Response to reader

Dear Dr Gardner,

I'm a 27-year-old male who weighs about 140 lb I would like to know how to become built through exercise and I mean really built within two years. I'm tired of being skinny and not having a large chest or arms. Which exercises can you recommend? Thank you.

Dear Reader,

Thanks for your letter. It is an excellent idea to improve your physique because it has other benefits. I cannot make any meaningful comment on your weight because your height was not mentioned. It appears that you have a small frame and this is one of your challenges. Your level of muscle development will be influenced by your skeletal structure.

Based on the challenges you face, some basic exercise routines should help to improve your physique. You may not achieve the profile that you want because of all the factors that contribute to your body's response to the prescription. However, it is prudent that you do some general exercises for your overall muscular development. Later, you can follow up with specific exercises for the areas that need special attention.

Do some squats

Exercises that incorporate resistance are the best exercises for muscular development. The easiest method to apply adequate resistance to your muscles is to exercise with weights. The weights can then be manipulated as improvements are recognised to ensure that ongoing progress is maintained.

If you start with squats with some weights supported on your shoulder, this will stimulate most of the muscles in your body namely, your legs, lower and upper back and hips. Try to maintain the right form by keeping your head up and your back as erect as possible throughout the routine so that the correct muscles are targeted.

The leg-press exercise will enhance your lower and upper back muscles. There are all kinds of variations in weight machines and exercise equipment that provide for this particular type of exercise. Leg extension exercises can be done by bending and straightening your hip and knee joints as you push against resistance or weights.

Leg curls can be performed by lying face down while you bend your knees while forcing your leg against resistance. This can be performed with weights attached to your legs/ankles.

Back and neck workout

In order to develop good all-round muscle development, some exercises for your back and neck should be included in your prescription. Exercises that require pulling downwards against resistance or elevating weight as you pull down will help the muscles of your arms, chest and back.

Rowing exercises can be performed in various ways to help the muscles of your arms, upper body, chest and back. The bench press is an ideal exercise for the development of your chest. This exercise can be performed by lying on your back or sitting in an inclined position as you flex and extend your elbow and shoulder joints as you move weights towards and away from your chest.

Push-up exercises reflect the reverse routine performed in the bench press. Thus if the bench press cannot be done because of lack of equipment, push-ups can be substituted. You can even attach weighted objects to your back to enhance the routine.

The flat-bench dumb-bell press, incline press and decline press are useful exercises that will help to develop the muscles of your chest and upper body. Some specific exercises for your shoulder include the overhead press, pressing from behind the neck and upright rows. Lateral arm raises with weights such as dumb-bells in hand will improve the muscles of your chest, shoulder and upper back.

Your arms should not be left out because their development will impact the improvements in your upper body. The ideal formula to improve your muscle mass is to increase the amount of protein you eat to complement the resistance exercises you do.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.