Dangerous Curves Ahead

There’s nothing more pleasing to the eye than the female form.  I say this as a female, because I can appreciate beauty in all people, including members of the same sex.  We women have it pretty made (aside from the whole child birth thing – yikes!!):  soft hair that can be worn in a multitude of ways, sparkly eyes and full lips that we can accentuate with makeup, and a curvaceous silhouette that is fun to dress!  It’s no wonder that we spend so much money every year on hair products, makeup, perfume, clothes, and shoes – I wish guys knew how much fun it was for me to just step into my closet every day and get ready for work.  I can completely change the way I look and it’s insanely fun.  I feel like a dress-up doll sometimes.  Ladies, am I right, or am I right? A lot of my female friends come to me and say, “Beth, I want my legs to be smaller,” or “Beth, I want my waist to look smaller,” or “Beth, my boobs need to be bigger!”  The thing is, ladies, you can create whatever shape you desire by playing UP other areas of your body.  For example, there’s no way in hell that I’m ever going to get size off of my quads or my butt.  Why?  18 years of soccer and genetics, my friends, that’s why.  So, in order to make that area SEEM smaller, I’ve built up my back (both width and thickness), as well as my shoulders.  The result?  A nice Y frame.  When I look in the mirror, my eyes tell me that I’m well-proportioned even though I have taken absolutely no size off of my legs. A small waist can be made in the exact same way.  No amount of crunches or oblique work will help you here.  A strict diet (abs are made in the kitchen) and a wider upper body give the illusion of a teeny tiny waist.  Again, build that upper body and you’ll have that coke-bottle shape in no time. As for the boobs?  Well………..I can refer you to a good surgeon for that! Here are some of my favorite mass-building exercises for the back and shoulders.  Lift heavy ladies – that’s the only way to make changes! BP’s Mass-building back workout:

• Stiff arm pulldowns: 3 x 20 (use as a warmup)
• Wide grip pullups: 4 x 20, 15, 12, 10
• Rack pulls:  3 x 10, 8, 6
• Neutral grip pulldowns: 3 x 12, 10, 8
• Bentover barbell rows (overhand grip, shoulder width): 3 x 12, 10, 8
• Seated cable rows: 3 x 12, 10, 8
• T-bar row (wide grip): 3 x 12, 10, 8

BP’s mass-building shoulder workout:

1. Seated shoulder press on smith machine: 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8
2. DB side lateral raises: 4 x 15, 12, 10, 10
3. Front delt raises (use a rope on the low pulley): 3 x 15, 12, 10
4. Barbell upright row: 3 x 12
5. Rear delt raises (lie face down on an incline bench, thumbs up): 4 x 20, 15, 12, 12

  Beth is an NPC and OCB figure competitor and has been competing for 3 years.  When she’s not rocking the stage in her stiletto heels, she’s either at work as Project Manager at a Pharmaceutical company in Durham, NC or she’s in the gym training clients or teaching spin classes.  In her very minimal free time, Beth likes to sleep, eat, play with her dog, and spend time with her  friends (who also like to sleep and eat).