my ratio is 1.5. So like most men my age or older, I should probably be working on reducing my waist line through diet. This is especially true if you have excess flab around your waist, which most middle- aged men like myself do, indeed, have. Having a waist measurement between 32 and 31 inches would be my ideal. I could work on my shoulders with weight training too to improve this ratio.
The V-Shape:
Another measure that is closely related to the shoulder/waist Golden Ratio is the V-shape in men. Men that have a V-shape when looking from the shoulders to waist are certainly on the right track to achieve the Golden Ratio. Also, these men are considered easier on the eyes no matter which gender is doing the judging. This is the measurement Metabolic
Effect tends to use; however, using both the Golden Ratio and the V-shape number is probably best. So the way to get your V-shape number
is the following:
Take the circumference measurements around your waist and chest. The waist measurement should be at the smallest point between the bottom of the rib cage and above the belly button. The chest measurement should be in line with the nipples. Wrap the tape mea- sure around the chest under the arms at nipple level. Once you have the measurements,
divide your waist measurement by your chest measurement to get a “waist to chest ratio”. The ideal value is between .7 and .8 with .77 being the most pre- ferred measurement by women.
If your measurement is .8 or above
(which most men in the Western world have) you are no longer in the preferable V-shape zone, and have now entered what we call the apple shape zone.
Taking your Measurements with a Picture: Probably, the easiest way to get your
V-shape or Golden Ratio is with a picture of yourself. You can then use a ruler to measure the required distances. For the V-shape number, measure your waist at the smallest point across and then divide it by the measurement from shoulder crease to shoulder crease across the nipple line. For the Golden Ratio number, measure from shoulder to shoulder midway between your
collar bone and nipples and then divide it by the waist measurement from the top of the hip bone to the other hip bone.
What To Do with the Numbers: Knowing the Golden Ratio and your
V-shape numbers is a great way to evaluate your lifestyle, especially in terms of exer- cise and nutrition. If your Golden Ratio is greater than 1.6
you may want to back off of the heavy shoulder, chest and back exercises, and if it is less than 1.6, you probably want to revaluate your lifestyle habits in terms of diet and even sleep habits. The same goes for your V-shape num-
ber. If you start out with a waist to chest ratio of say .79 and after two weeks you have lost weight but found your number went up to .81, instead of down, then you know you are doing something wrong. This has been seen to occur in people on very low carb or prolonged fasting diets. It also may occur with too much cardio exercise. On the other hand, resistance training of your back, shoulders, and chest can help optimize this number too. Many bodybuilders will have a Gold- en Ratio greater than 1.6 or V shape num- ber lower than .77, and most middle-aged men will have a Golden Ratio less than 1.6 or a V shape much greater than .77. Keep in mind the further away you get from these desirable numbers (whether greater or les- sor), the less easy on the eyes your phy- siques will be by who ever is observing you.
Since most of us are not bodybuilders, let's focus on the steps we men can take to achieve the Divine Proportions goal.
1. A toned waist is better made in the kitchen than in the weight room. Focus on not over-consuming calories. It is actually better for you to eat junk food that is not over-consumed than to eat healthy food that is over-consumed. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not advo- cating a junk food diet at all; however, many people unconsciously over-con- sume healthy food, only because it is deemed healthy, without ever realizing it. In psychology this is call the “Halo Effect.”
Just because dark chocolate is
labeled as healthy does not mean you can eat a ton of it. So eat healthy, but do not over consume.
2. A waist tends to expand with long hours of sitting in front of the computer
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