From Streaming Screen to Squat Rack: How To Get Your ‘Heated Rivalry’ Hockey Butt

A detailed Pride feature breaking down how to build a “Heated Rivalry butt” has drawn wide attention online, translating the aesthetics of a popular queer hockey romance into a structured glute-focused training plan. The article, based on guidance from strength coach Kyle Francum of Crave Canada , outlines a seven-exercise routine centered on heavy hip thrusts, squats, and other compound lower-body lifts designed to increase glute muscle size and strength.

According to the Pride.com guide, the recommended routine includes hip thrusts, back squats, Romanian deadlifts, hamstring curls, step-ups, curtsy or cross-back lunges, and glute or back extensions, all performed for 6–12 repetitions per set with relatively heavy loads that bring the lifter close to muscular failure. Francum emphasizes hypertrophy-focused training, which is a style of strength programming aimed at increasing muscle size through moderate-to-heavy resistance and sufficient training volume. Sports science research describes hypertrophy training similarly, typically recommending multiple sets of 6–12 repetitions with challenging loads for muscle growth.

The piece also stresses the role of nutrition, quoting Francum’s recommendation that lifters aiming to build muscle consume approximately 0.7–1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight alongside balanced carbohydrates, fats, and fiber to support training and recovery. Position stands from the International Society of Sports Nutrition describe a similar range, stating that individuals engaging in resistance training often benefit from roughly 1.4–2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, which overlaps with the guideline cited in the article.

In the guide, Francum notes that beginners training at least three times per week commonly see visible strength and muscle changes within six to eight weeks, with more gradual progress in later training years. Sports science literature also reports that new lifters often experience rapid neuromuscular and hypertrophic adaptations in the first two months of consistent resistance training, followed by slower but continuing improvements over longer time frames.

While the Pride.com article is framed playfully around the idea of a “hockey butt,” the exercises it highlights are similar to those promoted by glute-specialist coaches such as Bret Contreras, who has popularized heavy hip thrusts and squats as cornerstone movements for glute development through his BC Strength platform . Contreras has publicly discussed the importance of distinguishing low-load “glute activation” drills—best suited for warm-ups—from the heavier compound lifts required to significantly grow glute muscles over time.

Queer and trans trainers say that this kind of pop-culture-linked programming can make strength training feel more approachable to LGBTQ+ people who may have experienced discomfort or exclusion in conventional gym spaces. Advocacy organizations have documented how harassment, discrimination, and gender-policing in locker rooms and fitness facilities can discourage LGBTQ+ people—particularly transgender people and nonbinary people—from participating in sports and physical activity.

LGBTQ+-focused fitness initiatives, such as queer-friendly gyms and online coaching spaces that explicitly affirm all genders and sexual orientations, have emerged in recent years to address these barriers and promote inclusive training environments. Advocates note that programming that centers queer narratives—such as workouts inspired by LGBTQ+ media or athletes—can help community members connect with exercise as a source of empowerment rather than pressure to conform to narrow body ideals.

The Pride.com feature situates its routine within a larger conversation about realistic expectations and long-term progress, discouraging the idea of “instant” transformations and emphasizing patience, progressive overload, and consistent training. Organizations such as the National Eating Disorders Association caution that media-driven body comparisons can contribute to body image distress, and they encourage framing fitness around strength, functionality, and personal well-being rather than a single aesthetic ideal. Public health guidance on physical activity likewise highlights the mental health and quality-of-life benefits of regular exercise for LGBTQ+ communities, including reduced stress and improved mood.

By anchoring its training advice in a popular queer romance, the Pride.com guide illustrates how LGBTQ+ media and evidence-based fitness can intersect, offering readers both a detailed lower-body workout template and an entry point into a more affirming relationship with strength training. Coaches and advocates say such approaches can support body autonomy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual people by encouraging movement that aligns with their goals, comfort, and identities rather than external expectations.