Sommer Ray is basically the blueprint for the modern fitness influencer. You’ve seen the photos. Everyone has. But there is a lot of noise regarding the Sommer Ray bare ass phenomenon that people get completely wrong. Honestly, she didn’t just wake up one day with 25 million followers because she looked good in a bikini. It was a perfect storm of timing, genetics, and a level of consistency that would make most professional athletes sweat.
The internet has this weird obsession with debunking her. People love to scream "surgery" the moment a woman achieves a certain physique. But if you actually look at her history, the story is way more boring and way more impressive than a trip to a plastic surgeon.
Why the Sommer Ray Bare Ass Aesthetic Changed the Internet
Back in 2016, Instagram was still finding its feet. Fitness was mostly about "fitspiration"—grainy gym selfies and weirdly aggressive motivational quotes. Then came Sommer. She didn’t post blurry photos of her pre-workout. She posted high-definition, sun-drenched shots that focused heavily on her glutes.
It worked.
The term Sommer Ray bare ass became a sort of shorthand for a specific body goal. It wasn't just about being skinny anymore; it was about being "sculpted." She shifted the goalposts for millions of women. Suddenly, everyone wanted a "peach."
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But here’s the thing: Sommer comes from a literal family of bodybuilders. Her mom, Shannon Ray, was a competitive athlete. Her dad was a bodybuilder. She started lifting heavy in her basement at 15. By the time she was 16, she was winning NPC Colorado State Championships. You can't fake that kind of muscle maturity.
The Natural vs. Surgery Debate
I’ve seen the threads. People pull up a photo from 2013 and compare it to 2026 and claim it’s impossible. It's not. If you spend ten years doing heavy Smith machine squats and cable kickbacks, your body changes.
Sommer has been vocal about this. She’s famously anti-plastic surgery. She once told Forbes that she thinks surgery takes away the parts that make someone unique. She even posts "fails" and raw videos to show that her body isn't just a static image. It moves. It has skin texture. It’s real.
The "Sommer Ray bare ass" look is the result of what she calls "muscle booties." It’s a distinct look that differs from the shelf-like appearance of a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift).
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The Workout Secrets Nobody Actually Follows
Everyone wants the result, but nobody wants the leg day. Sommer’s routine is actually kind of chaotic, but in a way that works for her. She doesn’t do traditional cardio. Why? Because she has a fast metabolism and doesn’t want to lose the muscle mass she worked years to build.
Instead, she focuses on isolation.
- The "Unconventional" Leg Press: She doesn't just sit and push. She often uses the pull-up assist machine or the hamstring curl machine in ways that would make a gym manager nervous.
- High Reps: She stays in the 12-15 rep range. It’s about the pump and the mind-muscle connection.
- Consistency: She hits the gym five days a week. Rain or shine.
She also eats. A lot. You can't build an asset like that on a 1,200-calorie diet. She’s famously obsessed with In-N-Out (protein style, no bun) and pizza. She proves that you don't need to live on tilapia and asparagus to look like a fitness model.
Dealing with the "Objectification" Label
There’s a lot of talk about whether she’s empowering or just playing into the male gaze. Her audience demographics are roughly 84% male. That’s a fact. But she’s also a CEO. She’s used that "bare ass" fame to launch IMARAÏS Beauty, a skincare brand that actually does clinical studies. She’s a DJ. She’s a multi-millionaire.
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She’s basically said, "If I have it, and I worked for it, why can't I show it?" It’s a polarizing take, sure. But in the world of 2026 creator economics, she’s a genius. She turned a physical attribute into a global empire.
What You Can Actually Learn from Her
If you’re trying to replicate her success—or just her glute gains—stop looking for shortcuts. The Sommer Ray bare ass trend isn't a product you can buy. It's a decade of heavy lifting.
If you want to see progress, you need to stop doing 10-minute "no equipment" YouTube workouts and start moving some actual weight.
- Stop skipping the Smith machine. It’s great for stability.
- Eat more protein. She aims for 70g-100g a day just to maintain.
- Ignore the haters. If Sommer had listened to the people calling her a "thirst trapper" in 2017, she wouldn't be a mogul today.
The reality is that Sommer Ray changed the way we look at fitness influencers. She moved it away from the "unreachable" supermodel look toward a "worked-for-it" athletic look. Whether you love the content or hate the "bare ass" branding, you can't deny the work ethic.
Next Steps for Your Own Progress:
- Audit your leg day: Are you actually lifting heavy enough to struggle by the 12th rep? If not, add weight.
- Focus on the "shelf": Add weighted donkey kicks and cable kickbacks to your routine twice a week to target the gluteus medius.
- Track your intake: If you aren't seeing growth, you're likely under-eating. Use a basic TDEE calculator to find your maintenance calories and add 200.