Need help: How to get a V Taper?

[Chuck Taylor]

I'm 5'11" 210, and am pretty athletic. I bench 360; front squat 400. Problem is, I'm thicker in the waist than I'd like to be. Pretty much a straight line from my armpits down to my waist. No taper at all.

How can I get that V taper, but keep all my muscle mass? (I've read that a lot of cardio will burn muscle as well)

Thanks.

@nicksaiz65 @FlexpertHamilton any expert advice?

 

[DonJuanjr]

Can only pick 2:
-Big
-Lean
-Natural

 

[nicksaiz65]

Well first off your strength is amazing.

I believe all you can do is lower your BF% and try to increase the size of your traps/shoulders. The rest comes down to genetics

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I'm 5'11" 210, and am pretty athletic. I bench 360; front squat 400. Problem is, I'm thicker in the waist than I'd like to be. Pretty much a straight line from my armpits down to my waist. No taper at all.

How can I get that V taper, but keep all my muscle mass? (I've read that a lot of cardio will burn muscle as well)

Thanks.

@nicksaiz65 @FlexpertHamilton any expert advice?

Wide weighted pull ups, lat pull downs, standing wide straight arm pull downs, one armed barbell rows(on a bench)

At my best I had a chest/back that was 17-18 inches wider than my waist...it's all about back work, but to some degree it's genetics as well.

 

[f(x)]

I had success using ankle weights to do leg lifts and flutter kicks. I would lay a mat under a door frame and brace my forearms against it for support.

I got up to 20 pounds per leg and 1000 reps a few years ago. Extremely effective and abs were clearly visible. Even back muscles to a lesser extent.

I had to combine the exercises with low carb eating as well as HIIT.

I have resumed this regimen because I need to strengthen my core for surfing but am not yet back to my personal best.

Each session took about three hours, three times a week.

Abs were freakishly tight and women certainly noticed.

 

[Pierce Manhammer]

As has been said focus on upper back and shoulders:

Seated or Standing Military Press
Dumbbell Front Raise
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Cuban Press
Dip (Chest Version)

I struggled with this as well, but persistence is the only key.

You can add inches this way - the shoulder "ball" is an easy way - "shoulders like boulders". Your bi's and tri's if they're meaty add to the illusion.

 

[Redwolf]

Well first off your strength is amazing.

I believe all you can do is lower your BF% and try to increase the size of your traps/shoulders. The rest comes down to genetics

I agree with this. Pretty much everyone gets thick around the waist when they gain weight. Lower your carb intake and/or do some cardio to lean down some and focus on building your shoulders up some along with back/traps/lats..

 

[mrgoodstuff]

I'm 5'11" 210, and am pretty athletic. I bench 360; front squat 400. Problem is, I'm thicker in the waist than I'd like to be. Pretty much a straight line from my armpits down to my waist. No taper at all.

How can I get that V taper, but keep all my muscle mass? (I've read that a lot of cardio will burn muscle as well)

Thanks.

@nicksaiz65 @FlexpertHamilton any expert advice?

Cardio won't really burn muscle unless it's excess. The first thing is you need to make an evaluation of where and how you are storing fat and water. If there is fat ON the midsection, there is also fat UNDER the abdominal wall. So if your fat on the midsection isn't a 1/8" pinch or less, then you can lose fat.

Losing fat is done thru a combination of diet and exercise ( cardio ). In the fat burning process, you will limit or minimize your carbs to force your body to consume its fuel stores in it's body fat.

Give it at least 3 months of diet and exercise daily. In the way i'm do it i'm able to maintain a 1/2 lb fat loss per day - or around 12-15lbs per month for the first few months - if I am carrying fat. To keep your muscle, you have to hit the weights and provide enough protein otherwise the body will start taking muscle away. You keep a lot more muscle than most will admit. Hitting that muscle hard forces the body to hold onto it, and there is some strange dynamic on myself that it seems to rip from the fat stores even harder.

Plan your loss on a calendar, 80% of it is your diet. 20% is the exercise and it must occur.

 

[EyeBRollin]

You should be able to Row and do weighted chins in greater load than bench press. Can you barbell row at least 360 lbs? Can you do 150 lb weighted pull ups? If not, OP you have work to do on your symmetry. The “taper” comes from your overall back and posterior chain development.

 

[Billtx49]

I got that under arm V shape started back when I was a teen. It started as trick doing very deep pushups between a tub and toilet. The same could be done by using cinderblocks, chairs, or some other means to achieve the desired result.
Google Atlas pushup

 

[nicksaiz65]

Cardio won't really burn muscle unless it's excess. The first thing is you need to make an evaluation of where and how you are storing fat and water. If there is fat ON the midsection, there is also fat UNDER the abdominal wall. So if your fat on the midsection isn't a 1/8" pinch or less, then you can lose fat.

Losing fat is done thru a combination of diet and exercise ( cardio ). In the fat burning process, you will limit or minimize your carbs to force your body to consume its fuel stores in it's body fat.

Give it at least 3 months of diet and exercise daily. In the way i'm do it i'm able to maintain a 1/2 lb fat loss per day - or around 12-15lbs per month for the first few months - if I am carrying fat. To keep your muscle, you have to hit the weights and provide enough protein otherwise the body will start taking muscle away. You keep a lot more muscle than most will admit. Hitting that muscle hard forces the body to hold onto it, and there is some strange dynamic on myself that it seems to rip from the fat stores even harder.

Plan your loss on a calendar, 80% of it is your diet. 20% is the exercise and it must occur.

I know it’s a cliche but I have to emphasize/second the 80% diet 20% exercise thing.

I’d go as far to say as it could be 90% diet 10% exercise.

You truly can’t outtrain a sh*tty diet, or outrun the fork. (Sh*tty Diet == Too many calories) Be ESPECIALLY careful of alcohol, that can derail a whole fitness plan even if everything else is on point. I’d say try to avoid restaurants too unless it’s for a social event. Without the diet on point you’ll just spin your wheels and go nowhere.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

I don't really think you need any special workout to get the V shape. I would agree with the above poster.

Cut out refined grains, sugar, alcohol, and vegetable oils. And try fasting/IM fasting.

 

[nicksaiz65]

I don't really think you need any special workout to get the V shape. I would agree with the above poster.

Cut out refined grains, sugar, alcohol, and vegetable oils. And try fasting/IM fasting.

Intermittent Fasting is goated. I saw you mention Extended Fasting too. I do that as well. Man, when you combine IF and EF together the fat just melts off. This has been the most successful I’ve been at any diet, ever.

I think alcohol is the most important one to avoid. Alcohol will screw you over on your cut and stop you from making any progress at all. Gotta drink in moderation, it’s just not worth it.

 

[Chuck Taylor]

I know it’s a cliche but I have to emphasize/second the 80% diet 20% exercise thing.

I’d go as far to say as it could be 90% diet 10% exercise.

You truly can’t outtrain a crappy diet, or outrun the fork. Be ESPECIALLY careful of alcohol, that can derail a whole fitness plan even if everything else is on point. Without the diet on point you’ll just spin your wheels and go nowhere.

I don't drink, smoke, and I limit the fried, processed foods. I also don't eat grains or do dairy. Pretty much steak, potatoes, and different color vegetables. 1 cheat day a week.

 

[Chuck Taylor]

had my first session with a speed/performance coach this morning. I really need to work on my hip flexibility and 10-yard burst. Last 40 I ran was 4.61, but I want to get it down in the 4.4s.

He told me to clean up my diet a bit more and that the taper will come.

 

[derby1]

low carb diet with IF is possibly one of the most amazing things Im in the process of doing.

I dont use the word keto, because most of my meals are quite lean.

Its torching my torso fat like theres no tomorrow. its ashame I struggle to fast over 18 hours because id be, where I wanted to be by now.

dont forget to use pink-salt and low salt if you go this route

 

[nicksaiz65]

low carb diet with IF is possibly one of the most amazing things Im in the process of doing.

I dont use the word keto, because most of my meals are quite lean.

Its torching my torso fat like theres no tomorrow. its ashame I struggle to fast over 18 hours because id be, where I wanted to be by now.

dont forget to use pink-salt and low salt if you go this route

I could never do low carb myself(I like Anabolic French Toast and Anabolic Mac and Cheese too much in my diet) but I will say that fasting and a Keto type diet can work really well together.

The reason being that you’ll already be fat adapted, so when you enter ketosis from the fast it’s not a huge deal.

Bro bro, you’ve gotta work your way up to 24 and 48 hour extended fasts! Sh*t is incredible. The fat just melts off.

And if you have a bad weekend or bad string of days with your eating, you can use the fast to cancel it out and still hit your goals.

 

[derby1]

Bro bro, you’ve gotta work your way up to 24 and 48 hour extended fasts! Sh*t is incredible. The fat just melts off.

I managed a 3 day fast about 3 weeks ago, and it literally bought my figure up 2 points on the SMV chart.

I had lost gradual weight before this and could barely tell

 

[nicksaiz65]

I managed a 3 day fast about 3 weeks ago, and it literally bought my figure up 2 points on the SMV chart.

I had lost gradual weight before this and could barely tell

I’m halfway through a 48 hour fast as we speak, to make sure I make weight I like to fast every Sunday and Monday. This has been the only diet that ever worked for me, man. Shyt is incredible.

I’ve wanted to do a 3 day fast. The only issue is that within those 3 days, some form of social eating usually comes up and I have to break the fast

I’m probably going to need to get in a couple 2-3 day fasts before the end of this month to make weight! This stuff works so much better than a consistent small deficit.

 

[svencandy]

I'm 5'11" 210, and am pretty athletic. I bench 360; front squat 400. Problem is, I'm thicker in the waist than I'd like to be. Pretty much a straight line from my armpits down to my waist. No taper at all.

How can I get that V taper, but keep all my muscle mass? (I've read that a lot of cardio will burn muscle as well)

Thanks.

@nicksaiz65 @FlexpertHamilton any expert advice?

If you can do pullups, Google fighter pullup program.

Hoe much can you OHP? This is a tried and tested builder of a v taper.

If you are too fat to do a pullup, you need some conditioning, so learn how to swing and snatch a kettlebell to lose pounds. Good goal is 24 snatches in 5 mins. If you cant do that, then work towards it and I promise you your problem will be solved.