I don't want a waist line that looks like this!

jonnythan

OP is about 10 years of doing the opposite of whatever else she's been doing her entire life before she looks like Dana.

Pixi_Rex

I enjoy all the nay sayers here as well. Telling me how I never have to worry about having a nice set of abs. LOL.... wait people. Time is all it takes for progress to accumulate. I'll get around to posting a recent pic of myself eventually. This one is actually a few months old.

They are not saying you will not have a nice set of abs. They are saying that you will not look like her unless you commit to the same lifestyle she has. Its genetic, its hard work and it doesn't happen accidently you need to have that in mind for a goal to make it happen... So... yeah... you wont look like her if you don't want to.

LiftAllThePizzas

Oh and I apologize to all Bill Gates and all other super rich people for shaming them by saying I wasn't trying to get super rich. (I'm sure after they read my post they all felt absolutely horrible about themselves and wanted to just die of shame.)

GRUNO

And let's not forget that Dara Torres is 40-something with a couple of kids. Even if I wouldn't want to look exactly like her, I cannot look at that photo and be anything but inspired.

To the OP your initial and subsequent posts seem to have a negative tone. I think that's why you're getting somewhat negative responses. The fact is that you likely cannot ever look like Ms. Torres. And saying you don't want to exercise for fear of being too fit is absurd.

beattie1

I keep seeing pictures of women who after working out, losing fat, and building muscle, have a straight waistline with no curves at all. Is this because of the way the muscles were built, is it genetic? What causes a woman's waist to look like this? This kind of makes me think twice about trying too hard to build muscle. Not that someone like Dara Torres doesn't have a nice body, it's just the waist line looks like a pencil. Is this avoidable?

Let's hope that you haven't got "ruler", "straight up and down" genetics then! If you have, like I do, you'd still have to work like a *insert simile of choice here* to get those amazing muscles and definition. You have to make the most of what you've got & this lady has.

MyChocolateDiet

It's just how her waist/figure is. Cameron Diaz and others have this shape. In fashion it's called "rectangle" , "athletic" , etc.

I wouldn't mind looking like that. I don't mind my hourglass figure either. All the shapes can be dressed to be the most flattering version of what they are. For instance while hourglass figures look nice in dresses with well defined waists, women with this figure look wonderful in short tops and jeans. They can also rock sheath dressed quite nicely. There are so many body types and so many fashions to fit them, that I think the best plan is to get to the healthiest/fittest version of you and then go to a good stylist who can highlight your particular shape to it's best potential. Or at least take the body types into consideration when you shop at your goal weight. Might as well wear things that show your body off well after putting in all that hard work.

98777

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

taylorckt1

I understand what you are saying (and thanks for a visual)...I know it wasn't a put down but certainly a real concern. I want to keep my hourglass and I am sure I will...It is about the shape/build/structure of the individual, the work they put in, and genetics...you will look great when you reach your goals.

septbride2

She's so lean, unless you get down to that low body fat %, I don't think you have to worry about your waist looking like her's. Not that it's a bad thing....she looks phenomenal.

jonnythan

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

What's benign about an overweight woman with virtually 0 progress posting a picture of one of the fittest women in the world, who happens to be a 46 year old Olympic athlete, and saying "how can I avoid ending up like this"??

1223345

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

BinaryPulsar

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

I don't see anything cruel in this thread.

Other than the fact that it's not a benign topic (as others have pointed out).

MyChocolateDiet

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

This one Really didn't start benign. It started with OP expressing dislike for a certain body type. I don't know what it is about people that they think accepting themselves the way they are has to entail slamming the perceived opposite of what they are? I can be happy that I have an hourglass figure and still think Cameron Diaz looks real cute in her outfits on Charlie's Angels. It doesn't mean I don't love the Kim K shape I can have any less? I can like pizza AND chocolate too at the same time. Acceptance of one, does not necessarily have to mean rejection of the other. Does that make sense?

jonnythan

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

You think a 30 minute ab routine 3 times a week gives you the body of an Olympic athlete?

DontStopB_Leakin

OP, just judging off your profile picture, it appears you too might be a pencil shape.


So, yay, guess what, after years of dedication, hard work, a rigorous diet, and patience.......your waist will probably look like hers.



Damn, it's a crying shame I tells ya.

lhourin

I chose clothing that emphasizes the waist that I do have and the features I was blessed with. I have never had a guy turn me down when I was naked.

Ditto. You can fake a waistline, to some extent. You cannot fake a 6-pack (well, not very easily). And, yeah, I wouldn't say guys *hate* it.

1223345

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

I don't see anything cruel in this thread.

People enjoy it. It's just that simple. They certainly wont keep me up at night. I know it's all about their egos.

BinaryPulsar

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

You insulted the athlete.

Now, you are taking honest info as an insult.

stephaniemejia1671

Don't worry, you won't get a waistline like that because you aren't THAT person. None of us are shaped the same nor are going to look the same by the time we reach our end result. It's something to aspire to I must say.

UsedToBeHusky

Why do all seemingly benign thread topics turn so cruel?

What's benign about an overweight woman with virtually 0 progress posting a picture of one of the fittest women in the world, who happens to be a 46 year old Olympic athlete, and saying "how can I avoid ending up like this"??

+1

likitisplit

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

Abs are the one area you can (and probably should) do every day. However, to maximize your curves, I like to work the muscles as a part of the whole body as well (like yoga, Pilates, squats, etc.).

LoraF83

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

The ab work that you do will not 1. build muscle or 2. turn you into Dana Torres.

You could do an ab routine every day of the week, but it won't give you abs. Weight loss and a low body fat percentage will give you abs. Ab workouts will give you a stronger core, but as long as there is still excess weight there, it won't be visible.

You can train your abs as many days a week as you like. If you feel too sore, you're over training.

Qarol

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

You think a 30 minute ab routine 3 times a week gives you the body of an Olympic athlete?

The sad part here (for me) is I think she does....

neandermagnon

Body shape is genetic plain and simple. It looks like she is whats called a banana or ruler shape. If you are not then don't worry about looking like that. I definitely wouldn't avoid weight training because you saw some women who didn't have the same look you want that is silly.

^^^^ this (although someone's body type (ruler, hourglass, whatever), can change as they lose fat, because the way they store fat might make them one shape at a high body fat percentage, but their actual skeleton and musculature under the fat may be a different shape)

once you strip the fat off, you're left with the natural structure of your skeleton and muscles, if you're female you can make your muscles somewhat bigger by eating at a calorie surplus and doing serious amounts of weight training, but you can't change how your muscles attach to the bones, and you can't change the size and shape of your bones.

As someone said, the swimmer in the pic has very slender hips. women who have wide hips still look curvy when they have visible abs. You can't do anything about the size and shape of your pelvis. However, you can make your glute muscles bigger through doing some heavy weight lifting and this will give even women with narrow hips a more curvy shape.

dressagester

I once took an abs class and I came out looking JUST LIKE THAT!!

Be careful - it happens all the time!!!!!!! Search the forums for "belly fat" and you'll see all the people who are trying desperately to put fat back on their middles becuase they totally accidentally got super-buff without trying at all!!

:flowerforyou:

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

Um, you can't buy that! I want it, pencil or not!

likitisplit

There is a lovely pic on her site of her with abs, not nearly as "cut" as the original pic posted, but some great definition. Just for comparison's sake.

http://daratorres.com/photos.php

That is a beautiful picture!

danasings

Can I look like this, please?

jonnythan

Now that you all have had a turn taking stabs at me personally....
I do a 30 minute ab routine 3 days a week. Some of the moves use light weights, others do not. I was thinking of doing abs 5 days a week but I wonder if that is too much, or is it still too little? I never can decide if there should be more frequency than 3 days for abs. I have went to doing total body three days and cardio 5 days. I usually split my cardio from the resistance because I just don't have that uninterrupted chunk of time. Should I increase my resistance to 5 days?

You think a 30 minute ab routine 3 times a week gives you the body of an Olympic athlete?

The sad part here (for me) is I think she does....

Unbelievable. And this is the same poster who goes around the forums, telling all the people with outstanding progress and fitness that they're all wrong and know nothing.

bergpa

You're not going to just wake up one morning looking "bulky" after a weight training session. If you start to think you're gaining too much muscle for your preference, cut down on the weight training.

I'm so sad to report that this is true. I've just completed my 2nd week of lifting and I haven't awakened to any bulky muscles yet. The only thing that keeps me going is the 3/4ths inch that I've lost off my waist in just the three weeks since I signed up here.