Deadlifts, squats, and thick obliques

[Ahmed81]

Hello all,

I'm going to begin deadlifting and squatting for the very first time this upcoming bulking season (blasphemy, I know). I feel like I have lots of mass gains that I haven't tapped into yet so I'm excited to incorporate these two lifts into my training. I train primarily for aesthetics as opposed to strength, so I fear growing thick obliques. I have shorter clavicles as well. I don't have that naturally broad skeletal frame. Therefore, I have to keep my waist as tight as possible to maintain the best v-taper I can. My question to you all is: Are there any modifications I can make to my squats and deads to avoid building thick obliques? The width of my stance, volume, etc?

Any and all tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks

[kcharp7]

Some people will say that you should be good if you genetically have a small waist. Others swear by it that you should be wearing a weight belt every time you lift weights if you want to keep the waist tight. I would recommend incorporating a weight belt into your weightlifting routines. It'll give your lower the support it needs when undergoing heavy loads as well as take away some of the stress from your core. Try it out and see if it works for you. Best of luck on your gains man!!

[Jasonk282]

Are there any modifications I can make to my squats and deads to avoid building thick obliques? The width of my stance, volume, etc?

Any and all tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks

No. Squats and deads will hit your core pretty hard, in ways you clearly have not before. FYI...your core is more than just your abs.

So yes, you'll get thicker in the middle because the lifts dictate that you have to be pretty strong in the middle to do them.

Stance and volume have nothing to do with it.

My tips...squat to depth, not some fuk'ed up 1/4 squat bro depth. Get as low as you can with good form. run a 5x5 for you squats, yes it will build size and strength. Same for deadlifts. Jusdging by the fat that you never did these at all.

for squat I would do...
squats 5x5, straight across
squats 4x10 with 30lbs less than 5x5 working sets
leg press 4x10
SLDL 4x10

For deadlifts...
Deads 5x5, straight across
pull ups 4xAMAP
tbar rows 4x10
shrugs 3x15

Both of these are designed to build your main lift as opposed to building your back/legs overall. However you still hit your lower, middle, upper back and traps with the deadlift day and on leg day you still hit your quads, hammies and lower back. If you want toss in 4 sets of calve raises if you want.

[beartendon]

You can wear a belt whenever you squat or deadlift and this will make your core work much less. The belt will do most of the work that the core usually does and will most likely keep your obliques/waist from getting too big. They will add some size, but shouldn't be too much.

[bishdipbrah]

No. Squats and deads will hit your core pretty hard, in ways you clearly have not before. FYI...your core is more than just your abs.

So yes, you'll get thicker in the middle because the lifts dictate that you have to be pretty strong in the middle to do them.

Stance and volume have nothing to do with it.

My tips...squat to depth, not some fuk'ed up 1/4 squat bro depth. Get as low as you can with good form. run a 5x5 for you squats, yes it will build size and strength. Same for deadlifts. Jusdging by the fat that you never did these at all.

for squat I would do...
squats 5x5, straight across
squats 4x10 with 30lbs less than 5x5 working sets
leg press 4x10
SLDL 4x10

For deadlifts...
Deads 5x5, straight across
pull ups 4xAMAP
tbar rows 4x10
shrugs 3x15

Both of these are designed to build your main lift as opposed to building your back/legs overall. However you still hit your lower, middle, upper back and traps with the deadlift day and on leg day you still hit your quads, hammies and lower back. If you want toss in 4 sets of calve raises if you want.

Bunch of reps, bunch of posts.....looks like a **** neck beard
Yeah brah squats and oats ****!!!!!!



Dude your 225 dead lift 185 squat isn't gna work ya core
If you start hitting typical miscer stats 405 ATG squats and 500+ deads then year your core will get worked

Its genetics brah and if ya really worried like a phGgot then dont do it
Leg press= squat
Rows=reads
Mind=Blown


Misc.........delusional *******s the misc if ****

[Jasonk282]

um wut? Where did I mention squats and oats?

Bunch of reps, bunch of posts.....looks like a **** neck beard
Yeah brah squats and oats ****!!!!!!



Dude your 225 dead lift 185 squat isn't gna work ya core
If you start hitting typical miscer stats 405 ATG squats and 500+ deads then year your core will get worked

Its genetics brah and if ya really worried like a phGgot then dont do it
Leg press= squat
Rows=reads
Mind=Blown


Misc.........delusional *******s the misc if ****

[godsamurai]

[QUOTE=bishdipbrah;1254402731

Dude your 225 dead lift 185 squat isn't gna work ya core
If you start hitting typical miscer stats 405 ATG squats and 500+ deads then year your core will get worked

[/QUOTE]

he actually has pretty good point. I have seen lots of powerlifters who are strong as beast yet they don't really have bigger core espeically when you see skinny powerlifters. I think you want to concern more on the macro though, when I am getting fat my side waist come out and oblique exercises did not help at all, nor it made it bigger. Since bodybuilding is really about symmetry, you can cover the big oblique by building the bigger shoulder and upper back, but I doubt your oblique will get any big anytime soon. I wouldn't wear the belt and probably will wear later if I see any significant growth of the oblique.

[Jasonk282]

You can wear a belt whenever you squat or deadlift and this will make your core work much less. The belt will do most of the work that the core usually does and will most likely keep your obliques/waist from getting too big. They will add some size, but shouldn't be too much.

a belt with not keep your waist from getting big. The belt helps with intra abdominal pressure, which stabilizes your midsection.

http://articles.elitefts.com/trainin...lifting-belts/

[Ahmed81]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I'm genetically prone to growing thick obliques.

Here's my final question: Is it common for those who train for aesthetics to skip squats and deads altogether in fear of thick obliques? If so, how do they compensate for the gains they are missing out on?

[EjnarKolinkar]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I'm genetically prone to growing thick obliques.

Here's my final question: Is it common for those who train for aesthetics to skip squats and deads altogether in fear of thick obliques? If so, how do they compensate for the gains they are missing out on?

Well the obliques mainly pull the rib cage down, or one side of it. Any time you do work involving stabilizing the core, a crunch, or bend sideways your obliques are working.

I get not doing side bends, or oblique crunches in an isolation movement to build them up, but I think avoiding all free standing leg work is impossible. You would have to skip lunges too. You are going to tighten up your core and increase inter abdominal pressure even working on a hack squat or leg press to keep your spine in position. IDK anybody that is a limp noodle on the hack squat, how would you even do anything really if avoiding inter-abdominal pressure and pulling the core tight was the requirement? Just leg extensions and ham curls and relax the upper body while working? Just sounds like a recipe for really small legs to me.

Perhaps your obliques will grow a little training barbell movements, I think the point is that you legs will grow much more than the obliques.