Big shoulders small waist

[eric22]

I know a lot of folks who just want to get as big as possible and I can undertand it. However for me I have found just getting bigger does not mean looking better. I have narrow shoulders that are not squared enough for my taste, I have a bigger chest and no matter how lean I get I dont see a 6 pak.

So I have never been able to get the look I have wanted. Now granted I am not big 6 ft 185lbs but I have been over 200lbs a few times and I have always looked worse.

My lifts are not that strong either

SQUATS 315lbs
DL 320lbs
BENCH 235lbs

So I know I need to get stronger and eat more and I am working on that now. (started this round at 175lbs and I am up about 30lbs on my lifts)

But already I am starting to run into the same problems. Chest is getting most of the size increases, fat especially under belly button is up to 13% ( I test under 10 every where else).

I am doing a lot of side laterals , keeping reps and volume low on the chest but it still seems like i am headed towards that look I dont really like.

I see some bodybuilders and that have broad shoulders and look wider where others have more sloped shoulders and seem to build up their traps, chest or even arms more and IMO I dont like that look.

If you are a power lifter or just trying to get as much size as you can I completely understand it. But thats not my goal.

So the question is , is it just genetics to get some to look so much better when they gain size is the "right" places or can you actually train for that?

And if you can train for it, how do you do it when you know you need to get bigger on the big lifts which for me may give me a wider waist, bigger chest and take away what I am after?

Thanks

 

[Kabeetz]

These things truly are largely genetic. You can't control your bone structure and the width of various aspects. However you CAN accentuate what you do have to exaggerate your taper... with some success/

In terms of never being able to get a six pack... that is strictly diet man. You have to get that bf lower, and also try doing weighted movements to bring those abs a tad closer to the surface. The myth of weighted crunches making the circumference of your waist much wider is B.S. IMO, and if you're lean, you're lean.

You need to add size to your lats and shoulders.. and how do you do that? By eating more and adding mass... it might seem contradictory to going for a lower bf%, but it's all a process, you can't put the cart before the horse. Only once you have the size you desire can you strip away the fat, or vice versa.

You need to remember that genetics, again, play a key role in all of this, and while striving for your ideal, you need to not forget to be happy with what you are blessed with.

I'd kill for an easy growing chest.

As for your lifts, they aren't too shabby man. You're a strong guy, and you still have a lot of potential left... that's a good place to be.

I know a lot of folks who just want to get as big as possible and I can undertand it. However for me I have found just getting bigger does not mean looking better. I have narrow shoulders that are not squared enough for my taste, I have a bigger chest and no matter how lean I get I dont see a 6 pak.

So I have never been able to get the look I have wanted. Now granted I am not big 6 ft 185lbs but I have been over 200lbs a few times and I have always looked worse.

My lifts are not that strong either

SQUATS 315lbs
DL 320lbs
BENCH 235lbs

So I know I need to get stronger and eat more and I am working on that now. (started this round at 175lbs and I am up about 30lbs on my lifts)

But already I am starting to run into the same problems. Chest is getting most of the size increases, fat especially under belly button is up to 13% ( I test under 10 every where else).

I am doing a lot of side laterals , keeping reps and volume low on the chest but it still seems like i am headed towards that look I dont really like.

I see some bodybuilders and that have broad shoulders and look wider where others have more sloped shoulders and seem to build up their traps, chest or even arms more and IMO I dont like that look.

If you are a power lifter or just trying to get as much size as you can I completely understand it. But thats not my goal.

So the question is , is it just genetics to get some to look so much better when they gain size is the "right" places or can you actually train for that?

And if you can train for it, how do you do it when you know you need to get bigger on the big lifts which for me may give me a wider waist, bigger chest and take away what I am after?

Thanks

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

"I am doing a lot of side laterals"

personally- i have replaced all my iso lifts for shoulders (side laterals, front laterals, etc) w/explosive lifts like clean & press, push presses & overhead squats. I also dropped my reps from 10-15 to 8 max. Made a huge difference & genetically- my shouldrs would be puny

 

[rnch]

big shoulders, small waist......sounds like bodybuilding heaven to me!

i wish i had your "problem"......

 

[eric22]

Didnt say I had it , I just want it. I see some folks and that just look great when they get bigger. The more weight they add, the better they look and then when they cut they look great.

For me that is just not the case. My chest gets big and by it self thats not terrible but its more bulk than size since I hold fat there as well. Then my waist gets bigger which I never everyone gets but my shoulders dont get wider.

So I was just wondering if anyone else had that issue and then what I should do about it. I realize you cant get big doing 25lbs lateral raises.

After repeated bulk failures while I was younger I tried for 10 years to do the whole body comp thing. Thats not close to working for me.

So now I am bulking but my diet is way better than when i was younger but I am still noticing some of the same issues. Chest a lot bigger, belly fat and everything else just getting a little bigger. And of course shoulders are curved and dont look any wider. Big chest is great if you have big arms , back and especially shoulders to go with it. Without that it looks weird.

I feel chest when I do rows, pullups, presses. Not the primary of course but I still feel it. I just have to figure out the best way to train in my case knowing that a whole bunch of isolation work is not the way to go. My recovery sucks BTW.

big shoulders, small waist......sounds like bodybuilding heaven to me!

i wish i had your "problem"......

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

So which do you really want, to cut down or to bulk up? Cant have both.

 

[eric22]

Bulk up
I know I ramble too much. The question is how to I best gain muscle and strength without having the bulk go to my chest and ideally gain as much width as possible?

My chest takes over a lot of exercises and I have narrow shoulders. I also gain fat easy but I am very knowledgable about the diet part so I do a lot of things to try and keep in to a minimum (carb cycling, carb timing, etc)

So which do you really want, to cut down or to bulk up? Cant have both.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Your genetics are pretty much what you have. If you gain a lot of fat in the pecs when bulking, then you can either get yourself on a strict diet or start to enjoy your large chest. I wish I had that problem. Listen to MsBeverlyHills and do some Oly lifts. That will get you wider.

 

[gettnlarge01]

Work on your lats!!! Post up your routines for shoulders and back.A wide back looks impressive from the front and back. Don't concentrate on just shoulders.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

Lats, Pullups, Chinups, LOTS OF OH work. Try learning the OLY lifts with a coach, or find someone to teach you gymnastic rings. Those use your shoulders a TON and will build em up good.