Keeping the waist small helped to stress the 'V' taper. Much sought because of the early influence of Steve Reeves, among others. A lot of input, back then, from Vince G. also. Vince Gironda considered a wide lat flair (along with wide muscular delts and calf's) very important for the male BB'er. He also had the notion that working the abs too hard would slow down or even stop muscle size for the rest of the body. Believing that the solar plexus (that center of nerves under the sternum..some call it the second brain) receive damage from doing intense direct ab work. The CNS is linked to the solar plexus. If any one has ever gotten the wind knocked out of them or hit directly in that area, they would understand the important of that nerve center below the chest. Lot's of theory's about the solar plexus and training from those old timers back in those times.
There is a photo of Reeves standing sideways. And his arm's almost look twice the size of his waist. Those were the day's, I guess. Good Luck.
