Is it my imagination or has the change in workouts and the focus on the core made womens waist area thicker? Less hourglass? I was one of the early joiners in the home vhs w/o movement. I remember a different appoach, but also a very different shape of the women on board. Am I mistaken? Or are we looosing our femine shape with all this core work? I assume the core work is the culprit. I like muscle and strength so please don't mistake my question.
core work thickens waist?
- Thread starter Fach
- Start date
Interesting question. I think that like most exercises, they have different effects on different people. IMO, women are more comfortable looking 'cut' than they were years ago (even 10 years ago) so I think we are seeing more defined abs, etc. I think that if a woman already has an hourglass figure, it's very difficult to change that with strength training. It's very easy to change that with a poor diet. I think Britney Spears is a good example of this. She obviously has an hourglass figure. It's a bit less hourglassy now because she's a little thicker in the middle (she still looks good IMO). It's probably more of a result of diet choices than core training. In fact, if I remember correctly, she got her former ab look with lots of crunches (like 1000 a day or something outrageous like that). But once again, every person reacts differently to core training.
Carolyn
Carolyn
I think this could be the case if you use nothing but super heavy weights during a core work out & not include any cardio or other lifting. My point is, I don't think this is a likely situation if done properly. The key is to mix up your core work with weights, med ball, stability ball, etc. You also get a great deal of core work with heavy lifting & especially chins/pullups. Combine this with a relatively clean diet & routine heavy lifting, and you're golden.
ETA - you also train your core like your other body parts, so you don't need it more than 1-2x/wk. You also don't need a million reps. Go for quality, not quantity.
Debbie
Brain cells come & brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
ETA - you also train your core like your other body parts, so you don't need it more than 1-2x/wk. You also don't need a million reps. Go for quality, not quantity.
Debbie
Brain cells come & brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
I'm only assuming it the core work. I really have no idea. I do seem to notice a less shapely [hourglass] shape with women who w/o consistantly these days. As I said befoe maybe it's my imagination or maybe theres some fact here with changing approaches to fitness over the past couple decades. Interesting though, huh?
Liann
Cathlete
I've noticed the same thing Fach. In some of the older videos, a lot of the girls had these itty bitty waists that I would kill for, but now they are more straight in line with the hips (they still look awesome of course, it's just a different look). I am completely straight, my waist does not go in at all, but unfortunately I cannot "blame" core work. I'm just genetically cursed with almost the same hip and waist measurements... Makes it a real butt keeping my pants up by the way, especially on the road trip. I thought I was going to lose those exercise pants a few times and it's not because they were too big!
Interesting question.
I've noticed in my recent experience that my hips are shrinking much quicker than my waist. For example, I lost 3 inches off my hips, but only 1 off my waist. So technically, I may look thicker because I'm not as hour-glassy. But tell that to the scales (lost over 10 pounds this summer) and my friends who tell me I'm looking great and fit these days (unsolicited comments from friends who hadn't seen me in a couple months and had no idea I was working out).
Still working on getting those thighs in order.
I'm wondering if I did more core work if I'd become more hour-glassy again. I'm not fond of ab work, but am getting better.
However, I'll take fit and "thick" over fat and flabby any day.
April
I've noticed in my recent experience that my hips are shrinking much quicker than my waist. For example, I lost 3 inches off my hips, but only 1 off my waist. So technically, I may look thicker because I'm not as hour-glassy. But tell that to the scales (lost over 10 pounds this summer) and my friends who tell me I'm looking great and fit these days (unsolicited comments from friends who hadn't seen me in a couple months and had no idea I was working out).
Still working on getting those thighs in order.
I'm wondering if I did more core work if I'd become more hour-glassy again. I'm not fond of ab work, but am getting better.
However, I'll take fit and "thick" over fat and flabby any day.
April
swayzepetsitting
Cathlete
Yes, I have noticed this as well. I much prefer the hourglass look, especially for me because I have small hips. Plus, my boyfriend would hate me forever if I developed a muscular middle (he despises that look).
I also lost more inches off of my hips and thighs (it happened really quickly, too) than my middle, which makes my waist look bigger than it is. Plus, I have to buy tighter pants to fit around my hips, but than the band is often too tight around the waist.
My new approach, which I will begin after my strength rotation, is to really work on gaining muscle in my lower body (Cathe has a couple of lower body rotations that look great). I don't have much fat around my middle, so losing that won't make too much of a difference. However, I am hoping that the combination of less tummy fat and bigger legs WILL make a difference. This way, I will have to buy larger sized jeans that won't squeeze my middle.
My only problem now is making myself do extra leg work. I absolutely loath leg work. I feel so strong doing upper body exercises, but I don't feel anything close to that with lower body. I just feel bored and uncomfortable, if that makes sense. However, I did PUB and MM lower body late last night and it went pretty well. I went really heavy on the barbell and I already feel it today! I still hated doing it, though...
I also lost more inches off of my hips and thighs (it happened really quickly, too) than my middle, which makes my waist look bigger than it is. Plus, I have to buy tighter pants to fit around my hips, but than the band is often too tight around the waist.
My new approach, which I will begin after my strength rotation, is to really work on gaining muscle in my lower body (Cathe has a couple of lower body rotations that look great). I don't have much fat around my middle, so losing that won't make too much of a difference. However, I am hoping that the combination of less tummy fat and bigger legs WILL make a difference. This way, I will have to buy larger sized jeans that won't squeeze my middle.
My only problem now is making myself do extra leg work. I absolutely loath leg work. I feel so strong doing upper body exercises, but I don't feel anything close to that with lower body. I just feel bored and uncomfortable, if that makes sense. However, I did PUB and MM lower body late last night and it went pretty well. I went really heavy on the barbell and I already feel it today! I still hated doing it, though...
LauraMax
Cathlete
Yes, it's true. I'm thick waisted so I only work obliques once a week, & usually with light weights & high reps. But when it comes to my abs I work them with heavy weights, low reps.
There are also some leg exercises that'll thicken your waist. Heavy squats, deadlifts & good mornings will build muscle. I won't even do deadlifts or good mornings anymore (partly b/c of what I mentioned & partly b/c the potential risk for injury isn't worth the benefits). I just do back extensions, high reps, no weights.
There are also some leg exercises that'll thicken your waist. Heavy squats, deadlifts & good mornings will build muscle. I won't even do deadlifts or good mornings anymore (partly b/c of what I mentioned & partly b/c the potential risk for injury isn't worth the benefits). I just do back extensions, high reps, no weights.
carolyn122162
Cathlete
Laura,
What are good mornings? I love doing dead lifts, but how does that exercise and heavy squats thicken the abs area? How heavy are you talking about?
Just curious
Carolyn
What are good mornings? I love doing dead lifts, but how does that exercise and heavy squats thicken the abs area? How heavy are you talking about?
Just curious
Carolyn
LauraMax
Cathlete
This is a good morning:
http://www.criticalbench.com/exercises/barbell-good-mornings.htm
Deadlifts & good mornings both work the lower back. For some reason a lot of people forget that the lower back is part of the waist! So if you build muscle in the lower back you'll naturally build the waistline.
I'll make a feeble attempt at describing how heavy squats build the waist. As you do the positive & negative of the exercise you kind of "clench" your core, for lack of a better word. So your core muscles are sort of a secondary muscle group involved in squats. When you go heavy on squats your core has to work harder, therefore you're building muscle.
Am I making any sense?
http://www.criticalbench.com/exercises/barbell-good-mornings.htm
Deadlifts & good mornings both work the lower back. For some reason a lot of people forget that the lower back is part of the waist!
So if you build muscle in the lower back you'll naturally build the waistline.I'll make a feeble attempt at describing how heavy squats build the waist. As you do the positive & negative of the exercise you kind of "clench" your core, for lack of a better word. So your core muscles are sort of a secondary muscle group involved in squats. When you go heavy on squats your core has to work harder, therefore you're building muscle.
Am I making any sense?
I was just thinking lower waist clothing might contribute too. Don't laugh but when you grip an area long enough it leaves an indentation. I have seen this with heavy men and too tight clothing. The "flesh" squeezes on either side of waist band. What do you think? We wore higher waisted pants and skirts .....
sahara
Cathlete
Personally, I think that abs have become a major focus for us as a society. I remember years ago I barely looked at my abs much less worked on them when I exercised. Now, I stand in the mirror and obsess. I just think abs are really big now. They're all over the magazines and TV so, people are focusing more on them when they work out hence the thicker waists. I had to lay off the abs section in LIC (one of my favorite ab workouts) because my waist was starting to look a little thick.
Because my abs are such a problem area for me, I used to work them almost every day. I've changed that since reading Sound Mind, Sound Body by David Kirsch. He says that he doesn't recommend that apple shaped women even work their upper abs. He says that reverse crunches (I really hate these!) are the secret to great abs for apple shaped women so I'm going to try that for a while and see if it works.
Tracey
"Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
Because my abs are such a problem area for me, I used to work them almost every day. I've changed that since reading Sound Mind, Sound Body by David Kirsch. He says that he doesn't recommend that apple shaped women even work their upper abs. He says that reverse crunches (I really hate these!) are the secret to great abs for apple shaped women so I'm going to try that for a while and see if it works.
Tracey
"Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda
"Where there's a will, there's a way."