Before you question how to get a smaller waist, you should at least be relatively lean. If you’re over 15% bodyfat, you may want to cut and see how small your waist truly is. However, if you’ve been bodybuilding for a while now, and know that you don’t have the smallest waist, then this is perfect for you.

You might notice that a lot of the Frank Zane workout routines you see on the internet are contingent upon lower ab training. It’s true: a lot of people have under developed lower abs, but this is not the only contributing factor to a v taper.

Creating that tapered look where everything looks sucked in is achieved by training the transverse abdominis. While not talked about often, the transverse abdominis is the muscle that lies underneath your rectus abdominis. This muscle is responsible for keeping your abdomen locked in and tight, it activates nearly every time you move.

In my opinion, the best way to train the transverse abdominis is by doing stomach vacuums on a daily basis. Stomach vacuums will literally make the waist appear smaller with consistency; this is a statement that many professional bodybuilders, and even I can attest to.

Below is a great video demonstrating how to do a correct stomach vacuum. Basically, you want to exhale all the air from your body before sucking everything in. Stomach vacuums may prove to be difficult at first, but with time you’ll get a deeper and tighter squeeze.