Ask An Expert: The Secret To Flat Abs and A Toned Butt

Fitness expert and health coach, Chris Freytag understands that while it’s nice to be able to zip up a pair of jeans and feel confident in your body, belly and butt exercises benefit so much more than just your appearance. So if you’re ready for the secret to flat abs and a toned butt, check out this effective 10-minute ab and butt workout!

How The Workout Works

No equipment needed for this quick and effective 10-minute ab workout and butt workout! This bodyweight workout combines core exercises and lower body exercises to target your entire core (obliques and transverse abdominals), legs, glutes and hamstrings!

This workout will take you back and forth between the two areas: first an ab exercise, then a butt exercise, and so on.

There are 10 moves total, adding up to a simple 10-minute ab workout and butt workout.

Do 10-15 reps per move (except the Pilates 100 which you only do once for a count of 100!)

Try this workout 2-3 times a week in addition to your cardio exercise!

V-Ups

Here’s how to do V-Ups.

1. Lie on your back and extend your arms behind your head. Keep your feet together and toes pointed.
2. Keep your legs straight and lift them up as you simultaneously raise your upper body off the floor. Keep your core tight as you reach for your toes with your hands. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.

Plié Squats

Here’s how to do Plié Squats. 

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and toes turned out into a 45-degree angle.
2. Bend knees and lower your torso, keeping your back straight and abs tight.
3. Squeeze your glutes and come to a standing position.

Pilates 100

Here’s how to do Pilates 100.

1. Start lying on your back. Bring both knees into the chest to form a tabletop position. Bring your head, neck, and shoulder off the mat. Arms are long at the sides. Extend legs long and lower as far as possible while keeping the abs engaged and back connected to the mat in a slight imprint. (can modify by bending knees or bringing feet to mat with bent knees)
2. Pump the arms up and down in a quick, controlled manner while taking five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out). Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed and focus on your abdominal muscles doing all the work.

Kick Through Lunges

Here’s how to do kick through lunges.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip distance apart. Take a large step backward with the right foot and lower your body toward the floor. Both legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge.
2. Straighten your left leg and kick your right foot forward to hip height or higher if possible. Repeat for desired number of reps then switch legs.

Oblique Crunches

Here’s how to do oblique crunches. 

1. Begin by lying on your side, forearm down, knees slightly bent.
2. Roll slightly back onto your glute, like your sitting on the back pocket of your blue jeans and lift legs a few inches off the mat. Bring top hand behind the head so elbow is also bent.
3. Lift legs up bringing your knees to your elbow while at the same time crunching your elbow toward your knee. Squeeze your waistline with each lift. Perform desired number of reps and switch sides.

Booty Pop 

Here’s how to do a booty pop.

1. Begin in a low squat with knees and toes pointed outward, hands on the floor in front of you and chest lifted so torso is tall.
2. Straighten the legs to raise your hips up keeping your hands on the floor and relaxing head down.  Return to start and repeat.

Sweeping Scissors

Here’s how to do sweeping scissors. 

1. Start lying on the mat with arms over your head and legs long.
2. Sweep arms out to sides and bring head, neck, and shoulders off the mat reaching arms long and lift one leg up and in towards the chest.  Reaching arms forward on the sides of the leg. Roll back to mat lowering the leg, and repeat on the other side.

Cross-Behind Lunges

Here’s how to do cross-behind lunges. 

1. Begin standing with your feet hip distance apart.
2. Transfer your body weight onto your left leg and cross your right foot behind your left leg keeping your hips facing forward as you bend both knees and lower yourself toward the floor in a lunge. Keep your back straight and chest lifted to keep your weight in the front leg. Step back to start position and repeat on the other side.

Side Plank Scoop

Here’s how to do a side plank scoop. 

1. Begin in a full side plank position with right hand below shoulder, left arm reaching high above left shoulder and legs long. (Modify by placing bottom knee onto mat if needed)
2. Tighten abdominals and slowly scoop left arm under the body, following with your eyes until you see behind you.
3. Slowly reach left hand back to start position.
4. Repeat for desired number of repetitions and switch sides.

Single-Leg Hamstring Bridge

Here’s how to do a single leg hamstring bridge. 

1. Lie on back with bent knees hip distance apart, and feet flat on mat stacked under the knees. Extend one leg long towards the ceiling.
2. Squeeze glutes and lift hips off the mat into a bridge. Lower and lift the hips for desired number of reps then repeat on other side.

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Fitness expert and health coach, Chris Freytag understands that while it’s nice to be able to zip up a pair of jeans and feel confident in your body, belly and butt exercises benefit so much more than just your appearance. So if you’re ready for the secret to flat abs and a toned butt, check […]