Beyoncé's Dance Captain Swears by This Glute Trainer — So I Tried It Myself

Although Beyoncé is famously private about her own fitness routine, we know there's some serious dedication that goes into getting performance-ready. (We all saw those incredible "Renaissance" dance routines, right?) To learn more about what it takes to get in shape for a show of this magnitude, we spoke with Beyoncé's veteran dance captain, Ashley Everett. Her favorite way to work out? An at-home glute trainer.

"My schedule is always packed between shoots, training, and travel, so being able to get in a super effective workout at home without needing a gym or heavy weights is everything," Everett says. She manages with the help of the Coba Board Glute Trainer Plus ($189), which she credits for helping her get in shape to be on stage with Beyoncé.

"Preparing for the stage means I need stamina, strength, and of course, I want my physique to be on point," Everett says. "When I'm training for a performance, resistance and strength training are non-negotiable, and Coba takes that to the next level."

The Coba board is designed at a seven percent incline in order to increase glute muscle activation. It comes with attachments for various resistance bands, which you can use for exercises like hip thrusts, kickbacks, squats, and deadlifts. "It activates my glutes and legs in a way that makes them stronger, but it's also super gentle on my body," Everett says — crucial for longevity purposes. But how does the Coba board work for the average person? I tried it to find out.

My Coba Board Experience

Setting up the Coba board is honestly half the battle. I started by attaching three resistance bands to the underside of the inclined base (which is impressively lightweight), threading them up to the top of the board, and attaching them to the "main handle." You can hold this handle to add resistance to your squats and deadlifts (as shown above). I also added upper body bands and prepped resistance bands for kickbacks and hip thrusts.

Once the board was set up, I followed a 15-minute Coba workout led by Everett and her partner, celebrity trainer Jay Burton. We moved through two sets of glute exercises like squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and downhill squats, plus some ab exercises like mountain climbers and kickouts. Although I did experience some technical difficulties with the main handle (more on that later), by the end of the workout, I had broken a sweat and felt the burn throughout my entire lower body.

What I Liked About the Coba Board

As someone who suffers from intense gymtimidation, I appreciated that the Coba board enabled me to work out privately. I don't always feel confident enough to hip thrust alone in the gym, so this glute trainer felt like something I would actually use in my fitness routine. I also found the workout to be appropriately challenging, even as someone who hits the gym consistently. It only took 15 minutes to get my heart rate up, and I definitely see why Everett uses this board for stamina and stage readiness.

The board also comes with different resistance bands so you can change the amount of weight you're moving against. Once you get used to a certain band, you can replace it with a more challenging resistance. "My biggest tip? Start with the lower resistance bands and gradually work your way up," Everett says.

What to Consider About the Coba Board

The Coba board set-up is relatively simple, but it still leaves some room for user error. After using the main handle for a few rounds of deadlifts and squats, a few of the bands became disconnected, and at one point, the entire handle came off. I paused my workout to try and adjust the bands, but would flag this as a potential consideration if you're not super handy with gym equipment (hi, it's me). A Coba board rep explains that the main handle should only ever snap out of place if it's set up backwards, which helped me troubleshoot.

It's also worth noting that, at $189, the board might not be the most affordable for everyone. If you're interested in resistance training and already own kettle bells or weights, purchasing resistance bands separately would also be a viable option. That said, if you're looking for an all-in-one piece of equipment that enables you to get a full-body resistance workout from home, the Coba board is a great option that'll get you in "Cowboy Carter" shape.

Additional Details About the Coba Board

Rating:
★★★★☆

Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.