"Square Butt" question

[Bonne]

On the old FF there were some threads about "the square butt syndrome" a lot of people attributed this to too much tall box work - I was/am a victim of this...my question is...will doing dips off my aerobic step (with 1 or 2 risers) cause this same problem...or is the height of the tall box the problem? I have lost some of my square-butt-ness (I know not even a word - but how else do you explain!!!) since I stopped doing tall box work, but was wondering will I put myself back in that situation by doing the dips off the step like in MIS? Also if this isn't a prob. could I sub. tall box presses with lunges/dip of an aero. step in Firm vids?? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Bonne

 

[JeanneMarie]

Bonne,
I too was one of the "OH NO, I've got a square butt" people! I honestly didn't realize it until I starting reading about it on the old FF, took a look in the mirror and was horrified!

I have almost totally quit doing tall box work, and it has really made a difference. I will tell you what has worked for me, although this might not necessarily be right for someone else.

First of all, I do continue to do the dips off the aerobic step, as in MIS. I don't think that causes quite the "squareness" that a taller box does. Besides, the weight Cathe is using in these (10 lb dumbbells?) is considerably less than the 15 lb dumbbells I was using for all my Firm tall box work.

Occasionally I will do tall box work. If I'm doing a Firm video that has a LOT Of tall box work, I'll do some of it, but mostly substitute lunges and dips standing flat on the floor. I would say I don't do more than one session of tall box work per every 2 weeks. I've cut down considerably.

It has really changed that "high hip" protrusion of muscle that seemed to be making me appear square from the rear. I can't explain it any better than that, but you know what I mean!

Jeanne

 

[Bonne]

Jeanne,

This is exactly what happened to me...I too didn't realize I was getting the dreaded "square-butt" until after reading the threads on FF, and I looked in the mirror...ACK!!! So frustrating after all that struggling through the tall box work!!! I still do tall box here and there but try to substitute other moves (lunges/dips etc.) if there are too many!

One question, do you think it is the height of the stair/step that causes the "square butt" or is it the amount of weight we use with the tall box??

Thanks again for your advice! (your reply was so familiar to my own experience with tall box work- glad to hear "the problem" (AKA my rear-end) can be fixed!

Thanks again!

Bonne

 

[jgoycoolea]

This may sound dumb, but what do you mean by a " square butt"? DO you mean that when you look at it straight on that it looks square? Or does it mean from the profile the the tops of the but are as developped as the bottom, and hence it looks square from the side? Jeanne

 

[JeanneMarie]

Bonne, I honestly am not positive whether our square butt problem is from the tallness of the box, or the extra weight of the dumbbells. If I had to guess, I would say probably the tallness of the box. The reason I say this is because I continue to use the same amount of weight when I substitute lunges and dips, and the only difference between a lunge/dip on the floor and the tall box is the height used. Think about that lifting motion you do when stepping up so high... that has to be what causes that bulge of muscle right above the butt.

Jeanne, the squareness we are referring to is when you look at your butt in the mirror from the back. Hold a hand mirror and look over your shoulder into a wall mirror and look at your butt straight on from the back. You'll see a kind of square-ness that is caused by a protrusion of muscle right around the upper hip area. Am I explaining this at all? If you don't have it, you won't even know what I'm talking about... but if you do... you'll see it immediately.

Since I have stopped most of my tall box work, I can see a definite difference. The squareness is gone, thank goodness!

Jeanne