Most fitness routines were not designed for the naturally stocky woman. Many cardio routines will make this kind of physique lose weight in all of the wrong places. Worse yet, many weight-lifting routines can lead to unbalanced appearances such as thunder thighs and manly physiques. With the right training, the naturally stocky woman can still look fitter and more attractive than her naturally thinner counter-parts.
Most stocky woman are small in stature and not the big gals who you expect to find working on the water front. The trick to training a naturally stocky woman is to give the illusion of an hourglass shape. The strategy that has often worked, is the following:
1. Align the Posture. This can be achieved through basic Pilates, power yoga and weight training. A strong erect posture will remove slouching, pull back the shoulders, pull in a protruding stomach and allow a natural curve of the lower back and butt.
Some very simple exercises are yoga's upward and downward dog and the cobra, the Pilates' breaststroke and the callisthenics' torso raise. Add these to your routine gradually as you may feel initial discomfort when you start out. After all, this is body re-structuring.
2. Strengthen the rear shoulders and upper back. By strengthening the rear part of the shoulders and upper back, you can straighten your posture and accent wider shoulders. Your chest will tend to stand out, giving your bust a perkier appearance.
3. Train the upper chest and minimize work on the lower chest. Many women and trainers believe that training lots of chest exercises will give a greater mass of muscle underneath the breasts and give the trainee a larger bust. For some younger women this might work out. Often heavy training in this area can reduce the fat layer in the breast area, giving an appearance of smaller breasts. Also, working the middle and lower breast area can assist gravity in pulling the breast downward.
There are several arguments as there are several fit, attractive women who work their chest area hard. For the record, many women see faster chest development by working the upper chest and upper back to fight against the pull of gravity. This training can vary from woman to woman.
4. Strengthen the Lats (Latissimus Dorsi). By performing Lat Pull downs, wide-armed chin ups, rowing motions and swimming, you can achieve a V-shaped back which gives that V-shaped torso appearance.
5. Strengthen the legs. Aerobic exercise like cycling, running, skating and the like can built awesomely, shapely legs. The reverse lunge is a good leg builder. Unlike heavy squats (which can give you thunder thighs), the reverse lunge develops lean, muscular legs AND balance.
6. Include side movements in your abdominal routine. A simple method is side bends. An advanced method is the Pilates side kick series. These movements can give you a narrower, trimmer waist. Note: too many sit ups and crunches can give you a hunched posture or a big knot of abdominal muscles.
7. Avoid over-exercising. Heavy training can leave you tired and frustrated. Unless you are a competitive athlete, you only need an hour of training 3-4 times a week. I have seen too many aerobic dance and weight trainees who just look emaciated and flabby from too much training and poor nutrition. You need rest and nutrition for your muscles to recover and burn fat.
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Doug Setter holds a Bachelor's of Food and Nutrition. He has served as a paratrooper and U.N. Peacekeeper, has completed 5 full marathons and climbed Mt. Rainier. He held a welterweight kick-boxing title at age 40. He consults clients in alcohol reduction, stomach-flattening, kick-boxing and nutrition. He is the author of Stomach Flattening, Reduce Your Alcohol Craving and One Less Victim. http://www.2ndwindbodyscience.com
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