Gabrielle Union has never been shy about sharing her secrets to a bangin’ bod. The 44-year-old actress loves posting snippets of her grueling workouts to Instagram, and on Wednesday morning, she treated us to an Insta story of her favorite go-to exercise regimen.
This 7-move circuit routine especially targets the star’s shoulders and back—so she’ll look extra fit for backless gowns on the red carpet this summer. Union has previously chronicled her quest to “build a booty,” as she put it, so her trainer threw in a few glute-toning moves too.
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Think you can handle Union’s workout? We say bring it on. But trust us, you’ll definitely be feeling the burn once you finish.
Rope Shoulder Pulls
Union captioned this image “25 reps of rope shoulder pulls = sexy shoulders,” and we can see why. It’ll seriously work your shoulders and upper back. Stand with your legs slightly bent and back straight. Hold a cable rope in both hands and pull toward your chest. Push the rope back in, then repeat. (Union did 25 reps.)
Dumbbell Front Raise
Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Raise your arms straight in front of you and lower once they’re at shoulder level. Make sure your arms don’t go above 90 degrees. Repeat.
TRX Squats with Thigh Band
The caption says this is Union’s warm up, but to us it looks like the main event. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Holding a TRX suspension rope, do a low squat, making sure your knees don’t sneak past your toes. To add a little extra fire, slip a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees.
Suspended Thigh Pulses
Stay in a squat position holding a TRX rope. With a resistance band around your thighs, pulse your legs in and out, keeping feet still. Judging by Union’s expression here, this will really pack a punch, but it’ll do wonders for your posterior.
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Kettlebell Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a kettlebell with both hands between your legs. Squat with your back straight, making sure your knees don’t go past your toes. Repeat.
Medicine Ball Throw
Standing with one foot in front of the other, back straight and knees slightly bent, hold a medicine ball in both hands. Making sure you pull it across your whole body, throw the ball against a nearby wall and catch it. Repeat.
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Full Body Dumbbell Snatch
Standing with your legs more than shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell with that arm above your head, other arm extended out and parallel with the ground. Bring the dumbbell down to the ground in one move, squatting as you go. Bring the dumbbell back above your head and straighten out your legs. Repeat.