The Answers to Your Questions

It seems like waist training is showing up everywhere these days, from your Instagram feed to the nightly news. While many people love it, some are still skeptical or uncertain about how it works. We're here to give you the facts, so you can feel confident about what you're doing when you try it.

1) What is waist training?

Waist training, by definition, is the practice of wearing a corset or waist cincher regularly to instantly slim your waist, while also supplementing a fitness goal of reducing your natural waist size. However, just because you're wearing a corset or cincher doesn't mean that you are waist training. You can also wear waist trainers for fun, fashion and dramatic slimming under a dress, work clothes, exercise gear or everyday attire.

2) How long has waist training been around?

Waist training has been a practice for both men and women for thousands of years! It has evolved throughout history. Over the last few hundred years women have used it fashionably, and in the last several years it has been an extremely popular trend, thanks in partly to high-profile celebrities touting the benefits of wearing a waist trainer.

3) Why is waist training popular now?

Several key celebrities including the Kardashian sisters, Beyoncé and Nikki Minaj have brought the voluptuous figure with a small waist and big curves back into fashion. The Kardashians have publicly attributed their figures to waist training, and everyone else has followed.

4) What's involved?

Waist training involves wearing a waist cincher or corset somewhat regularly—daily if possible. Some women choose to do it only when working out, because man styles are designed to increase perspiration and maximize any physical activity. Others wear a waist trainer for long hours every day. The more you wear it, the more dramatic the results.

5) How do you start?

If you're not sure how to use a waist trainer, it's best to start gradually and work your way up a little each day. For example, start with an hour the first day, two hours the next day and so on. You can also break up the time into smaller increments over the course of a day. Ideally for the best results you'll want to wear your trainer ten to twelve hours a day.

6) What are the benefits?

Results vary from person to person, but waist training has several benefits. The biggest one: you get an instant hourglass shape the second you put it on. It's also a great complement for a healthy lifestyle that can help you feel confident and keep you motivated with your diet and fitness. Another big one: many waist trainers stimulate thermal activity in your core, so you sweat harder during runs, workouts and other exercises. In other words, you get more from your workout, with less effort!

7) Is it a replacement for fitness?

No! We absolutely recommend waist training as a complement to healthy diet and exercise. While a waist trainer can help you instantly look slimmer and help keep you motivated, you won't see lasting results without a healthy lifestyle.

8) How long do results take?

It depends on several factors including how much you wear it, your lifestyle changes and the shape of your figure when you start. If you wear a waist trainer as part of a dramatic lifestyle change, you are going to see results fast. If you are already fit and simply want to enhance your figure, your results won't be as pronounced.

9) Do you have to keep it up to maintain results?

Yes. Remember, waist training is part of a lifestyle. If you stopped eating healthy food and exercising, you wouldn't maintain your body's shape. The same goes for a waist training regimen.

10) If you stop waist training, how long will it take for your body to return to the way it was?

Again, your body requires maintenance if you want to retain a certain shape—with diet, exercise and waist training. How long it takes depends on a lot of factors, like how much your body has transitioned and how long you've been doing waist training.

11) Is a custom corset worth it?

We don't think so. Our cinchers come in a variety of adjustable sizes, and if you plan on losing a lot of weight anyway, you don't want to invest in a corset that will be too big in a few months.

12) How do you pick the right waist trainer?

We recommend starting with the basics: an everyday cincher and a workout waist trainer. Be sure to follow our sizing charts. Most waist trainers feel very snug at first, but your body becomes accustomed to it very quickly. However, wearing a waist trainer should never be painful or restrict your breathing – if it does, take it off immediately and consider another size.

13) Any other advice?

For the best results, you want a waist trainer that fits well and is made with quality material. Please talk to our shapewear specialists if you have any questions, and they will help you find the perfect match!