The Golden Rules to corset training
There is no piece of clothing that has such a bad reputation as the corset. It was looked upon as an act of women’s liberation when the ladies got rid of it toward the end of the 19th century. Ask any physician, and he’ll say: “Don’t wear a corset unless you have a back problem.” It is considered unhealthy to have your inner organs squeezed, and you can’t breathe properly anymore! All a lot of rubbish, I say.
If the corset were that unhealthy, as they say, then mankind would already have vanished in the Stone Age. With every pregnancy, the inner organs are squeezed and moved to a different place, much more than tight lacing does. When in cheap stories, there are sentences like “Then the laces of the corset were pulled a little more, and she could hardly breathe” it is time to stop reading there. The author knows nothing about corsets, and this is pure fantasy in his head. Speaking from own experience, I know that breathing is no problem.
Nevertheless, I must admit, you can’t do as much wrong with any other piece of clothing as with the corset. Then it really can become an instrument of torture. Therefore, there are a few crucial things you must consider when you decide to go for a corset. I summarized them in five Golden Rules. These are the basics of efficient corset training.
Rule 1: A Corset Shall Never Hurt
Rule 2: A Serious Corset Training Is Long Term
Rule 3: Reduce the Waist Size Slowly
Rule 4: Never Wear a Corset on the Bare Skin
Rule 5: Only Use Custom Made Corsets
Rule 1: A Corset Shall Never Hurt
When a corset causes pain, it either has a wrong design or it is simply too tight. This might sound banal, but that is the reason most of the time. And this must be taken seriously. So if your corset hurts, check out for some pressure points. Usually, there are stays directly over the ribs or hip bone. If this happens, it is very annoying. You were looking forward to having your perhaps first corset, and now you can’t even wear it.
The other reason is not that drastic, since you can just loosen the laces. Though, if you think you can immediately reduce your waist by six inches or even more to start with, then no later than thirty minutes you will have your abdomen, especially on the sides, aching. And this pain will not disappear. On the contrary, it will increase. So remove your corset and draft a realistic training program.
In order that the corset does not hurt, you must give your inner organs enough time to look for a new place. If you just lace tight in one stretch, you will squeeze your kidney, liver and other organs. What must be achieved is that they will dislocate when the original space becomes less.
Rule 2: A Serious Corset Training Is Long Term
As already stated in rule 1, a corset should never hurt. So this does not happen you have to reduce very slowly. I am not talking in terms of hours; I am talking about months or even years. The duration has two aspects:
- The time it takes to reach the final goal. If you want to go for something like an 18-inch waist, perhaps this can be achieved within two years, depending on your discipline.
- This is the intensity of the training; the number of hours each day you will be corseted.
You must be aware that the time with a corset around your waist is the most important factor. Or to say it simply: It is more useful to reduce your waist by half an inch for twelve hours, than six inches for only one hour. It even helps more to wear a corset with your natural waist size for several days, than some short term reductions. The bottom line is that serious corset training must be done more or less permanently. The best would be 23 hours a day. That one hour remaining is reserved for personal hygiene, like taking a shower, and some short term removal during the day for whatever reason. This is the total time per day without a corset, no matter how many times you take it off.
You can probably guess where this is leading to. Yes, the corset should also be worn at night, in bed, when sleeping. Actually, that is the best time for your body to adjust. All of your muscles are relaxed, which enables the corset to give the best results. You have no muscle fighting the corset, they are all co-operating!
Of course, you can also achieve a substantial weist reduction, when you don’t keep it on in bed. It will just take longer, and at a certain point, there will be no more progress at all. Another approach I heard of, was from a woman, whose job simply didn’t allow her to be corseted. She was a gym teacher and additionally a swimming instructor. Therefore, she was laced in her spare time only. That means about one hundred hours a week; after coming home from work, overnight, and at least one entire day of the weekend. With that method, she could nevertheless reduce her waist to twenty inches. It is up to you, what you chose. I stated my opinion.
Rule 3: Reduce the Waist Size Slowly
Actually, this has already been said more than once. Though, it cannot be stressed out enough! In this rule, I’ll go more in detail, what I mean by talking about “slowly”. As a rule of thumb, you can say, lace yourself down half an inch per month. Of course, every individual is different, and when you start your training, it can be a little more. Then, the closer you get to your goal, the slower the progress will be.
This paragraph is very important! It takes a lot of discipline not to be ahead of schedule. Do avoid reducing faster than according to your objective! If you are doing this training on your own, it is in your responsibility. If the trainee is a person in a Dom/sub relation, it is up to the trainer that the reduction is not realized too fast. Usually, the trainee is a person with some masochistic nature, which must be counteracted. The master or mistress in charge holds a lot of responsibility. The danger is not that there will be little progress only. On the contrary, the slave wants to go much faster.
When you start your corset training, you must get used to having something around your waist all of the time. Best is to have your corset laced to your natural waist size and wear it that way for about three weeks. Don’t laugh! You will be surprised that even this way, you will notice some reduction of your waist. To make sure your temporary waist size can be held, it is best to fasten the lacing with a knot. Of course, this is not only valid for your first corset.
Then you can start your actual training. Your primary reference points are the menstrual periods. The best time for a waist reduction is after your monthlies are over. That is when the built-up pressure of your menstruation dissolves again. For the first month or two, you may also have a reduction in-between. This is handy to synchronize with your menses. Then you may choose what suits you better: either half an inch each at menstruation and in-between or two-thirds of an inch at menstruation and one-third of an inch in-between.
There is another relevant thing, you must be aware of. When you measure your waist when laced, it shows more than you actually expect. The difference can be as much as one and a half inches (or even more depending on the material). So don’t be surprised, when to corset you ordered with a 24″ waist, shows a circumference of 25½”, when entirely closed. This is due to two facts:
- The cloth is quite thick and additionally, the boning adds up to the measurement.
- Also, corsets tend to stretch. So periodically measure your waist size, and if necessary, pull the laces, until you have the right circumference again. Do consider this, when drafting your training program! It has consequences in two ways.
When lacing yourself to the present circumference, use the waist size measured over the corset.
When ordering your next smaller corset, ignore what you measured. Just fill in the desired reduced figure compared to your old corset.
After two or two and a half months, you are at a normal point, where you will reduce one-half inch per menstrual period. This can go on for maybe another six months. Then it is time to reduce only one third, or even one-quarter of an inch per period. Don’t be too ambitious. It is better to slow down. Also that way, you will reach your goal. In addition, having your progress every month is very satisfying and much more fun than just holding the line, once having your desired figure.
Of course, these guidelines apply only, when you decided for a 7×23 corset training. If you wear your corset in the daytime only, then you should reduce less.
There is one additional aspect I want to point out, when you reduce very slowly. Inside the corset, you will not have the feeling of being restricted very much. You just feel a slight and tender pressure, which is very comfortable, even pleasant. You will be able to pull your tummy back, so the corset somehow feels loose. And to make it even better, due to this, you will be able to remove your corset and put it on again, without loosening the laces. You can just unhook, and later re-hook, the busk (front opening) to do so.
Rule 4: Never Wear a Corset on the Bare Skin
Often in YouTube videos and pictures, you see women wearing a corset directly on their skin. That may be okay just to take a photo or for a short film. For serious corset training though, it is not recommended. This is due to the fact that the corset will not slide on your skin. When you then pull the laces, the skin at the front and the sides will remain where it is, but on the back, it will be folded like an accordion.
Corset directly on the skin. This is an example, what you should not do. Just imagine, what will happen, when you lace tighter for the corset to meet at the back. Already now the skin has an ugly bulge. I copied this picture from an Axfords’ catalog. It is astonishing, that a major corset manufacturer shows such pictures with the wrong idea.
Do always wear something in-between the corset and your waist. It can be a chemise, singlet or undershirt. It can also be a corselet, such as a body briefer (closed at the bottom) or an all-in-one open bottom girdle. When you lace your corset tighter, the tension will be allocated evenly over your skin.
The undershirt has the advantage that it can be pulled at any end. This may also be used as a mild form of scratching, should your skin be itching. The disadvantage is that such undergarments always have wrinkles.
The corselet, if it is tight enough, will not wrinkle. It will be reduced together with your waist when being tight-laced. The all-in-one open bottom girdle additionally has suspenders, where you can attach your stockings. Therefore, ensure your corset has removable garters. It is more convenient to use them from the OBG. There are also body briefers with garters. This applies to such without a leg part (like the Rago 9057) and also the ones with some legs, as the “Long Leg Body Briefer” (Rago 9077), where the garters are inserted inside the legs. This is a nice all-in-one open bottom girdle, which is perfect to wear underneath the corset.
Rule 5: Only Use Custom Made Corsets
One of the main questions is when you order a corset, how tight shall you get it. Is it a good idea to buy it with your preferred waist size, even if it is six or eight inches smaller than your natural circumference? The answer definitely is “no”!
The best would be to have your own corset per menstrual period until you reach your goal. That way, the corset you wear would always meet at the back. Of course, there are only very few, who can bring up that money to buy some twenty corsets for their training. Also if you compromise and buy a corset per one or two inches tighter, this will be quite costly.
Corsets off the shelf are much cheaper than the custom made ones. So might that be an alternative? Again the answer is “no”. The problem with ready-made corsets is that they don’t fit well. This might result in pressure points or general discomfort. This especially applies to waist cinchers. What we don’t want is that you give up your training, even before it has started.
Though, one exception to this rule can be accepted. Your very first corset, which you should wear three weeks without any waist reduction, can be off the shelf if it is comfortable enough for you.
There is one further advantage, I like to tell you. It is most likely your first made to measure corset will not fit perfectly. With your next orders, you can have some adjustments done. Already your second or perhaps your third custom made corset will fit like a glove.
I can just give some advice, point out the advantages and disadvantages. In the end, is up to you, how much money you are willing to spend on your corset training.
Who Should Wear a Corset
Everybody can wear a corset; for exceptions, see the next chapter. Even though corsets originally were designed for women, there is no restriction to gender. Women should wear a corset to give them a more feminine figure. Men should wear a corset, so they can keep a juvenile body up to their old age. Even if you don’t want to go for tight lacing, a corset keeps your tummy under control. Go for it!
Who Should not Wear a Corset
Even though the corset is a great thing, there are some unfortunate people, where it is not a good idea to wear one. I compiled a list, but am sure it is not complete.
Who should not wear a corset at all
If your answer to one or more of the following questions is “yes”, you should not wear a corset. Though, this just might be temporarily.
- Are you pregnant?
- Did you have an operation in your abdomen (e.g. removal of a kidney)?
- Do you have any health problems in your abdomen area (e.g. damaged liver)?
- Do you have skin problems, especially around your waist?
- Do you have asthma?
- Do you drink a lot of alcohol?
Who should not start a corset training
If your answer to one or more of the following questions is “yes”, you should not initiate a corset training. If you have already started your training earlier, this may not be applicable to you.
- Is your age more than 35 years?
- Are you younger than 18 years old?
- Is the time you can spend in your corset, very limited?
Itching Skin under the Corset
This is something that might occasionally occur to the wearer. At some sites or in some YouTube videos, you will definitely find advice, what powder or cream to use. To find out for yourself, what works out best for you.
I have a different approach. I remove my corset for ten to 15 minutes and scratch the itching areas with a soft clothes brush. I only need to do this once a day. Of course, these 15 minutes are taken off my one-hour corset removal time in the morning, so I remain laced 23 hours per day. Anyway, you can combine the two different approaches.
Side Effects
When corset training is done correctly, then it is most likely, that the trainee will enjoy it. The feeling of this slight pressure, of the permanent tender hugging, is very comforting. She will love her corset and wants to be tight-laced all of the time. She will even feel uncomfortable, when not restricted. You can say, she will get addicted to wearing a corset. This is an effect we must encourage at all means. The best way for this to happen is when the corset training is done according to the five golden rules.
Another side effect is that the trainee feels great; not only physically, also mentally. This gives her true self-confidence. She is proud of herself and has positive energy, which is noticed by others. You can say she gained charisma. This is partially due to the fact, that the corset supports her posture, always being straight and upright; also when sitting. It is no longer possible to more hang than sit in a chair. But more important is her sense of well-being!
Punishment
Actually, it is not a good idea to use a corset as punishment. A submissive person should be corseted all of the time anyway. I am not fond of the idea to punish the slave by lacing her much tighter than she is prepared for.
What I can imagine though, is to apply a lockable belt (steel or other) around her corseted waist, so she can neither remove the corset nor loosen the laces. This is something that can be done long term (several days). If her skin starts itching, that won’t harm her, but give her some discomfort.