How to Develop a Dramatic V Taper: Tips, Tricks, and Results

Learn from a PRO

Looking to gain that ideal V Taper look with thick, broad, muscular shoulders and a crisp, wasp-like waist? Take a page out of IFBB Physique Pro Chase Savoie’s book as he takes you through the ideal training to build the V Taper Body of your dreams. Chase Savoie is the reigning Puerto Rico Pro Champion 2-years running and has qualified for the 2016 Olympia Pro Physique stage for the second year in a row.

Dramatically altering the physique to reveal a shape that can best be described as breathtaking can only be achieved when training for balanced size.

Massive arms book ending comparatively mediocre lat and shoulder development may look impressive in that tight-fitting shirt, but when the shirt comes off the muscular deficiencies become all the more glaring.

While certain overdeveloped areas can overshadow an impressive physique, the shoulders and lats (key V Taper muscles) can never be too well-developed.

Indeed, the real key to building the kind of V Taper that distinguishes the best physiques from the shapeless masses is to ensure all muscle groups are built to a respectable level with an emphasis on further developing the back, shoulders and chest while tightening the waistline.

Though the perfect V Taper remains the most sought-after attribute for both hardcore bodybuilders and beach body hopefuls, building one can be a perplexing task.

With conflicting advice confusing V Taper trainees the world over, where does one begin?

7 Best Chest Exercises for Men

#1: Barbell Bench Press

Position yourself on the bench with your feet firmly on the ground and your back flat. (The bar should be directly over your eyes, and your head, shoulders, and buttocks should be on the bench.)

Grasp the barbell with palms forward and thumbs wrapped around the bar. Move the bar into starting position, with help from a spotter if needed. Position the bar over your chin or upper chest, keeping your elbows and wrists straight.

Inhale, and lower the bar slowly until it just touches your chest below your armpits. As you lower, flare your elbows out slightly to build pectoral strength. Next, exhale and press the bar up, keeping your wrists straight and your back flat.


#2: Do the Pec Deck with Caution

Resist the urge to add extra weight—you’ll increase your risk of injury. This exercise isn’t for you if you have had a shoulder injury.

Your feet should be flat on the floor, at least shoulder width apart. With your back firmly against the pad, lift your elbows until they reach shoulder level. (The angle of your elbows should be between 75 and 90 degrees.) Place your elbows on the center of the pad on the wings of the machine.

With smooth and slow movement, push the wings together, stopping just before they touch. Reverse to the starting position using control.



#3: Bent Forward Cable Crossover

You need a high pulley machine for this exercise. You can do this exercise either with your feet planted hip-width apart, or with one in front of the other as if you are walking. Be sure that your hands are below your shoulders and your elbows are crooked a bit.

Make your movements slow and controlled—no jerking—as you bring your hands together and extend your arms. For a wider arc and more resistance, move your arms down first and then in toward each other to cross one hand over the other. (Avoid overextending the cross.)

Bring your arms slowly back to the starting position with control.


The Next Best Thing

After the top three chest exercises, the next most effective are the chest press machine, inclined dumbbell flys, and dips. The chest press achieves 79 percent muscle activation, and both the inclined dumbbell flys and dips were measured at 69 percent activation.




#4: Press On for Chest Definition


Adjust the chest press bench so that you sit with knees bent slightly and your feet on the floor. Grasp the handles, and exhale as you push them away until your arms are straight out. Keep your elbows slightly bent. As you inhale, pull the bars toward you slowly and with control, without letting the weights touch.



#5: Inclined Dumbbell Flys

Incline the bench at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees. Take a dumbbell in each hand and lie on the bench, feet firmly on the floor. Press your shoulders, back, head, and buttocks to the bench. Position the dumbbells near your chest and armpits with your palms facing. Keep your wrists straight. Exhale, pull in your abs, and slowly press the dumbbells up to a position directly above your chest. Your arms should be shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows straight but not locked. Inhale and lower the dumbbells slowly in a wide arc until they are level with your chest. Keep the dumbbells parallel. “Fly” the dumbbells toward the ceiling in the same gentle arc.




#6: Dips

Grasp the dip bars firmly and lift your body. Keep your elbows straight, your head in line with your trunk, and your wrists in line with your forearms. Bring one leg across the other to stabilize the lower part of your body, and pull in your abs. Exhale, and bend your elbows to lower your body. Keep your elbows at your sides. Your legs should be directly under your body to avoid tilting or swinging. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Keep your wrists straight. Pause, and then straighten your elbows, pushing into the bars with your hands, and return to starting position. Keep your body vertical and your wrists straight.


#7: Drop and Give Me a Firm Chest

No equipment at home and no time for gym visits? No problem. The ordinary push-up, the bane of military recruits and the pride of accomplished gym rats, provides 61 percent chest muscle activation. That’s significantly less than the bench press, but push-ups offer convenience and triple the muscle-building benefits: they strengthen your chest, arms, and shoulders.

Get the most from your push-ups by paying close attention to your form. Tighten your abdominals, keep your back flat, and keep your elbows close to your sides. With your hands directly under your shoulders, lower yourself slowly and with control, and then press up. The only equipment you need is the mirror in which you admire your newly toned chest.

26 Weight Loss Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based

1. Drink Water, Especially Before Meals

It is often claimed that drinking water can help with weight loss, and this is true.

Drinking water can boost metabolism by 24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours, helping you burn off a few more calories (1, 2).

One study showed that drinking a half liter (17 oz) of water about a half an hour before meals helped dieters eat fewer calories and lose 44% more weight (3).

2. Eat Eggs For Breakfast

Eating whole eggs can have all sorts of benefits, including helping you lose weight.

Studies show that replacing a grain-based breakfast with eggs can help you eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours, and lose more weight and more body fat (4, 5).

If you can’t eat eggs for some reason, then that’s fine. Any source of quality protein for breakfast should do the trick.

3. Drink Coffee (Preferably Black)

Coffee has been unfairly demonized. Quality coffee is loaded with antioxidants, and can have numerous health benefits.

Studies show that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 3-11%, and increase fat burning by up to 10-29% (6, 7, 8).

Just make sure NOT to add a bunch of sugar or other high-calorie ingredients to it. That will completely negate any benefit you get from the coffee.

4. Drink Green Tea

Like coffee, green tea also has many benefits, one of them being weight loss.

Green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, but it is also loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which are also believed to work synergistically with the caffeine to enhance fat burning (9, 10).

Although the evidence is mixed, there are many studies showing that green tea (either as a beverage or a green tea extract supplement) can help you lose weight (11, 12).

5. Cook With Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is very healthy. It is high in special fats called medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently than other fats.

These fats have been shown to boost metabolism by 120 calories per day, and also reduce your appetite so that you eat up to 256 fewer calories per day (13, 14).

Keep in mind that this is not about adding coconut oil on top of what you’re already eating, it is about replacing some of your current cooking fats with coconut oil.

6. Take a Glucomannan Supplement

A fiber called glucomannan has been shown to cause weight loss in several studies.

This is a type of fiber that absorbs water and “sits” in your gut for a while, making you feel more full and helping you eat fewer calories (15).

Studies have shown that people who supplement with glucomannan lose a bit more weight than those who don’t (16).

7. Cut Back on Added Sugar

Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet, and most people are eating way too much of it.

Studies show that sugar (and high fructose corn syrup) consumption is strongly associated with the risk of obesity, as well as diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and others (17, 18, 19).

If you want to lose weight, you should be cutting back on added sugars. Just make sure to read labels, because even so-called health foods can be loaded with sugar.

8. Eat Less Refined Carbs

Refined carbohydrates are usually sugar, or grains that have been stripped of their fibrous, nutritious parts (includes white bread and pasta).

Studies show that refined carbs can spike blood sugar rapidly, leading to hunger, cravings and increased food intake a few hours later. Eating refined carbs is strongly linked to obesity (20, 21, 22).

If you’re going to eat carbs, make sure to eat them with their natural fiber.

9. Go on a Low Carb Diet

If you want to get all the benefits of carb restriction, then consider taking this all the way and going on a low carb diet.

Numerous studies show that such a diet (or “way of eating”) can help you lose 2-3 times as much weight as a standard low-fat diet, while improving your health at the same time (23, 24, 25).

10. Use Smaller Plates

Using smaller plates has been shown to help people automatically eat fewer calories in some studies. Weird trick, but it seems to work (26).

11. Exercise Portion Control or Count Calories

Portion control (eating less) or counting calories can be very useful, for obvious reasons (27).

There are also studies showing that keeping a food diary and writing down what you eat, or taking pictures of all your meals, can help you lose weight (28, 29).

Anything that increases your awareness of what you are eating is likely to be useful.

12. Keep Healthy Food Around in Case You Get Hungry

Keeping healthy food close by can help prevent you from eating something unhealthy if you become excessively hungry.

A few snacks that are easily portable and simple to prepare include whole fruits, a handful of nuts, baby carrots, yogurt and a hardboiled egg (or two).

13. Brush Your Teeth After Dinner

Although I’m not aware of any studies on this, many people recommend brushing your teeth and/or flossing right after dinner. Then you won’t be as tempted to have a late-night snack.

14. Eat Spicy Foods

Spicy foods like Cayenne pepper contain Capsaicin, a compound that can boost metabolism and reduce your appetite slightly (30, 31).

15. Do Aerobic Exercise

Doing aerobic exercise (cardio) is an excellent way to burn calories and improve your physical and mental health.

It appears to be particularly effective to lose belly fat, the unhealthy fat that tends to build up around your organs and cause metabolic disease (32, 33).

16. Lift Weights

One of the worst side effects of dieting, is that it tends to cause muscle loss and metabolic slowdown, often referred to as starvation mode (34, 35).

The best way to prevent this from happening is to do some sort of resistance exercise, like lifting weights. Studies show that weight lifting can help keep your metabolism high, and prevent you from losing precious muscle mass (36, 37).

Of course, it’s not just important to lose fat. You also want to make sure that what is beneath looks good. Doing some sort of resistance exercise is critical for that.

17. Eat More Fiber

Fiber is often recommended for the purpose of weight loss. Although the evidence is mixed, some studies show that fiber (especially viscous fiber) can increase satiety and help you control your weight over the long term (38, 39).

18. Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits have several properties that make them effective for weight loss.

They contain few calories, but a lot of fiber. They are also rich in water, which gives them a low energy density. They also take a while to chew, and are very filling.

Studies show that people who eat vegetables and fruits tend to weigh less (40). These foods are also super healthy and nutritious, so eating them is important for all sorts of reasons.

19. Chew More Slowly

It can take a while for the brain to “register” that you’ve had enough to eat. Some studies show that chewing more slowly can help you eat fewer calories and increase the production of hormones linked to weight loss (41, 42).

20. Get Good Sleep

Sleep is highly underrated, but it may be just as important as eating healthy and exercising.

Studies show that poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity, being linked to an 89% increased risk of obesity in children, and 55% in adults (43).

21. Beat Your Food Addiction

A recent 2014 study of 196,211 individuals found that 19.9% of people fulfil the criteria for food addiction (44).

If you suffer from overpowering cravings and can’t seem to get your eating under control no matter how hard you try, then you may be a food addict.

In this case, get help. Trying to lose weight without dealing with this problem first is next to impossible.

22. Eat More Protein

Protein is the single most important nutrient when it comes to losing weight.

Eating a high protein diet has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day, while helping you feel so satiated that you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day (45, 46, 47).

One study also showed that protein at 25% of calories reduced obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, while cutting the desire for late night snacking in half (48).

This is the single most important tip in the article.

Simply adding protein to your diet (without restricting anything) is one of the easiest, most effective and most delicious ways to lose weight.

23. Supplement With Whey Protein

If you struggle to get enough protein in your diet, taking a supplement can help.

One study showed that replacing part of your calories with whey protein can cause weight loss of about 8 pounds, while increasing lean muscle mass (49).

24. Don’t Drink Calories, Including Sugary Soda and Fruit Juices

Sugar is bad, but sugar in liquid form is even worse (50). Studies show that liquid sugar calories may be the single most fattening aspect of the modern diet.

For example, one study showed that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to a 60% increased risk of obesity in children, for each daily serving (51).

Keep in mind that this applies to fruit juice as well, which contains a similar amount of sugar as a soft drink like coke (52). Eat whole fruit, but use fruit juice with caution (or avoid it altogether).

25. Eat Whole, Single Ingredient Foods (Real Food)

If you want to be a leaner, healthier person, then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to eat whole, single ingredient foods.

These foods are naturally filling, and it’s very difficult to gain weight if the majority of your diet is based around them.

Keep in mind that real food doesn’t need a long list of ingredients, because real food IS the ingredient.

Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth.

26. Don’t “Diet”, Eat Healthy Instead

One of the biggest problems with “diets,” is that they almost never work in the long term.

If anything, people who “diet” tend to gain more weight over time, and studies show that dieting is a consistent predictor of future weight gain (53).

Instead of going on a diet, make it your goal to become a healthier, happier and fitter person. Focus on nourishing your body, instead of depriving it.

The Lifelong Benefits of Exercise

Feel younger, live longer. It's no slogan — these are actual benefits of regular exercise. People with high levels of physical fitness are at lower risk of dying from a variety of causes, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Physical Fitness: Exercise Basics

Physical activity doesn't have to be strenuous to produce results. Even moderate exercise five to six times a week can lead to lasting health benefits.
When incorporating more physical activity into your life, remember three simple guidelines:

• Exercise at moderate intensity for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes spread over the course of each week.
• Avoid periods of inactivity; some exercise at any level of intensity is better than none.
• At least twice a week, supplement aerobic exercise (cardio) with weight-bearing activities that strengthen all major muscle groups.

Physical Fitness: Making Exercise a Habit

The number one reason most people say they don't exercise is lack of time. If you find it difficult to fit extended periods of exercise into your schedule, keep in mind that short bouts of physical activity in 10-minute segments will nonetheless help you achieve health benefits. Advises Permuth-Levine, "Even in the absence of weight loss, relatively brief periods of exercise every day reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease."

Set realistic goals and take small steps to fit more movement into your daily life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking to the grocery store instead of driving. "The key is to start gradually and be prepared," says Permuth-Levine. "Have your shoes, pedometer, and music ready so you don't have any excuses."

To help you stick with your new exercise habit, vary your routine, like swimming one day and walking the next. Get out and start a baseball or soccer game with your kids. Even if the weather doesn't cooperate, have a plan B — use an exercise bike in your home, scope out exercise equipment at a nearby community center, or consider joining a health club. The trick is to get to the point where you look at exercise like brushing your teeth and getting enough sleep — as essential to your well-being.


Remember that physical fitness is attainable. Even with small changes, you can reap big rewards that will pay off for years to come.

FITNESS GLOSSARY

If you’re going to walk the walk of regular workouts, you also need to talk the talk. Get started by becoming familiar with some of the basic terms of fitness and exercise.

Exercise and Fitness Glossary

Aerobic. Involving repetitive use of the large muscles, temporarily increasing heart rate and respiration.

Balance. The ability to maintain bodily equilibrium while standing still or moving.

Balance training. Activities designed to improve challenges to balance.

Baseline activity. Activities of daily life, such as standing and walking slowly.

Body composition. The proportion of lean mass (composed of muscle, bone, vital tissue and organs) and fat in the body.

Bone-strengthening activity. Physical activities that involve impact or tension on the bones, promoting bone growth and strength. Lifting weights, running, and jumping rope are examples.

Cardio-respiratory endurance. The ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues over a sustained period of time.

Duration. How long it takes for an activity or exercise to be performed.

Exercise. Repetitive physical activity performed in order to improve or maintain physical fitness or health.

Flexibility. The range of motion possible at a joint, or the ability to use joints and muscles through their full range of motion.

Flexibility exercise. Exercise designed to improve the ability of a joint to move through a full range of motion.

Intensity. The amount of effort required for an activity or exercise.

Interval training. An exercise regimen in which intervals of vigorous activity alternate with less vigorous intervals of recovery.

Isometric exercise. Contraction of muscle without shortening of the muscle, as when pushing against an immovable object.

Lifestyle activities. Activities performed regularly in daily life, such as climbing stairs or walking.

MET. The abbreviation for metabolic equivalent. Metabolic equivalent is a unit of energy expenditure, or metabolic cost, of physical activity. One MET is the rate of energy expenditure while sitting at rest.

Moderate-intensity physical activity. Physical activity that increases heart rate and respiration, while still allowing conversation.

Muscle-strengthening activity. Activity or exercise designed to work one or more muscle groups.

Muscular endurance. The ability of muscles to sustain repeated contractions.

Muscular strength. The ability of a muscle to exert force.

Physical activity. Any movement that increases energy expenditure above a baseline level.

Physical fitness. The ability to perform daily routines without getting overly tired.

Progression. An increase in the intensity, frequency, and/or duration of an activity over a period of time.

Repetitions. In strengthening activities, the number of times a weight is lifted.

Resistance training. Exercise applying resistance to movement, such as using weights or stretch bands.

Strength. The ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force.