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If you don't recognize 26-year-old surfer Anastasia Ashley from the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition or her recent Esquire sweater shoot, you might recognize her butt. It starred in the 2013 twerking warm-up video that nearly broke the Internet before Kim Kardashian did. Watch:
Cosmopolitan.com recently met up with Anastasia to find out how she keeps her killer butt in enviable shape:
You've gotten a lot of attention for your butt. Is it a product of surfing or other exercises?
It's fifty-fifty. Surfing is a full-body workout. When you're riding the board and balancing, you use your legs for balance and stability. And because you're always squatting, which is an uncomfortable and abnormal body position, it challenges your butt and legs.
So what do you do on land to sculpt your butt?
I'm in the gym usually every day and do a lot of specific exercises for legs to keep them strong. While cardio alone won't keep you toned, I walk on a treadmill at a high incline, climb on the StairMaster, and do lots of quick intervals.
With the incline walking, I'll do 12 to 15 incline at a 3 to 4 mile-per-hour pace. Even if you jog or run for five minutes on a super high incline, it's still pretty hard!
I also love doing spinning. I'm a Flywheel fan. It's the best workout overall, and it gets you motivated and competitive. (I'm competitive by nature.)
I'll usually do between 30 and 45 minutes of cardio, and 30 to 45 minutes of strength training, plyometrics, Pilates, and stretching. A good playlist makes your workout go by faster. It's painful to be in the gym without music. I literally can't even!
Also, to make your butt look good, you have to work your abs to sculpt your waist. This creates the illusion of an hourglass figure that ends up accentuating your butt.
Let's talk about your twerking warm-up. Have you always done it or do you just whip it out for special occasions?
It's been my routine since I had a Discman, even though you couldn't really move without making the CD skip. Before contests, it's easy to get distracted by other competitors, so I've always been into blocking other people and other things out. I always need music. When you wear headphones, people don't talk to you, which is a good thing because I don't talk to anyone at an event.
What are the benefits of your go-to warm-up compared to other kinds of stretches and cardio warm-up moves?
Before an event I try to get my heart rate up by jumping around, running in place, and stretching. I don't want to run up and down the beach because when I go into a heat, it's 15 to 20 minutes of nonstop intensity. You don't want to go into that tired. I just want to get the blood flowing to get ready. I'm not dancing in my mind; I'm in my own world. I just bounce around to get loose. I just kind of vibe.
Ready to vibe like Anastasia? Do 15 reps of each exercise below, then repeat the entire sequence up to five times. (Anastasia does it 10 times. Just sayin'.) And if you want an extra challenge? Strap on 2- to 3-pound ankle weights.
1. Squats: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart. Keeping your chest high and knees behind your toes, bend your knees and sink your butt down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Then push up through your heels to come back up to standing position. That's one rep.
2. Squat to Alternating Crossback Lunge: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart. Keeping your chest high and knees behind your toes, bend your knees and sink your butt down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Then push up through your heels to come back up to standing position, lift your right foot off the floor, and step back and to the left. Keeping your right knee behind your right toes and your shoulders stacked above your hips, bend both knees to lower your body straight down toward the floor. When your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor, push up through your front heel and bring your right foot back to starting position. Do another squat, then lunge to the opposite side, this time stepping back with your left leg and pushing through your right heel to come back to starting position. That's one rep.
3. Lunge Squats: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart. Keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips, lift your right foot off the floor and take a large step backward. Keep your left knee behind your left toes as you bend both knees and lower your body straight down toward the floor. When your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor, push up through your front heel to straighten both legs. That's one rep. Complete up to 15 reps, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
4. Alternating Lunge Jumps: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart. Keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips, lift your right foot off the floor and take a large step backward. Keep your left knee behind your left toes as you bend both knees and lower your body straight down toward the floor. When your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor, push up through your front heel and back toes, and explode into a jump. Reverse front and back legs in the air so you land with your right foot in front and your left foot behind you. Lower straight down toward the floor, and jump back to starting position to complete one rep.
5. Box Step-Ups: Stand in front of a step, box, or sturdy side table with your feet about hips-width apart. Place your right foot in the center of the box and press up into your heel to step up onto the box. Straighten the right leg as you bring your left knee up to your chest. Step back down to complete one rep. Repeat up to 15 times, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
6. Box Jumps: Bend your knees and bring your arms forward, then swing the arms backward for momentum as you jump both feet up onto the box. Stand up straight, then jump or step down, and land with soft knees to complete one rep.
7. Standing Rear Leg Lifts: Stand about one foot behind a chair and place both hands lightly on the back of the chair. Keeping your left leg straight, lift your left foot off the ground. Point the toes as you engage your butt and drive the leg straight out behind you. Bring it back down with control to complete one rep. Repeat up to 15 times, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
8. Hydrant Kickbacks: Get onto your hands and knees with the tops of your feet on the floor, your shoulders stacked over your wrists, and your hips stacked over your knees. Keeping both knees at 90-degree angles, engage your butt as you drive your right heel straight up to the ceiling. Release it to starting position with control to complete one rep. Repeat up to 15 times, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
9. Hydrant Heel Pulses: Get onto your hands and knees with the tops of your feet on the floor, your shoulders stacked over your wrists, and your hips stacked over your knees. Keeping both knees at 90-degree angles, engage your butt as you drive your right heel straight up toward the ceiling, stopping when your knee is nearly level with your hip. From this position, engage your butt and drive the elevated heel straight up about six inches. With control, lower about six inches to complete one rep. Repeat up to 15 times, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
10. Hydrant Rear Extensions: Get onto your hands and knees with the tops of your feet on the floor, your shoulders stacked over your wrists, and your hips stacked over your knees. Engage your butt as you extend your right leg and drive your right heel straight up toward the ceiling. Lower the leg and bend the knee to return to starting position, and complete one rep. Repeat up to 15 times, then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Pin the entire tutorial to save these moves for later!
Anastasia is wearing a Bikini Bottom, WILDFOX, $68 (available in December); Bikini Top, WILDFOX, $70 (available in December); Scoop Neck Tank, AMERICAN EAGLE, $16; with hair by TeQuan Johnson for Glamsquad and makeup by Lauren Cosenza.
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Elizabeth Narins is a Brooklyn, NY-based writer and a former senior editor at Cosmopolitan.com, where she wrote about fitness, health, and more. Follow her at @ejnarins.
