Illusion Training: Smaller Waist.....'Cardi style!

[BacardiSlang]

The midsection is king of the male physique. Not the biceps. Not the chest. The middle area of the body is considered the prime physique real estate. Arnold Schwarzenegger noted in his autobiography, “I think a beautifully developed midsection is the most immediately impressive part of the male physique.” Training guru Vince Gironda felt the same way, pointing out, and “Sharp, well-built abdominal muscles are worth a king’s ransom to my mind there is no more treasured possession.” Having a hot waist is the top importance if you want a hot body. Picture a physique equipped with good arms, chest and legs, but also a waist that is large and soft, hanging downward in all directions. The oversized waist ruins the rest of the body. Paying close attention to your waist region is crucial because a problem for your entire body appearance.

SHOULDER FOCUS

Most people who train the physique are familiar with the tools for making the waist look better - an improved diet, some aerobic work, and direct training on the midsection. An additional area that gets overlooked, however, is shoulder training. One of the quickest ways to make your waist look better is to focus your attention on your shoulders. Shoulder training will make your upper body broader. This width in turn will make your waist region appear much smaller. Consider a waist of 31 or 32 inches. With a medium width in the shoulders it looks okay. However, with very broad shoulders it looks fantastic. Adding an inch or so to your shoulder width can make your waist look a couple of inches smaller than it really is. As an added bonus wider shoulders make your hips and buttocks appear smaller as well. Broadening your shoulders helps your entire physique.

SIDE VIEW

Another aspect to the shoulder size/waist appearance connection is the side view. By adding a little more muscle depth to your shoulders, you can make your waist and buttocks appear smaller from the side as well as the front and back. The thicker the muscles around your shoulder girdle, the smaller your waist/hips/buns appear in profile. It makes sense to work on both depth and width of the shoulders if you want to create the all around illusion of a smaller waist.

THREE HOT EXERCISES TO RVOLUTIONIZE YOUR SHOULDERS

There are many exercises that can help you add width to your shoulders muscles. You have several selections for building depth as well. Three of the best are the standing cable lateral raise, the seated lateral, and the cable lateral raise from a bent over position. The cable lateral works very well because it keeps constant pressure on the side deltoids, which at certain points receive little or no pressure from dumbbell laterals. The cable ensures that the muscles stay under tension. The best ways to do the cable lateral is slowly, to utilize the ability of the machine to keep the pressure high. Seated laterals are best done with dumbbells. The advantage of doing laterals while seated version prevents the legs being brought into play so there is little chance of cheating. The bent over cable lateral on the same principle (constant tension on the target muscles), except that it hits the rear deltoids instead of the side deltoids. Do this exercise slowly also. You should find 2 or 3 sets of higher repetitions, done slowly, would definitely stimulate your shoulder muscles.

If you want to achieve the illusion of a smaller waist, work on developing shoulder width and depth. Use these three exercises to stimulate new deltoid growth and smaller looking midsection. Happy training!

[Steel Reserves]

Cool post Cardi, I'm alway's looking for new shoulder exercises, I'll give em a try

SR

[bigkap]

Great points Cardi! I think shoulders definitely deserve a day of their own, after all there are three seperate heads of the deltoid (anterior,medial,posterior). Each requires seperate exercises to develop... IMO every shoulder routine should include:
1) A pressing movement (dumbells/military/machine press)
2) A medial delt movement (cardi covered those with the laterals)
3) An anterior delt movement (front raises with bar/dumbells/cable)
4) A posterior delt movement (Bent over laterals with cables/dumbells or bent-over rows to the chest)
5) An upper trap movement if so desired. (shrugs with dumbells/barbells/machine)

[slammer]

Very much appreciated info.....:thanks

[MadMatt]

Awesome post Cardi. Very true,great delts help a small waist look even smaller.
I'd also like to add that great lat development is equally as important.

My delts are my most advanced bodypart.
Front delts get worked through benching.
Side-slow controlled high rep laterals
Rear- face down high rep laterals.
I also use cables every now and then.

Once in a while I do press behind neck in my once a week delt routine. I do them until Im eventually strong enough to press 275 again with strict form(back straight against pad). It gives me overall 3 headed size from all angles

[bajamark]

Cardi,
Got to agree that the post will help many!

One thing I try and get all clients to understand is the importance of developing the deltoids correctly. We all know that this is one of the biggest chronic injury area.

[fsurob324]

to help widen your shoulder girdle you should combine shoulders with back.start with shoulders,then when you finish shoulders,start back training with a wide grip to stretch the the shoulder girdle.this can be done by using the following exercises,wide grip pullups(2-3inches wider then shoulder width)bent-over-barbell rows,applies to same as pullups.front lat pulldown.when the shoulders are in gorged with blood,a wide grip movement such as pullups stretch the clavicles t their fullest.now if you really want to go thru stretch therapy for the shoulders.place an olympic bar in power rack place the pins about knee level,put 25,35 or 45lb.plates how ever much is needed.if you are staring out i would go with the 25lb.plates.put them on with the lips of the plates facing out,this is so because you are going to pick up the plates with your fingers wrapped around the plates.if you put the plates on with the lips facing the inside of the bar you would only be able to hold the bar with your thumbs,and would be impossible to da any reps.ok,since we know to set up the bar in the power rack pick up the bar with your fingers wrapped around the plates,stand straight up and start doing shrugs,try to to shrug as high as possible hold it for a count of two,then release,the movement will seam awkward when doing it but when you are done it will fell as if your shoulders went thru widening stretch therapy session.by widening the clavicles will help to build more width.give it a try.3 sets of 12-15 reps should do it

[fsurob324]

the wide grip plate shrug,since it stretches not only the shoulders(muscles,and clavicles)it also stetches the fascia over the muscles,which as you know when the fascia is more pliable more growth can be made.plus it is an excellent way to give the shoulders an excellent stretch