Anytime you read a fitness or muscle magazine, you will often see fitness models with great looking physiques, standing around in various posed positions. You will see they have an aesthetic value to them, even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it is about them that draws the eye. What it very may well be is that V-shape, the appearance of their upper body to be that of an upside-down letter V.
The V-shape has been considered the aesthetic ideal for today’s top physique models and athletes, dating back to ancient times. It’s just the way that men and even women have aspired to look. Peaked, capped shoulders coupled with a wide to narrow back muscle, wrapping down to a svelte waistline. It’s the ideal. And you can attain it!
Genetics will play somewhat of a role in terms of just how tight and lean you can make that waistline and how wide your shoulders can appear. If your natural frame is shorter and wider, then you are always going to have to work hard to gain that v-shape. It won’t come naturally. However, that style of body type probably means you can build up those shoulder muscles (the 3 heads of the deltoids) pretty well! For those of you with a slender build enjoying your narrow waist, building up the shoulder muscles may be much more difficult. You will always see challenges, no matter what your shape.
Weight training will come into play. Avoid heavy deadlifts, as these make your waist thicker. Keep the abdominal exercises high repetition with less weight (or no weight) to ensure your waistline doesn’t get too thick. On the other end, lots of weight for the upper back (such as lat pulldowns or hammer strength machines) will be imperative for best results. Shoulder can be trained with military presses, and dumbbell side and lateral raises. Too much barbell shrugging works against the illusion of width you are working to achieve.
Cardiovascular exercise should be used to keep your waistline as tight as possible. You don’t want to diet down completely, but any extra fat around your waistline is going to work greatly against your goals of getting that belly as tight as humanly possible.
Nutrition also plays a key role. Keep the starches and breads to a minimum, and your insides will remain as small as possible. White bread is inside your body for days working its way through – there is no sense in making your waistline wider than it has to be.
Work on the V and you’ll look better in and out of clothes!