It’s time to GET WAISTED! Tiny waisted, that is! A small midsection is the centerpiece for the coveted hourglass figure and a universal sign of fitness. However, if you’re like our model IFBB Figure Pro Gennifer Strobo who was born “straight up and down,” you know that no amount of crunches alone will shrink your waist and add curve to your body. But, don’t give up hope— our TINY WAIST WORKOUT will help you whittle your middle until it’s little. Keep reading for all the details!
THE APPROACH
Improving V-Taper. You can create the illusion of a smaller waist by adding muscle to your back and shoulders. A little additional width to the upper body goes a long way in adding curves and shape to your frame. Perform the workout provided once a week.
Strengthening The Six-Pack. Strengthening the midsection will train you to keep the abs drawn in and tight and develop definition— both of which are tiny waist essentials. However, this must be done without overdeveloping the obliques, which will widen the waist. Our workout includes the perfect exercises to get your abs in top form.
Reducing Belly Fat. Finally, you must lower body fat— especially the stubborn belly variety. To dissolve fat from your midsection, follow a low-glycemic diet [option 1 & option 2] and perform regular conditioning work (see cardio below).
GET IT RIGHT
WIDE-GRIP PULLDOWN
Get Set: Grasp a long bar with a wide overhand grip. Sit with your knees secured under the pad.
Work: Pull the bar down until it touches the top of your chest. Slowly release and fully extend arms— you want to feel a stretch in the lats.
Gen’s Tip: “Lead with your elbows and feel the squeeze in the upper lats.”
WIDE-GRIP STANDING ROW
Get Set: Stand behind the lat pulldown seat and position one foot up on its edge for support. Grasp the long bar with a wide overhand grip.
Work: Keeping your chest high, pull the bar to your chest. Slowly release and fully extend arms—you want to feel a stretch in your middle back and rear deltoids.
Gen’s Tip: “Since you’re standing, you have to be extra careful to not use your bodyweight to move the weight. Keep your torso still and make your back muscles work.”
BACKWARDS CLOSE-GRIP PULLDOWNS
Get Set: Using the close-grip triangle attachment, sit backwards on the lat pulldown seat. Lean back slightly so your lower back is resting on the knee pad.
Work: Bring hands to bottom of chest, keeping the elbows close. Slowly release and fully extend arms— you want to feel a stretch in the lower lats.
Tip: Keep your chest high and focus on working the lower lat.
VACUUMS
Get Set: Get on your hands and knees.
Work: Blow out all your air and suck in your abs, making your stomach as small as possible. Hold this for 20 seconds, relax for a few seconds and repeat again. This is one set.
Advanced: Perform the vacuum from a kneeling or standing position and/or hold the contraction longer.
DUMBBELL PULLOVER
Get Set: With your upper back resting across a bench and your feet flat on the floor, position your palms flat on the underside of the dumbbell’s top plate and raise it straight up from your chest.
Work: Lower the weight behind your head and drop your hips toward the floor slightly to increase the stretch. Then, raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Gen’s Tip: “Getting the full stretch and inhaling deeply will really open up your back and chest— adding width to your upper body, making your waist appear tinier.”
BENCH FLOOR TOUCH
Get Set: Lie on bench with your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms straight up from your shoulders and place palms together.
Work: Simultaneously, lift and twist your torso to the left side and touch the tops of your left-hand fingers to the ground. Right arm maintains start position— straight out in front of shoulder. Return to the starting position and perform the same motion to the right side.
Tip: Keep the movement under control to eliminate momentum and target the sides of the rectus abdominus and serratus— not the obliques.
ARNOLD PRESS
Get Set: Sit on bench with feet firmly planted on the floor. Hold dumbbells at about chin height with elbows and the backs of your hands pointing forward.
Work: Lift the dumbbells up while rotating your arms to bring your palms forward until they almost touch and your arms are just short of straight. Lower dumbbells, rotating arms back into starting position and repeat.
Tip: Don’t lock out the elbows in the top position, as this transfers work to the triceps.
45-DEGREE LYING LATERAL RAISE
Get Set: Set a bench to 45 degrees and lie on your side holding a dumbbell.
Work: Lift the dumbbell up slightly higher than your shoulders with a slight bend in the elbow. Lower the weight slowly, stopping just short of your leg and repeat.
Gen’s Tip: “Use a lighter weight than what you are used to for standing lateral raises. You want to work your shoulders without straining your neck.”
MACHINE SHOULDER PRESS – 21s (not pictured)
Get Set: Sit at the machine and grasp the handles.
Work: Press the handles up until your elbows are just short of straight. Lower the weight halfway and press it back up for a top of 7 reps. Then, lower the weight all the way down to the bottom of the rep, keeping tension in the shoulder and press up halfway. Perform this bottom half rep 7 times total. Finally, complete 7 full range reps.
Tip: Use a weight that allows you to keep good form while still feeling a good burn in the shoulders.
FOREARMS-TO-HANDS PLANK
Get Set: Assume the plank position on your forearms. Make sure your core is tight, butt is down and back is flat.
Work: Pick up your right hand and place it flat on the ground under your right shoulder and press up to a push-up position. Then, position the left hand on the ground under the left shoulder to complete the position. Lower back down to the starting position by placing the right forearm on the ground and then the left.
Note: Perform 8 reps leading with the right arm and then, without rest, complete another 8 reps pressing up with the left arm first. This is one set.
Gen’s Tip: “Be sure not to rock your hips back and forth. Hold your core steady and just move your arms.”
KICK DOWNS
Get Set: Lie on mat with your legs extended straight up from your hips and your arms at your sides with your palms pressed on the floor.
Work: Keeping your legs straight, quickly lower your legs down and abruptly stop the motion short of the floor. Then, raise your legs back up to the starting motion.
Gen’s Tip: “Keep your lower back pressed on the mat so your lower ab muscles are doing the work and you aren’t straining your spine.”
WEIGHTED STRAIGHT-LEG CRUNCH
Get Set: Lie on mat with your legs extended straight up from your hips. Hold the ends of a dumbbell with your hands and extend it straight up from your shoulders.
Work: Using your abdominals, lift your torso as high up off the ground as you can. Hold the contraction and slowly lower without releasing the abdominals completely.
Tip: Don’t use momentum to hoist your torso up. It’s OK to only move a few inches, as long as you are working your abdominals.
GET WAISTED CARDIO
Aim for four days a week of cardio: two high-intensity interval sessions and two moderate-intensity steady-state sessions. Below are a few sample programs.
HIIT CARDIO: StepMill
Warm up: 5 minutes
Then, repeat the following program 10 times:
Every Step, As Fast As You Can: 1 minute
Every Other Step, Recovery (70 SPM): 1 minute
Cool down: 5 minutes
HIIT CARDIO: Bike
Warm up: 5 minutes
Then, repeat the following program 10 times:
SPRINT – Moderate resistance, >100 RPM: 1 minute
RECOVER – Low resistance, <80 RPM: 1 minute
Cool- down: 5 minutes
STEADY-STATE CARDIO
Cardio Machine of Choice: 40 minutes – moderate intensity
KEEP UP WITH GENNIFER
Gennifer is a top IFBB Figure Pro, Mom of two beautiful daughters, GNC Athlete and the Bombshell Fitness Staff Nutritionist/Coach. For more tips and motivation from Gennifer, follow her on Twitter (@gennid76), Facebook (IFBB Pro Gennifer Strobo) and Instagram (@gennid).
Gennifer can be contacted for appearances through www.fmg-fitnessmanagementgroup.com.