Thoughts on my torso?

[Anonymous]

I've been trying to get in shape for the past few weeks. One of my goals is to get my torso in shape.

I know I'm not there yet but I was wondering what the general opinion was of it.

I'm NOT looking for attention - merely constructive criticism. I want to better myself. I know this isn't the best forum for this type of question but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm going to post a picture of what I look like currently and what my "ideal" end goal is and you just let me know your thoughts. Or just give general opinions of it.

I currently look like this:

link

I am not flexing in the picture.

My goal is something like this:

link

or

link

Any fitness tips for me?

Updates

+1 y

As I was asked...


My main workout is as follows:


50 sit ups, 50 side crunches left, 50 crunches, 50 side crunches right REPEAT LAST 3. 50 heel touches/penguins, 30 second rest, 50 heel touches 50 Russian twists 30 second rest 50 Russian twists 60 count V-sit 50 sit ups 30 second plank left 30 second plank 30 second plank right REPEAT LAST 3 100 Bridges (you lay on your back, knees bent like sit up position, arms flat at sides and raise and lower your butt using ab and butt muscles)

Updates

+1 y

I wanted to write that all out in a vertical list so it'd be easier to read but it yelled at me and said it was too long.

[Anonymous]

Your body looks kind of young in comparison. So, either continue what you're doing and wait until your body matures and fills out naturally. You age says 18-24. If you're on the 24 side of the age, then unfortunately, you will never look like that because you just don't have the body type. If you're on the 18 side of that, then there's definitely hope since there's still plenty of time for your body to mature and fill out. Continue what you're doing and accept whatever body you end up getting. All you can do is do the best you can to get in the best shape that you can. Your body will naturally form into the type of body that it will allow.

[Asker]

I'm on the 20 side of that lol

[Opinion Owner]

You look rather young. At first I thought maybe you lied about your age and were really a teenager. You have more of a ectomorphic body.The last girl has more of a mesomorphic body. Mesomorphic is more common among athletes. You have the kind of body that has a hard time to gain muscle and fat. You can also lose fat fairly easy, and from the looks of it, probably never had the opportunity to find out how quick because your body probably kept the fat off in the first place.

[Opinion Owner]

You look rather tall as well, which is very common in ectomorphic bodies. I see that you're standing on a chair, but your arms look long. Pictures are hard to judge, but I would say at the very least 5'7 and I would go as high as 5'10. Please correct me if I'm wrong haha. Your body will fill out eventually, but I don't think you will ever have the shape that those two girls have. Especially the last girl. Just not your body type, but if I were you, I wouldn't worry. You have a great body.

[Asker]

I'm 5'4/5'5 but thanks always nice to hear I look tall lol

[Opinion Owner]

You're welcome, haha. Hard to judge in a picture, but your skinny body makes you look long. So, always remember that. If you had a more filled out body, you will stay the same size, but you would look shorter than what you do now.

[Asker]

I know. I've been less fit than I am now. My weight just builds up the sides on what little hip bones I have lol until I look like a legit rectangle so I try to avoid that lol

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah, you definitely sound like a ectomorph. There are three types. Ecto, Meso, and Endomorph. We all are a combo of all 3 and no one is purely one type, but we all do lean towards one of the three. Yours is definitely ectomorph in my opinion. Read this. It gives you the three body types, exercises needed for each body type, and the kind of diet you should have with that body type.

link

[Asker]

Very interesting read, thank you.

[Asker]

Yeah, just read through it again and it's interesting because I go to the gym with two friends and one fits the endo and one fits the meso and they both hate me because of how easily I drop weight. But they gain muscle way easier than I do lol. Like we all bench and after two weeks they're adding weights and getting muscle definition in their arms and I'm still there with my chicken arms looking like I never worked them lmao

[Opinion Owner]

That's why it's important to know what kind of workouts work for your body and what kind of diet. With the right diet and workout, you will gain muscle definition. That's also why you want to try and find a workout partner that fits your body type so that you can do the same workout that is designed for your body. For you, add weight that you can only do 5-6 reps, and once your body gets up to 10 reps with that weight after what should be a few weeks. Then you up the weights. Then repeat.

[Asker]

Are you like a personal trainer or something?

[Opinion Owner]

No, but my lifting partner of 4 years is a body builder and a personal trainer and everything I've learned is because of him.

[martyfellow]

I think you're overdoing the abdominal workouts; you could tear a muscle and tearing those muscles is a major problem. You could cause long term back problems with so many crunches.

Planks are better. Make those loner and cut back on the crunches. Add some upper body workout so you don't get imbalances, since you're neglecting your upper body with the current regimen.

You look fine now. You can't get breasts like that model by working out, you know; if anything, they will get smaller if you lose fat. So be happy with what you've got. Nature doesn't give you any choice, so you may as well be happy..

[Asker]

I wasn't after the model's exact look. Just her abdominal region. But thank you for your insight.

[martyfellow]

Go for the planks, maybe a third of those crunches.

[Paris13]

The links I am linking into are Great, just as one and two. Very natural, curvy, sexy. The third is more like the "six pack scenario," and although some girls and guys find this sexy, I don't find it my favorite for a "washboard woman."

I have always had a flat tummy, and just by doing situps, bending at the waist for whatever I have to do, and of course, eating right, has gotten me my ideal look.

Your First link of You is perfect, in my eyes, and the Second, is just as "mighty fine," but if you are going for the Third link, the "six pack", then I would imagine you would need to train hard for the ripple affect."

[bombdotcom]

Well damn...i'm seriously jelly

what's your workout routine? Just wondering, out of pure curiosity? And because by telling us your workout routine someone might be able to better help you achieve your goals

But, keep in mind those girls also have a tan (which DOES make muscles stand out more) and makeup artists highlight their muscles. I'm not telling you to get a tan, fyi.

But yeah, what's your workout routine?

Remember, abs are made in the kitchen. So continue to eat clean (if you aren't already). You'll want lean protein from skinless chicken breast, salmon, lentils, lean beef, beans, eggs

[bombdotcom]

Hmmm, what about cardio? You need SOME cardio in your routine for health and aesthetics

Have you tried pilates? I would definitely look into a pilates dvd or video from YouTube. Blogilates has some great videos.

I only recommend pilates because there tends to be a strong focus on the core. You'll help strengthen your core while toning your abs.

[Asker]

I run 5 miles a day for my cardio. I just didn't put it in my workout 'cause I thought you only were asking about my ab workout. Sorry.

[bombdotcom]

Oh no, you're fine. Just making sure you weren't just doing ab exercises is all!

[Asker]

Oh okay :) Yup, and I eat eggs for breakfast every day and drink water...it's super hard for me to avoid the sweats though. My campus had brownies today D: I ate 2 of them lol

[bombdotcom]

Are you naturally thin? If you can't tell, I'm trying to copy you...

[Asker]

I always have been thin, yeah. It's just my body type I guess. Are you naturally thin too?

[bombdotcom]

I have a naturally athletic build. It takes a lot for me to lose or gain weight. Like I have to go on a drastic diet or binge eat for days to see weight loss/gain

[Asker]

I wish mine were like that. If I skip a meal I lose weight. Which kind of sucks when you're already on the way low end of healthy for your height/age.

[Anonymous]

you need to fill out by eating more carbs and protein to get bigger hips and do squats, I'm not saying you're too thin but you look like you have already toned your body nicely but lack wide hips so you'll have to try to artificially widen them with muscle/fat. you look quite young so you will probably fill out naturally even more as you grow which means you don't have to worry about doing anything different to what you're currently doing

the first girls picture out of the ideal body type link isn't something you should aim for, she has a boob job and disgustingly boney hips

[AdamThomas]

Those other two women are curvier than you are at the moment because they have more muscle than you do everywhere else - that's how you get the hourglass shape. Your torso looks slim/flat enough already, I'd say you need to lift some weights and put on a little bit of muscle on the shoulders, arms, the chest, back, buttocks and legs.

You have a thin torso but you're not curvy yet because your upper and lower body are also very slim. I think you're focusing on the wrong part.

[AdamThomas]

As for looking like a bodybuilder, you've nothing to worry about. It takes serious effort to get huge, even for a man, and we have 16x more testosterone than you do! It's all about calories in vs calories out. Once you get to the size you want, all you need to do is eat enough to maintain that weight. As long as you do that you won't look like your friend.

[WeaponZero]

Your workout, no offense, kinda pointless. Where are the compound exercises? And do you train the rest of your body at all? You should be basing your workout almost entirely on compound strength moves.

[Asker]

I run, and lift (albeit not very much weight) and I swim an hour a day and I'm in a fitness class in which we do an hour of full body twice a week.

[WeaponZero]

With all of that there's no reason to do additional abdominal work on top of it. There's absolutely no point to it whatsoever because your abs are already getting hit hard.

[Anonymous]

Your abs and torso look nice and toned, very lean. I don't think you can possibly do anymore to it, and I don't think you can acheive what the other pics are because you are not their body type. You have what seems to me to be boyish like hips, not the round hips displayed in the other two pics. From a girl, I think you look fine :)

[shyboy123]

Very nice. But I feel you need to add a little more meat to your bones. What is your meal plan?

[Asker]

Shrimp and potatoes and chicken and ham and rice and carrots and broccoli and cookies lol Those are what I eat the most of. Oh, and pie. Can't resist pie. Yeah, I eat poorly...I'm trying to work on that.

[shyboy123]

Actually that not as bad as you think it is...actually I think you are under eating (just eat one slice of pie aha) =P I read that you had a friend who is a body builder and teaches you. Did he give you a macro plan?

[Asker]

Oh, that's the other answerer who has a friend who is a body builder. But I do happen to have a female body builder friend...but I don't want to look like her lol She wants to put me on some bulking drink formula or something and I'm leery about that idea.

[Anonymous]

Simple solution:

A) Get a fake tan now

B) Wear a padded push up bra.

C) Consider a slightly high-waisted swim suit bottom because you have a long torso.

[Asker]

That will help my torso look like the links because...?

[Malcom_Reynolds]

Not to try and downplay your work out, but I think girls look better with a stomach like you current one and not ripped like your goals.

[palek]

I've been looking for a woman with a torso. How fortuitous!