How to Get Hourglass Body Shape
While there are many body types out there (and they’re all beautiful!), many people strive to achieve that coveted hourglass figure. Celebrities like Sophia Vergara, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez all have stunning hourglass figures. While some people are blessed with this body shape naturally, others have to work hard to achieve it. We’re going to show you how to get an hourglass figure by making simple changes to your diet and workout routines.
What Is An Hourglass Figure?
The hourglass body shape has the following characteristics:
- The bust and hip measurements are nearly equal in size.
- The waist is narrower than both the hips and bust.
- The shoulders are slightly rounded.
- Bottom and hips are rounded.
In the past, the ideal hourglass measurements were considered 36-24-36 (bust, waist, hip), but today, there’s really no “idea hourglass.” If your bust and hips are about the same size, then you have an hourglass shape.
In general, those with an hourglass shape are considered curvier with well-defined waists.
The proper diet and exercise routine can help you achieve more of an hourglass shape, but it’s important to remember that if your body doesn’t distribute its weight evenly, then you may have a more difficult time achieving this shape through diet and exercise alone.
It’s important to have realistic expectations and to remember that the “perfect” celebrities you see on social media and television aren’t as perfect as you think. They have photo editing software, the best trainers in the world and expensive shapewear to help them achieve their hourglass figure.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t strive to have a more hourglass shape. After all, making changes to your diet and exercise routine can help support an overall healthy lifestyle.
Diet Tips To Get Hourglass Figure
If you want to know how to get an hourglass figure, start with your diet. Because the hourglass shape has a narrower, defined waist, you may want to focus on losing belly fat through your diet. However, it’s really challenging to lose fat in one specific area of your body. Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet or food that will dissolve fat in your waist.
Instead, the focus should be on losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight if you’re already there. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Track Your Calories to Make Sure You’re in a Deficit
If you want or need to lose weight, make sure that you’re tracking your calories and burning more than you consume.
As a general rule of thumb, you want to aim for a 500-calorie deficit each day to lose one pound per week (a healthy weight loss goal).
But before you jump in and start cutting back your calories, make sure that you understand how much you should be eating. The Mayo Clinic has a great calculator you can use to figure out how many calories you should be consuming. Make sure that you enter your ideal weight rather than your current weight when calculating your calories. The answer will give you a daily calorie target to reach your goal weight.
From here, you can use apps and fitness trackers (like the Apple Watch) to help you stay on track.
Meal Plan and Prep to Stay on Track
Meal planning can help you reach your daily calorie goals and resist the temptation to eat more than you should or hit the drive-thru on the way home.
Calorie-counting apps can help you plan out your meals to ensure you’re eating just the right amount of food. You can create meal plans for just one week, two weeks or an entire month.
Planning is just one piece of the puzzle. To help you stay on the right track, consider prepping your meals ahead of time. Some people make three meals at a time, while others prep for the entire week. In addition, you can freeze meals for later in the week to keep them as fresh as possible.
Make Sure Your Diet is Balanced
A healthy diet is a balanced one. If you want to achieve more of an hourglass shape, make sure that you’re eating a healthy balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates and fiber. Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods, too, including:
- Whole grains
- Lean proteins
- Leafy greens
- A rainbow of vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
A balanced diet will ensure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs to run optimally – and that includes your metabolism.
Avoid Lifestyle Factors That Cause Weight Gain in the Middle
The hourglass shape has a narrower waist. While genetics plays a big role in whether you can obtain this shape, you can avoid certain lifestyle factors that cause weight gain in the middle.
In general, you want to avoid or limit:
- Alcohol
- Excess sugar and processed foods
- Stress
- Sleep deprivation (get at least 7-8 hours per night)
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may also carry more weight in the middle, so consider getting checked for this condition if you’re struggling to lose weight.
It’s important to stress that your diet can only get you so far. Genetics will be the ultimate deciding factor in whether you can achieve an hourglass figure. You can get close to obtaining this shape, but if you tend to carry weight in your belly, you will have a more difficult time achieving an hourglass shape (and that’s okay!).
Workout Tips To Get Hourglass Figure
While diet can only get you so far in achieving an hourglass shape, exercise can have a bigger impact. You can’t exercise your way to a bigger bust (unfortunately), but you can sculpt other muscles that can help you achieve the aesthetic you’re after. In other words, you can create the illusion of an hourglass figure.
Strength training will be your best friend in this quest. It’s the most effective way to build muscle in targeted areas. Make sure that you’re eating enough carbs and protein to fuel your workouts and muscle-building.
Here are some tips on how to get an hourglass figure through exercise.
Glute Workouts
The hourglass shape has a curvier bottom. These glute workouts will help you build muscle in all the right places to achieve that look.
GLUTE WORKOUT & TUTORIAL I SHRED & SHAPE CHALLENGE
This glute workout from fitness trainer Lauren Simpson will challenge you at the gym and help you build a curvier bottom.
at Home GLUTE WORKOUT | Dumbbells Only & Booty Focused
No gym membership? No problem! Caroline Girvan, a certified personal trainer, shares a killer at-home workout for your glutes using just dumbbells.
MICHELLE LEWIN: New Year Glute Routine!
Fitness star Michelle Lewin shares her glute routine, which is a mix of bodyweight, cardio and strength training exercises.
Shoulders and Back Workouts
People with an hourglass shape have roughly the same measurements in the bust and hips. You may not be able to increase your bust size naturally, but you can work on building muscle in your shoulders and back to create the illusion of a narrower waist.
These two workouts will challenge your muscles, whether you’re working out at home or at the gym.
15 Minute SHOULDER WORKOUT at Home or the Gym with Dumbbells
BACK and SHOULDER WORKOUT | Complete Workout for a sculpted upper body!
Core Workouts
Strengthening and defining your core can help you create the illusion of a narrower waist. These three workouts will get your heart pumping and your core working even if you’re pressed for time.
10 Minute Isometric Core Workout | No Equipment
7-Minute Core & Low Back Strengthening Workout to Get Rid of Back Pain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRPQoMfs77A
30 MIN CORE – AB AND BACK HOME WORKOUT | No Equipment
How To Get an Hourglass Figure In 3 Days
We get it – you want to know how to get an hourglass figure now. And when we say now, we mean in like three days.
But let’s temper your expectations here. There’s no safe and healthy way to get an hourglass figure in just a few days unless you already have one.
If you want to achieve this aesthetic quickly, you’ll have to fake it until you make it by using:
- Shapewear
- Corsets
You can find shapewear that will:
- Slim and smooth your waist
- Lift and shape your bottom
- Accentuate your bust
If you have a big event to attend and you don’t time to achieve an hourglass figure through diet and exercise, shapewear can help you achieve your goals instantly.
Will Wearing a Corset Give You an Hourglass Figure?
Yes, wearing a corset can help you achieve that hourglass figure you want. Corsets slim and shape the waist to create a pronounced hourglass shape.
There are many types of corsets that can create this shape. You can find full corsets that enhance the bust, slim the waist and create the illusion of bigger hips. Others just focus on narrowing the waist and lifting the bust. Choose the option that will create the look you want without making you too uncomfortable.
Keep in mind that shapewear and corsets can help you achieve an hourglass look immediately, but you’ll still need to diet and exercise if you want to maintain this look over the long-term.
Getting an hourglass shape can be challenging for some and easier for others. Make sure that you have realistic expectations going into this journey. The right diet and exercise routine can help you achieve more of an hourglass figure, but your genetics may keep you from having that perfectly narrow waist (and that’s okay). It’s more important to love the body you’re in and strive to be the healthiest version of yourself – whatever that may look like.
