Expert: Ryan Hale - 1/16/2009

Question
hello i was anorexic for a long time in my teens, i lost alot of weight and muscle, since i decided to stop, ive been left with scarecrow legs and arms, i was wondering if i can gradually get back my muscle again and how? i joined a gym 5 months ago and i put on nearly 2 stone and am quite muscley now, though my arms and legs have not made much of a change, maybe its just me cos im used to seeing them everyday and not noticing change, but I hate them... any advice on what exercise i can do to help and what to eat?

Answer
First, congratulations on getting healthy and pulling out of your disordered eating situation.  It sounds like you are really working on leading a healthier life now.  It's difficult to say since I don't have a good idea of how serious your condition was, but leg size can be difficult to gain.  The body builders will tell you that it is largely genetic.  You may just not have the genes to have tree trunk legs.  The runners I know will never have the legs of the American football players I know.  It also takes very hard work and may take a long time to developed them.  So, give it time.

You can cause physiological changes to your body by being anorexic especially in your developmental years so there may be a limit as to how muscular they can get.  You absolutely can put on size and muscle though.  Again, it will take time (there is a reason that the average age for Mr. Universe body building champ is around 35).  I would concentrate on full body lifts (squats, clean, dead lifts).  And large muscle group lifts (bench press, leg press, rows, pull ups).  Hire a trainer for a few sessions at you gym and they can show you some lifts that will help put on muscle.

Second, your poor opinion of your arms and legs may be a carry-over from the body image issues you had previously.  Don't judge yourself.  If you are healthy now and don't have eating issues, try measuring your arms and legs with a tape-measure every couple months (not every day)  and see if there are any results.  We tend to pick our sports rather than our sports picking us though.  By that, I mean I love cycling but weight 230lbs.  I'll never be a god cyclist but that's the sport I enjoy.  For you, try a sport that may favor your body and go with it.  Or, better yet, stick with the sports you enjoy and don't stop because your body might not fit the norm.

Third, your body "build" during rest and recovery.  That means you aren't getting stronger while you are lifting weights, you get stronger when your body has a chance to recover and adapt to the work load you are placing on them.  Concentrate on higher weight and lower repetitions, working one body part at a time (called a split).  The typical split is back and biceps one day, chest and triceps the next day, legs the next, shoulders the next, and then rest for a day or two.  Some body builders I know are on a 7 days split...that means they don't lift a body part again for a week!  The rest and recovery allows for growth.

As far as what to eat, make sure your calories are quality and load up.  Protein (0.75 grams/kilo of body weight for an athletic person), is very important for muscular development.  Go for lean sources of beef, chicken, fish and eggs.  Carbohydrates are important for energy.  Whole grain breads, oat meal, cereal, rice, and  are good choices.  Fat is important for your metabolism and for many different metabolic functions in the body.  Don't avoid fats just make sure they are quality (olive or canola oil) and small amounts of dressings for salads and sandwiches).  Look at your food as fuel for a machine.  Foods you used to avoid are actually fuel for a working body so feed the machine!  Also, each nutrient mentioned above aids in the absorption and use of the other nutrients so eat a variety all the time.  

It's also very important to never be in a negative calorie state if you are trying to gain size and strength.  Eat every 2-4 hours to keep up the energy stores.  If you are ever hungry, it means you're going backwards in your pursuit of size and strength so make sure you always have access to food.  Eat breakfast and never ever skip it.  Make sure to have a protein shake, bar or a sandwich to take with you for mid morning, eat a sensible lunch, have food available for mid-afternoon, dinner should defiantly contain a protein source for the muscle recovery your body will be doing while you sleep and eat a small snake a couple hours before bed time (but not much since it can disturb your sleep if you eat too much right before bed).  Make sure you get a good meal soon after a workout.  Timing your nutrients so that they are available for your body after working out is important.

Please let me know if this is helpful and how you are progressing.  I would be happy to answer any follow-up questions as well.  Good Luck!