What’s the deal with waist training? Didn’t the wasp waist go out the window with the Victorian age?
Isn’t a corset the epitome of female control? Doesn’t it indicate tolerance of “beauty is pain”, and serve as a step backwards for feminism?
Not at all. Welcome to the present day, where fitness, strength, and feminism can possibly come together, and all for the good of your waistline.
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Allow me to be candid — a waist trainer is not a magic trick to offset years of bad habits.
If you drink soda daily, if you eat wheat flour regularly (bread, bagels, pasta, crackers, et cetera), if you aren’t PHYSICALLY ACTIVE on a REGULAR basis, this will likely do nothing for you. I am not here to blown sunshine up anyone’s ass and present a miracle cure to the lower-pooch gut that we as a society tend to lug around. Is it genetics? Is it the genetically modified and chemical-filled foods? Our sedentary lifestyles sitting all day, driving everywhere, and barely using our bodies to their actual capacity? I think for most, it’s a combination of these things.
There are different waist training materials available for sale, and what would theoretically work best for your results has greatly to do with what you want, & what you’re willing to adjust in your schedule and day-to-day actions; again, you cannot eat junk food six days a week and expect a latex girdle to somehow do the work for you. That is NOT the point. The waist training device is more of an added support system to better fire up and aid your fitness habits. Let’s move on to some of the nitty gritty:
Steel boned corset or latex waist cincher?
Up to you. In my above pictures, I started simply enough using a few layers of saran wrap (helps keep your sweat (i.e. water weight) from soaking into the trainer and wearing down the material) and a light material belt. Before actually upgrading to a latex cincher, I used a few “sports” varieties first to get used to the idea of a trainer, and the feel and habit of putting one on.
Before even moving on to latex waist training, I noticed a few things about the preliminary versions:
1. My back pain from car accidents was less inflammed. Whereas normally carrying my bag throughout the day causes some tension in my back, the waist trainer helped offset some of that stress.
2. My waist began to appear smaller daily — having the saran-wrap layered under the trainer was helping keep my midsection warm and sweating out excess water that would otherwise cause bloating.
3. Working out at the gym felt slightly easier. The light trainer belt offered some assistance support to my core which came in handy keeping balance for numerous exercises.
Having had positive beginning experiences, I decided to invest in a heavy duty latex cincher waist trainer. I was excited once it arrived, and true to my self promise was determined to wear it a minimum of 4 hours a day (the recommended time).
Honestly, I had to get used to wearing it over the course of a week. It was a little difficult to buckle in and I wouldn’t say wearing one feels great in a conventional sense, but the added back support did feel wonderful.
The stronger material trainer added some perks:
-The thermogenisis (heat production in warm-blooded animals) created within my body due to the added compression allowed my body to perspire more, which felt detoxifying (I’m not claiming scientific proof of anything — simply sharing my real life results).
-The much tighter latex trainer somehow inhibited my normally voracious appetite which ultimately meant a reduction of my normal food intake, also catering to a smaller waistline.
-Additionally, on longer car rides, wearing my waist trainer supported my back where my lumbar would normally start to cave and feel cramped.
To reiterate, it’s important to understand that this waist trainer is not some cure-all to combat bad habits; it’s meant to be an aid to your upswing of fitness. This waist training journey has been accompanied by plant-based eating, intermittent fasting, and committing to wearing the trainer a few times a week for at least 4 hours each session. Your compatibility with one and your results will be determined by your workout schedule, your eating habits, and your consistency with use. I would recommend getting a lighter end trainer before moving on and committing to the heavy duty latex to give you an idea of what you’d be working with. As you can see above, I’ve worn mine discreetly under my clothes throughout a work day or while running errands and had no issues. I’ve used both a trainer that was one abdomen-wrap size, and another that is like a tank top with support straps and comes up over part of the back (great support for workouts). It all depends on you and the work you want to put in!
So what if science doesn’t back this up? If the food industry and big pharma can’t find a way to make money off something, they “debunk” it’s credibility. I don’t work for either of these industries but my pictures pretty much speak for themselves. You won’t see results unless you put in the work, and there’s no shortcut pill or food to do that for you. It takes DAILY effort to make the difference, and I’ll speak for myself when I say that in my humble opinion, waist training helped me along greatly in my journey.
If you are curious and want to take the waist training plunge, here are some suggestions for a start:
*Real Amazon Review*
“Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Started at 2XL now on medium! Lost 30 pounds …
April 11, 2017
Size: Large|Color: Black Latex|Verified Purchase
Started at 2XL now on medium! Lost 30 pounds, started at size 11 jeans now a size 5. Started waist training in January, she literally only wear it the 8 hours I’m at work 5 times a week. Don’t really work out either not to mention I work in a donut shop lol needless to say it works!”
Looking for a full-vest that also helps back fat and includes supportive straps? Neoprene (left) is a synthetic rubber which helps keep your core ramped up and warm for additional fat burning. On the right is a special vest with both multi-row hooks AND a zipper enclosement for discretion wearing under your clothes.
Prefer to start with a lighter end sports belt? Try this:
Amazon Cutomer: Brandi Rogers
March 19, 2017
Happy training, FitFam!
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