Concept2 Thickened Waist?

[djpanhandle]

Hi all,

New here. Drug-free and will stay that way. Learned a lot reading from others’ impressive transformations.

On a Relatively recently cut, I did the rowing machine Concept2 (ergometer) to burn bodyfat.

Once got back to bulking phase, and my bodyfat was more normal, I noticed I had to increase my jean size up one and pant size too! I think this thickened my core and found some articles explaining how the rowing stroke activates internal&external obliques and transverse abs.

Has anyone else developed thicker abs/blockier waist from this? Or side bends/twists or too much ab/oblique training?? My bodyfat caliper read the same as before, the obliques literally grew from this it seems....

 

[mytreefiddy]

I doubt your waist got thicker/blockier by that rowing machine.... but if you're doing weighted obliques (side bends/twists) then THAT's the culprit...

 

[LK3]

yeah i dont think its the rowing machine as much as stopping it and gaining weight. aka "bulking"
i used to loooovvvveee the rowing machine way back, used that the first time i dropped 100lbs.

 

[maldorf]

If you look at pictures of Olympic rowers, they don't have a thick waist. Their waist looks normal to me, not thick and not really thin.

 

[FrancisK]

Haven't messed with the rowing machine in a long time but I can tell you very definitively that cutting back on heavy dead lifts definitely slimmed my waste considerably, same concept I suppose.

 

[djpanhandle]

Haven't messed with the rowing machine in a long time but I can tell you very definitively that cutting back on heavy dead lifts definitely slimmed my waste considerably, same concept I suppose.

Very interesting. I also read Steve Reeves emphasized front squats and hack squats and Good Mornings over our basic exercises for this very reason, to exaggerate that Classic, V-Shape as much as possible

 

[FrancisK]

It wasn’t really on purpose but I’m happy it happened and I won’t go back to deadlifts for that reason and to avoid injuries. I’ll still do some light deads with the dumb bells every now and then but loading up a bar....naw I’m done.

I always did heavy dead’s on my back day without fail and one day I was in a hurry and didn’t stretch or warm up properly, like an idiot, and coming up on my second set I felt a tweak in my back. Like the “uh oh something happened” kinda tweak, never had any back problems or really any injuries at all from lifting. It wasn’t anything bad just a strain or something it felt like my back was super sore for a few days but it scared me. Well I stopped doing dead lifts for a while to let it heal and pretty quickly I noticed all my pants were loose on me and one of my belts I couldn’t even use anymore. Like drastic difference and it happened fast, nothing else changed other than stopping dead lifts.

 

[maldorf]

I agree about deads, I had the same experience. Some pros like Ronnie Coleman used to do really heavy deads and had a really thin wasp waist. It must affect everyone different.

 

[johnjuanb1]

I agree about deads, I had the same experience. Some pros like Ronnie Coleman used to do really heavy deads and had a really thin wasp waist. It must affect everyone different.

I just read a post by Ronnie where he said he didn’t train arms for two years and upped his squats to twice a week so his legs would catch his arms. Can you imagine putting on muscle so easily that you stop training arms and they stay 23”?

 

[maldorf]

I just read a post by Ronnie where he said he didn’t train arms for two years and upped his squats to twice a week so his legs would catch his arms. Can you imagine putting on muscle so easily that you stop training arms and they stay 23”?

Yeah, genetics can be like that. I remember how awesome juliette Bergman's abs and calves were. Then I read how she never trained abs and calves not so much either. Lots of examples like that out there in the ranks of the pros. I hadn't read that about Ronnie. IMO he is the best Mr. O ever.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Yeah, genetics can be like that. I remember how awesome juliette Bergman's abs and calves were. Then I read how she never trained abs and calves not so much either. Lots of examples like that out there in the ranks of the pros. I hadn't read that about Ronnie. IMO he is the best Mr. O ever.

This is the post from Ronnie. Read the bottom. This picture looks so crazy I thought it was photoshopped, but Ronnie posted it.

 

[maldorf]

Incredible! I don't think it can get better than that.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Incredible! I don't think it can get better than that.

I just read this week if you get a bone marrow transplant and have a baby your baby will get the DNA from the donor because your sperm ends up carrying that DNA. I wonder if a bone marrow transplant from Ronnie would give us his DNA potential for muscle growth?

 

[buck]

If you work a muscle more or harder then it has been it can grow bigger. Years ago I wanted a better looking core so on my rest day I started working just the core muscles for a half hour. The next spring after dieting down to the same level of body fat as the previous year I was a couple pounds heavier and the waist was an inch bigger. Go figure, train a muscle and it will grow.

 

[djpanhandle]

Thanks for sharing all your experiences!

 

[qbkilla]

I was thinking about this the other day, I think squats are the culprit for the huge waist we see on all big guys. The big guys, we know squat heavy, and have the big preggo look. Think about at the bottom of a squat, your not using just your legs, your pushing your waist out with all your power trying to push the bar up. Look at a guys waist at the bottom of a squat, it isn't kept clenched, its pushed out almost to get leverage. I believe this is the culprit, not deadlifts, but heavy squats.

Thoughts?

 

[method2madness]

I was thinking about this the other day, I think squats are the culprit for the huge waist we see on all big guys. The big guys, we know squat heavy, and have the big preggo look. Think about at the bottom of a squat, your not using just your legs, your pushing your waist out with all your power trying to push the bar up. Look at a guys waist at the bottom of a squat, it isn't kept clenched, its pushed out almost to get leverage. I believe this is the culprit, not deadlifts, but heavy squats.

Thoughts?

I agree with this wholeheartedly. There is no way to keep the waist clenched at the bottom of the squat due to the nature of the motion itself. This in turn creates force displacement to the waste to stabilize thereby causing them to engage and work like any other muscle would, and most importantly react like any other stressed muscle would; to grow.

 

[Ashop]

I agree about deads, I had the same experience. Some pros like Ronnie Coleman used to do really heavy deads and had a really thin wasp waist. It must affect everyone different.

Genetics will play some role to. I've always done weighted (not heavy 30-50lbs) crunches and I don't have a blocky waist.

 

[maldorf]

Bit off topic, but check out this Olympic kayaker. Pretty decent development of upper body, his legs look pretty small. That sport is all upper body whereas the rowers are using their legs.

 

[maldorf]

You can see the sport they do works certain muscle groups, so those are developed. Kinda goes along with another thread where there was discussion of changing the shape of muscles. The guy in the center here has large legs even by bodybuilding standards. Cyclists here.