Continually trying to improve your physical health and appearance has a lot of benefits in and of itself. If you want to know more about getting a slimmer waist, and you’re a dude, keep reading.
Guys can get a slimmer waist by losing weight and exercising. Building up the shoulders and chest will make the waist look smaller in comparison. You should avoid foods that are heavy on carbs and sugar as well as reduce stress and caffeine intake, otherwise, you will store more fat around the core area.
The health benefits of a slim waist are well researched and supported at this point. Having a bigger waist makes you more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stress, etc.
The journey to a great body does not come easily. Working out and following a diet is necessary for achieving that smaller waist that makes a body look well-proportioned. Getting to that point requires patience and perseverance, but if you’re ready to give it your all for that slim waist, read on.
The Ideal Body
Before we dive into exactly how to get a smaller waist, let’s go back to the beginning. Why exactly would a man want to have a slimmer waist? A narrow waist, when thought about individually, sounds like something feminine. But it’s not really. A slim waist is indicative of a toned upper body and signifies the lack of belly fat. This study by Durkee et al. (2019) showed that both men and women thought that upper body muscles were important in physical attractiveness.
There is also a lot of research supporting the idea of a ‘V’ shaped torso. This body shape is incredibly attractive and is basically considered the typical Hollywood physique. A ‘V’ shaped torso is characterized by broad shoulders, a squared chest, and a slim waist that, when combined together, looks like an inverted triangle.
Take a look at this photo of Zac Efron on the set of Baywatch. His torso depicts that solid inverted triangle look with a slim waist that further defines his broad shoulders and chest. This is an example of a narrow waist combined with a full, muscular chest.
This photo of Chris Hemsworth also highlights the slim waist that many people find attractive.
Exercises For Slim Waist
In getting a slimmer waist, exercise should be your priority. A Greek god-like body can be achieved through persistent working out and targeted exercises. Though losing fat does not target specific areas, certain exercises help tone certain muscles to get that overall sculpted look.
Cardio
Though getting a slimmer waist focuses on gaining muscle, the first step is to lose weight in your abdomen area. Losing weight comes down to two basic things: eat less, and move more. Do those two things, and that’s the majority of the work that’s involved in getting a trim waist. You can do cardio exercises together with other exercises, such as those listed below.
Ab Exercises
The best waist slimming exercises for guys target the ab area. Exercising this area can help sculpt the muscles and creates a more defined and toned look.
Shown in the photo, in red, are the oblique abdominal muscles. You should target these muscles in order to develop a more toned torso. Here are a couple of examples of exercises you can do:
Stomach Vacuums
This is an underrated exercise that is very key to achieving an aesthetic abdominal area. To do these, merely suck your stomach in as far as you can. At the same time, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles (the muscles that you use to clench your butthole and stop your pee stream).
Here is a video on how to perform stomach vacuums:
Try to build up to doing ten reps at 30 seconds each.
Crunches
In general, traditional crunches were thought to be great for accentuating the ab area. According to recent findings, though, it’s no longer viewed as such because it is just not that stimulating to the ab area. The good news is that there are many different variations of this workout that are considered superior. You can try those instead.
Consider trying a myotatic crunch – an exercise that involves a stability ball. Bicycle crunches are also great because they provide intense ab stimulation and can really work up your abdomen area.
Leg Raises
Leg raises can really help achieve that toned ‘V’ taper by focusing on the obliques and the core. One leg raise exercise that is effective is the Figure 8s. This is essentially lying with your back down on the ground, raising your legs upwards without bending them, and making a sweeping figure 8 motion with your legs. An added benefit to this exercise is that it also strengthens your hips and your lower back.
Multiple birds with one stone!
Upper Body Exercises
Critical to achieving that ‘V’ shape is working on your upper body. You can’t just focus on your abs. Though this does not slim your waist directly, a toned upper body will give the appearance of a slimmer waist by accentuating it. A broad chest and shoulder will offset the waist and make it look thinner. So also keep upper body exercises in mind when trying to achieve that slimmer waist.
Diet
Like with every fitness and body physique goal, the diet is an incredibly important part of the journey. Exercising is all well and good, but without proper nutrition, you will not unlock your body’s full potential. Eating the appropriate food, and in the proper amounts, could speed you toward a slimmer waist. Foods that you should include in your diet are low-fat and high protein foods. Eating a high protein diet could increase your weight loss by a significant amount.
You should avoid foods with a lot of sugar and carbs in them, which means staying away from bread, pasta, or rice. Extra carbohydrates could be detrimental to your weight loss journey. At the same time, avoid foods with a lot of sugar, such as sweets, chocolates, and desserts. If you feel the need to indulge, do so in little amounts to ward off your cravings. Try to stick to healthier carbs such as oatmeal, quinoa, and barley.
Overall, maintaining a healthy diet is essential in achieving a slimmer waist. Try intermittent fasting or even alternate day fasting if you feel like you can sustain it. But it’s possible that fasting might not work for you. Techniques like that may work for the short term but might also lead to the development of binge eating habits, depending on your personality. It might set you up for rebound weight gain. But many people have success with fasting, so I still recommend giving it a shot.
For more info on weight loss, check out our article.
Hydrate
Drinking a lot of water is crucial in trying to lose weight and tone your body. Aside from the health benefits, drinking the right amounts of water will help you not overeat. Sometimes, when you are thirsty, the body mistakes thirst for hunger and convinces you that you need to eat. Most of the time, you don’t. Drinking a lot of water will help you curve those hunger impulses that do nothing to help you achieve a slimmer waist.
Conclusion
Losing weight is not easy, and no one is under the impression that it is. Toning your body and sculpting it so that it looks well-balanced is even more difficult. But getting a smaller waist will give a huge boost to your health as a result of diet and exercise.
But you have to remember that getting a smaller waist will not be easy and will likely take months of time and effort before you see results. Be patient and persistent in your march towards the perfect torso and a smaller waist, and soon you will get there. Do not go into extremes of caloric deficits. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember to eat the right foods and work out diligently. Soon, you will achieve a Hollywood physique that will make everyone jealous.
