Squats and Deads widen the waist???

SamuraiSid

Member
Ive read that doing heavy squats and Deadlifts will widen your midsection. I have a small frame and dont want to destroy any potential of receiving the "X" shaped physique.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
I've seen a drastic change in my mid section from squats and deads. My abs are so thick that I never do direct ab work because I do not want to make them any larger. From age 16 I was 31"-32" inch.. Somewhere in between to age 27 I've grown to a 34". I don't even think I can get it back down to the 31" ever again. I'd litteraly have to force myself into catabolism. They work! Now genetics will play a role in how it develops though!
 
it depends on gentics and frequency.. I use to deadlift and not squat and not do alot of ab work or no good mornings.. I still had a "bodybuilder" type body. I started squatting, doing ab work and back raises, good mornings, rack pulls etc. and now i got big thick abs when i sit down my abs stack ontop of each other like obeese peoples fat rolls would..

It depends heavily on gentics. for example jim wendler lifts raw and blogs on elitefts.com he has the big waist and powerlifter look. Christan mello also powerlifts but has a bodybuilder type body because of genetics.
 
Seems the jury is sitting middle of the road on this one. Ill hunt down the article and post it... Maybe those more knowledgeable than me will have a better opinion then.
 
its heavy abs and obliques work.. so they will grow and if you don't usually train abs/obliques that much they will grow quickly. Then if you have such genetics they will get big or bulky. i wouldnt worry about it too much though, the lifts are well worht it
 
gamer2be08 said:
I know dude, you cant widen your core inches from squats and deads lol... If that were the case, Arny wouldnt have such a tiny waist in his prime.
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Arnold had a 34" waist, not exactly tiny. It does widen the midsection considerably when you are using heavy weights all the time. My abs, obliques and ES are humongous slabs of muscle now compared to when I did not squat or deadlift.
 
Blacktail said:
Arnold had a 34" waist, not exactly tiny. It does widen the midsection considerably when you are using heavy weights all the time. My abs, obliques and ES are humongous slabs of muscle now compared to when I did not squat or deadlift.
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I thought he had a 30-32 inch waist.
 
gamer2be08 said:
I thought he had a 30-32 inch waist.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
Measurements (Top Form)

Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Weight 235 pounds
Chest: 57 inches *(World record, Guinness book of world records)
Arms: 22 inches
Waist: 34 inches
Thighs: 28 ½ inches
Calves: 20 inches
 
Blacktail said:
This^.....his upper body was freakin massive..and from a front view he was actually kind of blocky..Frank Zane had 29" waist but was tiny in comparison...

Now this guy, Brian Buchanan....has a tiny waist lol.

Invalid Link Removed
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lol photoshop niceeee
 
I wouldn't be surprised if squats widen the waist. My waist grew pretty fast after starting heavy squats but then again I was doing no core or ab work with it and bulking. I'm a 34 right now.

I think heavy squats + no core work + bulking = definitely wider waist IME. But not a fatter waist--just wider.

Never done deads.
 
One simple way to test it: Try it for 6 week. If you think, it makes you look wider. don't do it.

It is as simple as that.
 
gamer2be08 said:
Ive been doing it for a couple years. My waist has stayed at 28 inches..
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What type of weight are you doing for deads and squats? How often do you do them? Just curious.

The more heavy lifting you do, when it comes to lifts like squats and deads and such, your 'trunk' will grow.....given that you are increasing the weight that you are doing.

Look at a lot of PLers and strongmen. They core/trunk grows out of necessity. Now these are extreme examples cuz these guys are pushing some major weight. So if you are doing moderate amount of weight, then theres a chance that you're trunk area will not grow much. Once you start squatting in the 400's for reps, and DLing 500's for reps, your core/trunk area will be forced to grow.
 
unc21 said:
What type of weight are you doing for deads and squats? How often do you do them? Just curious.

The more heavy lifting you do, when it comes to lifts like squats and deads and such, your 'trunk' will grow.....given that you are increasing the weight that you are doing.

Look at a lot of PLers and strongmen. They core/trunk grows out of necessity. Now these are extreme examples cuz these guys are pushing some major weight. So if you are doing moderate amount of weight, then theres a chance that you're trunk area will not grow much. Once you start squatting in the 400's for reps, and DLing 500's for reps, your core/trunk area will be forced to grow.
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I go heavy and increase the weight every week.
 
Here is a good example fellas. I threw on a pair of jeans today that I haven't worn in 2 years. They're beat up jeans and I decided to use them for going out in the desert to shoot this morning. They were falling off my ass. Funny considering that I didn't start doing deads or squats until about 1.5 years ago because of back issues. Frankly, all my jeans are loose on me these days and I squat and dead like a raped ape.
 
Stabilizing muscles along the midsection are prone to develop when doing exercises like squats, deadlifts, and other exercises involving core stability.

As gamer2be has soapboxed, it's usually not going to be significant. But a single testimony can sometimes ingore a series of variables.

If you are truly concerned about maintaining a certain shoulder-to-waist ratio, I would recommend using a lifting belt or smith machine. The thick leather material of the lifting belt eases core stability, by re-distributing the load onto your hips. Smith machines have virtually no lateral movement, so the work needed to maintain stability is taken by the rails which the bar runs along.
 
How much muscle mass is along you wasitline? As long as your legs and upper torso get thicker i don't know why you would lose a small waist appearance, even if you did grow a little bit.
 
Killerkanadia said:
How much muscle mass is along you wasitline? As long as your legs and upper torso get thicker i don't know why you would lose a small waist appearance, even if you did grow a little bit.
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I don't think a Pear/Apple-shaped physique will ever be the issue. It's the ratios thing. Especially if the OP or reader with the same concern is in competition, extreme measures come into play.
 
gamer2be08 said:
I go heavy and increase the weight every week.
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How heavy is the question lol. I have been doing them for over 15 years and move heavy weight...I used to have a 28 inch waist when I was just bodybuilding. Once the plates added up, so did the inches.
 
They don't widen the waist enough for most people to worry about it. If you're deadlifting under...say... 400 or so, I wouldn't lose any sleep over this at all. The guys I've seen with thick waists from sq/dl are all pulling 6+ and eating like it matters.
 
There's plenty of proof that if you wear a belt during squats and deads, as well as bench and everything else -> you focus the efforts on just the front section of your abs, making them larger and stronger while the obliques are nearly untouched. Wear the belt and be done with it. Get huge lumps for abs and never add width to your mid-section.
 
gamer2be08 said:
No they will not.. My waist is still 28 inches after 2 years of bulking and heavy squats/dlifts
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So for two years you have been "going heavy" and incresing the weight every week? But you claim your waist is still at 28"? which i dont doubt by the way. What I do find provactive is your definition of "going heavy" because brother if you been at the squat and dead for two years going heavy and adding weight every week their aint no way your waist is 28"! How much you squating now 600 ATG for reps? cmon?

In my experience YES you will add thickness to your core (waist) when going heavy. I have since backed off a bit but two years ago I was squating 425x10ATG and Dead lifting 495-515x6 for 3 sets and my core grew! I was a 30" waist before i started really going heavy, I am a solid 32" now and i dont see it changing.

Genetics play a role here sure but eventualy you will knock that wall down.
 
Boatcop1 said:
So for two years you have been "going heavy" and incresing the weight every week? But you claim your waist is still at 28"? which i dont doubt by the way. What I do find provactive is your definition of "going heavy" because brother if you been at the squat and dead for two years going heavy and adding weight every week their aint no way your waist is 28"! How much you squating now 600 ATG for reps? cmon?

In my experience YES you will add thickness to your core (waist) when going heavy. I have since backed off a bit but two years ago I was squating 425x10ATG and Dead lifting 495-515x6 for 3 sets and my core grew! I was a 30" waist before i started really going heavy, I am a solid 32" now and i dont see it changing.

Genetics play a role here sure but eventualy you will knock that wall down.
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Agreed
 
I wouldn't doubt it, squats and deads are two of the best exercises for your full body to benefit from...mid section probably most or second most. My waist has increased by 1/2" or so over the past 5 months and I only DL 265 and squat 300. Honestly I coudl care less though because I used to have an inverted Y body, I've always had huge quads, and now that I am deadlifting and squatting my upper body is more of a V so my overall form is an X. 24.5" thighs, finally starting to see some seperation :D
 
Well, I squat for the spiritual bliss of it ... and because squating heavy, heavy weight shoots my testosterone into outer space.

Yeah ... it might increase your waist a bit ... I dunno. I'm a big guy - if they made jeans in size 35, that's what I'd wear - but I wear 36 since they don't. That's prolly bigger than most of you guys but my shoulders are a lot wider than most people ... my shoulders respond to training like a balloon to helium (they blow the **** up) - so I'm not worried about my waist.

I like the "look" from doing squats - especially if you can get lean enough to exploit the "carve" it gives to your body. I can usually tell if a guy squats by looking at him. I can certainly tell when a gal squats by checking out her ass ... LOL ... I'm always on the lookout for female squatters!

Squatting and Deadlifting develops very large numbers of muscles in your body ... I'm too stupid to even know how many but I'm sure it's a lot. You can't just "not" do squats. Suffer through the couple of inches it "might" put on your waist and reap the benefits of spiritual bliss and testosterone fog it offers.
 
ive done oly lifting since i was 12, im now 26. When I dieted down to 6% bf 2 years ago, I had a 29" waist and could still pull 505 raw.

I think that i has to do with genetics, bone structure and bodyfat. That being said, i believe that if i was cloned and that clone did not do squats and deads, his waist would probably be smaller.
 
It could be possible that if you haven't matured (genetical predisposition) yet that squatting and deadlifting could speed up the process. If you are your full size then they will not make them grow. There could be some fluctuation seen, but that is about it.
 
CaponeCEO said:
It could be possible that if you haven't matured (genetical predisposition) yet that squatting and deadlifting could speed up the process. If you are your full size then they will not make them grow. There could be some fluctuation seen, but that is about it.
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No. Increase your squat and DL a lot and your waist WILL grow. Heavy weights increase your core size and strength. It is a fact. Gain about 30-40 pounds and heft some heavy poundages and you will find out.
 
Blacktail said:
No. Increase your squat and DL a lot and your waist WILL grow. Heavy weights increase your core size and strength. It is a fact. Gain about 30-40 pounds and heft some heavy poundages and you will find out.
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So you are saying the bone structure itself will grow, or that the accessory muscles will grow causing the increased waist size?
 
CaponeCEO said:
So you are saying the bone structure itself will grow, or that the accessory muscles will grow causing the increased waist size?
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The Density of your bones will increase. Your tendons will become steel cables and yes your entire core will become carved out of marble. AS LONG as you train and eat correctly. I am not talking fat increase in the midsection either. Your erector spinae,obliques and all abdominis groups will all strengthen and grow. Heavy weights can and will do this to you.
 
All this talk of squatting and deadlifting makes me want to throw a few plates on each side of the bar and go at it! :drool:
 
and yes, I don't even work my obliques as they are big enough from heavy squatting and deads.
 
erector spinae and abdominals will grow in response to deadlifts squats, so yes you could add some width to your waist... but if your adding inches and inches, then your prob just getting fat.
 
Arnold was notorious for his small waist - his favorite lift - straight leg deads. I think the waist growth is very minimal.
 
Carcaya said:
Arnold was notorious for his small waist - his favorite lift - straight leg deads. I think the waist growth is very minimal.
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Arnold was chemically and genetically gifted, so that point is moot, I definitely feel there is at least to some degree an increase in the size of the midsection, due to the stress of the exercises, it was already written much clearer by somebody else.
 
You cannot gain entrance into heaven unless you squat and deadlift.

The Native Americans smoked herbs to bring them visions of God because they didn't have barbells and squat racks. Thankfully we have these things today and can be one with the universe through the sacrament of the squat and dead.
 
HondaV65 said:
You cannot gain entrance into heaven unless you squat and deadlift.

The Native Americans smoked herbs to bring them visions of God because they didn't have barbells and squat racks. Thankfully we have these things today and can be one with the universe through the sacrament of the squat and dead.
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this is true

ditto to movinweight's post
 
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