Tip of the Week: You are unique and cannot be measured according to the standards of others.

Every single one of us has his or her own specific set of physical strengths and weaknesses, tolerances and intolerances. Our culture would have us believe that every woman must fit into a size-2 dress and that every man requires a 42-inch chest to go with his 32-inch waist. For some of us, however, such limited options may prove impossible to meet.

We all have our own unique structure, bequeathed to us by our parents and their parents and so on. Some of us are short, some tall, some big-boned and some slight. As you'll see in this week's first letter below, some of us don't fit within supposedly "normal" ranges of size, and that's OK. Embrace that fact, and you will be able to reach your goals sooner than those who would try to retrofit someone else's plan of action.

Q: I am a 19-year-old female trying to lose weight. I am currently 5 feet, 9 inches and 226 pounds, but according to my friends I look much lighter. My doctor says it's because I'm very muscular. I have polycystic ovary syndrome, which makes it difficult for me to lose weight — but since he put me on metformin, I have dropped 30 pounds.

So now I'm steadily losing weight but wonder what my goal should be. My doctor guessed I should actually weigh 170 pounds to 180 pounds because of my muscles, but I think that still sounds like too much. What do you think?

Joe: This is a bit of a tricky question, since I've never actually seen you, but I'm guessing that you have a fairly large bone structure, able to carry a good deal of muscle with ease. In this case, you may find that a comfortable bodyweight for you is tens of pounds more than it is for a woman of your height but a lighter build.

I've consulted several height-weight charts and found that while 170 pounds may be at the upper limit of your ideal weight range, it is not extraordinary. It seems that 180 pounds could be on the excessive side. Some charts list 160 pounds being the uppermost comfortable limit for a healthy 5 feet, 9 inch woman who isn't a top bodybuilder. I list this caveat because, as you know, muscle weighs more than fat, and so bodybuilders can't really be measured according to conventional systems.

Another way to find whether your weight is in a healthy or optimal range is to measure your BMI, or body mass index. This is a measurement that describes your ratio of body fat to overall bodyweight in terms of a single number. The number is then correlated with one of the four levels on the BMI scale, which are as follows: Underweight — equal to or less than 18.5; normal weight — between 18.5 and 24.9; overweight between 25 and 29.9; obese — equal to or greater than 30.

Of course, this is also skewed toward "average" people and doesn't take into account those with above-average musculature. I encourage you to keep in touch with your doctor as you drop pounds and consider consulting a good nutritionist, who can help design a diet based on your body's unique needs. Remember to keep your body nourished as you lose weight, as this is a common pitfall for dieters. I wish you the very best of luck in reaching your goal!

Q: Why do some people do barbell curls with their hands reversed?

Joe: Good question. While most of the time you will see people doing standard barbell curls — that is, with their palms facing up — every now and then you'll catch someone doing reverse curls. Although they don't seem to be as commonly practiced as they once were, reverse curls are an excellent arm-building exercise that you should make a part of your routine.

When you switch your grip from palms-up to palms-down, you bring the brachioradialis into play, which doesn't receive as much stress from standard curls. The brachioradialis is the muscle that runs from the outer side of your upper arm down through your forearm and serves to flex your arm at the elbow, along with your biceps. When developed fully, the brachioradialis lends an impressive look of thickness to your arm, drawing a connection between the upper and lower arms.

I recommend adding three sets of 12 reps of reverse barbell curls to the end of each biceps workout. Expect to see results within two to three months.

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages.To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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