Any advice on exercises to regain V-taper. first off let me tell you I’m 35, 5’9", 195 lbs., I stay between 5 and 10% body fat. I think from years of heavy squats my obliques and lower back muscles have thickened up. I’ve always had thick abs. I have since stopped squatting. Should I step up the cardio and cut out heavy leg presses too? Any exercises you would recommend doing? any you would recommend not doing? Sorry if this is a stupid question - - any help would be appreciated
Can you post some before/after photo?
My girlfriend took some pictures at the beach this weekend - I’ll have to have her email them to me
I don’t know if you should necessarily take out exercises, espically squats. How about you post your back routine?
I snapped this one off in the mirror so you can get an idea of where I’m at - -my abs are good obliques are too much, I never train them - train abs 2X a week two exercises two sets to failure …
just workout your back more, focusing on width, or lose the gut. sorry about the second option but since i have no picture to go by…the most obvious answer is that you’ve gained fat on your midsection and that would of course be the simplest answer to your problem.
edit, you literally posted the pick right before i posted the above statement. well you look very solid i would just have to say maybe you should up your back routine, focusing on width. don’t forget of course your delts, they are very important to the v taper as well
[quote]That One Guy wrote:
just workout your back more, focusing on width, or lose the gut. sorry about the second option but since i have no picture to go by…the most obvious answer is that you’ve gained fat on your midsection and that would of course be the simplest answer to your problem.
edit, you literally posted the pick right before i posted the above statement. well you look very solid i would just have to say maybe you should up your back routine, focusing on width. don’t forget of course your delts, they are very important to the v taper as well[/quote]
Yeah I think you’re right on with that - my delts are the weakest body part and would say are lagging behind - -thanks I really didn’t consider that
Whats your waist circomference size?
that’s a badass tatoo…How many hours did you put into it?
But u’r lookin good man, can’t really see your thickness from that shot but your width looks solid. Try throwing in some wide grip pull-ups, pulldowns, rows, ect.
lat width helps the v-taper as well.
Looking very solid. Don’t worry, the waist needs to get a little thicker to support the increased upper body mass too. Work on back width and shoulders as mentioned already. Squat closer stance if youre doing wide stance squatting.
Dude you have decent lats - work on the shoulders, as they are the weakest part of your torso.
Don’t take that the wrong way - you are light years ahead of most guys on here.
But a nice big melon will cap your back, and give a more tapered look down to your waist.
Nice ink.
whats your usual trainin look like ?
Im curious as to why everything else looks pretty dang strong, but the shoulders are lagging behind.
–JB
I agree with rainjack.
Also try using the smith machine for squats/deads. I read somewhere that by using this machine you can focus on using the prime movers of the exercise and all the other stabilizers like the obliques get hit less than free squats/deads, etc. So if you think that the squats and deads were your problem then this may help…my .02
Gerdy
I agree, the delts are lagging but i also think your lats are too… get in 9 sets of lat work 1-2x a week and do more presses for your delts, maybe increasing volume.
The lats are there from behind, but not at the front… Same problem as me, actually.
I am currently bringing up my lats and i am starting with 2x a week and just 6 sets per workout - upto 12 sets per workout and 2-3 times a week… over time.
Good physique thoug, be interested in seeing your program and especially your diet and any “supplements” you may or may not take…
Joe
30+ hours on tat
Joe Joseph I think you’re right with lats in back NONE in front.
Back workout today: 20mins cardio start
1.Seated machine rows (wide grip up high to hit upper back) 4 sets reps 15,12,10,failure(9)
2. Seated machine pullovers -4 sets reps 10, 10,10,failure
3. Wide grip machine pulldowns- 3 sets 12,10,10
4. Close grip cable pulldowns- 3 sets reps 12,10,8
5. Hyper extensions- 2 sets reps 25,25
6. Abs hanging leg lifts- 2 sets reps 25, failure
7. Abs crunches- 2 sets reps 25,25
As far as supplements I’m coming off 250mg TE EW, 400mg Mast. EW, 50mg Var ED, 4 units gh ED, Clen cycled with ECA.
Test and GH prescribed by my Dr. bloodwork done every 6 weeks. Will be back “on” in a month or so. I will be cleaning my diet up while ‘off’
Thanks for the advice Need a good shoulder workout if anyone has a good one, please lemme have it…
[quote]senutrition wrote:
Thanks for the advice Need a good shoulder workout if anyone has a good one, please lemme have it…[/quote]
I’m sure you can use the “search” function but here’s one that is bodybuilding focused, it’ll save you some time searching.
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1151810
here’s the related discussion;
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/discussArticle.do?id=1151810
[quote]senutrition wrote:
30+ hours on tat
Joe Joseph I think you’re right with lats in back NONE in front.
Back workout today: 20mins cardio start
1.Seated machine rows (wide grip up high to hit upper back) 4 sets reps 15,12,10,failure(9)
2. Seated machine pullovers -4 sets reps 10, 10,10,failure
3. Wide grip machine pulldowns- 3 sets 12,10,10
4. Close grip cable pulldowns- 3 sets reps 12,10,8
5. Hyper extensions- 2 sets reps 25,25
6. Abs hanging leg lifts- 2 sets reps 25, failure
7. Abs crunches- 2 sets reps 25,25
As far as supplements I’m coming off 250mg TE EW, 400mg Mast. EW, 50mg Var ED, 4 units gh ED, Clen cycled with ECA.
Test and GH prescribed by my Dr. bloodwork done every 6 weeks. Will be back “on” in a month or so. I will be cleaning my diet up while ‘off’
Thanks for the advice Need a good shoulder workout if anyone has a good one, please lemme have it…[/quote]
I’ll help you out, you been open and honest. I respect that.
Lats wise… i think i would put them to the front of the workout… so 2-3 exercises done first in workout. Do at LEAST one Pullup/Chin exercise, and get good enough to add weight to that. A supinated grip, or close neutral is great for thick full lat development IME.
So far we have…
a chin/pull up exercise 3 sets
either another chin/ different grip or a pull down 3 sets
ANOTHER pulldown, maybe a machine or different grip 3 sets
THEN your rows of choice or DL or Rack pulls fit in nicely here
(remember you are specializing your lat width here)
Then the rest of whatever you do back extensions etc… DeadLift man!
Shoulders… well i would go for something along these lines…
Clean and press 3 sets
Seated DB Press 3 sets
Side raises 3 sets
Rear raises 3 sets
OR
Clean and press 3 sets
Seated Barbell 3 sets
push press 3 sets
side raise variation 6 sets
OR
Push press 3 sets
Side raise 3 sets
another variation side 3 sets
another side var. 3 sets
rear variation 3-4 sets.
OR
Smith Military 5 sets
Side raise Var. 4 sets
Rear var. 3 sets.
Front raise 2 sets
OR… Just kidding…
l’ese aw velly good work owls…
What ya reckon to my suggestions? Now, how about referring me to that doctor of yours who prescribes var and masteron with test and GH?! lol!
Good Luck mate, you got a great physique already so have fun bringing up the weak areas and filling it out perfectly!
Joe
Some good advice already given. But I’d like to add an odd tidbit that may help. First, a short story:
As a teen, I was very very skinny with a straight-up-and-down shape. I got into weights gradually after a year of push-ups only. During this time, I began hanging on a beam in my basement. But this “hang” was different in that I intentionally tried to protract my scapulae Outward away from the spine). I could literally get myself into a hang position, and force the scapulae to pop out laterally! It was like instant width. I was slightly painful, but tolerable as most stretches can be. As soon as I dropped from the beam, the scapulae would “go back in” and I’d look normal again. Well over the summer, I continued doing this special stretch daily, holding it for as long as I could, constantly trying to force the scapulae even more outward. By Fall, even though I had not been heavily into the weights, I had a wonderful v-taper. In the coming years of adding mass, it was always easy for me to look wide and thus bigger than my actual weight/size.