Spanks, Squeems and Busting at the Seams: Part 1
Corsets and Squeems are t
wo interesting tools used by many male and female physique competitors throughout the fitness industry. Many of you may have heard whispers in the bathrooms regarding what they are or, possibly, where to purchase them; but the question remains, what do they do? The truth is that many athletes have been using them for years to trim their waistlines down, thus helping to create the ideal x-frame.
The purpose of this article will be to discuss the origin of the corset and its design as well as the claimed mechanisms of action. In part two of this article, we’ll approach these products from a more analytical standpoint and delve a little deeper into their effectiveness.
The earliest forms of corsets date back to the late 1400’s and early 1500’s. The first corset-like apparatuses were two pieces. They were worn in order to keep the upper body erect and push the breasts together and up. Corsets dating back to the early days were described as being conical in shape, that is, they are cone-like in shape with widening at the top (near the chest) and narrowing at the waist. As the styles of corsets may have changed slightly over their hundreds of years of existence, their purpose remained generally the same; that purpose being to give the illusion of an extremely small waistline.
The purpose of the use of corsets today in the competition world is no different. Women and men have been known to use corset-like products such as the Squeem in order to reduce his/her waistline prior to competition. By reducing the waistline, the shoulder width and leg width appears wider, thus giving a grander illusion of the X frame. That being said it seems that competitors have jumped to the conclusion that this Squeem product, that which is primarily of postpartum support use, can be used in a pre-competition to achieve similar results; those results being, once again, shrinking the waistline. So to observe how this conclusion may have been obtained, let’s take a look at the design and application of the use of this product.
Some women during pregnancy develop a condition known as diastasis recti, also known as, abdominal separation. This is a disorder that is classified as the separation of the abdominal muscles into right and left halves. Normally the lineaalba, a fibrous structure that runs directly down the midline of abdomen, is what separates the right and left halves. However, with diastasis recti, the abdominal muscles are extremely stretched giving the appearance of two separate halves. Diastasis recti is actually strictly a “cosmetic” condition, where no mortality or morbidity is associated.
An article in Real Simple magazine addressed this condition and also address
ed a treatment for it. The treatment consisted of a series of core exercises which focused on strengthening the abdominal muscles as well as one compression exercise which involved manually pushing on the abdomen at the site at which diastasis recti occurs. This, along with a few other theories could be the basis of the idea for compression ware being used in order to attempt to reduce the bulging abdomen associated with diastasis recti.
The use of Squeems by male bodybuilders could be compared to the use of Squeems by postpartum women in the similarities of abdominal distention that are observed in both populations. This may be a stretch but this could be the origin of the use of the Squeem in the male population. All that being said, the intentions for the use of the Squeem seems to be predominantly as a support aid, providing an immediate benefit, and the reduction of diastasis recti post-partum providing a long term benefit.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of Squeems for waist reduction in postpartum women seems to work over a period of time. There is no direct scientific evidence studying the effectiveness of the actual Squeem itself in postpartum women or competitors for physique purposes.
A comparable product and adjunct program is the Tupler Technique. The program outlines the importance of not only just the use of a support device comparable to the Squeem, but also the incorporation of core strengthening exercises done with proper form, using your core muscles properly in day-to-day activities and also getting up from the seated position with proper form.
The Tupler Technique is the only exercise program with published research supporting its effectiveness in closing diastasis. This research comes from the Columbia University Program in Physical Therapy. It is important to note that this research was focused on the exercises portion of the program and was designed for patients with diastasis recti. It is unknown if this type of program will work for people without diastasis recti, so more research should be conducted among that population.
All in all, the Squeem and products comparable to the Squeem were created with the intention of reducing the waistline. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Squeem and like products do, over time, aid in the reduction of the waistline in postpartum women who have had the condition known as diastasis recti. More scientific research is needed to determine whether the Squeem or like products will elicit the same results in populations that do not have this unique condition.
Sources and Photo Credits
http://www.diastasisrehab.com/diastasis-rehab.html
http://deyoung.famsf.org/blog/corsets-context-history
Liao, Sharon. "15 minutes and you're done: crunch-free abs." Real Simple Magazine.
Feb. 2012: n. page. Print.
http://www.galapagosboutique.com/Brazilian-Rubber-Waist-Reducing-Cincher-p/squ-26rm.htm
http://www.nyaproductreviewer.com/2012/08/a-waist-cinching-miracle-by-squeem.html
http://www.stabenow.com/2013/06/25/corsets-4-inch-heels-and-foot-binding
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