Naples native and personal trainer Rekinson “Rick” Beaubrin often writes on his workout whiteboard: “Built, not bought.” He’s talking about your butt. Rick’s built a rep as a bit of a derrière pro with his line of sculpting activewear, booty-building resistance bands and a roster of intense glute-focused training sessions.
I used to think all bands were created equal until I tried Rick’s slim but sturdy, elastic-fabric ELIXER set—sold in a gray-ombre five-pack with resistance levels from light to extra-heavy. I first tried them during Rick’s Booty University workshops at the Total Athletic Performance gym at the Naples Emilio Sanchez Academy. I typically reach for heavy—which helps activate all three glute muscles during squats, duck walks and wall sits—but every once in a while, Rick pushes me to grab the extra heavy, and my glutes are on fire. Rick’s ELIXERs—aptly named, as they’re the key ingredient to many of his workouts—are designed to comfortably sit just above your knees, with no annoying slipping or flipping as you work through lower-body reps. And, unlike most bands in department stores or on Amazon, the material is soft to the touch, with elastic woven into the fabric for a cozy grip. When laid out next to my old Amazon set, the heavy ELIXER band is nearly half the size of the Amazon heavy—in weight and girth.
Rick sells the bands under his fashion brand MKTB—named after the Arabic word ‘maktub,’ meaning ‘fate’—which he launched in 2021. A local trainer for more than a decade, Rick has watched his clients struggle to find athletic wear that wicks sweat and stays put during vigorous HIIT and strength-training sessions. His gear blends sturdy, moisture-wicking polyamide and stretchy spandex in body-hugging styles, sourcing from the same manufacturer as Lululemon. While the ZENITH waist-cinching, glute-sculpting leggings—which I call my BBL (Brazilian butt lift) pants—are always in stock, Rick has limited-edition launches every few months. I’m crushing on the Florida sky-inspired, ombre Sunrise and Sunset sets this summer. They look great on evening runs and bike rides against our cotton candy skies.
