Making the Waist Smaller

This piece is for the woman whose waistline is as straight as a ruler. The shape is usually due to a narrow hip skeletal structure.

If you have this body type, you can become slimmer through exercise and the right diet but, as it is not possible to change your hip bones, you will still have a straight waist.

There are different kinds of figures and, in my opinion, they are all beautiful. One is not better than another. But if you have the ruler or rectangle type body and want more curves, there is a way to do it.

It won't happen by starving, "aerobicizing" to death or abdominal crunching your way from here to eternity. This is where you need to create an "illusion."

Since you can't make your waist smaller, you have to build up the muscles in your upper body so your waist will look tinier. You probably won't lose an inch on your waist but you can make it appear like it has lost not just one, but several inches.

'Lats' will do it
Lifting weights is the best way to re-shape. The most important muscles that will give you that V shape are the latissimus dorsi or "lats," as they are affectionately called by bodybuilders. The muscles are at the sides of your upper back. They are the "wings" that Bruce Lee used to show off in his movies.

Not that you will get muscles like those. Women don't have the large amounts of testosterone or male sex hormone needed to build a significant amount of muscle mass. You just want enough upper bulk to make your waistline look smaller.

The other muscles are the middle deltoid or sides of the shoulders. By making the shoulders look a little bit wider, you make the waistline slimmer.

Going to a gym or hiring a personal trainer is the best way to lift weights but you may not have the time or the budget for it. Never fear. You can do it at home at your own time and convenience. You will need, however, to invest in several pairs of varying weights of "fixed" dumbbells, or one pair of "adjustable" dumbbells with various weight plates and a locking collar to make sure the plates don't fall off. These can be bought at local sport shops at reasonable prices.

Getting started
Start with a weight that you can lift about eight times before your muscles get tired. If you can lift the weight 15 to 20 times and feel you could still do more, then the weight is too light for your goals.

Do only one set of eight repetitions three times a week (on the sixth week, add one more set). As you get stronger, you will be able to go up to 12 repetitions before your muscles give up. When you start to do 15 repetitions, it is time to shift to a heavier weight.

For example, for the first three weeks, you can lift six-lb dumbbells eight times. By the fourth week, you can lift the dumbbells 12 times but your muscles are fatigued by the last repetition. Stay at that six-lb level until you can easily do 15 repetitions. Then, shift to eight-lb dumbbells and lift only for eight repetitions. Build your strength until the eight-lb feel easy at 15 repetitions.

Continue progressing to heavier dumbbells until you are satisfied with your new V-shaped upper body. Then, all you need to maintain is one set of 12 repetitions three times a week at whatever weight you last stopped at.

Home routines
Here are exercises you can do at home. The one-arm row and pullover are for the sides of the upper back while the lateral raise is for the shoulders. If you work out in a gym, your trainer can give you many other exercises using weight or cable machines.

One-arm row:Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Rest your left knee and hand on a low table or at the side of a bed with a firm mattress. Keep your torso almost parallel to the floor throughout the exercise. Your right arm will be extended toward the floor with the palm facing in. Contract the muscles at the sides of your back, pull your arm backward until your elbow meets your waist or is just a little past your waist.

Don't pull the arm so far backward that your body ends up twisting sideways. Slowly lower your arm to starting position. For a more detailed explanation and illustration, click here

Pullover:Lie down on an exercise mat with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Hold a dumbbell above your chest with both hands. Keeping the abdominal muscles tight, slowly lower your arms backward. Your elbows should be slightly bent. Go as far back as you can without letting your lower back to arch. Slowly return to starting position. click here

Lateral raise:While standing or sitting, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at the sides of your body. Keeping elbows slightly bent, raise your arms sideways to shoulder height. In this position, your hands should be at the same level as your shoulders with palms facing the floor. Slowly lower arms to starting position. click here

Continue reading here: Portion Size Matters

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