LARGE/Wide Rib Cage. Can I ever get a flat core/torso?

Angelalouise7

I have a big and protruding ribcage too, I'm 5'6 ft and have long arms and legs with skinny wrists and ankles (even when i have weight on). Its defo genetics coz i remember a friend at school years ago mentioned how big my ribcage was in P.E once, also when i was pregnant with my son he caused my ribs to flare out at the bottom too, as he was very big. I think of myself as a thoroughbred; elegant with really good posture

isabeautie94

I know exactly what you are talking about because mine do the same thing. Contrary to some answers, your can expand and collapse because if they didnt, we would see large sets of cages on those extreme weight loss stories of women and men who lost over 100 pounds. Buthe expanding has to do with the fat not just over, but under as well. When you lose weight, some fat under will be lost and help collapse it a little. But genetically, we are prone to certain bone structures so it may not go down as much as we would hope. I got this information from my college biology class.

Also, though. I read somewhere that some models get surgery to remove the bottom to ribs to achieve that flat look. This means two things, 1, that skinny girls can have the same problem, and 2, that many of the flat torsos arent even natural. This gave me some comfort knowing that many of them resorted to this type of surgery just to satisfy a sad, 21st century ideal of the "hpt body". My body will look good when im skinnier, and it will look nothing close to a victoria's secret model,, and im okay with that.

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

Hope this helped. It came from a textbook, and not the ones that were on my stomach at night.

usmcmp

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

:noway: No. Just no. By that logic I would have always had a flat stomach.

skullshank

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

Hope this helped. It came from a textbook, and not the ones that were on my stomach at night.

firstsip

I know exactly what you are talking about because mine do the same thing. Contrary to some answers, your can expand and collapse because if they didnt, we would see large sets of cages on those extreme weight loss stories of women and men who lost over 100 pounds. Buthe expanding has to do with the fat not just over, but under as well. When you lose weight, some fat under will be lost and help collapse it a little. But genetically, we are prone to certain bone structures so it may not go down as much as we would hope. I got this information from my college biology class.

Also, though. I read somewhere that some models get surgery to remove the bottom to ribs to achieve that flat look. This means two things, 1, that skinny girls can have the same problem, and 2, that many of the flat torsos arent even natural. This gave me some comfort knowing that many of them resorted to this type of surgery just to satisfy a sad, 21st century ideal of the "hpt body". My body will look good when im skinnier, and it will look nothing close to a victoria's secret model,, and im okay with that.

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

Hope this helped. It came from a textbook, and not the ones that were on my stomach at night.

Citation pls.

vjohn04

I have a very wide rib cage (thanks to having boys who lived inside of my ribs the last few months of pregnancy). It's possible to have a nice core and part of presentation is just how you bend/lean/stand. Even judges at competitions comment on my rib cage being big.

holy moly, that's hot. you're hot.

usmcmp

I have a very wide rib cage (thanks to having boys who lived inside of my ribs the last few months of pregnancy). It's possible to have a nice core and part of presentation is just how you bend/lean/stand. Even judges at competitions comment on my rib cage being big.

holy moly, that's hot. you're hot.

:blushing: Thank you! :flowerforyou:

calibriintx

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

Hope this helped. It came from a textbook, and not the ones that were on my stomach at night.

IronPlayground

And finally. Bone structure can be bended and changed over time by this powerful force we all know as gravity. Some people actually grow shorter as they get older because of all the years gravity was pulling them closer to the earth. With that being said, i read an article that said sleeping on your back can help you achieve a flatter stomach because gravity pulls you to the ground for 7 hours a day, every day. So i tried it one dedicated, young summer in high school when i was very weight-conscious. After 3 months i saw a difference, so (and thos is gonna sound REALLY SILLY) i started sleeping with a textbook on my stomach, to "strengthen gravity". It worked more with flattening my stomach and ribs, although i know now that gravity has the same pull no matter the weight. It helped though, having the textbook there to remind me I cannot turn to my side.

waldo56

I just want to comment on your top picture.

A lack of core strength and lack of shoulder mobility is causing your ribcage to flare forward to compensate for a lack of shoulder mobility with your arms over your head.

Most people can see this in action very easy. Stand straight back against a wall, feet a couple inches in front, shoulder blades touching the wall, arms at your sides. Flex your abs hard so that your lower back is also touching the wall (tilting your hips back). Now slowly lift your arms over your head. At some point, unless you have awesome shoulder mobility, you will be unable to maintain lower back contact with the wall; your back arching, lower ribs jutting forward, will be the only way you can lift your arms higher.

This is exactly what you are doing in the top picture.

Were your arms by your sides and your core engaged (instead of the somewhat stomach vacuum that you are doing), your ribs would look a lot different.

sportyredhead01

I think you look great! :happy:
Truthfully, the pic of you in the bikini would be my goal personally. :drinker:

And as someone that deals in Photoshop daily, those chics MAY look similar to that but do I think they get out of bed looking like that...? No ma'am.:noway:



P.S. usmcmp, you're an inspiration! will you teach me how to stand? (granted, i need to keep working.) you look GREAT. :happy:

No_Finish_Line

most pro body builders have larger frames, aka 'big boned'

they often have very flat stomachs.

a large rib cage is considered a plus in body building

usmcmp

most pro body builders have larger frames, aka 'big boned'

they often have very flat stomachs.

a large rib cage is considered a plus in body building

Hell yeah! Vacuum!

usmcmp

P.S. usmcmp, you're an inspiration! will you teach me how to stand? (granted, i need to keep working.) you look GREAT. :happy:

Spend lots of time in front of the mirror manipulating your body. Most women like how they look when they tilt their pelvis forward a bit. It makes your butt stick out, increases the curve of the back and stretches the stomach a bit. All those elements help create the illusion of a smaller waist.

No_Finish_Line

most pro body builders have larger frames, aka 'big boned'

they often have very flat stomachs.

a large rib cage is considered a plus in body building

Hell yeah! Vacuum!

i like your appreciation for the classics lol

geebusuk

I've got similar, though a case where it's possibly more 'accepted' as a bloke, to be larger.
When at my leanest it looks like I'm "sucking it in" in pictures - changed my profile picture from a fairly flattering one showing the start of some abs because it annoyed me that it looked like I was doing that!

To "fill it in", I'm trying to chuck in some abs work - though that does depend on what else I'm doing too.

I thought the current crop of pro body builders tended to go for a bigger mid-rif - possibly related to some drug they are taking.

usmcmp

I thought the current crop of pro body builders tended to go for a bigger mid-rif - possibly related to some drug they are taking.

http://www.ironmagazine.com/2012/stomach-distension-and-the-modern-bodybuilder-fact-vs-fiction-part-1/
http://www.ironmagazine.com/2012/stomach-distension-and-the-modern-bodybuilder-fact-vs-fiction-part-2/

AuntieIly

So glad I'm not the only one with a big rib cage! I also have a short torso so I feel like I look dumpy, especially when I put on a few pounds. But, hey, if it was good enough for Bettie Page...

quadmom96

Thanks for posting this picture, usmcmp! Only in the six months since I've been lifting have my waist and hips gotten small enough for me to suddenly notice that my rib cage is quite large. I have been focused on it and thinking it looked so weird. Then, I see your gorgeous picture that doesn't look weird AT ALL and we have very similar rib shape. Thanks for the reality check!

usmcmp

Thanks for posting this picture, usmcmp! Only in the six months since I've been lifting have my waist and hips gotten small enough for me to suddenly notice that my rib cage is quite large. I have been focused on it and thinking it looked so weird. Then, I see your gorgeous picture that doesn't look weird AT ALL and we have very similar rib shape. Thanks for the reality check!

No problem! Glad it put your mind at ease! I know at first I thought I looked weird. Took me a while to see that I'm just fine and a lot of how big my rib cage looks in any picture is posture related no matter how big my rib cage actually is (and it really is huge).

sunshine108443434

YES YOU CAN!! you just need to use a corset while you are at home. you can reshape your bones or better than a corset is to create a piece of fabric a long and wide about 1.5 meters ( has to be strong fabric,double material) and wrapped around your ribs it will shrink noticeable in a week!!

DR2501

I also have this, I also get called pigeon chest because of it. We should start a big ribcage appreciation society lol.

TavistockToad

I have a large rib cage too. I try not to look at other bodies as a goal and try try to see what my own body is capable of. If my ribs are larger than average, whatev.

QFT

dammitjanet0161

I know this is a zombie thread but I had to comment because my ribs are exactly the same. Having said that, it's only ever an occasional issue when trying certain types of clothes (had to return a fitted dress yesterday that was too tight round the ribs; I look massive in empire line dresses compared to waisted dresses because they flare out at the widest part of the torso etc). Also have a hard time getting supportive enough sports bras in a large band but smaller cup size, as the manufacturers seem to think that everybody who needs a 38 has big bosoomas - longtime rant of mine!

The clothes thing can be annoying at times but I've never considered a big rib cage to be something to have a body hang up about. It's like complaining about having big feet or long arms, you can't change it so pointless wasting energy wishing it were different.

lightmouse

I have a large rib cage and no waist. In the process of trying to flatten out my tummy I have previously ended up looking like a skeleton with a wobbly belly because my ribs stick out so much. I'm lifting weights and eating more protein now and it's getting better

DavPul

YES YOU CAN!! you just need to use a corset while you are at home. you can reshape your bones or better than a corset is to create a piece of fabric a long and wide about 1.5 meters ( has to be strong fabric,double material) and wrapped around your ribs it will shrink noticeable in a week!!

This is your very first post. You might want to tone down the bad advice a notch or two

yirara

Whoopsie! Thanks to this thread I have yet another problem with my body O.o
Seriously, yea, I also have a wide rib cage, and wide hips, and strong thick muscles where other people have their ankles/food wrists/whatever you call them. But I do have a lovely waist in-between ribs and hips that I love to put emphasis on with my clothing. I know I'll never be as slander as others, but I'm quite happy with my body.

neandermagnon

I have a mahoosive rib cage. My lung capacity is off the charts for my height - not even close to the normal range.

I blame the neanderthals.

neandermagnon

YES YOU CAN!! you just need to use a corset while you are at home. you can reshape your bones or better than a corset is to create a piece of fabric a long and wide about 1.5 meters ( has to be strong fabric,double material) and wrapped around your ribs it will shrink noticeable in a week!!

based on what I know about biology...... NO YOU CAN'T.... you can't reshape bones with a corset. Not without breaking a rib or two. Or binding the chests of growing children.

Rib cage size is genetic. If you have a big, barrel chested kind of rib cage, then blame the neanderthals for that one, but no amount of corseting is going to make it into a cro-magnon rib cage.

leggup

Zombie Thread from May 2013.