5 Ways to Achieve an Hourglass Figure Naturally

For many women, the idea of a perfect body shape is the hourglass figure. This coveted body proportion is the sweet spot balance between having the right amount of fat and defined muscles on both the upper and lower body.

Modern lingo describes this as being “curvy” and is popularized by well-known celebrities and social media influencers.

Although genetics plays a huge role in having this physique and others use expensive cosmetic surgeries to sculpt their body, nothing beats hard work and a good old fashion diet and exercise in achieving your desired body.

This article will discuss tips on how you can sculpt your body to safely and naturally achieve the hourglass figure.

Having the optimal ratio in the specific areas of the upper and lower body and the midsection is the key to achieving the hourglass body. Hence, it features broad shoulders and curvy hips, emphasizing a tight waist and defined abdominals.

It follows this structure:

Therefore, if you want to have an hourglass figure, you need to focus on these specific areas of your body:

• Delts
• Lats
• Glutes
• Quads & Hamstrings

Building enough muscle mass in these areas will give you an illusion of a narrower waistline and develop your desired body contours.

It is crucial to have realistic expectations to ensure healthy body sculpting. Hence, building an hourglass figure requires patience and dedication.

If you already have the genetics and bone structures required for this body shape, all you have to do is to melt away the belly fat and your love handles to further emphasize this figure.

However, if you are like most people, you need extra hard work and grind your way in the gym to add bulk to your upper and lower body to have a balanced body proportion.

Cardio Aerobic exercises such as treadmill runs and ellipticals will help you burn fat fast, but they will not bring out the shape you need. Instead, it would be best to focus on weightlifting and targeted exercises to bring out your lean muscular figure and support it with a healthy diet that will provide you with enough calories and nutrition.

Your lats are the wing-like muscles that will give you the appearance of a wider upper body that narrows to your waistline. Training your upper and mid back muscles will add definition to your back and improve your V-taper figure.

Suggested exercises:

• Lats pull down with overhand grip
• Rows
• Deadlifts
• Pull-ups

Shoulder exercises targeting your delts will also increase the width of your upper body and give you a strong lean appearance in the front and side view.

Suggested exercises:

• Side lateral raise using dumbbells and cables (Side Delts)
• Front Raise (Front Delts)
• Rope face pulls (Rear Delts)
• Overhead press
• Reverse flys

Your glutes (gluteus maximus) or butt muscle is the largest muscle in your body. Building strong glutes is essential in having a strong lower body back profile and maintaining a healthy posture.

Suggested exercises:

• Glute bridges
• Hip thrusts
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Lateral step up
• Bulgarian split squats

You can also add resistance bands to your training to challenge the gluteal muscles even more.

Here’s a workout program to build a hourglass figure:

You can never go wrong by adding leg exercises to your routine. Improving the bulk of your quads and hamstrings will allow you to achieve killer legs that will further emphasize the illusion of a narrow waist. This will provide the bottom half of your hourglass figure.

Suggested exercises:

• Banded squats
• Barbell squats
• Leg curls
• Sumo squats

Spot reduction or targeted fat loss is nearly impossible. In building an hourglass figure, you don’t have to focus on performing crunches and sit-ups. Your midsection will always look slimmer by emphasizing your upper and lower body.

To trim your midsection and reduce the overall fat % in your body, you need to burn more calories throughout the day.

Including combinations of HIIT, weightlifting, and cardio-aerobic exercises in your weekly training is an excellent way to ensure that you are spending your energy, building muscles, and avoiding storing fats in your body.

Building your desired body is a journey. It is vital to have patience and realistic expectations of what you can accomplish in both short-term and long-term. Staying consistent in your training and routine will go a long way.

Support your muscle growth and body sculpting with a diet of whole foods rich in protein and healthy fats.

Depending on your current body type, you may need to increase or decrease your daily calorie intake. That is why it is recommended to consult a certified fitness coach to help you in your journey.

Achieving an hourglass body in a natural way is possible by focusing your training on specific areas of your body, such as your shoulders, lats, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

A balanced proportion of a wider upper and lower body will give an illusion of a slimmer midsection.