What is a slim thick body?
Experts will tell you the term slim thick describes a woman with a small waist, flat stomach, and larger hips, bum, and thighs. On the other hand, ask an average Joe, and he will tell you it is what his dream girl looks like.
The term gained popularity when it found acceptance in the celebrity culture. The slim thick body trend took off when the hashtags started working their magic on social media and the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jenifer Lopez, and Sofía Vergara were labeled as the cult’s brand ambassadors.
A slim thick body is one step ahead of the hourglass body. While we have a problem with neither, the trend seems to be shifting towards slim thick physiques.
The hourglass figure is one of four traditional female body shapes described by the fashion industry. The other shapes are the rectangular, inverted triangle, and spoon/pear.
While the hourglass figure considers the circumference of the bust, waist, and hips, the slim thick body focuses on having a small waist, flat stomach, a bubble butt, a thigh gap, and muscular legs.
Pre-Requisites For Building A Slim Thick Body
Surgery.
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No, we are kidding. You just need some botox. Okay, enough.
While some people have a naturally slim thick body structure – like Sofía Vergara, others have to work for it – meaning, genetics play a vital role in the slim thick transformation.
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Your hip-width, shoulder breadth, height, and length of your legs are all determined by your genetics and bone structure. Genetics also contribute to where you store fat, the amount of muscle you have, and what you will put on during the slim thick transformation program.
Men are muscular (thanks, testosterone) and store more fat around their waist and abdomen (screw you, estrogen). Women tend to be less muscular and store more fat around the hips and thighs.
The interesting bit is – humans bodies tend to change shape due to age and hormones. Ever seen a person gain or lose weight quickly while they started taking medication? That is usually because of changing hormone composition in the body. Even the stress hormone (cortisol) can lead to a rise in body fat stored around the waist and abdomen.
Quiz: Body Type Quiz
Icing On The Cake
Research has shown that a bigger waist to hip ratio (smaller waist and bigger hips) can help reduce the risk of chronic health diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
A higher level of fat around your waist can mean a higher level of fat accumulation around your internal organs as well. British Heart Foundation suggests looking at waist circumference as an indicator of health. Studies show that women with a waist circumference of less than 80cm are at a lesser risk of developing chronic disease, and those with waist circumferences of 88cm or more are considered high risk.
How To Build A Slim Thick Body
Building a slim thick body is easier said than done as it incorporates the best features of slim and curvy physiques and avoids the undesirables – flat booty and rounder belly. To get a slim thick body, you need to figure out how to retain fat in your glutes while burning it off from your abdomen.
Slim Thick Body Must-Haves
1. Nail Your Cardio
Shun the broscience and stop relying on crunches and hanging leg raises for shedding excess belly fat. A goal-oriented diet and tailored cardio routine are your best bet at losing abdomen fat.
Most fitness novices make the mistake of spending countless hours on cardio equipment in hopes of losing the extra kilos. While they might end up shedding the excess weight, overdoing cardio can also lead to a loss of a good chunk of their muscle mass.
According to a study, you could fix the muscle loss problem by performing high-intensity cardio on a fasted stomach first thing in the morning. Meaning – instead of walking at a constant speed for 30 minutes on a treadmill, spend 10 minutes doing a HIIT circuit. Perform a 1-minute all-out sprint and then walk at a brisk pace for the next minute. Repeat this cycle five times (10 minutes).
Not only will the HIIT circuit help in shedding excess belly fat, but it will also aid in building a stronger and fuller lower body.
Related Read: How To Get Rid Of Lower Belly Fat
2. Resistance Training Is A Must
Most women think that lifting weights will make them look manly. This is as far from the truth as it can be. Girls do not produce enough testosterone (the male sex hormone) to build as much muscle mass as their counterparts.
It does not matter what anyone tells you, the trademark slim thick booty is unattainable without resistance training. Unlike cardio, weight training allows you to focus on a particular muscle group.
While you have no control over the spots you lose fat and muscle from while performing cardio, it is possible to target a specific muscle during resistance training.
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A mix of isolation and compound lifts is the fastest way to achieve that slim thick booty.
Next Read: Boost Your Testosterone Naturally
3. Fix Your Diet
If you are a proud owner of a round and soft belly, you have homework to do before you step into a gym. One of the best ways to reduce belly fat is to run a calorie deficit. Running a calorie deficit means burning more calories in a single day than you consume.
Losing weight and cutting down body fat for that perfect slim thick body comes down to a simple cause and effect relationship. If you do not make the right (read: healthy) food choices, you will never be able to get rid of the excess body fat, no matter how hard you train at the gym.
If you eat an average of 2,800 calories every day, cut out 500 calories from your diet. Doing this should help you lose 1lb a week. Follow this routine until you are close to your target weight, and then slowly ramp up your calorie intake until you hit the sweet spot.
Check-Out: Calorie Deficit Calculator
4. Stay Hydrated
Water plays a vital role in:
- Delivering nutrients to our body
- Supplying oxygen to our lungs
- Maintaining normal body temperature
- Improving the quality of our skin
- Lowering blood pressure
- Relieving joint pain
It would be safe to say that water is an indispensable part of our lives. According to the NRC, an adult woman needs to drink about 2700ml of water every day.
As per a study, the resting energy expenditure (the number of calories burned while resting) increases by 24-30% within 10 minutes of drinking water. The REE effect lasts for up to an hour. Drinking ample water throughout the day can also curb your appetite which ensures that you are not overeating.
Related: Water Intake Calculator
12-Week Slim Thick Body Workout Program
In the 12-week slim thick body training routine, you will be performing a combination of bodyweight, resistance, and HIIT workouts. Concentrate on establishing a mind-muscle connection and contract your target muscles with every rep. Do not go through the exercises just for the sake of it, but focus on milking your workouts. You only have 12-weeks to turn around your physique. Make every training session count.
Monday
- Squat – 3 Sets 50 Reps – 45-Second Rest
- Lunge – 3 Sets 25 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Hip Bridge – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Wall Sit – 4 Sets 30-Second – 30-Second Rest
- Standing Calf Raise – 5 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Fire Hydrant – 3 Sets 50 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Donkey Kick – 3 Sets 50 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Leg Raise – 5 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Crunch – 4 Sets 50 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Plank – 3 Sets 30-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Sit-Up – 5 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
Tuesday
- Sumo Squat – 4 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Hip Thrust – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Fire Hydrant – 3 Sets 50 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Curtsy Lunge – 3 Sets 30 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Donkey Kick – 3 Set 50 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Plank – 3 Sets 45-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Kick Back – 3 Sets 25 Reps (Each Leg) – 30-Second Rest
- Russian Twist – 4 Sets 1-Minute – 30-Second Rest
- Side Lunge – 3 Sets 30 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Jumping Jack – 5 Sets 45-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
Wednesday
- Jumping Jack – 4 Sets 50 Reps – 45-Second Rest
- Walking Lunge – 3 Sets 30 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Standing Single-Leg Calf Raise – 4 Sets 40 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Mountain Climber – 3 Sets 50 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Jump Squat – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Plank – 3 Sets 60-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Crunch – 5 Sets 30-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- V-Up – 3 Sets 30-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Plank – 3 Sets 40-seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Mountain Climber – 4 Sets 45-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Russian Twist – 3 Sets 45-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Side Plank – 3 Sets 20-Seconds (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Sit-Up – 4 Sets 30-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Wall Push-Up – 5 Sets 20 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Plank – 3 Sets 60-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Push-Up – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Arm Circle – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Hip Raise – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Squat – 4 Sets 40 Reps – 45-Second Rest
- Squat Pulse – 4 Sets 50 Reps – 45-Second Rest
- Clams – 3 Sets 20 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
Wednesday is going to be a long and rough day. If you wish to get out of the workout in one piece, you better find an effective pre-workout supplement.
Check-Out: Strongest Pre Workout Supplements for Hardcore Pump
Thursday
- Squat – 3 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Russian Twist – 4 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Wall Push-Up – 3 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Glute Bridge – 4 Sets 25 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Plank Pulse – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Side Plank Pulse – 3 Sets 30 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Kick Back – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Bicycle Crunch – 5 Sets 30 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Bent-Over Lateral Leg Raise – 4 Sets 30-Seconds (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Frog Jump – 3 Sets 60-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Donkey Kickback – 4 Sets 30 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
Friday
- Barbell Squat – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Barbell Hip Thrust – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Goblet Squat – 4 Sets 10 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Barbell Bench Press – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Cable Standing Hip Abduction – 4 Sets 10 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Tuck Crunch – 4 Sets 60-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Kneeling Cable Crunch – 3 Sets 30 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Lying Leg Raise – 5 Sets 20 Reps – 30-Second Rest
- Side Plank – 3 Sets 60-Seconds – 30-Second Rest
- Cable Woodchopper – 3 Sets 15 Reps (Each Side) – 30-Second Rest
- Box Jump – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-Second Rest
After performing bodyweight workouts for the first four days of the week, you will head to the weight training section for the remaining two days.
The goal here is not to lift heavy but to perform the exercises with a full range of motion to achieve maximum muscle fiber recruitment and hypertrophy.
Saturday
Circuit 1 X 4 Rounds
- Reverse Lunge With Front Kick (Right Leg) – 20 Reps
- Reverse Lunge With Front Kick (Left Leg) – 20 Reps
- Goblet Squat / Sumo Squat – 20 Reps
- Single-Leg Deadlift (Right Leg) – 5 Reps
- Single-Leg Deadlift (Left Leg) – 5 Reps
Circuit 2 X 3 Rounds (Each Side)
- Donkey Kick – 20 Reps
- Hold Donkey Kick in Engaged Position (Leg Up) – 10-Seconds
- Fire Hydrant – 20 Reps
- Hold Fire Hydrant in Engaged Position (Leg Open) – 10-Seconds
The last training day of the week will be a circuit workout. You are allowed a 45-60 second rest between circuits but cannot stop for a breather between exercises. You need to complete four rounds of Circuit 1 before moving onto Circuit 2.
In Circuit 2, complete the four exercises on your right side and then repeat on your left. Finishing the exercises on both sides constitutes one round.
Sunday
Rest/Active Recovery
Conclusion
Building a slim thick body requires patience, hard work, and consistency.
If your belly gets in the shape you want, but your glutes are nowhere close, limit your abdomen training and replace the ab exercises with lower body routines.
To achieve your desired physique proportions, you will have to fine-tune your workouts as you progress through the transformation program.
Interested in measuring your progress? Check out our strength standards for Bench Press, Cable Crunch, Hip Abduction, and more.