How to minimize hips and maximize upper body at a very slim weight?
JTennis1995
Posts: 24 Member
I'm a 19 year old male and this year, I went from weighing 190 to 150. Yes, I realize this is a very light weight for most men, especially considering I'm 6'2". I achieved this a lot more through dieting than exercising, which was not a good call. Here's my biggest issue(s) right now:
When I was overweight, I hated how wide my hips were. Now that I'm slim and have (almost) a flat stomach, albeit with no definition, they still look the same to me. I realize that my wide hip bones are genetic and there's nothing I can do about that, but my hips make me look larger than I really am. It also really doesn't help that I have a very very small upper body and arms. My main questions are:
What exercises can I do to minimize my hips?
What exercises should I AVOID (since I'm sure some exercises make hip muscles larger)?
What can I do to add definition to my ab area? I'm already at a large calorie deficit and I'm not sure what exercises will help me.
For those of you tempting to point it out yourself, yes, I know I sound completely in over my head and inexperienced, and you'd be right
but hopefully some of you will help. Thank you so much!
When I was overweight, I hated how wide my hips were. Now that I'm slim and have (almost) a flat stomach, albeit with no definition, they still look the same to me. I realize that my wide hip bones are genetic and there's nothing I can do about that, but my hips make me look larger than I really am. It also really doesn't help that I have a very very small upper body and arms. My main questions are:
What exercises can I do to minimize my hips?
What exercises should I AVOID (since I'm sure some exercises make hip muscles larger)?
What can I do to add definition to my ab area? I'm already at a large calorie deficit and I'm not sure what exercises will help me.
For those of you tempting to point it out yourself, yes, I know I sound completely in over my head and inexperienced, and you'd be right
but hopefully some of you will help. Thank you so much! 0
Replies
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Start lifting weights. A good compound lift program like Greyskull LP, Stronglifts 5x5, etc. You need to build muscle so you are going to have to up your calories above maintenance. Check out the gaining weight forum for guidance on that. But you are pretty much in prime position (young male noob) to build muscle which, with a full body program, will make you look more proportional.0
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I agree with Jem you're in the best position for changing your body. Start reading up on weight lifting (in addition to the ones Jem says I also read people recommend Starting Strength) and nutrition.0
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Well if you are 6'2 and 150lbs, you should probably stop eating at a huge deficit. My husband is 6'3 about 190 (lifts weights; so he is big, but not fat) and eats like 2500 calories a day just to live. Your large hip bones are genetic. He has the same problem; how he handled it is to build muscle everywhere, including legs. If you have access to a gym/trainer, you should start there. Read Starting Strength.0
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I'd work on building some muscle in your upper body to balance it out, since you can't make your hips smaller and you're already close to underweight. Get started with a progressive loading strength training program and start eating at a small surplus.0
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Thanks guys!
Will upping my calorie intake, though for muscle building, also make me gain fat? I don't want my stomach to grow in the slightest.0 -
You'll gain a little fat. Some people say their body fat percentage stayed about the same though. The reason that body builders do cycles of bulking and cutting is that they gain some fat while bulking, then they cut again to reveal the muscle they built.
You can try a recomposition if you prefer but it's much much slower (think of small amounts of progress over months rather than weeks). That would involve lifting, eating at maintenance, and getting enough protein. Since you're 19 and male it seems a shame to waste the first few months of lifting doing recomp though-- you've got the potential to build muscle easier than it will ever be again for the first 6 months or so.
Honestly I think most of your problem is body image and self-perception. In addition to whatever changes you decide to pursue physically, I think you should work on the way you talk about yourself to yourself. I find it extremely difficult to believe, for example, that you have big anything at your height and weight.0 -
If I were you I would just eat at maintenance for awhile and hit the weight room hard with a good program...rock your nutrition, especially your protein and win. You'll have some good newb gains and I think it will be good for your mind because I'm just generally hearing some troubling things here.
Once those newb gains slow, you can either maintain that or eat at a very small surplus...fat gains will be pretty minimal to non-existant if you maintain a small surplus.
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I would go for the weightlifting gains, eat the food to support that goal and cut out the food and drink that you make your tummy bloat.0
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Although I was never overweight to start with, I can understand your situation. I'm fairly skinny and have a tiny upper body but my hips are plenty wide enough in comparison. I would suggest concentrating on compound upper body lifts like pullups, lat pulldowns, and bench press.0
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Build "rounder" shoulders and upper body size. A wider shoulder appearance will make your waist look smaller and you hip width look even.
Stick to the basics: Shoulders presses, laterals and upright rows.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »If I were you I would just eat at maintenance for awhile and hit the weight room hard with a good program...rock your nutrition, especially your protein and win. You'll have some good newb gains and I think it will be good for your mind because I'm just generally hearing some troubling things here.
Once those newb gains slow, you can either maintain that or eat at a very small surplus...fat gains will be pretty minimal to non-existant if you maintain a small surplus.
I appreciate the sympathy and I'm certainly not denying that what I'm saying doesn't sound right. I'm not throwing a pity party every time I look in the mirror, and I like what I see now more than what I saw 6 months ago, but I have a long road to contentment.
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I pretty much agree with everything that has been said so far...for my two cents, one lift that you may want to start incorporating regularly is anything that works your lats....lat pull-downs, pull-ups, straight arm lat-pull downs, etc. Your lats are a back muscle that sit laterally (towards the outside) of your back, near your sides. The bigger they get, the wider your upper body looks, which I'm assuming would give the illusion of smaller hips.0
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JTennis1995 wrote: »Thanks guys!
Will upping my calorie intake, though for muscle building, also make me gain fat? I don't want my stomach to grow in the slightest.
you're a 19 year old male why are you worried about a little body fat ….????
you need to take advantage of your youth = high testosterone level = and start lifting heavy and eating in a 250 per day calorie surplus…
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JTennis1995 wrote: »Thanks guys!
Will upping my calorie intake, though for muscle building, also make me gain fat? I don't want my stomach to grow in the slightest.
get over it.
Seriously.
Eat- lift. Build your body.
As one of the other fabulous folks here pointed out- you can build a bit of illusion of a wider back to create a more defined V shape.
Odds are you look like you have wide hips because you have nothing else hanging on your frame so your sense of porportion and what you are 'supposed' to look like is off.
Literally put some meat on your bones and you're going to fill out and look great.
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I have huge genetic predominant hips, so i can understand what you're saying.
Exercises of deadlifts, pull ups, and bent over rows are excellent to develop your lats which will give you more of a V shape that will fill you out as you gain.
I'm not sure "avoid" would be the right word, but i would concentrate on the big four compounds exercises (Squats, deads, bench, overhead press) and add in some accessory exercises that I mentioned above. You need more meat on the body and adding muscle everywhere will help with the hips as the focal point.
Ab area you need to get out of the deficit and as mentioned before start adding mass while in surplus. Abs are one of the hardest to grow, yet if you do the compounds mentioned above in a surplus along with hanging leg raises as an accessory it will help most people.0 -
I have huge genetic predominant hips, so i can understand what you're saying.
Exercises of deadlifts, pull ups, and bent over rows are excellent to develop your lats which will give you more of a V shape that will fill you out as you gain.
I'm not sure "avoid" would be the right word, but i would concentrate on the big four compounds exercises (Squats, deads, bench, overhead press) and add in some accessory exercises that I mentioned above. You need more meat on the body and adding muscle everywhere will help with the hips as the focal point.
Ab area you need to get out of the deficit and as mentioned before start adding mass while in surplus. Abs are one of the hardest to grow, yet if you do the compounds mentioned above in a surplus along with hanging leg raises as an accessory it will help most people.
So I pretty much have to decide between a flat stomach and a larger upper body? Sorry if I'm slow with this haha0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »If I were you I would just eat at maintenance for awhile and hit the weight room hard with a good program...rock your nutrition, especially your protein and win. You'll have some good newb gains and I think it will be good for your mind because I'm just generally hearing some troubling things here.
Once those newb gains slow, you can either maintain that or eat at a very small surplus...fat gains will be pretty minimal to non-existant if you maintain a small surplus.
Yeah, definitely gives off a troubling vibe.
You're near the bottom of a healthy weight. Lift heavy, and put on a good 20 pounds or so. Some will be fat sure, but a lot of it will be muscle.0 -
JTennis1995 wrote: »I have huge genetic predominant hips, so i can understand what you're saying.
Exercises of deadlifts, pull ups, and bent over rows are excellent to develop your lats which will give you more of a V shape that will fill you out as you gain.
I'm not sure "avoid" would be the right word, but i would concentrate on the big four compounds exercises (Squats, deads, bench, overhead press) and add in some accessory exercises that I mentioned above. You need more meat on the body and adding muscle everywhere will help with the hips as the focal point.
Ab area you need to get out of the deficit and as mentioned before start adding mass while in surplus. Abs are one of the hardest to grow, yet if you do the compounds mentioned above in a surplus along with hanging leg raises as an accessory it will help most people.
So I pretty much have to decide between a flat stomach and a larger upper body? Sorry if I'm slow with this haha
At first, depending where you gain fat at. Of course after you gain for a year or so, you just cut your fat and keep as much muscle as possible. I have a pretty well defined upper body at 6'3 220lbs with a visible six pack and I'm more than twice your age. It just takes some serious work to gain the muscle
.
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JTennis1995 wrote: »I have huge genetic predominant hips, so i can understand what you're saying.
Exercises of deadlifts, pull ups, and bent over rows are excellent to develop your lats which will give you more of a V shape that will fill you out as you gain.
I'm not sure "avoid" would be the right word, but i would concentrate on the big four compounds exercises (Squats, deads, bench, overhead press) and add in some accessory exercises that I mentioned above. You need more meat on the body and adding muscle everywhere will help with the hips as the focal point.
Ab area you need to get out of the deficit and as mentioned before start adding mass while in surplus. Abs are one of the hardest to grow, yet if you do the compounds mentioned above in a surplus along with hanging leg raises as an accessory it will help most people.
So I pretty much have to decide between a flat stomach and a larger upper body? Sorry if I'm slow with this haha
At first, depending where you gain fat at. Of course after you gain for a year or so, you just cut your fat and keep as much muscle as possible. I have a pretty well defined upper body at 6'3 220lbs with a visible six pack and I'm more than twice your age. It just takes some serious work to gain the muscle .
So this is a very long process :O
What if I want to get more toned and muscled, but not necessarily bulk up a ton?0 -
Remember, it's always arms day.
NEVER leg day.0
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