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While only 10 percent of women are Cones, the same body type describes 30 percent of all men. Cone men, especially those who exercise with weights, generally look out of proportion because they neglect their lower bodies. Cones are the polar opposite of Spoons. Their upper bodies are considerably larger and stronger than their lower bodies. Typically, a female Cone's best asset is her legs while a male Cone's is his chest. Miniskirts are a must for Cone women because they draw the viewer's eyes away from the breasts and stomach. Usually short-waisted and long-legged, Cones benefit from abundant aerobic exercise combined with abdominal and upper-body endurance exercises, which are crucial. They strengthen and protect the back and shoulder regions. Overweight cones look even more so because most of that extra weight is concentrated on top. That, of course, creates an even greater disparity between the upper and lower bodies. Cones have a propensity for tight hamstrings (just as Rulers do) and their abdominals are usually weak because Cones don't typically work on this region. They tend to look shorter than they actually are, especially when overweight. Cone women who slim down their upper bodies, especially their abdominals, will start to look more like Hourglasses. A typical female Cone's measurements are 40-35-32. With proper exercise, that cone woman could be 36-30-32.

Problem Areas and Characteristics

Cones carry a lot of weight and mass in their upper back and chest. Their arms are usually large as well, and have excess fat, especially on the backs of the arms (triceps). Their stomachs usually protrude, an unwanted natural tendency that is especially noticeable in both men and women. As they grow older, their posture seems to worsen unless they strengthen their abdominals and increase their hamstring flexibility. Movements or sports that require upper-body power and speed — such as racquet sports and track events including the javelin throw, discuss and shot-put — come easily to most Cones. Any sport that requires quick and short movements and requires upper-body strength is agreeable to Cones, whereas jogging or running for long distances can be very uncomfortable. I find that most Cone women are very self-conscious of people leering at their upper bodies when they do any kind of impact sports or activities. Male Cones who frequent the gym look very out of proportion. Most need to switch from heavy weights to much lighter ones when they work out and focus more on their lower bodies. Cones who exercise rarely develop osteoporosis in their upper bodies, but because they are more susceptible to lower-body injuries, especially hip fractures, it's important to strengthen and add some mass to their lower bodies as a preventative measure. Most important to protect is the upper and lower back. This can be accomplished through weight loss on top and lots of stretching and abdominal exercises.

Best Exercises for Escaping Your Cone Shape

• Spinning
• Squats
• Lunges
• Leg presses
• Leg extensions and leg curls
• Stepper/stair climbers
• Stationary biking with moderate to high resistance
• Full sit-ups, leg-outs, and upper and lower abdominal crunches
• Hamstring stretches
• Upper-body stretches
• Jumping rope with a speed rope
• Dead lifts
• Kick-boxing using lower body only
• Ankle weights
• Low-impact step classes
• Ski machines with light tension for upper body and moderate to high resistance for lower body
• All lower-body exercises using moderate to high resistance or weights
• Slow walking on an incline or on hills
• Inner-outer thigh machines with moderate to heavy weights

Exercises to Avoid if You Want to Escape Your Cone Shape

• Bench press with moderate to heavy weights
• Decline push-ups
• Triceps k-backs with moderate to heavy weights
• Triceps extensions with moderate to heavy weights
• Hand weights
• Rowing
• All upper-body exercises with moderate to heavy resistance or weights
• Aerobic and exercise classes that use Heavy Hands or weights
• Kick-boxing classes using upper-body movements
• Jumping rope with a weighted rope

Summary

As a Cone, the rule of thumb is high reps and low resistance or weights for the upper body and high resistance and moderate to heavy weights for the lower body. Although unusual, a few Cones may bulk down below a bit if they are overweight. Typically, Cones shy away from abdominal exercises and lower-body exercises. It's important to focus on these areas so the body becomes better proportioned. Cones, especially male Cones, have a harder time than other body types giving up the heavy weight lifting for their upper bodies. I suggest switching to more natural exercises such as push-ups, dips, chin-ups, or upper-body exercise routines with low weights and higher repetitions. You'll still possess great upper-body strength and your body will look much better proportioned.

Copyright © 2001 by Edward J. Jackowski, Ph.D.

Tags: Exercise and Fitness

About the Author

Edward J. Jackowski, Ph.D., is the CEO and founder of Exude Inc. (www.exude.com), based in New York City. It is the nation's largest motivational and one-on-one fitness company.