Achieving The Look: V-Taper

This post is the first in a new series called; Achieving The Look. In these posts, we will go into the various techniques it takes to attain a physique worthy of the stage. In this post we are looking at the classic V-taper.

The look

For those of you wondering what the V-taper looks like, here is a picture that represents the classic body structure. The top of the lats are wide and developed and diagonally descend down to the waist, in your classic V shape.

How is this look attained?

There are a couple of factors that need to be looked into;
Firstly, the lats themselves need to be developed to give you that wide look up top and secondly, your waist must be small. This means your obliques can't be over developed giving a look of a bulky waist.

Training your back; lats and spinal erectors

Exercises such as wide grip chins, wide grip pull downs and barbell rows are great mass builders for the lats. These movements recruit an array of muscles fibres in order to move the weight that you're handling, resulting in greater blood flow and nutrient uptake to the back muscles.

Your spinal erectors (located at the bottom of your back) also have a part to play in creating your V-taper. You don't want these to be too bulky and limitations from this vary from person to person. Movements such as the deadlift are a great mass builder for these, but remember you don't want a wide waist, so keep an eye on your waist line from deadlifting and overall spinal erector development. It is worth noting however, that a stable lower back is required when you have abs. Balancing your muscles are the most important factor to keep you from injury.

Keeping the waist small

The next step in creating your V-taper is targeting your waist line. Here we will talk about your obliques. Your obliques are located on the side of your stomach and are activated in a variety of exercises. They are important to have because they help with keeping a strong and stable core. However you don't want to over developing them by targeting them with heavy isolation exercises.

Exercises such as barbell/dumbell side bends or cable side crunches you want to stay away from because you are going to build (and expand) your waist line. Side twists with a light weight bar (un-loaded) or with a med ball are much better options to develop those obliques.

Extra tips

One great way to help you achieving a small waist is to wear a weight belt. These will stop your waist from being able to expand too far whilst doing movements such as the deadlift and heavy barbell rows. Some people prefer not to use them and it's really down to personal preference, they can help with form when used correctly and can be worn when training everything but abs. Give one a try and see if you feel they help in your training.

Recap

So to conclude, to attain the perfect V-taper, you need a mixture of wide developed lats, with a small and stable waist. Pay attention to your obliques and spinal erectors, but make sure they are balanced to keep your core stable.