How Do I Build A V-Taper Shape?
How do I build a V-Taper Shape?
A V-Taper shape is considered a body composition that looks like the letter V. Is characterized by broad schoulders, a big and wide back and a narrow waist.
Is it genetic or can we create one ourselves?
The answer lies partly in genetics most luckily mostly in hard work!
Some people have different muscle insertions shaping a muscle accordingly. A person with a high lat insertion may not be able to create such an aesthetically looking back as a person who's lat insertion tend to connect lower.
Height also plays a role. A taller person with wide insertions has more room to build out his physique whereas a shorter person may have more of a 'stompier' look.
How do we build our own V-Taper?
We build our V-Taper shape by prioritizing our shoulders, lats and waist size over extended cycles of bulking and cutting.
Let's start from the bottom up.
A narrow waist can usually be accomplished by being lean and not having a lot of stored body fat. There are no exercises for a narrow waist but some people claim it helps not do engage into many compound lift which force us to contract and expand by tightening the core. This can be avoided by replacing those compound lifts altogether or use a lifting belt.
Our wide backs are built by prioritizing lat specific exercises. And most importantly: to use great form. A good squeeze and engagement with our lats together with controlled negatives on exercises as the pull up, lat pulldown and pullover (machine) help us build a wide back over time.
Prioritize training lats 2x per week
Our wide shoulders are built by prioritizing proper shoulder workouts. Most people tend do focus on heavy shoulders presses. However, this exercise has most of the emphasis on the front delts. In order to create wide shoulders we must focus mainly on the rear delts and side delts.
Overlooked exercises are lateral raises that focus on the rear and side delts. Make sure to use proper weight and don't cheat the way up. Focus on pushing the weights out slowly to the side first, then up. Then slowly down. Lateral raises are more of a horizontal movement rather than a vertical movement.