Muscle Building Genetics

One of the biggest complaints (or shall I say myths) that I hear around gyms revolves around Genetics and how they help some people gain huge muscles while keeping others small and weak.

Do genetics really matter or are they just a way for people who don’t have the kind of results they’re after to whine about their lack of muscle growth?

A lot of muscle building programs promise that they will help you overcome your genetic limitation and gain more muscle mass than ever before. Do these muscle building experts know some secret than you don’t or are they just blowing smoke?

While I will never discount the impact of your genes on how fast or slow you grow your muscles, it seems that a lot of people give it more credit than it deserves. Of course, some people find it easy to get huge while others need to put in more effort, but the reason why muscle gaining experts feel comfortable making these promises is that they know that for more trainees, the belief that their genes are holding them back is just what it is… a belief and nothing more.

The Truth Behind the Genetic Influence

Some people are white and some are black, some people have brown hair while others have red, some have blue eyes and some green. All these things can’t be changed and are not influenced by the environment or your actions. You’re born with these traits and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The idea that genetics determine everything originates with these “from womb to tomb” qualities. However, you know that the size of your muscles and your strength are directly influenced by the effort you put in the gym, the knowledge you have, your nutrition, motivation, and so on. Yet people talk about muscle building genetics with the same certainty they give to eye color.

This is a ludicrous perspective. How can you tell if it’s your genetics that’s holding you back or your lack of knowledge or effort?

The answer is that you can’t and while a lot of people turn their genetics into their excuse, it is highly likely that they’re just not doing things right, inside the gym and out.

Can you honestly tell me that you believe that you’re working out perfectly? Do you honestly believe that there is no room for improvement in how you eat, how you train, the exercises you choose to perform and so on?

If you can, then fine, you’ve reached your limit. I say that you’re wrong and that there is a lot of room for improvement. However, there’s little I can do to prove it unless you’re willing to take action and to try some new technique to see if it works.

One of the experts I admire and respect the most, Vince Del Monte, says that there are 12 main ways to maximize your muscle. He says that most people don’t use half of them or more. Imagine that, more than 50% of what can give you the most growth is wasted. This has nothing to do with your genes. It has to do with how you lead your life, how you eat, and how you train.

The truth is that genetics is the resort of the person who has given up and is not ready to take the next step for really massive growth.

Don’t allow yourself to become a victim of this depressing and “dead end” way of thinking. If you find it hard to continue growing, now is the time to change things up, to take action to learn new techniques, new ways to workout, and break through the barrier you may be facing. Genes affect your life in many ways, but don’t be in a rush to blame them for everything.