A Lean Body Sculpting Post: Best Exercises for Building a V-Taper…by Brian Utley

What’s up everybody and welcome back to the quest for the V-tapered trunk.

So, how did your ratio measurements turn out?  (see V-Taper ratio)

Does your upper body resemble a funnel, a cylinder or, even worse, a pear?

Remember, we’re shooting for a shoulder to waist ratio of 1.6 for the athletic, lean muscle look that has the ladies rubber-necking as you walk by.

A good example of the numbers that would satisfy this equation would be to match a 30-inch waist with a shoulder circumference of 48 inches.

We’re not shooting for a meathead body builder ratio of 1.8, like some of the cartoon characters who flex and pose their way across the stage while sporting a spray-on tan and teeth so contrastingly white that you need UV 400 protection sunglasses in order to look directly at them.  But, I digress…

For those of you in the minority who already have the 1.6 ratio in check, time for you to move on to another post.  But, for the rest of you, here’s a look at 3 movements that you should be incorporating into your weekly routines to sculpt the V.

Keep in mind that these movements should be supplemented with the dozens of other lean body workouts and nutritional information on this site to address your waistline and allow tapering from your shoulders down to take place.

Also, the movements below are not the only 3 that can be utilized to achieve this look.  They should serve as a push in the right direction.

So, let’s get started…

Wide-Grip Dead Lift

The bent-knee version of the dead lift is arguably the best exercise for overall muscle recruitment.  The lower body will be taxed heavily, causing the release of muscle-building and fat-burning hormones throughout the body.

The core is called upon in a big way to perform this movement.  If not, you’re asking for back problems.

And, more specific to our V-tapering quest, the trapezius muscles of your upper back will be recruited.  Adding size and strength to your traps will create the look of a wider and thicker upper back.

Start the movement with the bar near your shins and over the front of your feet, which should be in a hip-width stance.  Grab the bar with an overhand or alternating grip at one and a half to two times your shoulder width.  Push your hips back, lift your chest, and pull your shoulder blades back and down to ensure a flat back position.

Next, activate your core as if you’re about to be punched in the gut.  This MUST be maintained throughout the entire lift.

With all these checkpoints covered, stand as you pull the bar up the front of your legs, while maintaining a flat-back, chest-up position.  Push through the heels to recruit the glutes and finish the movement by “shooting” your hips through at the top and pulling your shoulders back and down again if they had been displaced at all.

To descend, push your hips back while maintaining a flat back.  This hip dominant movement will create a forward tilt in your trunk, which is okay as long your back doesn’t round.

Once the bar reaches your knees you can begin flexing more at the knees while continuing to push your butt down.  Throughout the process, the bar should be sliding down your legs and, yes, this will often cause some scrapes along the way.  But, take that as a good sign as it means you are not allowing the bar or your body to get out in front.

Dumbbell Incline Chest Press

The incline press develops your upper chest and the front part of your deltoid muscles, in addition to hitting the triceps.  This movement will add width to the upper body.

I’d suggest using different bench angles for variety, but start with the standard incline position of 45 degrees.  The alternative would be to decline the bench to a position between 45 degrees and flat.  The flatter you set the bench, the more weight you will be able to do.

Your hand position is significant relative to the health of your shoulders.  Your palms should be facing in with a neutral grip at the bottom of the movement to allow the humeral head to rotate naturally in the shoulder socket.  As you press the dumbbells up above your shoulders, your hands will rotate so your palms are facing out at the top.

Your shoulders should be set back and down just like the dead lift, or any other movement for that matter.  This shoulder setting will raise your chest and set your scapula (shoulder blade) in a stable position and allow it to glide naturally through movement instead of winging out, as long as your elbows are tucked by your side as the weight descends instead of flaring out.

For a greater challenge and variety, alternate your presses instead of doing them at the same time.  This will require more trunk and shoulder stability as you won’t be able to counter-balance the weights.

Pull-up / Chin-up

These two similar movements are great for training the trapezius and latissimus dorsi.  The lats naturally take on a V-shape form when trained properly.

The differences between the pull-up and chin-up are often exaggerated.  The pull-up is performed with an overhand grip and will hit the lats and traps a little bit harder than the chin-up which utilizes an underhand grip and recruits the biceps for more assistance.

A wider grip will recruit the lats more, but don’t overdo it as there are diminishing returns.  Going too wide will cut down on the range of motion and also potentially compromises the rotator cuff.  You’ll also find that a wide grip chin-up will strain your wrists if you are using a straight bar.

A good rule of thumb would be to grip the bar slightly outside shoulder width and mix up your hand positions, even throwing in a neutral (palms in) grip if possible.

I’m not much for the CrossFit version of a pull-up where you swing your body around as if in convulsions so as to build momentum for assistance and tempo.  I’d rather see an individual control his body weight in a linear plane of motion and accelerate up in a 1-count, while decelerating down in a 3-count.  If you can’t execute this, ask someone to assist you at your feet or use a lat pull machine instead.

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I would suggest you perform 3 to 5 sets of each lift and cycle them throughout the week by performing heavy, moderate, and light days to keep the muscles stimulated.

Now, let’s get to it and start expanding the upper torso and diminishing the waistline until we hit that magical 1.6 ratio!

Your Coach,

Brian Utley

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