I’ve always had a rather straight up-and-down figure. I’m 24 years old and in very good shape, but I would like a bit more in the way of curves. Can I build them into my body through exercise?
The wonderful thing about exercising is that it gives you the power to change your body as you see fit, including adding curves where there presently are none.
Of course we’re all born with bone structures that are unique to us and there’s not much we can do about that. Some of us our square-shouldered, others are sloping. Some women have broad hips while others are narrow. You sound like the latter, which is fine actually, because it provides you with options. While it’s impossible to take away from your hip structure, it is possible to add muscle there.
The primary exercise I would suggest you to engage in is squats. There’s nothing like squats to work not only your legs, but your entire buttock and hip region. The lower you go at the bottom of the movement, the more you hit your glutes, hips and hamstrings.
You should also acquaint yourself with the abductor machine, which most gyms have. This is the machine in which you sit and splay your legs to the sides against pads. It’s designed specifically to work the muscles around your hips.
Below I’ve outlined a sample workout for you to build your hip region. Give it six weeks or so. By then you should start seeing the fruits of your labor.
| Hip-Building Routine | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squats | 4 | 15-20 |
|
45º Leg press |
3 | 15-20 |
| Abductors | 3 | 15 |
| Leg Curl | 2 | 15 |
| Leg Extension | 2 | 15 |