (12 reps). 

These 3 hip/leg extensions tri-sets target all aspects of the glutes and you can work within your strength level. These exercises can also be performed with a low cable and exercise strap fastened around the ankle. The first of the 3 moves can also be performed using the Smith machine. 

4. “Graviton”

The supported lat pull up/chin up machine doubles up as a butt burning/sculpting machine. You simply stand on the foot ledges, gain your balance and place one foot on the supportive moveable platform, with your heel in the centre and toes pressing the front of the platform. Secure yourself by holding the sides of the apparatus with both hands and engage your glutes by pushing the bent leg down to almost straight. 

Slowly let gravity bring your foot up to as high as is comfortable but ensure it is challenging enough and repeat on the same side, 15 repetitions before switching legs. Select a weight where you feel the burn but doesn’t restrict your movement or hurt your hips.

5. DB Sumo Squat on 2 boxes

DB Sumo Squat on 2 boxes

Image: Pavel Ythjall

Set up 2 steps to stand on and hold a heavy-enough dumbbell/kettlebell with both hands, in between your legs. Slowly lower your hips and the dumbbell down towards the ground. Try to tap the dumbbell on the ground but only go as low as is comfortable. Experiment with lifting your heels for an ever greater burn.

Fernando mentioned that standing on a raised platform forces you to work deeper and stronger with the abductor muscles.  Three sets of 12. Fernando also stressed the importance of activating the glutes and the mind/muscle connection with every move you do.

Colour colour everywhere

Brazilian women love their colourful, printed leggings. I must admit, I became obsessed with them too, as I love wearing a lot of colour and bought about 10 pairs! Such a pleasant change from Melbourne’s dreary black everywhere. They’re great as they don’t move as you move and they suck everything in.  

Seeing leggings and one-pieces in the gym is one thing but thick knee-socks over the top is another! It takes me back to my high-school days. I asked Fernando why women wear these socks because they look terrible, he replied it’s to protect the legs when they strap on the ankle weights. I threw out knee-length socks after high school and cringe at the thought of wearing them again. Yet after working out with my ankle socks and 4kg ankle weights strapped on, caused some light abrasions and now I understand why.

Another favourite in the gyms are the “vitaminas”. After your workout, you can order a fresh fruit smoothie with protein powder blended right in front of you- simply delicious! Another popular post-gym snack is Acai with granola and sliced banana.

Gracyanne Barbosa

Brazilian Fitness Models

What about Brazilian Fitness Models? I asked Fernando to highlight the key differences of the everyday Brazilian woman (in terms of exercises) compared to a Fitness Model like Gracyanne Barbosa. He laughed and said “Steroids, silicone, always working with her coach, lifting very heavy weights and constantly performing a full range of motion”.

Gracyanne (who is also a samba dancer) stirred up a lot of discussion in the bodybuilding world with her claims of 200kg back squats. Gracyanne trains 6 days a week and isn’t embarrassed to be photographed all sweaty post-workout.

I have been to Brazil 3 times now and fall in love with it more and more each time. Yes the country has its political and economic issues, fair share of corruption and controversy, however I highly recommend you visit and experience the warm Brazilian hospitality and culture. Try the delicious tropical fruits, soak up the never-ending sun, train your bumbums in their academias and buy some colourful leggings to make Australia’s gyms a more colourful place.

Larissa x