According to medical experts, there is no real way to tell if a waist trainer has any effect at all. Some believe that it actually does more harm than good. Some of its negative effects include the fact that it’s extremely uncomfortable, stops your blood flow, limits your breathing, can restrict movements and can ultimately cause some serious rib damage. Ultimately, medical experts claim, it simply doesn’t work.
If you’re looking to attain an hourglass figure there are ways to do so naturally. A combination of diet, conditioning and exercise will get you on your way. This article will take a look at exercises that will help you attain your ideal waist figure without the use of any props or waist trainers, simply exercises.
Let’s now take a look at 15 ways to attain that hourglass figure without a waist trainer, enjoy!
15 Dumbbell Pullovers
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A dumbbell pullover can get you on your way to quickly attaining that thin waist you desire. This exercise aims at flattening out your stomach while trimming your waist. This exercise also gives your upper body an intense workout.
To perform this exercise keep your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, then proceed to power the dumbbell over and beyond your head until your upper arms are in line with your torso. Once you hit this position pull the dumbbell back up over your chest and repeat the movement. Aim for 12 to 15 reps per 4 sets on this exercise.
14 Bike (with back upright)
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Cardio is a huge key when it comes to slimming your waist naturally. Using a bike as a cardio tool can be very effective. The key when using a cardio bike is to keep your back in an upright position, be sure to use a bike that has a back support as you see in the picture. As you begin to peddle with your back strait, the tension will go straight to the stomach area, working it while pedaling will put the focus on trimming down that given area. This cardio procedure will put you on your way quickly.
13 Plank with stomach vacuum
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As you will see later on in this article, the stomach vacuum is huge when it comes to attaining that hourglass figure. Incorporating it while planking can also be very beneficial. In order to perform a stomach vacuum you must suck in your stomach, do this while planking for 30-45 seconds each set. This exercise will certainly help shrink that waist in no time.
12 Russian Twist
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A Russian twist can be done with or without a weight. My recommendation is once you get used to the movement start incorporating a weight or ball. This exercise targets your core abdominals and oblique’s. This is a great exercise to slim your waist. Make sure your core remains tight while twisting, hold the contraction for one to two seconds before going back to the starting position. Aim for 12 to 15 reps for each side.
11 Side bridge
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This exercise is similar to a plank, the difference between the two is that the side plank focuses more on your obliques. The exercise also helps to stabilize your spine. Like a plank, the goal of this exercise is to stay up on your side for a given amount of time. Anywhere between 30-45 seconds for each side is a very good starting point. Targeting your obliques, this exercise can help trim your waist in a hurry.
10 Lying leg raises with partner
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Yes, even a training partner can help you attain a slimmer waist. This exercise is a great way for you and a partner to motivate one another. This exercise is simple yet very effective at working the entire core of your abs. To perform this exercise one partner stands while the other lies down on the ground holding the person who is standing by the ankles. Lift your legs and contract your abs, once your legs are 90 degrees, your partner will throw your legs down. By doing this, it will cause a great amount of tension to your abs. The goal is that once your partner throws down your legs, you have to avoid having them touch the floor. Aim for 12-15 reps on this partner exercise.
9 Hanging Leg Raises
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If you find it to difficult to hang off, you can also perform this workout on a machine which gives your back support while holding down your elbows on the padding. This exercise targets your abs and oblique’s, it will also help to shape and tone your waist in a hurry. Make sure to perform this exercise nice and slowly, when your legs reach a 90 degree angle proceed to back down at a controlled pace. Make sure the motion is controlled going up and coming down. Make sure you are not swinging. Controlling the motion properly will allow you to stimulate the muscle as best it can be worked.
8 Landmine 180’s
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Sometimes you've got to dig deep, this workout certainly does that. Landmines are a rigorous movement that is starting to trend more and more amongst women. This movement is great for your side abdominals and top abs as well.
The goal of this workout is to rotate the trunk and hips as you swing the barbell all the way down on one side, remember to keep your arms extended throughout the exercise. Proceed to swing the barbell in a reverse motion on the opposite side. Continue this motion for 8 to 15 reps.
7 Deadlift
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Many of my clients are often very surprised when they find out exactly how much a deadlift exercise can affect your abs and help to trim down your waist line. This exercise is one of the best core workouts out there. You can perform this exercise with a barbell or dumbbells.
The goal when doing a deadlift is to keep your core tight and locked in, doing so will allow your abs to develop. When deadlifting it is key to keep your torso from collapsing forward, by doing this you are strengthening your abdominals in an isometric manner. This exercise is a tremendous core builder, the strength involved in the workout also helps to burn off more calories. Make sure to include this exercise into your weekly routine.
6 Ab roller
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The ab roller is a great prop to use when trying to shrink your waist. The roller works the core of your abdominal area. If you have lower back problems skip this exercise. To perform this movement roll the ab roller forward slowly, stretch your body as straight as possible. Once you reach the stretched position contract back upwards nice and slowly.
5 Dumbbell Side Bend
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Basic but effective, sometimes the simplest movements can create some pretty optimal results. The dumbbell side bend is easy to perform, the goal of this exercise is to bend your waist as far right or left as possible while keeping your body and head straight.
This exercise is particularly great for your oblique’s and developing that v-shape to your abdominals, this movement will help get your hourglass figure .
4 Elliptical stair climber
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Doing cardio is one of the most important aspects in order to obtain that hourglass figure. Cardio burns the fat off of your waist area, using an elliptical stair climber can not only help to do that but it can also help you build muscle at the same time. A stair climber also works your glutes and leg muscles. This cardio machine is a great all around exercise that can help you achieve a slimmer waist while building some muscle in the process.
3 Strength training
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Lifting heavier weights can actually help to speed of the process of attaining that hourglass figure. Activating your muscles through strength training causes your metabolic rate to increase significantly. Strength training not only causes you to burn more during your workouts but also keeps you in a burning state throughout the day. Don’t underestimate the importance of strength training, make sure to use weights that challenge you.
2 Stomach Vacuum
As I discussed in my earlier entry, a stomach vacuum is one of the most effective movements you can do in order to obtain that v-shape without the use of a waist trainer. This exercise can be performed in the comfort of your own home and is quite simple to do. The goal of this exercise is to breathe in while bringing your stomach in as much as possible, once this is done, try to hold this position. Once contracted, try to hold this position for 20 seconds while breathing normally. Once you gain some experience you can hold this movement for 40 to 60 seconds. This exercise is regarded as a simple solution to a waist trainer.
1 Proper Diet
A fine balance between diet and exercise is the best and most effective way to attain that hourglass figure without a waist trainer. If you’re looking to lower your body fat, opt for a diet rich in protein and fats, limit your carbohydrates to immediately after your workout. Protein wise stick to lean proteins like salmon, tuna, cod, tilapia, mahi mahi and chicken. For fats make sure to intake the proper amounts, fatty foods are quite high calorically. Avocado, almonds, cashews and eggs are great sources of dietary fats. Eating the right foods intermixed with the proper workouts will get on your way to that hourglass figure in a hurry!
