The V Taper is a staple when it comes to athletic physiques, it’s what makes you look like you’re walking straight out of a superhero movie when all you’re really doing is taking your dog for a walk.
So how does one achieve such a lucrative physique?
What is a V Taper?
The idea of a V Taper is to be as wide as possible at the top of your frame (shoulders/lats) and narrow as possible towards your waist and core. Now this doesn’t mean that in order to obtain this look you should spam exercises targeting these muscles but instead, shift the focus of your workout from whatever your current goals are to your physique.
How to get a V Taper
As I said before the 3 main muscles/muscle groups to target are your
Lats
Click here for a link to the Top 5 Lat-focused exercises!
Shoulders
Example exercise: Lateral Raise (Dumbbell/Cable/Machine)
Core
Example exercise: Hanging Leg Raises
Depending on your genetics you may or may not need to put too much work into your core to get a good-looking set of abs. Either way, the number one way to shape your core is a solid diet because that’s the only way to cut fat and keep packing on that muscle (unless you want to spend the other 22-23 hours of your day on the treadmill). Check below for a guide to get your nutrition on track!
What Not to Worry About
Something that a lot of people get wrong when setting physique-based goals is that they have to target something specifically and because of that, they neglect other muscle groups when in reality you should always keep your training program balanced. You can still run your regular routine while working towards your goals. For example, instead of doing 1 pulldown variation (width) and 2 rowing variations (thickness) on your back day switch it around so you’re focusing more on the width of your back instead of how thick it is.
Conclusion
At the end of the day having overdeveloped muscle groups can make you look disproportionate but when it comes to your lats and shoulders, the bigger they are the better the physique 9 times out of 10. So don’t worry about looking weird you’re gonna realize how dumb that sounds when you look in the mirror and see Superman looking back at you.
