yeah his waist looks tiny for a PLer
in my mind there is no question that heavy squatting and pulling will thicken your waist and make you look blocky, it's not aestheticly pleasing sometimes but it's what ya gotta do to be strong.
now anyone using that as an excuse for their 225 squat needs a head lube, but add a few 100lbs to your core lifts and your midsection will thicken up. brad pitt abs and 700lb deadlifts don't go together