Fitness Directory

That Elusive V Shape

Which up and coming bodybuilder worth his salt does not dream of attaining that classic V shape? After all, a tapering upper body is sure to attract attention and command respect. However not many of them are able to achieve this look even after months or even years of training. Surely they are not doing something right?

That V shape can be attained by various means. The illusion of the tapering v is created by a broad and thick back, combined with a deep, powerful chest and well rounded, massive deltoids or shoulders. The combined effect of this makes ones waist look quite small in comparison, lending to that V taper.

 An integral part of developing an awesome upper body is developing the legs! Yes a superhero like upper body combined with skinny stick like legs just does not cut it. In fact the ‘v’ shape is a part of a much larger ‘x’ shape. The legs form the largest muscles in the body and need to be trained to keep the rest of the body in proportion. When the legs are trained many of the upper body muscles including the abs and back are also involved. This forms one massive compound exercise movement, which signals the body to produce more hormones which are necessary for any significant muscle growth.

The back comprises a major group of muscles that are very important to add size and to accentuate that v shape. The well developed back is ideally wide as well as thick. The major back exercises also recruit the deltoids and the trapezius, the muscles between your neck and your shoulder. Heavy compound exercises for the back such as barbell rows, can make your back thick and powerful whereas, slow and controlled chin ups or pull-ups are excellent o add width or ‘wings’ as it is commonly called.

Most people in the gym focus too much on their biceps. What they don’t realize is that the triceps which are about a third bigger than the biceps are the ones which lend mass to the upper arms. All the three heads of the triceps should be targeted separately to yield the best results and to create maximum size, which adds to the illusion of a smaller waist.

Probably the most important muscle group if one is focussing on attaining that massive powerful upper body are the deltoids or shoulder muscles. These directly increase the width of the upper body as they form the outermost muscle group. Just like the triceps the delts also have 3 heads. Do not just train the front deltoids, but make sure you train the rear delts and especially the outer delts as it is what adds to the width of the upper body. Lateral raises, bent over lat raises and upright rows, all done slowly and smoothly will blast your deltoids and force them to grow.

The abdominals or the abs are an important factor in the overall physique. It is essential that they are trained regularly even though they can be very tiring and hard. It forms the core of your body and a strong core is essential to support massive stress undertaken by larger muscle groups during training sessions. When training is combined with cardio and a diet, the abs will show up in no time.

Finally do not leave the chest out of the picture. There is no greater indicator of masculinity than a deep, wide and powerful chest. To add to the mass and the width of the chest, it is best to focus on the upper pectorals. Perform the bench press with heavy weights and use the inclined bench instead of a flat or declined one as this is designed to target the upper chest.