How to Feel Comfortable Having Small Muscles

small muscles


Are you a guy who constantly feels self-conscious about how your arms are not muscular enough? Do you dread taking off your shirt at the pool because you're scared you'll be made fun of for your lack of pecs? Many teenage boys and young men feel the embarrassment of having underdeveloped muscles for their age, but don't worry! You're a few simple steps away from loving your body the way it is.



Steps


  • Look at yourself in the mirror and look for qualities about yourself that you admire. These could be nice eyes, a nice smile, early beard growth or good hair. Find something about yourself that you love and admire. This will help you to realize there is more to yourself than just a lack of muscle.
  • Highlight that best aspect about yourself in your daily life. If it's your smile, laugh often; if it's your hair, try some hair gel.
  • Avoid wearing clothing that emphasizes a lack of muscles. Do not wear tanktops, singlets or wifebeaters. These sorts of tops will attract attention to your smaller arms. Instead, wear long sleeved shirts, t-shirts with decent sleeve lengths or hoodies.
  • If you still feel insecure, consider working out. Begin slowly working on increasing your muscle size. Start by doing 4 sets of 10 pushups each night. Build up your exercise routine gradually and you will put on muscle. The more you get used to the routine, the less onerous it will seem and soon your arm muscles will begin to shape up.
  • Educate yourself on body building so as to go about it in a sensible, effective way. Purchase a book on body anatomy that details the muscle groups––this internal understanding of your body's muscles can make it a lot easier for you to stay focused and to know the names and purpose of each muscle set. The field of body building is constantly expanding, the more you know about what you're doing, the easier it is to sculpt your muscles to what you want.
  • Don't neglect good nutrition. Staying healthy and eating wholesome foods will ensure that your body has the energy it needs to remain strong. Read about nutrition if you're not already aware of what's good for your body, or talk to your doctor.
  • Observe different sports and the athletes who are very good at them. Sports tone your body in different ways. A swimmer's lean build is muscular but graceful without being bulky, so if you like swimming more than contact sports, take up swimming. It is important to accept the physique that you have and work with it, not against it, to make your physique shine the best it can.
  • Remember that a light build is perfect for some sports and developing agility may make you athletic and popular with the body you've got. Consider martial arts or tai chi if you want a compact, muscular build - remember that generations of women drooled over Bruce Lee far more than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • Enjoy the confidence you'll gain from a focused approach to gaining muscles. Building expertise, skill and real strength can create deeper confidence than just sculpting your muscles for appearance. Some of the really big guys become musclebound and aren't as strong as wiry, lanky men. If your build is lean, that's an advantage you might keep for life. Consider adopting a more swashbuckling style––take up fencing and even dress creatively. Some subcultures appreciate a lean build over a bulky one.
  • If someone makes fun of you, try just to blow it off, because if you get into a fight, you'll probably lose. You'll also lose out if you're the one that gets expelled or thrown into jail. This is another good reason to take self defense classes or martial arts, as sometimes the bullies don't stop at words. Tai chi, aikido and other circular forms may be a lot more effective at keeping you out of trouble if a bully attacks you - the fact that you remained calm and defended yourself with minimal force could weigh in your favor when the incident is judged.
  • If you're at high school, the best thing to do with bullies is to avoid them, try not to get their notice and quietly work on getting your school to enforce a strong anti-bullying program.
  • Be patient. People physically mature at different rates. You could go from shrimp to giant within a very few months and embarrass those jerks with your new physique and height. It's often just a case of waiting it out until your own physique blossoms, in its own way and in its own time. In the meantime, keep learning all you can about strength, muscles and exercise.
  • Understand that genetics can play a role in your natural disposition to muscle mass. Disciplined approaches can often help and sometimes overcome this genetic disposition, but not always.


Tips


  • If you're overweight and lacking muscle, building up muscle may not reduce the numbers on the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat. Measuring your waist size, real strength and appearance may be more accurate in judging the effectiveness of your new fitness regime.
  • Heavy long sleeved sweaters may make your upper body seem larger, when they're in season.
  • Horizontal stripes will make your upper body seem larger. Dark colors will make any part of your body look thinner, so choose dark pants and horizontal striped shirts or sweaters.
  • Don't expect much or any social support for improving your physique. Chances are the people who pick on your appearance will just jeer more at your attempts to exercise and eat right, that's the way cruel people are. The key to keeping up a diet/exercise habit is to make it a habit and reward yourself for success in small daily increments. It is an achievement every time you stick to your exercise plan. Twice as big if anyone picked on you and you did it anyway.
  • If you blog your progress, others who are working out may find you inspiring and compliment your results - especially if you reciprocate on their public records. Try to organize a group either local or online because it's easier to find support when you're giving support. Encouraging others is the best way to find encouraging others.



Warnings

  • Avoid any type of fighting over your appearance. It's pointless and you can be injured.
  • Avoid wearing tight shirts that draw attention to your arms and chest.


Things You'll Need

  • Anatomy book
  • T-shirts, long-sleeved tops, hoodies
  • Exercise routine