Posted on 13 Comments

How to Waist Train: Comparing Corset Training Methods

Last updated on August 21st, 2017 at 11:39 am

In previous articles, I’ve talked quite a bit about waist training, but I’ve never actually focused on the different methods at length. Just as there is more than one path to physical fitness or other physical goals, there are also different methods of waist training. This article will outline the two most popular waist training methods, and their pros/ cons as I tried them for myself.

(Always check with your doctor before wearing corsets for any reason, and should you decide to take up waist training, remember to have your health monitored throughout your journey.) 

 

Romantasy “Roller Coaster Method”: 

My front-lacing Bezerk cincher - from my very first Youtube video.
In 2010, I went from wearing corsets occasionally to actually waist training. I started with the Roller Coaster Method.

In my very first waist training video, I mentioned that this is the method I started with. The “roller coaster” method was developed by Ann Grogan, president of Romantasy Exquisite Corsetry and waist training advisor for nearly 25 years.

Grogan outlines her roller coaster method of waist training in her manual, Corset Magic (you can watch my overview of the book here) but for those who need more guidance, she also offers personalized waist training plans and full 3-month waist training programs.

The roller coaster method can be a bit strict – it relies on you maintaining a specific waist reduction, for a certain duration of time, for a certain number of days. For instance, let’s say that your natural waist is 30” and you’re wearing the corset at 28 inches (a 2-inch reduction over the corset). You would start just by wearing your corset for a couple of hours each day, until your corset is seasoned.

  • Once you are ready, you can increase your wear by another couple of hours per day (so you’re wearing the corset for 4 hours each day instead of only 2) for several days or a week. Once you feel comfortable with that, you can once again increase your wear for several more hours per day – being mindful to always remain at 28 inches and slowly building up your tolerance for longer durations of time.
  • Once you’re able to wear your corset for over 8 hours or all day at that 28 inch measurement, you can tighten your corset just a little bit, but also drop your hours back down so you’re cinched in tighter, but wearing the corset for a shorter duration of time.
  • Just like before, over the course of days and weeks, you can slowly build up your tolerance for longer hours at that restriction. When you’re ready, tighten your corset just a tiny bit more but then drop your hours down again. Grogan has a sample outline of this method on her website on this page, for you to view freely.

This method of waist training requires you to watch the clock carefully, and to also monitor your reduction daily or multiple times a day, using a tape measure over the corset. If you need a really concrete instructional guide for waist training and you enjoy structure and discipline, you will probably appreciate the Roller Coaster method.

 

Contour Corsets “Cycle Method”: 

My Contour Corset was very close to being perfect - it just needed perhaps 1.5 - 2" more length in the underbust, and tweaking around the hips.
After a few hiatuses, I reached my waist training goal of 20″ in 2013 by using the Cycle Method.

This waist training method was first outlined by Fran Blanche, owner of Contour Corsets. The cycle method is less strict and scheduled compared to the roller coaster method, and is described as more intuitive and ‘zen’ by those who use it.

It takes into consideration the fact that your body is not always stable; it’s in a constant state of flux – your natural waist measurement can change by several inches over the course of a day just from water retention, what you eat, your menstrual cycle (if you have one), your stress levels and more. And these factors can all affect how much you’re able to comfortably lace down on a given day or even a given time of day. Because of this, it may feel more intuitive to lace down more on days and times that you’re able to tolerate this greater restriction, and lace down less on days and times that you need more space.

In other words, if the corset feels too loose, tighten it. If the corset feels too tight, loosen it. And some people may find that they need to loosen or tighten the corset many times throughout the day – there is nothing inherently wrong with this.

Fran says that with consistent wear (even when cycling your pressures), a waist trainer may find that over a long period of time, their ‘average’ waist measurement will reduce, even if it may not feel like it by having to vary the measurements slightly every day.

Here, the exact number of your waist to the half-inch is not as important as your overall comfort level – but the cycle method also somewhat implies that the trainer is wearing the corset for longer hours each day compared to the roller coaster method (which tends to aim for a duration of 2-8 hours a day).

 

How many hours a day is best when it comes to waist training?

This answer is different for everybody. Some people are able to see quick results in a corset with fewer hours put in, and some people have slower results even when wearing their corset all day. Of course, when we’re talking about “results”, not all of us waist train for the same reasons or have the same goals.

But many experienced waist trainers will agree that the length of time that you wear a corset is a bit more important than the actual reduction. If you are able to wear your corset at a 3-4 reduction comfortably all day, this will likely be more comfortable and more productive for your waist training compared to wearing a corset at a 6-7 inch reduction for only 1 hour and having to remove it to recuperate for the next couple of days (this is effectively overlacing). The latter scenario could set you up for discomfort, injury, it may lead to you having to take unwanted time off to regroup – and it also may lead to you associating the corset with pain and negative experiences, which is the exact opposite of what a waist trainer should experience.

Some people aim for wearing their corset for a specific number of hours each day. The Romantasy roller coaster method suggests 8 hours a day, 6 days a week as a good duration to strive for. In order to break my 22-inch plateau, I found I had to corset for about 12 hours a day.

Some people wear their corsets during waking hours (they put on their corsets when they get up in the morning, and take off their corset when getting ready for bed) – which may be in the range of 16 hours a day.

Others may do the opposite and only wear their corset during sleeping hours – they may not wear their corset during the day, but they cinch their waist when getting ready to sleep, and so they unconsciously get 8 hours in per day.

Some very dedicated trainers will wear their corset 23 hours a day – reserving one hour per day for bathing and exercising – often trainers will have to work their way up to this lifestyle over the course of months or years, because jumping into a 23/7 waist training regime can be a drastic change in lifestyle: all the things you did before without your corset, you would have to adjust to doing it with a corset, eliminate activities that are not compatible, or substitute some things that are more compatible. I do not recommend the 23/7 method for beginners, nor do I believe that a 23/7 lifestyle is really necessary for any waist trainer except under extenuating circumstances (like if they are going after the world record).

And it’s worth mentioning that sometimes the results from the 23/7 method are not worth the challenges that come with them. Heidi, aka Straight-Laced Dame/ Corset Athlete, has written a fantastic article which compares your enjoyment/ comfort level while wearing a corset, with the effectiveness of your training – and finding that “sweet spot” where you get your highest return on investment.

 

Which Method of Waist Training is Best?

I can’t tell you which waist training method is best for you, as I said before – we all have different bodies, different schedules and different goals. But myself, having tried both the Romantasy Roller Coaster method and the Contour Corsets Cycle method, I found that the Roller Coaster method gave me what I was looking for in the beginning, when I was still relatively new at corseting – back when I needed technical, straightforward, step-by-step guidance on wearing a corset.

Slowly building up my hours over many weeks and months at a time helped to teach me how my body is supposed to feel during the process of waist training, and how it’s not supposed to feel. I used the roller coaster method to successfully train down the first 5 or so inches of reduction.

Of course (as with most other forms of training!) I eventually reached a plateau. I had a hard time lacing past about 22″ comfortably for long periods of time. I sort of felt myself a failure at that point because I wasn’t advancing with the same speed I was before. Not wanting to risk pain or injury, after some time off and some research, I invested in a number of better fitting corsets and also found myself gravitating more to the Cycle method.

The Cycle method allowed me to be a bit less hard on myself if I didn’t meet a certain goal within a certain time, because I was no longer focusing on time. The method respected the limitations of my body and the signals it was giving me. It felt healthier – like I was allowed to be more gentle with myself, while still presenting enough of a challenge to see progress and advancement if I chose.

And I began enjoying wearing my corset again – it allowed me to take my eyes off the clock, to stop measuring my waist circumference every day, and to just enjoy the feeling of being in a corset – the posture support and the feeling of being hugged, my silhouette under a vintage gown, and the empowerment of wearing a form of armor. This method reminded me to enjoy the journey, as opposed to being unhealthily and impatiently focused on the destination.

In this article I touched on just a few different methods of waist training. I encourage you to do a little of your own research into waist training and to find the one that you find the one that feels most safe and comfortable for you. If you waist train, leave me a comment below and me know which method works best for you, or which methods you’ve tried in the past!

*Please note that this article is strictly my opinion and provided for information purposes. It is not intended to replace the advice of a medical physician. Please talk to your doctor if you’d like to start wearing a corset.*

13 thoughts on “How to Waist Train: Comparing Corset Training Methods

  1. I have found the ” Cycle Method ” works great for me. Thanks for your amazing videos, your help, your wisdom and personal insight into Corsets. After just a few weeks of ” Training ” I can see a result in waist reduction. I think is more to do with eating better, and exercising more, I have a goal to get a smaller corset. Has it made a difference to my life..? Yes in so many ways, from eating better, exercising, feeling good about myself. At first I brought a corset for back pain, now so long as I have a corset on, my pain is gone. So for me is perfect, and what a better way to spend my days then pain free and Waist Training. So may thanks to you Lucy

  2. The cycle method link is broken ☹️

    1. Hi Cara, so sorry about that. The corsetiere who posted that article is no longer in the corset business. Here is an archived version of that page from the Wayback Machine.

  3. How do i know which corset will work for me? Do you do online corset consultation? I want to reduce my waist size, and also get a nice hourglass figure. The only problem is that i have petite figure, my torso is small, and i have hip dents on the sides so my bottom looks really bad. Can you please help? And i dont know, but does underbust help in shaping breast too? My breasts are of odd shape, drooping to the sides.

    1. Hi Sandy, I have a measuring tutorial and contact form here if you’d like some personal guidance as to what corset would fit you best. For an underbust corset, the contour of the top edge can act a bit like an underwire, but it doesn’t lift the breasts per se (you’d need an overbust corset for that). I prefer to wear an underbust corset with my favorite bra.

  4. Hey my waist is 30inches and I have been wearing a waist trainer for weeks now but i cant see any results please help me out on what to do

    1. Hi Nuhyla, what brand and size of trainer are you wearing?

  5. Hi I am a male will waist training work for me.?

    1. Hi Steven, yes men can waist train, but it’s easier to do so if you have a corset made specifically for your body. Here’s a gallery of men’s corsets.

  6. I’ve never owned a corset before. It all seems so confusing and complicated. Is there a Lucy’s I can personally go to and if so where are you located ?what state?
    Thank you ever so much and.
    Char

    1. Hi Char, sorry I don’t have a brick and mortar store. However, next month I’ll be reopening my personal corset consultations and I’d be happy to help answer any and all of your questions.

  7. Hi Lucy,

    I started corseting for waist training towards the end of last year, but stopped because I was experiencing some abdominal pain. It wasn’t long after having had abdominal surgery, so I put it down to that. I started again recently (hoping to get some waist reduction while my husband is overseas for 5 weeks), but kinda jumped in at the deep end. I hadn’t finished breaking my corset in, but ended up doing so in a very short period while travelling with a girl friend. I put on the corset when leaving and had it on for about 8 hours at a time. It was difficult to keep track or to measure when on the road. She tightened it to a comfortable fit, basically, and I had no problems. After I returned last week, I asked my 20 yr old son to tighten it for me. He did to a comfortable degree, but I thought it was time to go a bit tighter, so he got it down a couple more centimetres. It wasn’t uncomfortable, and I wore it for about 5 hours that day, and then again two days later. I did experience some abdominal pain both times later in the day (I didn’t connect it to the corset the first time). Now I realise I probably went too tight too quickly. I still have some pain without the corset on, but I don’t want to lose all the progress I’ve made, so I’m wondering whether it would be safe to wear the corset, cinched more loosely, or whether I should rather wait until the pain is gone before trying again. I presume I bruised an organ or something by tightening too much too quickly. Have you had experience with anything like this?

    1. Hi Beth, I would not put on the corset again until you are completely pain free. This is very important – the same way you wouldn’t exercise a muscle that you had pulled or injured before – if you try to bear through the pain, you could inadvertently set yourself back even further. Pain is never normal. It’s better to simply take the time to heal now, and resume when you’re better. There is no race to the goal! If the pain continues, I would see a doctor.

Comments are closed.