Rihanna [1] has been my girl crush since she released her debut album, Music of the Sun in 2005. So, naturally, when I got the opportunity to do a one-on-one session with her trainer Dede Lagree at Form50 [2] in New York, I felt that much closer to being best friends with the Bad Gal herself.
The Lagree Fitness Method [3] is loved by celebrities like Meghan Markle [4], Ashley Graham, and Viola Davis. As someone who always works out — my favourite training modalities [5] are weightlifting and sprinting — I can vouch that the Lagree Method is no joke. The infamous slow tempo of a megaformer class [6] certainly challenges your balance and stability, causing your muscles to quiver hours after your workout is over.
In a recent interview for the British Vogue September issue, Rihanna said that although she's ready to start working out again, with one caveat: she doesn't want to lose her butt, hips, and thighs [7]. This at-home Lagree workout, using sliders to mimic the motion of the megaformer, will do the exact opposite, as it's all about strengthening the legs, booty, and abs to accentuate your curves.
The Workout
Do one set of each exercise listed below, taking little rest as you transition between exercises. Take 90 seconds to two minutes of rest in between each round, completing a total of four rounds.
- Plank to pike: 12 reps
- Bear: 12 reps
- Lift lunges: 12 reps each leg
- Side lunge: 12 reps
If you want a taste of what it's like to train like Rihanna, grab a towel or a pair of sliders [9], and get ready to build that cake, cake, cake, cake!
Plank to Pike: Lower Abdominals and Obliques
- On a hard floor, place the balls of your feet on a towel or sliders and come into a plank position. Align your wrists under your shoulders, with your hands spread shoulder-width apart. Your spine should be neutral.
- Keeping your legs as straight as possible, begin to lift your hips up on a four-count tempo coming into a pike. Your arms and shoulders should not move.
- Return to the starting position with the same four-count tempo. This counts as one rep.
- Complete 12 reps.
Lift Lunge: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps, and Abdominals
- Start standing on a hard floor with a slider or towel underneath your right foot, with your right leg extended behind you.
- Bend your left knee as you lower into a lunge following a four-count tempo. Keep your torso upright, and keep your left knee over your ankle at all times.
- Repeat the same four-count tempo as you straighten your left leg and return to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
- Complete 12 reps on each leg.
Bear: Arms, Lats, and Abs
- On a hard floor, place the balls of your feet on a towel or sliders and come into a plank position. Align your wrists under your shoulders, with your hands spread shoulder-width apart. Your spine should be neutral.
- Pull your knees into your chest with a slow, four-count tempo, without arching your hips. Maintain a flat back. Return to the starting position with the same four-count tempo. This counts as one rep.
- Complete 12 reps.
Side Lunge: Glutes, Hamstring, Quadriceps, and Abdominals
- Using a hard floor, place a slider or towel underneath your left foot. Your feet your should be hips width apart.
- Extend your left leg, and slowly begin to push your left leg out to the left side with a four-count tempo. Your right leg will simultaneously bend — be sure to keep your right knee over your ankle.
- Pull your left leg back in as you slowly return to the starting position with a four-count tempo. This completes one rep.
- Complete 12 reps on each leg.
Rest for 90 seconds to two minutes, then repeat for a total of four rounds.