The hourglass figure body is something with which we’re all familiar.
It’s glamorized in print, showcased on the big screen, and flaunted on social media. While it might seem something only attained by those who have a private chef and personal trainer, the truth is that you too can get that hourglass figure body...and it’s relatively simple to do.
Achieving that hourglass figure body is all about losing inches in your waist while toning your hips, shoulders, and chest.
Here are three steps to help you achieve the hourglass figure naturally.
How to Get That Hourglass Figure Naturally
Attaining the vaunted hourglass figure boils down to the contrast in size between a tiny, narrow waist and a larger bust and curvier hips.
To achieve this, you’ll need to focus on three key areas:
- Your Upper Body
- Your Midsection
- Your Glutes, Hips, and Thighs
Now, not all two bodies are alike, which means your areas of emphasis may differ from someone else’s.
For instance, if you’re already curvy in the hips and bust, you may need to focus on toning your midsection. On the flip side, if you already have a slim, toned core, then you’ll want to focus on building muscle in your glutes and upper body.
Let's now take a bit closer look at the three keys to achieving that hourglass figure body.
Exercises to Reduce Waist Size
As great as it would be to selectively choose where we want to lose fat, the simple truth of the matter is that the human body doesn't work that way. The key to reducing waste size is the focus on overall weight loss, which means you'll need to be in an energy deficit whereby you expend more calories than you consume each day.
Do this for long enough, and you will lose fat, including the fat around your midsection.
Keep in mind that we all tend to lose fat at different rates, and each person's body will lose fat in some areas more quickly than others.
For instance, one person may have an easier time losing fat from their hips and glutes while another person notices improvements more quickly in their face and neck.
All of this is to say that if you want to reduce waist size, you will have to lose body fat, which is a direct result of eating less and moving more.
Additionally, there are some exercises you can incorporate into your weekly strength training workouts to target your midsection, including: further.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training is an incredibly efficient (and challenging) method to get your cardio in for the week in a fraction of the time as traditional cardio. What's more, research also finds that it can effectively reduce belly fat and burn tons of calories.[1]
For those of you not familiar with HIIT workouts, you alternate between periods of maximal (or near-maximal) effort and periods of low-intensity (active recovery).
An example of interval training would be to perform 30 seconds of kettlebell swings (or dumbbell skier swings) followed by 15 seconds of rest and then repeat that pairing for a predetermined number of rounds (10 rounds) or time (15-30 minutes).
Planks
We’re all familiar with planks. They’re a phenomenal core stabilization exercise, and they’re also a great way to tone the upper body (particularly the shoulders) as well as the glutes.
The standard plank can be challenging, but for those looking to amp up their ab and core training, you may want to experiment with some of the more advanced plank variations, such as the side plank with leg raise plank with shoulder taps or plank jacks.
Yoga
Yoga is renowned for its ability to connect the mind, body, and breath. Many individuals use it as a way to find peace and disconnect from a cluttered, chaotic world.
But, you might be interested to know that it may also help you get the long, lean, and toned look you’re seeking.
The research found that women who practiced yoga for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.5 inches around the waist.[2] These results came without drastically changing their diet, too!
Toning Your Hips and Butt
While losing inches from your waist is essential to achieving that hourglass figure body, you might be concerned that in doing so, you’ll also lose those curvy hips.
That can be remedied by performing the correct exercises to tighten, tone, and shape your hips and glutes.
Squats
Considered by many the "king" of all exercises, squats are a phenomenal exercise to build muscle and strength and tone and shape the hips, thighs, and glutes.
An endless variety of squats, from the conventional barbell squat and bodyweight squat to the less traditional (yet equally effective) landmine squat and dumbbell squat.
Lunges
Another phenomenal lower body exercise that targets the hips and glutes builds athleticism and improves functional fitness.
Plus, due to the unilateral nature of lunges, this exercise also helps improve balance and coordination and your inner thigh muscles.
Fire Hydrant
Fire hydrants, or side hip lifts, are great for strengthening the muscles in the glutes and outer hip and core. This exercise challenges your core and shoulder strength, too!
Building Your Shoulders and Bust
The final component to achieving that hourglass figure body is to perform exercises that build your shoulders and bust. A more robust and more toned upper body will help make your waist look smaller, further accentuating the hourglass shape.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are a staple upper body exercise. They train the chest, triceps, and shoulders.
If you aren't strong enough to perform push-ups on the ground, you can elevate your hands on a box, bench, sofa, ottoman, or countertop.
Try knocking out a few sets in between episodes of your favorite shows.
Overhead (Shoulder) Press
To further tone and shape the upper body, you can also perform overhead presses.
Push-ups help train the shoulders, but shoulder presses focus a little more specifically on the shoulders than push-ups.
If you don’t have access to weights or machines, you can perform overhead shoulder presses with resistance bands or perform pike presses that require no weight at all!
Takeaway
Achieving that hourglass figure body is a combination of proper diet and exercise.
By building up the shoulders, hips, glutes, and thighs, you can work your way towards the highly sought-after hourglass physique while shrinking your waist.
Some other tips to keep in mind while you’re working your way to that hourglass figure:
- Limit processed food: Processed foods are high in calories, sugar, fat, and salt, which not only make it harder to stick to your diet but can cause you to retain extra water and make your midsection look bloated
- Be mindful of gut health: Digestion issues can affect your overall health, athletic performance, and weight loss results. Probiotics can help improve digestion and support gut health. We’ve included a comprehensive digestive enzyme matrix along with a research-backed probiotic (Lactospore) in every serving of Steel Greens®.
- Supplement Smart: Supplements won't replace proper diet and exercise, but the supplement can help make the process more streamlined when those things are in place. For those trying to achieve that hourglass figure body, we recommend the Sculpt and Burn Stack.
Our Sculpt and Burn Stack includes both our caffeine-free, female weight loss aid Steel Slim® as well as our topical lower body toning cream -- Buns of Steel®.
Combined with a proper diet and training program, the Sculpt and Burn Stack is designed to support weight loss, helping make your booty pop and stomach tone fast!
References
- Zhang H, Tong TK, Qiu W, et al. Comparable Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Prolonged Continuous Exercise Training on Abdominal Visceral Fat Reduction in Obese Young Women. J Diabetes Res. 2017;2017:5071740. doi:10.1155/2017/5071740
- Cramer H, Thoms MS, Anheyer D, Lauche R, Dobos G. Yoga in Women With Abdominal Obesityߞa Randomized Controlled Trial. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(39):645-652. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0645
