Meet Rapha Araujo, aka FaFa Fitness on Instagram and TikTok. Originally from Brazil, Rapha has been living in Chicago for the last 10 years and has made it her second home. In the space of three months, this Brazilian quad queen has exploded onto social media and has amassed thousands of followers.
Fitness has always been a part of Rapha’s life and she has successfully, and quickly, established herself as one of the fitness influencers to watch. Rapha wants to inspire and motivate others and wants to share her knowledge of what she has learnt over the years.
Admired for her incredible body, Rapha receives daily messages from other women asking how she achieves her look, at times receiving up to 600 messages a day. After receiving so much interest, she has decided to launch her very own programme.
Today, Rapha will be revealing her top three exercises on how to achieve “the Brazilian look” and is putting them to the test one last time. Rapha describes the Brazilian look as “nice thick legs, nice thick glutes, a small waist and cute little arms.”
Rapha has decided to get boyfriend Nick involved, to test out her programme. As Rapha sets to work and the intensity increases, we see if Nick can keep up with the Brazilian Boss Lady. She puts him through a workout on the adductor machine, barbell hip thrusters and leg extension machine.
Rapha can also be seen doing lunges with weights, which is a great way to sculpt your glutes even without access to the gym. Lunges with some of the best adjustable dumbbells, using a raised surface such as a step like Rapha is doing, allow you to sink further into the movement, putting a greater strain on your glutes and quads.
Step lunges work the muscles in your hips and quads according to the Journal of Athletic Training, because you must raise your leg higher to complete the movement. A forward stepping motion shorter than a lunge, the step-up, can also be performed under weight to help tone and train your legs. The best elliptical machine, which Rapha is also seen using, can create tension in your glutes and quads too.
Workout done, Rapha records some content showing off her enviable figure updating her followers that they’ll soon be able to get their hands on her own special programme.
Looking ahead to the future, Rapha explains: “I don’t want to just be one more pretty face online. I want to be the one who helped people achieve their goal. When you look at yourself in the mirror, if you’re happy with yourself you legit change your whole life.”
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