hourglass workout question

Grimmerick

I have an hourglass figure, even more now that I have lost weight. I want to know some exercises to enhance an hourglass figure. I hear slow jogging, elliptical , and waist twisting exercises are some good ways to trim up an hourglass. I have also heard that pilates and heavy abdominal exercises are not as good for the hourglass because of how much they strengthen and square up your core which kinda makes sense to me. If anyone has some known exercises that are good for an hourglass figure I am all ears! I know most of it's genetics and i have that part I am just looking to enhance.

moneil21

oh I need to know this question too, i am in the same boat.

leomom72

likewise..i LOVE my hourglass figure..i just want a slimmer one :drinker:

Atlantique

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

sandyfeet10

bump

Grimmerick

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

I don't think all hourglass figures are this way, I used to do those workouts and I did notice my abs flattening out my sides. Come to think of it I have never seen an hourglass pilates instructor. Just to be sure an hourglass is defined as someone whos waist is more than 9 inches smaller than their bust and hips and their bust and hip measurements are within 2-3 inches of each other. Only about 8% of women have a true hourglass figure.

kimmerroze

Toning your mid section isnt going to "square" you up.

Any sort of jogging works wonders not just "slow jogging"

any sort of exercise is great, and because you are an hour glass figure, you don't necessarily have to be particular in which ones you do BECAUSE you are a hour glass.

I have a 13 inch difference, between my hips and waist. toning my stomach or doing core exercises has only made the difference bigger. not smaller.

Atlantique

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

I don't think all hourglass figures are this way, I used to do those workouts and I did notice my abs flattening out my sides. Come to think of it I have never seen an hourglass pilates instructor. Just to be sure an hourglass is defined as someone whos waist is more than 9 inches smaller than their bust and hips and their bust and hip measurements are within 2-3 inches of each other. Only about 8% of women have a true hourglass figure.

Your abs didn't bulk up; you lost some bodyfat from the top of your hips, so that area appeared straighter. And believe it or not, you can still be an hourglass and have boxy hips. I'm fairly shortwaisted and don't have a nice long, graceful slope to my hips from my waist. My hips get even more square when I work out, although my general proportions remain the same measurement wise. I just don't collect weight on the outer part of my hips or thighs-never have.

Maybe you should tell us what you are trying to accomplish with your workouts and we could be of more help?

Brandie6004

I found this a couple of months back, http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-routines-by-body-type , the best work out for your body type. I haven't done any of it yet, so I don't know if any of really works for body types.

Grimmerick

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

I don't think all hourglass figures are this way, I used to do those workouts and I did notice my abs flattening out my sides. Come to think of it I have never seen an hourglass pilates instructor. Just to be sure an hourglass is defined as someone whos waist is more than 9 inches smaller than their bust and hips and their bust and hip measurements are within 2-3 inches of each other. Only about 8% of women have a true hourglass figure.

Your abs didn't bulk up; you lost some bodyfat from the top of your hips, so that area appeared straighter. And believe it or not, you can still be an hourglass and have boxy hips. I'm fairly shortwaisted and don't have a nice long, graceful slope to my hips from my waist. My hips get even more square when I work out, although my general proportions remain the same measurement wise. I just don't collect weight on the outer part of my hips or thighs-never have.

Maybe you should tell us what you are trying to accomplish with your workouts and we could be of more help?

I didn't say my abs bulked up I said they flattened out and the waist to hip ratio became less significant, in other words I strengthened my core and my waist became thicker ( I measured ) with muscle giving me less of an hourglass figure than before. I do not want that! I want a less defined waist. So yes certain exercises do make your waist thicker, I learned this from my own experience. Now I would like to know what others have done to make their waist smaller from their experience.

kimmerroze

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

I don't think all hourglass figures are this way, I used to do those workouts and I did notice my abs flattening out my sides. Come to think of it I have never seen an hourglass pilates instructor. Just to be sure an hourglass is defined as someone whos waist is more than 9 inches smaller than their bust and hips and their bust and hip measurements are within 2-3 inches of each other. Only about 8% of women have a true hourglass figure.

Your abs didn't bulk up; you lost some bodyfat from the top of your hips, so that area appeared straighter. And believe it or not, you can still be an hourglass and have boxy hips. I'm fairly shortwaisted and don't have a nice long, graceful slope to my hips from my waist. My hips get even more square when I work out, although my general proportions remain the same measurement wise. I just don't collect weight on the outer part of my hips or thighs-never have.

Maybe you should tell us what you are trying to accomplish with your workouts and we could be of more help?

I didn't say my abs bulked up I said they flattened out and the waist to hip ratio became less significant, in other words I strengthened my core and my waist became thicker ( I measured ) with muscle giving me less of an hourglass figure than before. I do not want that! I want a less defined waist. So yes certain exercises do make your waist thicker, I learned this from my own experience. Now I would like to know what others have done to make their waist smaller from their experience.

I guess I am confused.

Were your measurements something like this

Bust 38
Waist 28
Hips 38

and then with exercising did you waist numbers get bigger and your hips stay the same as in

Bust 38
waist 32
hips 38

or did your hips/bust get smaller as in

Bust 35
waist 28
hips 35

if this is the case I would say that you aren't as much of an hour glass as you thought you were. Muscle takes up less room on your body than fat so you will naturally get smaller as you lose fat. Once you lose the majority of your fat and start building muscle that is when your muscle will start making you bigger. But that takes a long time and a lot of hard hard work to build muscle. your muscles are also 3 demensional not 2 demensional. so when the become tighter and more defined that is because they are pulling into eachother and tightening up they dont all of a sudden get flattened like a pancake.

I would say that you should either build up your hips tush and thighs and your upper body to make your waist look smaller, or learn to accept your body style.

baisleac

Lift. Lift heavy. Squats, lunges, shoulder presses, dead lifts, etc with as heavy a weight as you can.

Losing body fat will enhance your natural shape.

Building up your legs and shoulders will give the appearance of a smaller midsection resulting in a greater visual hourglass.

Grimmerick

I'm naturally an hourglass and I don't find any issue at all with doing ab/core workouts like Pilates and Yoga or even just targeted ab classes. Your abs are not going to 'bulk up'.

Cardio is fine too. So is strength training.

I don't know if all hourglasses are this way, but I find that if I just keep moving, I can fairly easily stay in good shape; the second I stop working out, weight creeps back on.

I don't think all hourglass figures are this way, I used to do those workouts and I did notice my abs flattening out my sides. Come to think of it I have never seen an hourglass pilates instructor. Just to be sure an hourglass is defined as someone whos waist is more than 9 inches smaller than their bust and hips and their bust and hip measurements are within 2-3 inches of each other. Only about 8% of women have a true hourglass figure.

Your abs didn't bulk up; you lost some bodyfat from the top of your hips, so that area appeared straighter. And believe it or not, you can still be an hourglass and have boxy hips. I'm fairly shortwaisted and don't have a nice long, graceful slope to my hips from my waist. My hips get even more square when I work out, although my general proportions remain the same measurement wise. I just don't collect weight on the outer part of my hips or thighs-never have.

Maybe you should tell us what you are trying to accomplish with your workouts and we could be of more help?

I didn't say my abs bulked up I said they flattened out and the waist to hip ratio became less significant, in other words I strengthened my core and my waist became thicker ( I measured ) with muscle giving me less of an hourglass figure than before. I do not want that! I want a less defined waist. So yes certain exercises do make your waist thicker, I learned this from my own experience. Now I would like to know what others have done to make their waist smaller from their experience.

I guess I am confused.

Were your measurements something like this

Bust 38
Waist 28
Hips 38

and then with exercising did you waist numbers get bigger and your hips stay the same as in

Bust 38
waist 32
hips 38

or did your hips/bust get smaller as in

Bust 35
waist 28
hips 35

if this is the case I would say that you aren't as much of an hour glass as you thought you were. Muscle takes up less room on your body than fat so you will naturally get smaller as you lose fat. Once you lose the majority of your fat and start building muscle that is when your muscle will start making you bigger. But that takes a long time and a lot of hard hard work to build muscle. your muscles are also 3 demensional not 2 demensional. so when the become tighter and more defined that is because they are pulling into eachother and tightening up they dont all of a sudden get flattened like a pancake.

I would say that you should either build up your hips tush and thighs and your upper body to make your waist look smaller, or learn to accept your body style.

I am definitely an hourglass, that has been confirmed time and time again. I am sorry you don't understand my dilemma but thank you for trying to answer my question anyway. building the upper and lower body is probably my best bet.

ilikeflowers

I find doing abs helps my shape. Im 34 24.5 36.5. Just dont do abs crunches to the side, do them straight forward. Dont do leg lifts to the side. Do cardio and light weights high rep to lose the fat but replace it with muscle tone. It would help us to help you with workouts if you say a before and after bust waist hip measurement so we know where you are losing weight first. Otherwise its shooting fish in a barrel, everyone loses weight differently in different places first. And dont worry, all sizes are amazing! But getting a specific shape cant be generalized without knowing something about how your specific body works.

ilikeflowers

Toning your mid section isnt going to "square" you up.

Any sort of jogging works wonders not just "slow jogging"

any sort of exercise is great, and because you are an hour glass figure, you don't necessarily have to be particular in which ones you do BECAUSE you are a hour glass.

I have a 13 inch difference, between my hips and waist. toning my stomach or doing core exercises has only made the difference bigger. not smaller.

I definately agree with this. Its a body shape and that cant be changed. The more weight that is lost, the more the true body shape shows. I actually want LESS of an hourglass. I want 34 24 34 but it just scales down or up with the same shape with slightly more generous in the booty

AshDHart

Bellydancing or hula will work wonders for the hourglass!

kindel2

I have been wondering the same thing. I have heard that to much core work can potentially thicken your waist. With that in mind I feel that once I lose the weight I will not have abs, but a trim waist, which is fine with me. So like one of the other ladies said I would try the belly dancing, and hula hooping. I will add salsa and merengue anything to get your waist moving from side to side. Good luck to you. I am still way overweight but my measurements fit what they are suppose to. So I can't wait to see the after results.