The V shape is something that everyone should have but few accomplish. As a youth, it’s something we take for granted. Yet, as we age our mid section increases and the look of our body changes. One of the main culprits is the loss of our (once natural) V-shape upper body.
Ways To Get Your V-Shape BAck
- Work your shoulders – defining your shoulders will help to increase the width at the top of the V which makes your stomach look smaller.
- Back it up – The upper back is an important part of this equation. Adding muscle to your shoulder blades and lats gives added dimention to the V.
- Cut The Carbs – Want a smaller mid section? Follow our “Light Rule.” Tailer your carbs to the brightness of the sun. When the sun is the brightest, eat the most carbs (within reason). When the sun isn’t out eat none.
- Finish Ur V Out – with lower back exercises. Make sure that these exercises don’t include a lot of weight. Focus on less weight and more repetitions. This will help you to increase the muscle mass without throwing out your back (a very common problem).
V – Shape Exercises
Hold a pair of dumbbells and lower your torso until almost parallel to the floor. Let the weights hang at arm’s length. Pull your shoulders back and together, hold the position for 2 seconds, then row the weights up to either side of your rib cage, still squeezing your shoulder blades.
Perform 10-12 reps.
Hang at arm’s length from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, your hands about shoulder-width apart. Pull your chest up to the bar and hold for 10-20 seconds. Perform as many reps as you can. Once you can manage more than 5 reps, add some extra resistance by placing a dumbbell between your feet.
Can’t do a pull up??? Do Pull Downs (see below)
Tips:
- Do not pull the bar behind your neck. Why? Stay tuned for my future post – Why You Should Not Do Behind-The-Neck Lat Pull Down?
- Do not lean back too far and pull the weight down using your body weight. Put the process of pulling the weight using your back, not on the shoulder muscles.
- Do not allow the weight stack to drop quickly down after reaching your chest. Maintain the tension all the way back to the start position with controlled motion (source).
SEATED SHOULDER PRESS
Target Muscles: anterior and lateral deltoids
Set Up: Sit on a bench with feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and raise your arms so that your upper arms are in line with your shoulders and your forearms are perpendicular to the floor [A].
Action: Press the weights over your head, stopping before the dumbbells touch [B]. Hold for one count, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
TIP: Contract your abs to keep your upper body stable (oxygenmag.com)
Rest your body on the stability ball, with your torso bent forward. Keep your back straight. Contract your lumbar and gluteal muscles and bring your torso on axis with the rest of your body. Return to the starting position. If you’re too unstable, place your feet against the wall to avoid sliding (source).
These exercises will help you on your way to a better V shape. Feel free to share them with your friends, print them out and post them at work 😉
Adria
BS, CPT, CES, PES
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