The 7 Best Workout Classes for Your Butt

If you have yet to step into a barre class, this mix of Pilates, yoga, strength training, and ballet is a craze that’s here to stay. Though you can expect to hear ballet terminology, being a ballerina dropout won’t come back to bite you.

The barre is mostly used as a support for a variety of toning and balance-based exercises, including pliés, leg lifts, isometric holds, and so much pulsing.

Those teeny, tiny pulses recruit weaker muscles, like those dead glutes we’re trying to avoid, says Brown. She adds that these small movements keep the muscle tense for longer, causing them to produce more lactic acid, increasing the burn.

And isometric holds train the muscle at a specific angle. For example, when holding your body in a plié with your knees bent at 90 degrees, you’ll strengthen other movements that require a 90-degree angle in your legs, like butt-boosting squats and lunges, says Brown.

Booty Bonus: If you aren’t feeling the burn at your next barre class, enhance the brain-to-muscle connection by focusing on the muscles you are using during each exercise, says Brown. To keep your butt challenged, ask your instructor to check your form or offer more advanced modifications.