Wide Waist????

[amyfit]

Ok, so I've been told that I have a wide waist. I need to build up my shoulders (knew that one), and to quit doing one arm rows (What?!?!?). Then I read that for women in my posistion not to train my abs. Is this correct? When I get on stage in Oct. I want definintion and cuts in my abs. I don't want a a smooth appearance there. Any help would be great. Thanks.
amyfit

[NIguy]

*I will stress in my own experience here, because I am not a women for starters*

For overall mass, two armed barbell rows are superior, its easier to keep form and you can lift heavier weights when done right. With the one armed dumbell row there is a tendancy to rotate the torso rather than pull the weight, it is much harder in my view to effectively hit the lats with one armed rows, alot of people seem to make it work for them, I cant. By contrast when doing bent over barbell rows, pull threw with your elbows and pull your shoulder blades back, be mindfull of contracting your lats during the pulling motion.


In regard to your wide waist, squats are the primary cultrips for increases in waist size, a consequence of pushing your diaphram out and contracting your abdominals/obliques in order to create a solid core during the lift. I recommend a belt at all times when doing squats, to watch your breathing and to stand as upright as possible during the lift in order to minimise core activation which will happen when your upper torso sways forward and too the sides. In some cases I recommend not doing squats at all. Blasphemy I know, but a bloated pregnant look is not what you are after, and if squats are the main cause why continue doing them? Tough choicie.

Situps will also increase the thickness of your core but it might be overstated just how much... anyway i think it is now actually better to contract you pelvic floor throughout the entire situp and to squeeze you abdominals together. If you are doing situps and just pushing out with your diagphram in order to squeeze your abs stop it now. Alternatively you could drop free straight situps altogether and instead do the bicycle, leg raises and situps in a frame, always remember to contract your pelvic floor.

[amyfit]

Cool..... I try doing the leg raises and bicycles with the pelvic floor contracted. As for squats.........If I replace plyo work for it, do you think that would be ok?

Thanks!

[NIguy]

Originally Posted by amyfit

Cool..... I try doing the leg raises and bicycles with the pelvic floor contracted. As for squats.........If I replace plyo work for it, do you think that would be ok?

Thanks!

Pylometric work might be better yes... alternatively you could do leg presses supersetted with quad extensions, this will take the need for core stabilisation away completely which might be better than plyo work. It will take time for your waist to a decrease in size... bear in mind, if you have a wide waist genetically it perhaps won't ever decrease that much, but if you don't try you won't know and by implementing the above you will give yourself the best chance.

[amyfit]

I'll begin implementing them on Monday! Any suggestions on how to broaden the shoulders? I do b-bell overhead presses, military presses, upright rows, and front, side and rear laterals. All in the 8-10 rep range to failure. Anything else I can try?
Thank you so much for your help!!

[NIguy]

Originally Posted by amyfit

I'll begin implementing them on Monday! Any suggestions on how to broaden the shoulders? I do b-bell overhead presses, military presses, upright rows, and front, side and rear laterals. All in the 8-10 rep range to failure. Anything else I can try?
Thank you so much for your help!!

Well you have all the good exercises in place, what's important is how you decide to lay out your workout, sets, reps, placement of exercises and of course how long to spend in the gym. Obviously the most compound exercises first, such as military press, isolation exercises at the end, such as raises.


I would do roughly 12 sets total for my shoulders and it might look like this after warmup;

3 sets of heavy military press, 5-8 reps (use leg drive to force up more reps near the end)
3 sets of seated dumbell presses, again 5-8 reps
1 set of lighter military press, 8-12 reps performed as fast as possible!!!
1 set of lighter seated dumbell press, 8-12 reps as fast as possible.
3 sets of isolation work, I only do lateral raises to emphasis width from side deltoids but my starting position in each set varies, one set with the dumbells in front of me then raise to the side as you would a lateral raise, one with the dumbell from behind > to the side and one regular set of lateral raises. Changing position of the dumbells, in front, to the side and behind is the most effective way to bring out lateral deltoids in my view.

You should complete this workout in roughly an hour, if it is too much drop a heavy set from both military and dumbell seated presses. No workout fits all, and as they say, the best workout is the one which you aren't/haven't yet done.

The execution of the military press is also very important, if you lean back throughout the movement you work predominantly front deltoid and upper pectorals, furthermore you will increase the chance of back injury. The best form for overall shoulder development is to push that bar back and above your spine as soon as the bar clears your head. In the the end position with your elbows locked out the bar should be positioned the bar directly above your spine. Perfect form demonstrated here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbswr...layer_embedded

A note on the speed, speed is an essential component of strength, it is benefical when doing lighter weights to perform the reps as fast as possible to get the most benefit. You ought to be pushing the bar as if it was the same weight as your 1 rep max, the harder and faster you contract your muscle the more fibres that are recruited at once = more growth and greater strength gains.

[amyfit]

Speed? Hmmmm..... That's interesting. Usually I do 3-1-1 or a 2-1-2 speed, but I never thought of really trying to push the weights up hard and fast. I like this idea very much.
Ok, when it comes to a shoulder workout please tell me about seated overhead presses. I know what they are, but I never do them. I know I can lift more weight doing a standing military press, so that's what I do and cut out seated movements all together. Am I missing something important with the seated movements?
Also, I've done the different starting posistions for the lateral raises, you're right, great to work the lateral head that way, I think my ego cut those out. I can't seem to go as heavy then if I just do the raises the regular way. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.......

Thank you so much !!
amyfit

[NIguy]

Originally Posted by amyfit

Speed? Hmmmm..... That's interesting. Usually I do 3-1-1 or a 2-1-2 speed, but I never thought of really trying to push the weights up hard and fast. I like this idea very much.
Ok, when it comes to a shoulder workout please tell me about seated overhead presses. I know what they are, but I never do them. I know I can lift more weight doing a standing military press, so that's what I do and cut out seated movements all together. Am I missing something important with the seated movements?
Also, I've done the different starting posistions for the lateral raises, you're right, great to work the lateral head that way, I think my ego cut those out. I can't seem to go as heavy then if I just do the raises the regular way. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.......

Thank you so much !!
amyfit

Yes pressing as fast as you can is important, you have to be careful though, I see people doing it sometimes and their form tends to get sloppy.

The seated presses I am talking about are seated dumbell presses. Although these work all of your shoulder they put a particular emphasis on the lateral heads, which emphasis width/size moreso than either posteriour or the anterior head. Remember the anterior deltoid is worked heavily during ALL pressing exercises, posterior deltoid during rows and pulling exercises (I'm assuming you do alot of these)... out of the three heads it is the lateral deltoid that gets worked least on the compound movements which is why I suggest a slight emphasis on them during a shoulder workout...thus seated dumbell press. Additionally being seated has the benefit of making the actual press harder, you have to balance each arm and you take alot of the leg drive out of the equation. If performing them seated doesn't work for you try them standing.

''Also, I've done the different starting posistions for the lateral raises, you're right, great to work the lateral head that way, I think my ego cut those out. I can't seem to go as heavy then if I just do the raises the regular way. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.......''

No, if after doing lateral raises starting from behind, and from the front and then you find it harder to do them the normal way that means you are hitting the side deltoid effectively. Thats a good thing.

[amyfit]

Good to know!!! Ok, back in to the routine they go!
Any other wisdom you wish to impart on me? LOL!

Thank you so much for you help,
amyfit

[NIguy]

Originally Posted by amyfit

Good to know!!! Ok, back in to the routine they go!
Any other wisdom you wish to impart on me? LOL!

Thank you so much for you help,
amyfit

Yeh the difference between good and average is commitment, commitment to your rep, your sets, your workout, your diet and your goal. It will take several years to get good, there are no miracles. Hard work is the key and only you can can make it happen. Change your workout when things are getting stale, and train smartly.

Good luck.

[gjohnson5]

Originally Posted by amyfit

Ok, so I've been told that I have a wide waist. I need to build up my shoulders (knew that one), and to quit doing one arm rows (What?!?!?). Then I read that for women in my posistion not to train my abs. Is this correct? When I get on stage in Oct. I want definintion and cuts in my abs. I don't want a a smooth appearance there. Any help would be great. Thanks.
amyfit

Might wanna try acai + glucomannan. Cleaning the instestines of undigested, putrifying food could reduce the waist/ midsection are