When people tell me they want Toned Abs and a Booty…
+ Abs
There are only two things you need to do to see abdominal muscles:
1. Lower body fat
2. Build muscle
Everybody has muscles on their abdominals, but for them to appear visibly a women body fat percentage will need to be around 20% and men around 10%.
To lower body fat one needs to focus on calories and consumption. Consuming the correct foods including more protein and less fat (even healthy fat) and less calories will help you to get the desired look you hope for. Eliminating alcohol will do wonders, but if that is not an option for you, we can work with it.
Now to build muscle: Research shows that heavy (training at 80%) compound weightlifting, like the squat, deadlift, overhead press is generally more effective at training your core muscles than any core workouts you see used out there. As far as ab and core exercises go, if you focus on progressing (getting stronger over time) at the following exercises you should get to where you desire to be: Air bicycles, reverse super man holds, captains chair leg raise, hanging leg raise (ankle weights optional), kneeling cable crunch (weighted), ab wheel roll out, flat bench lying leg raise (ankle weights optional), russian twists (weighted), and dead bug tricep extensions (weighted). For non-weighted core exercises you progress by doing more reps. Doing these exercises weighted is great, but not required (because you can achieve the core you want by simply compound weight training), so if you do weighted then find your starting weight and do 12-15 reps until you can reach to 20 reps, then add more weight-this is progressive overload. These core moves are simple, work the muscles you want to work, and require minimal technical skill.
Plank exercises are also great if you want that corset tight look (which is what everyone hopes for). Any plank variations are great. If you do not know how to correctly perform these moves without injury please look up videos. There are lots of different muscles that you need to engage to achieve the toned ab look.
*For women it is important to understand between hip flexors and abdominals. Many overused ab exercises actually target the hip flexors and not the abdominals.
+ Booty
Squat rinse & repeat! Heavy compound weightlifting, like the squat, deadlift, overhead press, and glute bridges are all exercise that work muscles all over the body (even your abs). Adding weighted exercises to your routine (maybe throwing in some plyometric exercises here and there would be a great mix). Lastly, resistance band work is great to throw in as well.
I use to hate plyometric exercises (jumping stuff), but I tricked myself into enjoying it by making my friends do it with me, blasting upbeat music, and using it as a challenge to overcome. Jump squats, jump lunges, box jumps, and burpees are all around great toning exercises; just make sure to do them after heavy weight listing. Always get your heavy weights in first, so that you have enough energy.
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