A Tip for all you Skinny Nerds

By Wade

I've been there myself – thin, weak, submissive, spineless, sexless. There's not much pride in being a skinny nerd, getting walked over, overlooked, and landing in the "friend zone" with every girl you have a crush on. It's not just a physical condition, it's a state of mind and a way of life.

Bodybuilding, or even a regular gym routine, is a lifestyle change that doesn't suit everyone. However, just because you're not aiming to be the next Ronnie Coleman doesn't mean you can't look and feel better.

What follows is a quick fix for improving your body and mind in a way that is practical and can be integrated into your daily life.

Miracle Supplements...

How would you like to look in the mirror and see visible muscle growth and definition in just a couple of weeks?

That may sound like a line from some spam email or telemarketing scam, but it is actually possible thanks to two supplements: Taurine and Creatine.

Taking these supplements together, in the correct way, is about as close to anabolic steroids as you can get without breaking the law... and without the health risks and high price tag either. In fact, they are available from any highstreet health store or supplement stockist, in pill or powder form.

Taurine and creatine are low cost supplements that volumize muscle cells by drawing in water, thus promoting rapid growth and an increase in strength.

The important thing to remember when taking these supplements is to drink at least 6 glasses of water per day. Your muscles will be absorbing more water, so failure to drink enough can result in dehydration and, in extreme cases, kidney stones. Creatine has had a bad rap over the years because users neglected to hydrate themselves efficiently. However, there is little to no risk with sensible use and water consumption.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you must work out your muscles if you hope to see any results. The idea is to contract the muscle enough to start drawing in water and oxygen (a state known as a "pump") and let the supplements do their work. Providing you are regularly performing workouts that tax your muscle groups, you should see results from these supplements in a matter of 2-3 weeks.

Working out...

Developing muscle mass is a relative process. In other words, it's not about how much weight you can lift; it's about how much you tax your muscles. As long as you push yourself to failure (a state where you physically can't continue) it doesn't matter if you're lifting 15 lbs or 150 lbs, you will achieve your optimum result.

Assuming you are a novice when it comes to working out, and do not have access to free weights, I suggest calisthenics - workouts that use your bodyweight. There are three main exercises I recommend per week: squats, push ups and crunches.

Every set of repetitions should be performed to failure and repeated three times, with 1-2 minutes rest between each set.

With all workouts here, the focus should be on contracting muscles, not cardiovascular activity. If you're looking to gain muscle mass, your movements should be slow, and your heart rate should remain steady. If you are performing over 20 repetitions with ease, then you need to slow right down and focus more on contracting your muscles.

And remember, ALWAYS STRETCH BEFORE WORKING OUT! Stretch your body, get your muscles loosened up before starting any exercise. Trust me, it's better to take a few extra minutes stretching than months recovering from a muscle injury.

Squats:

The single most important exercise you can perform. Squats work numerous muscle groups throughout the body and focus on the "glutes" and hamstring (aka thighs and buttocks), which are the body's largest muscles. This causes higher levels of testosterone and growth hormones to be released into your body. As a result, not only will your muscles grow more efficiently, but you will improve posture, feel bolder, more sexual, and more masculine.

To perform squats:

• Stand up straight.

• Keeping your spine and neck aligned, slowly squat down, bending your knees all the way.

• Using your legs, slowly push yourself back up to a standing position.

Repeat to failure, or a maximum of 20 times. Rest for 1-2 minutes. Repeat another two sets.

Push ups:

Next to bench presses, push ups are one of the best exercises for developing the pectoral muscles (the chest). Developing these muscles will give you a more masculine and sexually appealing body shape.

To perform push ups:

• Lie face down in a prone position with your hands and toes pressed to the floor.

• Keeping your entire body aligned, slowly push your upper body away from the floor until your elbows are straight.

• As you push up, try to flex and contract the muscles in your chest.

• Bend your elbows and lower your body until your nose touches the floor.

Repeat to failure or a maximum of 20 times. Rest for 1-2 minutes. Repeat another two sets.

In order to work the inner part of your chest, draw your hands closer together, and for the outer part, keep them body-width apart.

Crunches:

Forget all those gimmicky ab machines, sixpack workouts and 100 sit-ups per day. They do more harm than good. The abdominal muscles are just like any other, you just need to contract them hard enough and feed them enough to grow. The "sixpack" is basically the result of low bodyfat to muscle ratio.

The most important fact to remember when working the abs is quality over quantity. 10-15 slow crunches, with strong contraction and good form, are better than 100 full sit ups performed rapidly.

To perform crunches:

• Lie on your back with your hands locked behind your head, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

• Slowly lift the top half of your body a few inches from the floor, keeping your back as straight as possible.

• Flex your abdominals every time you lift up, hold it for a few seconds, then slowly return to the lying position.

Repeat to failure or a maximum of 20 times. Rest for 1-2 minutes. Repeat another two sets.

Nutrition...

Muscle growth via cell volumization (i.e. with creatine and taurine) is only a temporary solution. Once you stop working out and stop taking these supplements, you stand to lose much of your new-found physique, so I suggest looking at your diet.

Muscle is not built from thin air. In order for muscle tissue to grow, you have to feed it. Muscles thrive on protein, so make sure you're getting adequate amounts. If you are naturally skinny, there's a good chance you need to make a permanent change to your daily diet to include higher amounts of protein.

Good sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs and dairy produce. However, for lean protein sources, it is best to stick to chicken, turkey breast, tuna, salmon, and egg whites. Alternatively you can buy protein supplements, including Whey (quickly absorbed and ideal post workout) or Casein (slow release and ideal for daily use). If you consider progressing into bodybuilding, then protein supplements will be essential.

One of the biggest mistakes the layman makes when trying to develop their physique is neglecting their diet. Exercise without adequate nutrition burns muscle tissue and is therefore counter productive.

Conclusion...

Most people don't have time, interest or dedication to sustain a gym routine, so what I have offered here is a quick fix using the absolute basics. It may be all you want or it may end up kickstarting a new way of life. But like most things, the more you put in, the more you get out.

If you intend on progressing to something more demanding, I strongly suggest you do your research on diet, form and recovery before lifting a single weight!

Note: The preceding advice was written for thin guys with low bodyfat and is not recommended for anyone who is substantially overweight. Dropping bodyfat is more dependent on reducing calories and cardiovascular exercise.

Wade