Watching Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show [1] really felt like a whirlwind. There was a lot going on, between the "is she pregnant [2]?!" debates, the moving Super Smash Bros. platforms, and the dancing marshmallow minions.
You may not have noticed, then, that Rihanna [3]'s dancers were working up quite a sweat. Yes, thanks to the fact that dancing full-out for 13 minutes is an absolutely killer workout, but also because a lot of the moves — fabulously choreographed by Parris Goebel [4] — were basically workout moves in their own right.
Go ahead, rewatch it a few more times — I know you'll take any excuse to do so — and you'll notice that there's basically an entire full-body workout routine [5] inside the halftime show.
If you don't want to do the detective work, take it from me, a certified trainer: I pulled out seven exercises from the routine (not including those headstands at the ~6:30 mark) and put together a quick workout, so you can see for yourself. And because no good workout is complete without a fire playlist, I've designed it so it takes just as long as Rihanna [6]'s performance. That way, you can pull up the YouTube video [7] and sweat to Rihanna's greatest hits, just like her dancers did. Go ahead, get to work, work, work, work, work.
Rihanna's Super Bowl Choreo-Inspired Workout
Equipment needed: none; grab a workout mat or perform these moves on a soft floor, like a carpet, if that's more comfortable.
Directions: After a quick warmup, complete each of the exercises below for 45 seconds, then rest 15 seconds before moving on to the next move. Repeat two times in total. Cool down with this 10-minute stretching routine [8].
Inchworm
At about the 4:35 mark, Rihanna's dancers do a super-sexy body roll down to the ground, then walk their hands to their feet and stand back up — that's an inchworm if I've ever seen one. This is a fantastic full-body move that works your shoulders, chest, and core strength as well as your mobility. Do enough of them in a row, and it'll get your heart beating fast, too.
- Start standing with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Keeping your back straight, bend forward, hinging at your hips to bring your hands to the floor. Bend your knees, if needed, to reach the floor.
- Walk your hands forward into a plank. Hold this position for one second, making sure not to let your hips drop.
- Walk your hands back toward your feet, bending your knees if needed. Slowly roll up to stand, letting your head hang and keeping your neck relaxed.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
Single-Leg Hops
Take a look at the 3:25 mark, and watch as Rihanna's dancers balance — while jumping, more or less — on one leg for what seems like an eternity. Build up your own balance, agility, and unilateral explosiveness with single-leg hops.
- Start standing on your right leg, with your left leg bent and lifted off the floor.
- Perform tiny hops on your right leg, taking care to land softly with your standing knee bent.
- To level up, try hopping side to side over an imaginary line. To modify, perform the hops on both legs.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. On the next round, perform the hops on the other leg.
Glute Bridges
Focus on those floating platforms at the 5:55 mark, and you'll see Rihanna's dancers doing good old-fashioned glute bridges. A sexy dance move? Yes. A solid exercise for your core, glutes, and hamstrings? Also yes.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Extend your arms by your sides with your palms flat on the floor.
- Press down into both feet, and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips into the air. Stop when your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Lower your hips to the floor, taking care not to arch your back.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
Bear Crawl
That moment at 5:22 during "Work" when Rihanna's dancers are literally crawling after her? Queen sh*t. But also, that's a bear crawl, baby. Keep your hips down and level with your shoulders, unlike the dancers, and you'll get a great core burn out of this move. Plus, you'll feel it in your back and shoulders.
- Start on all fours on the floor, with your knees below your hips and your hands below your shoulders. Set your spine in a neutral position (not arched in either direction), and draw your shoulder blades down and back. Tuck your toes, and lift your knees just a few inches off the floor.
- Take a small step forward with your left foot and your right hand at the same time, ensuring that you keep your core engaged [9]. Try not to sway your hips from side to side, and keep your torso parallel to the ground.
- Take a small step forward with your right foot and your left hand at the same time.
- Reverse the move, taking a small step backward by moving your left foot and hand simultaneously, then your right foot and hand to return to the starting position.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
Scissors
If there's one moment that screamed "workout," it was during "Pour It Up," at about the 7:08 mark, when the dancers were doing literal ab exercises on the stage. (Even our POSUGAR Fitness Dance Fitsugar instructors picked up on it [10].) The move? Scissors — and they'll have your core burning in just a few reps.
- Lie flat on your back on the floor. Extend your arms so they're against the sides of your body with your palms pressing into the floor, or bend your elbows and place your palms under the back of your head. Lift both legs straight up toward the ceiling, pressing your lower back into the floor.
- Without arching your back, slowly lower your right leg until it's hovering a few inches above the floor.
- Scissor your legs, lifting your right leg back up as you lower your left leg toward the ground.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
Crab Hip Thrust
There are hip thrusts in all planes of motion during this halftime routine. But take a look at 5:14, and you'll see the dancers doing a creative version that'll fire up your glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, chest, and back: crab hip thrusts with an arm reach [11].
- Start sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor in front of you. Place your palms flat on the floor behind you, fingers pointing backward, away from your head, or out to the sides (whichever is more comfortable for you).
- Reach your right arm toward the ceiling while pressing into your feet to lift your hips off the floor. Look over your left shoulder while you reach.
- Lower your hips slowly to the floor. Repeat on the other side, reaching your left arm overhead.
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
Jump Lunges
Those dancers got one helluva leg workout with all that twerking, whining [12], and thrusting. And if that wasn't enough, they also did what's essentially a set of jump lunges at 8:50. These will work your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors and give you a good dose of cardio. If you want to modify (no shame here, jump lunges are brutal), simply step backward into a reverse lunge instead.
- Start standing with your feet together.
- Jump a few inches off the floor to land softly in a lunge with your left leg forward, bending both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the floor (or as low as is comfortable for you).
- Push off both feet to jump and switch legs, landing in a lunge with your right leg in front. Bend both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the floor (or as low as is comfortable for you).
- That's one rep. Repeat for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.
