Is there any actual way to bring the waist in a bit without just dropping more body fat? I’m at the point where I can see my hip bones and I have visible abs, but my midsection still just looks "thick" for some reason.
I’m actually pretty happy with where my body fat is right now, so I was wondering if stuff like stomach vacuums or even waist trainers actually do anything to pull things in. Any advice would be huge. Just for context, it’s not a gut from visceral fat or anything like hyperglycemia issues - it just seems like a naturally thick waist. I’ve never messed with AAS either, just some peptides and basic supplements, and I’m not a competitive bodybuilder or anything.
Honestly man, stomach vacuums actually do help a bit with the "taper" look. It won't change your bone structure, but it strengthens the transverse abdominis which helps keep everything pulled in tight. Takes a few weeks of daily practice to see a difference though.
If you're already lean and see hip bones, it might just be your genetics/structure. Some of us just have wider pelvic bones or thicker obliques. I'd stay away from heavy weighted side bends or oblique work if you want to keep the waist from getting any wider.
Waist trainers are mostly a waste of money imo - they just move the water weight around temporarily. Vacuums are the way to go. Also, focus on growing your lats and side delts more. If your shoulders get wider, your waist naturally looks smaller by comparison.
i feel you on the "thick" midsection thing. i stopped doing heavy deadlifts and squats for a while and noticed my waist thinned out a bit since my core wasn't working so hard to stabilize the heavy weight. maybe try more isolation stuff for a bit?
skip the waist trainers lol. just do vacuums every morning before you eat. it won't make you lose inches of fat but it definitely helps with that "flat" look and control. keep at it man, if you got visible abs you're already doing better than most!
