I plan to step on stage for the first time sometime this year, but I definitely am still far from the look.
I am tall (6’2) and narrow, with a very cylindrical look. I have big traps and narrow shoulders. My waist is tiny when viewed from the sides, but thick from the front. My quads look almost flat compared to my waist.
Think of a thinner Greg Kovacs.
How do I go about tackling this?
My goals are:
-Smaller waist
-Wider shoulders without more trap hypertrophy
-Bigger legs with any waist hypertrophy
To those who are going to reccomend lat work, I have a very good (imho) lat spread, and look decent when viewed from the back. The front view is my problem, I look very flat. The thick waist and big traps are my main problem.
I have already quit deadlifting, but I wonder if heavy back squatting is also making my waist thicker.
Welcome to that inglorious club.
A picture would help, but maxing your lateral delts will help in creating the illusion of a narrower waist.
Prioritize their work on shoulder day, add them as active rest, etc.
Also, go over the lat exercises CT did with prof X and camp 1 , my V improved since I started concentrating on that form and sequencing, and I’m guessing his new ideas on holds and rings will be even better.
I’ve read conflicting comments on DL/squat widening the waist, so nothing to add there. They certainly helped me with abs hypertrophy/6pack, but I dont think it added directly to my naturally wide waist.
If your wider midsection is due to your hip bones, there’s really nothing you can do about them directly. As Xilinx mentioned, your delt width is really going to help draw away attention, and create more of the b-shaped effect you are after. Additionally, lat work, outer quad sweep, and of course poses to showcase strengths and hide weaknesses as best as you can, will all create beneficial contributions.
Lol…I think we all could be classified as “thinner Greg Kovacs.”
I’d like to see pics as well.
x2 on what Stu said. For those that don’t have a naturally small waist, you need to build your lat width and delts to give your body a much wider look.
I don’t want to bring my lats up anymore, at least until the whole package gets bigger. They’re definitely my strongest point, but are actually already outshining other muscle groups. My delts look miserable in a front lat spread.
Outer quad sweep work sounds like a good idea. How do I go about doing this? Since my gym doesn’t have a hack squat machine, I’m guessing front squats, single leg presses and leg presses with a wide foot stance?
I was already thinking on switching out back squats for front squats. My rationale is that the lighter load won’t stress my core as much.
‘Maximizing my lateral delts’ is definitely my biggest problem. I have overpowering traps, and all my ‘side delt’ work for the past months seems to have only accentuated this imbalance.
Your waist probably isnt thick from the front the rest of you is probably just very small. I had the same problem a couple years ago, once I gained a lot of size on my lats and shoulders the problem went away
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
Why don’t you post some pictures so we can actually critique…because it seems like that’s what you want. [/quote]
I am already painfully aware of my weak points (blocky waist, narrow shoulders, flat quads.) I’m not looking for confirmation, I’m looking for a solution.
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
Why don’t you post some pictures so we can actually critique…because it seems like that’s what you want. [/quote]
I am already painfully aware of my weak points[/quote]
We’re not. A picture is worth a thousand words. Without it you’ll get generic advice. Get bigger delts, lats (I’ve never seen anyone have lats that are too big, I doubt that you do) and legs. If you want more than that, post a pic.
The vastus lateralis is better recuited with narrow stance leg presses IMO.
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
Why don’t you post some pictures so we can actually critique…because it seems like that’s what you want. [/quote]
I am already painfully aware of my weak points (blocky waist, narrow shoulders, flat quads.) I’m not looking for confirmation, I’m looking for a solution.[/quote]
Hahaha this is just funny. If your skills of physique analysis are so good that you don’t need to provide pics to experienced guys who are willing to help, then why don’t you just use said skills to fix your physique on your own?
I’m being facetious, but it would definitely be in your best interest to acknowledge how little you really know in the grand scheme of things. Try being a bit more humble- if guys who clearly know what they’re doing (based on visible results that they have earned) are actually willing to help, you should probably go along with their request.
With that said, here’s what’s worked for me as far as the muscle groups that you want to bring up are concerned:
Front squats do sound like a good idea. As far as gaining a halfway decent look to the delts goes, I’ve had my best luck with power clean to military press with a relatively wide grip (though this will also hit traps to some extent, and that could be a problem for you since yours are already supposedly out of balance). I had to spend a lot of time hitting isolation work to really learn how to feel the big exercises in the intended muscles before I saw any serious gains to size in either muscle group though.
That’s just what’s worked for me. I share the blocky waist and my quads were definitely on the flat side as of last year, but traps have been a weakness for me rather than a strength so take the recommendation with a grain of salt.
‘Maximizing my lateral delts’ is definitely my biggest problem. I have overpowering traps, and all my ‘side delt’ work for the past months seems to have only accentuated this imbalance.
[/quote]
Some ideas on handling this problem:
Drop working weight for a while, and concentrate on getting the feeling on your delts. Also, pre-squeeze your blades and shrug them up, so they cant contribute. CT’s idea of thinking about pushing the DBs away from your body, rather than up, helps.
do swings (partials, lower 1/3 of movement)
do lying delt work, this should take the traps out of the movement.
same as shown here, but use a flat bench Lying Side Laterals - YouTube
This is silly. You can’t help him with specific advice if he posts no pics. I have a naturally wide waist because of my bone structure. That is why I worked on my delts more.
This thread is pointless if he won’t post what he looks like. Most of the people here seem to have a warped sense of their own development. That’s why we get newbs logging in with pipe-cleaners thinking they’re huge.
OP I feel you should rethink stepping on stage in this coming year. You clearly do not have a grasp of how the body works let alone your own. Thinking that a wide stance for legs is going to give you a better sweep says to me that your are still at the beginning of your journey. I feel that if you were at a level to step on stage you could have solved your issues based on intuition, research, and experimentation.
P.S.
Waist problem - wear a belt for most of your exercises (certain pros claim this works).
Shoulder problem - a) DB Swings. Look up John Meadows/Mountain Dog Shoulders
b) wide grip BTN presses/ wide grip upright rows
c) Work traps before shoulders
Leg problem - leg extensions with toes pointed up and in, slow tempo, focus on contraction.
Waist problem - wear a belt for most of your exercises (certain pros claim this works).
[/quote]
Really? maybe that’s why so many people wear a belt for everything. I’ll have to try it…
Working traps before shoulders is a great idea, but wont it interfere with pressing? maybe do pressing->traps->laterals?
Actually, OP should avoid trap work, since he claims they’re a strong part.
OP, POST A PIC!
[quote]phishfood1128 wrote:
c) Work traps before shoulders[/quote]
No.
[quote]xilinx wrote:
OP should avoid trap work, since he claims they’re a strong part.
OP, POST A PIC![/quote]
Yes, and yes.
If OP works traps before shoulders (especially vertical pressing/pulling, which both involve traps to a fairly large extent), then trap recruitment should only get better. OP will be conditioning the traps to be more involved on those moves rather than less.
I agree with xilinx, if OP’s traps are as he says they are, then he shouldn’t be hitting direct trap work.
…but WE shouldn’t be giving a poster advice this specific because there is a 56% chance the OP is that fat dude on Obesity Documentaries who orders KFC by hanging a bucket out the window and paying people to bring him food.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
…but WE shouldn’t be giving a poster advice this specific because there is a 56% chance the OP is that fat dude on Obesity Documentaries who orders KFC by hanging a bucket out the window and paying people to bring him food.[/quote]
STFU X, stop stealing that big dude’s camera so you can post bullshit. You don’t know anything about hitting shoulders, only things you lifted today are Burger King cheeseburgerz and shakes.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
But…some of those burgers were heavy.[/quote]
So what u sayin is…
octostackerz 4 hyooge delts?
OP- If you want legitimate help rather than random assholery, you should really post pics, training videos, current workout plan, SOMETHING rather than a semi-vague analysis of your physique given by… yourself.