I was a skinny, scrawny kid growing up. Throughout elementary school there was only one other kid that I knew who was skinnier than me. I had no natural genetics to rely upon. When I became interested in building my body at 15 years old I felt like I would be fighting a losing battle, so to speak. I began exercising at 15 but began serious bodybuilding (not competing) at age 16. I finished my freshman year in high school as a skinny guy who was usually picked last or almost last for teams. I returned back to school after the summer break as a sophomore with a new body with big, shapely muscles. This is a true story! Some of my friends whom I knew since grade school said, “What happened to you?” “You’re buff now!”

Well, let me tell you what happened to me. I got ahold of some very valuable information when I ordered a bodybuilding course. This course included both weight and non weight workout routines which were mailed to me weekly. I applied these routines as well as the advice regarding eating the right kinds of food to build muscle. I soon afterwards joined a YMCA in the area and began working out with a teenage bodybuilder who had placed high in several bodybuilding competitions. He later went on to win the Teen Mr. U.S.A. contest. By the time I returned back to school, I was no longer the skinny kid who was picked last for teams. I was now strong, muscular, and becoming quite athletic.

I got so strong and muscular that I was chosen to have my picture of me posing in the yearbook. I joined the weightlifting team, representing our high school at several competitions against other schools. I got first place in my weight class and helped our team take first place overall in the country. I am saying all this about myself to say that being skinny and small boned is no excuse for not building muscle on your small frame. Do not use your genetics as an excuse.

There are some advantages to being small boned when it comes to building muscles. For example, your wrist and ankles being small will create the illusion of your forearms and legs being larger than they are when you build muscle. You see, it is next to impossible to build muscle size to your wrists and ankles since these are primarily bones and tissue. You can see from my picture that my wrists are small. Likewise, you can generally tell from looking at the size of a man’s wrists or ankles what his genetics are initially and how small boned he was before building muscle to his frame.

To build quality muscles on a small frame is not only possible but it can be an advantage due to the “illusion factor.” Your arms and legs may look larger and more impressive, not to mention the fact that you will normally carry less body fat as well. So, quit making excuses about your genetics and do what I did; build those muscles!