Is it possible that I can't tone or build muscle?

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Does anyone else have this problem and overcome it? I have Asperger's, am a 5'6.5" short male (140-145 pounds/63-65 kg) and was sedentary for most of my life. Is it possible that there is something wrong with my body that prevents me from toning/gaining muscle? I know about low muscle tone, but how is that overcome? I want to have certain target goals for my body, but all guides assume the trainer has the ability to 'work it'. This is only causing me more worse self-esteem problems than before I started working out. Is there any way I can overcome this?

I am advised to use machine only exercises, no dumbbells or barbells, as I have the balance and co-ordination issues. It would be nice if people here can give actual advice on how to overcome this. I'm sick of being sedentary and sick of being bony and skinny. I also think I have poor skinny genes too.

Even when using machines sometimes, my muscled involuntarily jiggle when I move them. I also tried a bodyweight squat, and my lower body did the same thing. I think God hates me and punished me with all these conditions. People who say anything otherwise are stupid.

I am advised not to do certain exercises in the gym. Am I just going to be restricted to machines and fewer exercises forever?

Why are you being advised not to use barbells or dumbbells? What I mean is, what do the people advising you against it say will happen if you use them? Because I have balance and coordination issues too, and I use barbells 3 times a week and dumbbells twice a week, and the only effect is that I've gotten stronger.

If I'm worried that a balance/coordination issue is going to have me ending up with me falling over with a loaded barbell on me or something like that, I just use slightly less weight on the bar, and make sure that I stop before my muscles give out. That might work for you.


Here's what low muscle tone actually is, by the way; it's nothing to do with looking toned: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotonia

AFAIK it's a permanent neurological issue, but the good news is that it's nothing to do with muscle size, so you can gain muscle even though you have it.

If you really can't use barbells/dumbbells, why not just use heavier weights on the machines?

Hypotonia isn't that common in people with AS, but a lot of people with AS struggle with a sedentary lifestyle. I have coordination and fine motor issues, but this never stopped me from lifting heavy weights.

it is a quite commonly heared trait that those with AS have low muscle tone, but tone and strength are unrelated.
also, if you build enough muscle, you will tone, it's not non-existent, just lower then 'normal'.

as for the balance, that is good advice, train your balance before using weighted props to train muscle.

and as an aside, those effects are just a balancer, AS gives you many superpowers, so the disadvantages are to prevent jealousy

I went through military school doing things like weights and aerobic training on alternating days for years, at one point supplementing a protein-rich diet with protein powder, and never got over 155 lbs on just under a 6' frame. I was toned, but never could add much muscle mass or even make gains in upper body strength like my friends did.

I wish I would have just been content with it and not been concerned about impressing other people, worked on endurance, and pursued something in keeping with my natural build and temperament like non-competitive running or swimming. Kind of getting interested in free diving now. The point is to maintain health long-term.

I've always had issues with coordination, but they have only decreased since I started lifting. I'm now a serious competitive strength athlete and no one; not even myself, would have ever predicted this. Don't let these issues hold you down. I'm not trying to downplay them, or invalidate you. I'm saying that with perseverance: you will become a stronger version of yourself than you can imagine, at present.

I'd also like to mention that watching Special Olympic Powerlifters on the platform is truly inspiring. Many of them struggle with challenges that you and I never have. Though; through perseverance, they're able to do things that many would think impossible for them.

Almost everyone struggles, at first. We each have our own unique set of challenges and there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. My advice is to focus on balance and coordination, using mostly bodyweight exercises. Some exercises to consider are: Lunges, Squats, Bulgarian Split Squats, Low Box Jumps, Push Ups, Dips (Work up from Bench to Parallel Bar), Pull Ups/Chin Ups. Please note that this just advice and having such limited awareness of you and your strengths/weaknesses, much of it may be entirely inapplicable!!

Pull Ups and Dips; in particular, are very difficult for the majority of novice trainees. Many can't even do a single rep, at first. This is due mostly to body awareness issues. What will help you get the hang of them is to use momentum: literally jumping up to the top position and then focusing on the negative. Slowly lower yourself down and feel the muscles burning. Eventually, you'll be able to do some full reps. Your nervous system needs to first get used to activating the muscles involved.

As far as weighted exercises, you'll only get better by doing them. The person advising you to stick with machines is most likely well-meaning, but ill-informed. These machine exercises will do virtually nothing, to help your balance and coordination. I recommend working with a fitness professional and having them teach you some basic exercises, as well as creating a personalized program and helping you understand your own nutritional needs.

A fitness professional certainly tell you what I'm about to: In the beginning, maxing out and training heavy are not the thing to do. Start out very light and slowly increase the weight, as you feel more comfortable with the movements. Form comes first, strength and size follow. Once you are able to perform an exercise in a safe and controlled manner, then you can begin to challenge your strength.

This is a battle worth fighting and there is nowhere to go, but up! Put safety first and follow the guidance of experienced trainees, as well as fitness professionals. You'd be surprised how many kind people there are, who will respect your desire to become the person you want to be and be happy to help you. Good mentorship goes a longer way than anything you'll ever read!

Good luck to you - and please don't hesitate to PM me, if you need any advice or support.

Hi
I felt like I had to reply to this! I have hypermobility and hypotonia... but my passion is rock climbing. You can figure out ways to get around lack of strength - better technique, building up slowly, learning how to rest - that sort of thing. I find that I can climb pretty hard routes by figuring out ways around just pulling hard and having to be really strong. The first thing I would say is - are you enjoying going to the gym? There are heaps of different things you can do to build muscle, and I would pick one that you really enjoy. You could try finding a conditioning coach, doing pilates or yoga (although I do find these to be quite tiring because of holding poses). On the other hand, if you like weights, find a coach who gives you a routine that you really enjoy. All these things make it so much easier to keep it up. I would've thought that you could do free weights (or bodyweight exercises) as long as your coach tells you exactly which muscles you're supposed to be using and exactly how to do the exercise. It's so easy to do the exercises wrongly and use your strong muscles, so you end up with muscle imbalances and associated issues.
One thing that I notice is that I get sore muscles and joints very easily (and injuries), and it can take me longer to recover than my climbing friends (and it's easier to make friends with people who have the same passion as you!). It just means that I have to make sure I don't compare myself to anyone else.
Good luck on your quest - and I hope this advice helps.

You might enjoy calisthenics and bodyweight training more over lifting, mixed martial arts conditioning mainly focuses on bodyweight exercises and cores. Balance postures, static holds and explosive or dynamic exercises that can build up your coordination.

Navy seals and military tend to use a lot of body weight training, so start with pull ups, push ups, box squats, jumping and other variations. There are some great programs like that teach you many different ways to train with a variety of workouts that involve calisthenics, conditioning, stretching and building strength.

finding a sympathetic and experienced trainer would be a good first step; we were lucky enough that our local gym instructor cared enough about my son as his client that he researched asd and low muscle tone. The exercise my son did looked nothing like anyone else was doing but nobody cared or pointed it out. He was able to build some strength and even more importantly confidence and when he was hired as a trolly boy he was confident about being able to do the physical work. After trying the gym and building some strength he decided this was not for him so he now "power walks". hope this is helpful.

If you take enough protein and really cannot build muscle you may have a creatine deficiency. Creatine deficiency is relatively common in people with autism and may be one of the causes for lethargy, poor motor control and speech issues. Quite a few people with autism take this supplement as it both helps with motor and treatment-resistant depression. Creatine is safe ( as long as you drink plenty and have no diabetes, kidney or heart issues ), healthy and cheap so I can recommend you try it out. Try to take 3 - 5 grams of creatine supplement a day for at least 6 weeks and see if you get any results.

I eat a lot of protein and workout (bodyweight only, pushups etc) daily. I continue to take creatine daily. But I had better gains faster when I added glutamine into my daily shakes.

It's going to take hard work, diet, and time to build muscle - but you can do it.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

I will add that for something like the squat or deadlift, the eccentric lowering position goes down your center of gravity (which of course is the heaviest position for the weight to be) and requires you to tighten your hamstrings and calves as your glutes sink into your COG and heels. To maintain your structural integrity, you will be very small, almost like a crouching position.
As you reverse, the top should pull you up.
I will also add that creatine is a great supplement. Dont drink with too much water

I think the safest and least pressure approach is probably to do any exercises that involve dynamic tension, like push ups and such, you don't need to go to the gym, not peer pressure, you have your own pace, pushups are actually better than most gym exercises anyway, just do them in more reps. the major thing for getting better is setting the right diet. protein is definitely needed, no surgar, and something for stamina, usually olive oil and some pine apple should do the trick along with whatever you are eating for protein. drink TONS of water, try to avoid booze if you can. these are what I have found have gotten me results.