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

2

Replies

  • Angelalouise7
    Angelalouise7 Posts: 1
    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
    isabeautie94 Posts: 2
    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
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    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
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    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. :)

    post-33337-it-just-seems-dumb-gif-Duck-Dy-hr1O.gif
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    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
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    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.

    IMG_20130803_135317_zps3ef17f41.jpg


    holy moly, that's hot. you're hot.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    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.

    IMG_20130803_135317_zps3ef17f41.jpg


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

    :blushing: Thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
    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. :)

    What.gif
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    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.

    11F1F4A2-C0D1-40EA-A3E4-7799890FDFC3_zpsrftkoufc.jpg
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    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
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
    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
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    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
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    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!
    894541.1137968103536.Zane-1.jpg
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member

    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
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    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!
    894541.1137968103536.Zane-1.jpg

    i like your appreciation for the classics lol
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    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
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    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
    AuntieIly Posts: 7 Member
    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
    quadmom96 Posts: 1 Member
    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
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    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
    sunshine108443434 Posts: 1 Member
    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
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    I also have this, I also get called pigeon chest because of it. We should start a big ribcage appreciation society lol.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    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
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    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
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    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
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    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
    yirara Posts: 9,938 Member
    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
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    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
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    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
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Zombie Thread from May 2013.
This discussion has been closed.

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