Easy Ab and Booty Workout | 30-Day Fitness Challenge (Week #4)

♦ DAY 22 of the #HWHFitnessChallenge!  Log your exercise here. ♦

Hi friends!  How was your weekend?  I spent the last 3 days in the beautiful town of Denver, Colorado celebrating my best girlfriend’s 50th birthday. We had a great time being together and exploring the city.  The weather could not have been more perfect, especially when you’re used to the blazing heat and humidity of Houston, Texas! I swear, Denver is one place I wouldn’t mind moving to!   The scenery is gorgeous and there are so many active things to do.  It’s no wonder Denver is one of the fittest cities in the US!

how to lose weight

Similar Shorts • Sneakers • Tank • Similar Jacket • Sunglasses • Crossbody Bag • Watch

It worked out that there was tons of walking during this trip, so getting my daily 20 minutes of exercise in each day was no problem.  The alcohol?? Well, I’m not a big drinker, but I definitely exceeded the one day a week goal.  I’m really looking forward to finishing this challenge strong.  We only have 8 days to go!! And today I’m sharing an easy ab and booty workout to add to your exercise routine!

WEEK 3

bikini body easy ab and booty workout

TopBottoms

WEEK 1

easy ab and booty workout fitness challenge

Sports Bra • Leggings • Sneakers • No-Show Socks

#HWHFITNESSCHALLENGE

To recap, here are the challenge details:

Exercise 20 minutes every.single.day (LOG YOUR EXERCISE here

Drink 64 oz. of water a day

No fried food • No desserts • No alcohol (1 “cheat day” per week)

Meditate • Pray • Gratitude Journal

Get adequate sleep

Honey We're Home 30-day fitness challenge

FREE PRINTABLE : Honey We’re Healthy 30-Day Fitness Challenge

My main goal on this challenge was to get us moving everyday, which would (hopefully) have a positive impact on our lives with everything from our energy levels to what we ate.

I’ve heard from so many of you who’s goal on this challenge was to lose weight and you’re doing it!  My weight has basically stayed the same, although I can tell through photos and how I feel that my body composition has changed.

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you do have weight to lose, let me tell you the easiest way to do it.  Not that actually doing it is easy, but the method is quite simple.   It’s all about calories in vs. calories out.

The easiest way I’ve found to track your calories is through the FREE app, My Fitness Pal.  The key is that you have to be HONEST and track every single thing that goes into your mouth.

If you aren’t familiar with the app, check out my video tutorial for how to use My Fitness Pal.

First, you need to know how many calories you should eat to maintain your current weight.  Use this Calorie Calculator and type in your age, gender, height, weight and exercise level.  I just put “light activity” as a baseline. Below are my results:

calorie calculator for losing weight

You can see I need about 1500 calories a day to maintain my current weight.

Then, give yourself a slight caloric deficit of 200 calories a day, and, over time, you will lose weight. 

Keep in mind, this is without vigorous exercise or more exercise per week.  You can also burn calories that way.

Make sure that when you track your calories that you are honest with yourself and track everything or else the data won’t be accurate.

Using this method, it’s reasonable to lose half to one pound each week.

If you find you’re losing too fast or too slow, you can adjust your calories and exercise.

Check out my video tutorial for how to use My Fitness Pal.

WHAT TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you want to get serious, it’s not just about reducing calories, because a low calorie diet of cookies won’t help you reach your goal.

  • Eliminate processed foods and refined sugar
  • Avoid soda and sugary drinks, including alcohol
  • Eat lean protein, complex carbohydrates, vegetables and healthy fats

EASY AB AND BOOTY WORKOUT

I have another treat for you today!  I asked my friend Angi Abercrombie if she would share an easy ab and booty workout with us so we have some exercises specifically targeted to those areas.
Angi Abercrombie
This girl knows her stuff!  Angi is a wife, mom and certified personal trainer in Dallas, Texas.   She owns and manages a boutique training studio where she helps her clients transform their bodies through written custom workouts.  Her program focuses on  resistance training, HIIT (high intensity interval training), cardiovascular and weight training.
Additionally, Angi is also a rising FITness blogger and virtual FITness coach.  Angi’s online 6 week FITness program is a one stop shop for a total body tone including a meal plan. If you’re interested in her program, you can get in touch with her here.
Beginners 3 rounds of 15 reps  of every exercise.
Intermediate 4 rounds of 20 reps of every exercise.
Advanced 6 rounds of 25 reps.

Stationary Lunges

Stand tall with your feet hip distance apart then take a large step backward with one foot. This is your start position. Lower the back knee to a 90 degree angle so both knees are bent then press up to start position and repeat.

Wall Sit

Stand with your back pressing against a wall. Slide downward into a squat position by moving your feet forward until your knees make a 90-degree angle and your hamstrings are parallel to the floor.  Hold for 30 seconds or more.

Jack Knife

Lie flat on the floor on your back with your arms extended straight back behind your head and your legs extended also. This will be your starting position. As you exhale, bend at the waist while simultaneously raising your legs and arms to meet in a jackknife position.  Tip: The legs should be extended and lifted at approximately a 35-45 degree angle from the floor and the arms should be extended and parallel to your legs. The upper torso should be off the floor.

Fire Hydrants

From an all fours position – make sure your arms and wrists are in alignment, lift a leg out to the side working the hip and outer thigh.  Advanced could add a resistance band.

Full Sit Ups

Beginners cross arms across your chest and come up over bent knees (beginners may want to tuck feet under a bed or chest of drawers or couch)  Intermediate would put hands behind the head BUT DO NOT PULL ON THE NECK.  Advanced would butter fly the legs and complete a full sit up.

Squat Squat Jump

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively.  When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.

Do 5 reps only (these are to be done fast to get the heart rate up).

Hip Thrusts

Start with your shoulder blades against a bench, and your arms spread across it for stability. Take a big breath in, blow your air out fully, and brace your core. Squeeze your glutes, lift up your hips, and hold a second or two.

Beginners would do this from the floor and could switch out bent knees and or butterfly feet.  Intermediate would elevate the feet on a bench, chair, couch or stair. Advanced would do this one leg at a time and could add weights to the hips as shown in the pictures.

*Neither Angi Abercrombie or Abercrombie & FITness are responsible for serious or non-threatening injuries or health issues associated with using this custom workout program.  It is recommended that you please consult a doctor before starting a workout regimen to ensure you are healthy enough for rigorous workout activity. 

bikini body easy ab and booty workout

HOW IS THE CHALLENGE GOING FOR YOU?

We’ve talked a lot about our successes and struggles in the workout and diet portions of this challenge. How is your wellness going? Are you going to bed early enough? Have you noticed a difference in yourself with just a few extra moments of quiet and reflection? Let me know in the comments below! I’d also love to know if you tried this easy ab and booty workout!

If you’re new to the HWH 30-day Fitness Challenge, check out the posts below:

HWH Fitness Challenge – Week 1

HWH Fitness Challenge – Week 2

HWH Fitness Challenge – Week 3

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

38 Comments

  1. Good morning. I don’t see any pictures of the exercises. #7 says we will see an example in the pictures.

      1. Thank you so much. I am loving the workouts. I’ve only lost 4 pounds but, boy am I loving the muscle tone I am seeing. :))

  2. I have loved participating in the challenge! It has really made me motivated to do something every day! I had never meditated before this challenge and it has really helped me sleep better at night. Never knew how much making room for white space in my mind would help!!!

    1. My 8 year-old son has been making sure I do my meditations and will even do them with me! Before bed, we do the “sleep” pack on the headspace app. It helps me sleep too!

  3. You look amazing but I would rather see the difference in a body that is not slim and hot as you are. This doesn’t help someone that is supper fat and néed to loose a lot of weight. For me this is discouraging looking at your amazing body this will help those that are already fit. I am supper fat and need help.

    1. Hi Monica! Don’t feel bad- we all start somewhere and where we are now isn’t necessarily where we are going! Maybe you could relate more to my friend Lakeitha Duncan. She has lost over 100 pounds naturally and her instagrams are so inspiring and helpful. You can finder her on IG: @lakeitha_duncan & @stepping_out_of_stuck

  4. Right after I started this challenge, I tweaked my back. I’m not sure how but let’s just say, it was bad. I seriously couldn’t walk the first day. I was happy I got my excersise in for that day though. I thought it would be the last day that I would be able to participate in this challenge. I pushed hard and was able to continue and even though I wasn’t able to work out as hard as I had planned, I was happy that I was able to do something. I just wanted to thank you for doing this. For some reason, having to be accountable made me get up and do it where otherwise I may have had excuses and I would have missed some days. I’m down 2 pounds and I have 3 to go. I didn’t need to lose much. I really just needed to tone. May take a bit longer due to my back but I’m not stopping any time soon. Thanks again Meghan

    1. Cathy, thanks so much for taking the time to write. I’m glad this challenge is having a positive impact on your life. That’s my goal for all of us!

  5. I think it was around week 2 of the challenge that you included a nutrition/meal plan or highlights from a personal trainer or nutritionist in your newsletter. I recall reading it with the plan to look at it again when I had more time. However, I cannot find it in my emails or in the older blogs. Can you provide me with a link? Thank you!

  6. Hi Megan! Thank you so much for starting this challenge! It’s exactly what I needed. Is is possible to start a private Facebook page for the participants? That way we can all chat, comment and keep each other motivated!

  7. Love this post. Very motivating. As a 50 somethingish, who has found my metabolism has slowed to a crawl despite dedicated 3X a week cardio classes and trying to eat right, I don’t lose weight but I am maintaining – it is hard work. This challenge has reminded me the importance of eating right and doing strength training. My muscles are week but I am going to keep going much like your mantra, success doesn’t come from doing something occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently. Still, it’s hard but happy that your challenge provides motivation. Loving these exercises as I need a plan to guide.

    1. Yep, it’s the consistency that is key. I’m with you on strength training. It’s especially important as we get older! Being healthy and strong makes everything in life feel better! Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know how it’s going for you!

  8. Hi Megan.. Im Jim .. I joined from the start.. I wanted a reason to exercise more.. your challenge gave me a reason.. I’m doing at least 20 minutes a day.. a couple days I had less than that.. I felt terrible!! The diet I’m not doing so well.. I still have time to fix that! Can you help: I can’t figure out the days I need to fill in on the fitness log.. I’m confused.. thank you. Good morning!!

      1. Hi Megan.. thanks for your reply and for your help.. you and everyone there are terrific to work with… Hope to hear from you soon.. enjoy your day!!

  9. Hi Megan.. I’ll reenter my log information.. I don’t want to bother you any more with this. Thanks for your help.. everyone have a great weekend!!

  10. Doing some physical activity every day. Some days more some days less. I am gearing up to do exercises at home and I am wondering what is the starting weight for hand weights? Also, I always realized that I did not drink enough water and you made me drink 64oz every day. I only lost 4 lbs but I am not discouraged. Thanks Megan!

  11. Hi Megan.. you and everyone there are awesome.. thanks for all you do!! I’ll miss hearing from all of you!.. I hope you will continue this in some other form. I don’t want to give up all of the work I’ve done with my workouts!! By the way… I hope you have fun in Galveston.. I went there a few years ago.. it was beautiful! Happy 4th to everyone.. Jim

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