Women's fitness vest with slim waistline

If you want to develop a waistline that is natural, not stiff, and has a good-looking waist, the core conclusion has never been "100 crunches a day", but "control body fat in the 15%-22% range + activate the deep transversus abdominis muscles to shrink the waistline + avoid the training pit of oblique/iliopsoas overcompensation", and there is no universal "standard waistline". The line shapes of different body types are very different, so there is no need to follow the Internet celebrity template.

I have seen many young girls who are just starting to work out and do abdominal exercises so hard that their waists are sore but they still can’t see the line. They turn around and blame themselves for their "lack of talent". In fact, this is not the case - bodybuilding contestants have to reduce their body fat to about 12% in order to have smooth abdominal muscles. Ordinary fitness enthusiasts do not need to suffer that sin. Most girls only need to When the fat is reduced to about 20%, there is no obvious loose fat layer in the abdomen, and the lines will naturally show through. If you are born with high muscle mass, even if the body fat is 23%, you can see a shallow vest line if you tighten your abdomen a little.

I met a girl at the gym last week. She runs 5 kilometers every day and only eats boiled vegetables for dinner. Her body fat was measured at 19%. The flesh on her waist is already very thin when pinched, but there is no vest line. I asked her to do an abdominal crunch, and she stretched her neck with force, causing her belly to bulge outward. When I asked her, I found out that she usually breathes from the chest. When she was sitting in the office, her belly was loose and slumped on the back of the chair. Her transversus abdominis muscles were basically not activated. It was equivalent to the "invisible belt" on her waist and abdomen that was always loose. Even if there was less fat, it could not support clear lines.

Regarding the ideas of core training, different systems actually have quite different opinions. Pilates teachers will repeatedly emphasize with you the coordination of breathing. When you inhale, your belly will expand naturally. When you exhale, your core will sink toward your ribs. Even if you don’t do strenuous movements, just 10 minutes of abdominal breathing + dead bugs every day can tighten your waistline. ； The strength training coach may suggest that you add weight, such as hanging leg raises and weight-bearing abdominal crunches, focusing on strengthening the thickness of the rectus abdominis, so that the lines will be more present. ； If you like street fitness, do more compound movements such as dragon flags and plank variations. Your entire core will be balanced and your lines will be more stretched and natural. No one is absolutely right, it depends on what effect you want - if you just want to tighten your waist and have a faintly visible line when wearing a midriff-baring top, just practice breathing with Pilates. ； If you want a clear vest line with sharp edges and corners, you have to add weight to stimulate muscle growth.

But there is a pitfall that I really want to remind everyone, don’t do heavy Russian twists and weight-bearing lateral bends in order to practice the “hourglass waist”. I once had a student who did 200 twists with 5kg dumbbells every day. In one month, the waist circumference did not decrease but became 2cm thicker. This means that the oblique muscles were strengthened. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you can’t train your oblique muscles. If you like a healthy and strong waist shape, moderate training of your oblique muscles can make your waistline smoother, and your curves will look particularly good when wearing a tight skirt. ； If you just want a narrow waist, do as little weight-bearing lateral flexion and rotation training as possible and do more static core activation. There is no problem with both options. Don’t listen to people saying that “training the obliques is wrong” and “not practicing the obliques will lead to an unstable core.” They all come from needs. How can there be so many black and white standards.

There is another point that many people don't pay attention to. Many girls' waistcoat lines are concave. They suck their stomachs and turn their ribs up high. They look like lines. In the long run, they will not only cause back pain, but also make the waistline longer and longer, which is unsightly. A truly natural vest line can be seen when you stand relaxed and draw in your belly a little. You don’t have to hold your breath or push your ribs out. My body fat is about 20%. When I wake up in the morning on an empty stomach, I can see two shallow lines without having to hold my breath in. It’s very comfortable.

After all, fitness is all about your own comfort. There is no need to follow the waist shape of Internet celebrities. Some people like a soft belly with vague lines, and some people like clear and distinct abdominal muscles. As long as you feel good-looking and happy in the clothes, it is more important than any standard. Oh, by the way, don’t believe in the 7-day quick vest line tutorial. I have been practicing for almost 3 years before I have a line that I don’t have to deliberately concave now. Take your time. Every inch of line on your waist is hiding the late night snacks that you didn’t steal or eat randomly. Doesn’t this give you a sense of accomplishment than anything else?