Myth about "chunky, thick" PL's really a myth?

[MS]

I'd agree for the most part. If you've gained 3 inches around your waist and your abdominal skinfold hasn't changed, then this could just be a normal aging thing (increased deep or visceral fat). If, however, you've also gained some fat, then dieting or liposuction are the best ways to get rid of it. There really are not THAT many people that lift heavy enough for long enough to visibly thicken their waists!! Oh, and stay away from androgens if you're at all concerned about a widening waist!

Squats and deadlifts should be the cornerstone of any BB or PL routine.

 

[bignate73]

OK! So If my main goal is not PL (not quite strong enough) I should completly stop free squats, sl dead lifts and rows? One of my main goals right now is to lose a couple of inches on my waist. I also have a sort of long torso, not quite as long as spatts by by far not a short one. I now have a 27 inch waist and I would like to go for my pre-kid size waist a 24" waist.

Should I drop the squats etc.... And if so what should I do to replace those exercises?


lovemymuscle

what is your bodyfat at right now? is it at a satisfactory level to you? dont look to exercise first as the culprit. im not being facetious, just troubleshooting before you throw out an exercise that has such a profound metabolic effect. if you are at a low bodyfat level and feel you have too much mass around the midsection then maybe you could look at losing some muscle there but if you are thinking "throw out squats" and you lose muscle but the fat remains.....well...you lost out on the benefits of squatting and still didnt do much for your goal.

if you are lean and just thick around the waist, look to your obliques first, work aesthetically instead of numerically. if you overwork or overload your obliques, they grow which can work the illusion of width against you. back to front thickness wont show up on a thin midsection, just on a tape measure. (as spatts illustrated)

 

[SteelWeaver]

Wow, thanks for all the cool replies here! I know I'm thinking too far ahead, but I'm goal -oriented, and I don't want mid-term goals to become obstacles to long-term goals. I realise that it would take years of heavy compound lifting to increase my waist size significantly, but it's not just the waist size - I guess I mean all-over proportions/symmetry.

Is that how it normally works with BB'ers, Lobo? - strictly focus on heavy mass-building exercise for the first few years, til you've built up a decent base, then start adding in more "shaping" types of moves? (yeah, yeah, I know it is said you can't "shape" a muscle, but in terms of balance and proportion of body parts or muscle groups, I believe there is leeway)

Mmm - I've kind of lost track of what I'm asking ..... I most certainly do NOT want to give up squats, dl's etc - NO WAY! I LOVE deadlifting, only just a tiny bit more than I love squatting, even though some days I almost dread squats. But then I give the bar a friendly pat before I start and it's all ok lol

I suppose I'm just wondering if the training set-up/format/structure (periodisation) etc for WSB - which is quite different from a typical BB'ing routine, and which has as it's focus pure strength (ultimately), is appropriate for a sort of still novice BB'er, who's mainly interested in size gains and development of beautiful symmetry. This is not to say I'm not going to try it - no - I intend to do a full WSB macro as soon as I can get it all set up to go at home - it just looks like too much fun and too much of a learning challenge, to NOT try - just wondering about PL's and BB'ers and the way they look, and how much of that is genetics, and how much is the type of training ....

 

[SouthernBell]

HOORAY, I can keep the squats and deads.

lovemymuscle