GENETICS in bodybuilding very often serves as an excuse for their failures, and in sports in general. "I just don't have a genetic predisposition" or "I have bad genetics" - these are the expressions used by those who are disappointed and have not been able to achieve their goals. But is it really so?

#1 Do athletes inherit their athletic abilities (strength, endurance, speed) or are they qualities that are acquired over time?

Genetics in bodybuilding determines how quickly results will be achieved using one or another training program, and how far you can go in the metamorphoses of your body. However, there is an even more important factor, and that is MENTALITY. More than once I saw a naturally gifted athlete who did not realize his potential, because there was simply no appropriate attitude and attitude to achieve goals and work at the limit of his abilities. This, in turn, allows the less genetically predisposed athlete to outperform Destiny's Darling. Therefore, in the end, the human SPIRIT "decides".

#2 Undoubtedly, training in every sport is important for success, but how does genetics affect training progress, such as speed of achievement?

Assuming all other factors (training, nutrition, supplementation, rest and recovery) are equal, genetics will determine how quickly an athlete will succeed. A gifted athlete will succeed in bodybuilding in one year, which takes 8-10 years for someone ordinary.

#3 Can it be argued that the way the body absorbs nutrients is also a genetic factor?

Again, given that all other variables are equal, then yes, nutrient absorption is a genetic factor. There are people who simply process nutrients much better than others. This explains why athletes who do not always eat "cleanly" can get top scores than those athletes who do everything by the book.

#4 How important is the body's ability to absorb nutrients and speed of recovery?

One thing to note is that regardless of bodybuilding genetics, every guy can get a lean and muscular physique and every girl can look slim and attractive. Genetics starts to play a huge role if an athlete wants to become a competitive professional bodybuilder. In such a case, the ability to absorb nutrients and use them for energy production and protein synthesis will give an advantage over those who do not have such abilities.

#5 What advantages can a natural person with a fast metabolism gain over a person with a slow metabolism?

There is no doubt that an athlete with a fast metabolism will never experience problems with overweight and overall weight loss. However, if the metabolic rate is too high and the nutrient absorption capacity of the body is not optimal, the process of gaining muscle for that person will always be difficult and problematic. This is called ECTOMORPH (naturally thin person). MESOMORPHOUS - the owner of an optimal metabolism and an incredible ability to use nutrients for growth muscle mass. ENDOMORPH has a slow metabolism, which contributes to good muscle production. The only thing an endomorph has to worry about is excess weight in the form of fat.

#6 What benefits do fast twitch and slow twitch muscles give to an athlete in certain sports and specifically in bodybuilding?

An athlete with an inherently large composition of fast twitch fibers will excel in strength sports such as weightlifting, short distance and bodybuilding. An athlete with slow twitch muscle fibers will be good at endurance, such as running a marathon. It is interesting to note that by exercising, you can influence the ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscles. muscle fibers. But genetically an athlete will be predisposed to either strength or endurance, depending on the muscle structure. Obviously, an athlete with slow twitch muscles will have a harder time becoming a good sprinter when the body is built for marathon running.

Now to the question of the most effective muscle fibers in bodybuilding? It would seem that fast twitch muscles give short bursts of energy, they will have more returns in lifting weights and, thus, are the best option for gaining strength and muscle mass. In addition, slow-twitch fibers are ideal for long workouts for endurance with a high number of repetitions, making the muscles more distinct?! But not everything is so simple.

Fast twitch muscle fibers are optimal for bodybuilding due to their ability to increase size. Slow twitch fibers do not have the same hypertrophy abilities as fast twitch muscle fibers.

#7 How important are mental abilities in sports, such as determination and concentration.

Mental attitude is an amazing thing and is often a big genetic "COMPENSATOR". The Achilles' heel of many extremely gifted athletes is that they don't have the determination and drive that athletes have to fight for their accomplishments. As a result, many athletes with less developed genetic talent outperform more gifted athletes. The only way by which a very talented athlete can fully realize his genetic potential - to have the highest desire and desire to be the best. Therefore, mental "POWER" is everything!

#8 What role does initial height and weight play in bodybuilding?

As for height: if you are the owner of outstanding genetics, high growth will allow you to increase more muscle than someone else who is no taller than 170 cm. However, height without genetics is a hindrance, as it is usually more difficult for a tall bodybuilder to gain the required mass. For undersized athletes, things are easier. Kilograms that way 5 muscles on a short athlete will look much more impressive than on a 2-meter basketball player.

As for the initial weight, it depends on what weight is meant. Naturally muscular and low level body fat, of course, the mesomorph has an advantage over a bodybuilder who can weigh the same, but who has a high percentage of body fat. Thus, it is not so much the weight itself that matters, but its quality!

#9 What is the ideal height and starting physique for a bodybuilder?

We are all very different and each person is unique in their own way. In my opinion, he had an impeccable physique with a height of 188 cm, a weight of 107 kg and 6% body fat. And another Pro Bodybuilder, Lee Labrada, had outstanding physical data with a height of 168 cm, a weight of 90 kg and 3% body fat. The key to success is to build a decent amount of muscle mass that is in a lean and symmetrical balance. This is what I consider the ideal physique, and height is not at all important here.

The beauty of bodybuilding is that no matter what physique you started your first workouts with, you can completely rebuild it and turn it into any sculpture.

#10 Do genetic diseases, such as obesity or muscular dystrophy, affect athletic performance?

It all depends on the type of problem. Obesity is easily managed through exercise and proper nutrition. Muscular dystrophy is a completely different matter, for example, in Parkinson's disease, which today science does not know how to prevent and which, of course, will not allow you to seriously engage in any sport.

#11 In general, to what extent does genetics influence athletic performance?

At the highest and most professional levels of the sport, with equal variables (in other words, when everyone has the best nutrition, training and rest), the limiting factor for athletes will still be GENETICS. It is very difficult to recognize one's genetic potential and, as stated at the beginning, many athletes will outperform the more genetically gifted simply because they want it badly enough. Therefore, the most important thing is the right mindset.

#12 Is genetic endowment the result of natural selection in certain geographic areas?

Definitely, yes, geographical areas where the population is more active will produce better athletes.

While genetics can affect athletic performance, no one knows their true genetic potential. Only by pushing yourself to the limit every day, doing everything right (training, nutrition, supplementation, proper recovery), will you be able to maximize your physique and rise to a whole new level. We can't all be Mr. Olympia, but we can definitely become a thousand times better than we are now!

World powerlifting champion Andy Bolton squatted with 227 kg and pulled 272 kg at my first workout.

Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates shrugged 140 kg in the first approach. Then he was still a teenager.

Metroflex gym owner Brian Dobson recalls his first meeting with future Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. “He had huge hips with veins showing through the fabric of his pants, despite the fact that at that time Ronnie did not use anabolic steroids!”

Arnold Schwarzenegger after a year of training looked more muscular than many athletes later 10 years.

Obviously, some people's muscles respond much better to training than others. What makes the progress of these chosen ones so much more significant than that of us mere mortals?

Genetics: the bitter truth

Most likely, this is not at all what you would like to hear, but your progress depends largely on genetics.
Recent studies have shown that some people are great at strength training, for others progress is barely noticeable, for others it is not observed at all. Yes, there is no mistake here. Some people do not have any noticeable results in the rocking chair, regardless of the methods. They are called hardgainers.

Hubal's groundbreaking study involved 585 men and women. After the lapse of 12 weeks of progressive dynamic loading produced strikingly different results. People with worst result lost 2% muscle cross-sectional area without increasing strength. In the people with the greatest progress, muscle cross-sectional area increased by 59% , and the strength increased by 250% !!! We remind you that all these people adhered to exactly the same training program.

Hubal's study is not the only study to have found such results. Petrella showed that after 16 weeks of progressive dynamic loads, 26% from 66 people did not experience an increase in muscle mass.

The question logically arises: what mechanism explains all this? Let's look at well-known studies.

How genetics affect muscle growth

There is strong evidence that muscle growth only occurs when satellite cells surrounding the muscle fibers donate their nuclei to the muscles so that they can produce more genetic material to signal the cells to grow.

Petrella found that the difference between people who achieve excellent results in strength training and those who achieve moderate or little progress is predominantly associated with satellite cell activation. People who make significant progress have more satellite cells, as well as a high ability to increase the number of satellite cells in the process of training.

In this study, in subjects who achieved excellent results, the average number of satellite cells at the beginning was 21 on the 100 fibers. To 16 week of training, this indicator increased to 30 cells on 100 fibers. The average area of ​​muscle fibers increased by 54% . In people who did not receive any effect from exercise, the number of satellite cells at the beginning of the study was on average 10 on the 100 muscle fibres. After training, this indicator did not change, as did the volume of muscle tissue.

In another article written by Bamman, with the participation of the same researchers and on the basis of the same experiment, it was revealed that from 66 participants, at 17 the person with the highest scores 58% increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​the muscles. At 32 "experimental" with average achievements, the increase in cross-sectional area reached 28% , in people with the least progress, the cross-sectional area of ​​the muscle did not change. Besides:
Mechanical Growth Factor (MGF) changed to 126% at 17 the person with the best results. Other's 17 the person with the lowest score had no change in MGF.
Myogenin increased by 65% 17 people with the maximum result. At 17 the person with the lowest result he remained at the same level.
IGF-IEa increased to 105% at 17 the person with the best results. At 44% with the lowest result, the increase was only 44%.

Another study by Timmons showed that there are several highly expressed miRNA genes that are selectively upregulated in 20% the people with the least achievement.

Dennis's study showed that people with a strong expression of the main genes responsible for gaining muscle mass have a clear advantage in adaptation compared to ordinary people. Individuals with less expression of key genes showed lower adaptation to strength training, despite the fact that training increased the level of gene expression.

Some get excellent genes, others have to be content with little. If we talk about it in terms of genetics, anything that negatively affects the ability of muscle fibers to increase the number of cores in response to physical activity leads to a decrease in muscle mass and strength potential.

This includes the number of signaling molecules, the sensitivity of cells to these signals, the presence of satellite cells, the cumulative expansion of satellite cells, up to the regulation of miRNAs. Of course, nutrition and an optimal training schedule play an important role in increasing muscle mass. In addition, the growth of muscle fibers may also be associated with certain genotypes.

Genetics and body fat percentage

Genes can influence the deposition and burning of fat, determining the degree of energy expenditure, as well as the distribution of nutrients. Researchers have coined the term "obesity-producing environment" to describe how lifestyle changes over the past century have led to the activation of genetic risk factors for obesity.

Natural selection favored those who had genes for a frugal metabolism, which ensured survival during a period of lack of nutrition. Now that most of the population is living a lifestyle characterized by minimal mobility and excessive calorie intake, these same genes contribute to poor health and obesity.

Bouchard included twelve pairs of twins in his study and within 84 from 100 days provided them with food, the calorie content of which is 1000 calories exceeded the daily requirement. As a result, the subjects received 84000 extra calories. During this time, the subjects of the study led a sedentary lifestyle. The average weight gain was 8.1 kg, with a break from 4.3 to 13.3 kg! Despite the fact that all subjects followed the same meal plan, people with slow metabolisms had three times the weight gain compared to people with fast metabolisms. In the tissues of these people, almost 100% excess calories (in people with a fast metabolism, this figure was only 40% ), and the amount of internal fat in the abdomen increased by 200% (in people with a fast metabolism, this figure was 0%).

Similar differences were noted by Bouchard in twins with consistent energy intake during frequent exercise.

Perusse discovered that level subcutaneous fat 42% dependent on genes, and visceral - 56%. This means that genetics largely influences where exactly and how much fat is deposited in the body. Many people have an alarming predisposition to store fat in the abdomen.

Bouchard and Tremblay determined that basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of nutrition, and energy expenditure during moderate-to-low-intensity exercise at 40% depend on genetics.

Loos and Bouchard proposed that obesity is a genetic disorder, with changes in the sequence of adrenoreceptors, uncoupling proteins, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, and lepton receptor genes being of greatest importance.

O'Reilly (O "Rahilly) and Farooqi (Farooqi) added that obesity can also be associated with tandem repeats with a variable number of insulin units and IGF-1 SNP, and Cotsapas showed 16 different loci (locations on the chromosome) that affect the body mass index, which also lead to severe obesity.

Rankinen has identified hundreds of candidate genes with the potential to cause obesity.

Fawcett and Barroso determined that the gene associated with fat mass and obesity (FTO) is the first generally accepted locus unequivocally associated with obesity. Deficiency of this gene protects against obesity, and elevated levels lead to obesity, most likely due to increased appetite and reduced energy expenditure.

Tercjak found that FTO can also influence insulin resistance. The scientist suggested that about 100 genes affect the development of obesity.
Herrerra and Lindgren listed 23 genes that cause obesity. They assumed that heredity determines the body mass index by 40-70%!

Faith has found evidence of genetic influence on the need for extra calories. Similar conclusions were reached by Choquette, who studied eating habits 836 humans and identified six genetic associations with increased calorie and macronutrient intake, including the adiponectin gene.

What does all this mean? This means that some people are genetically predisposed to obesity.

But does this mean that someone is born to be a great athlete, while others are left to sit on the sidelines? Let's find out.

Genetics and athleticism

We still have a lot to learn about genetics and how it relates to human abilities. However, we already know that many different genes can influence the physical performance of athletes.

Scientist Bray and colleagues in 2009 found that the current level of knowledge about human genes that affect human abilities remains at the level of 2007. The scientist came to the conclusion that fitness and athletic ability are determined by 214 autosomal genes and loci, as well as 18 mitochondrial genes.

The most well-known performance-enhancing gene is ACTN3, also known as alpha-actin-3.

There are two types of alpha actin protein: ACTN2 and ACTN3. Alpha actins are structural proteins of the z-tracks of muscle fibers, ACTN2 is expressed in all types of fibers, and ACTN3 expression occurs predominantly in type IIb fibers. These fibers are involved in increasing the strength of muscle fibers. This is why ACTN3 is associated with a significant increase in strength.

About 18% of people (or 1 billion worldwide) do not have ACTN3. Their bodies produce more ACTN2 to make up for the ACTN3 deficiency. These people cannot progress as fast as those who have alpha-actin-3 in their bodies. Top sprinters are almost never deficient in alpha-actin-3.

Athletes' abilities are also determined by the ACE gene, known as an angiotensin-converting enzyme. The high prevalence of ACE D alleles is typical for strength athletes, while the high frequency of the ACE I allele is typical for endurance athletes (Nazarov).

Cauci found that the IL-1RN VNTR gene, in different variants, enhances human athletic performance. This gene affects cytokines of the interleukin family, increasing the inflammatory response and repair process after exercise. The results of this study are confirmed by the work of Reichman. The scientist and his colleagues found that the protein and the interleukin-15 receptor are associated with an increased increase in muscle mass.

Many other genes have the potential to improve athletic ability such as the myostatin gene. However, there is no conclusive evidence for this.

Scientists do not yet have a clear idea of ​​what this whole mosaic of genes looks like as a whole.

Genes are not a sentence!

While the research in this article is quite intimidating, let's try to cheer you up.
First, we all have certain genetic problems that need to be worked on. Someone is predisposed to being overweight, while others, with general thinness, have areas where fat is stubbornly deposited. Some have problems with increasing muscle volume, others are muscular, but have others weak spots in the body. Some have it all in one. Ideal genetics practically does not exist!

Secondly, the research protocols did not allow any experiments, adjustments in training and nutrition. Hardgainers need to adjust variable parameters and determine their individual optimal training methodology.

Some respond better to a variety of loads, others to volume, others to intensity, others to frequency, and so on. You need to find the optimal stimuli for your body, which develops over time.

Any coach with experience will confirm that no matter what shape you are, after a couple of months of training you will look much better.
Even if you are a hardgainer, you can and will still get results if you persist and keep experimenting. Of course, genetics largely affects the speed and degree of adaptation, but the result of training is also largely determined by a reasonable approach.

No matter how difficult progress in training goes, in a few months or even years you will stand out from the crowd with your athletic figure!

Now we were talking about the situation when a person decided to practice for himself and is not going to perform. However, there is also competitive bodybuilding, in which genetics is important. Today we will tell you how to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting.

Predisposition to bodybuilding

There are several factors that indicate one degree or another of an athlete's genetic predisposition to bodybuilding. Now we will consider them in detail.

body composition

Everyone knows that it is customary to distinguish between three body types - mesomorph, endomorph and ectomorph. Recall that in their pure form they practically do not occur, but there is no doubt that each of us is dominated by one or another type of physique. Endomorphs are less prone to professional bodybuilding. This fact is associated with the presence of a wide waist, as well as a tendency to gain fat mass.

At the same time, they can achieve excellent results in power triathlon, because their strength indicators are at their best. Mesomorphs are lucky enough to have near-perfect musculature from birth. However, this type of physique has one drawback - a rather wide waist, which is not very good for a builder. But this is well compensated by developed muscles.

Among the famous mesomorph athletes, Dorian Yates and Jay Cutler are immediately remembered. It is generally accepted that ectomorphs are the least predisposed to bodybuilding. They are born with thin bones and narrow shoulders. However, they can create perfect body. It is enough to remember Flex Wheeler to be convinced of this. It should also be noted Phil Heath, whose physique also largely corresponds to the ectomorph. Both builders have a narrow waist, and the shoulders can be swayed if desired.

Symmetry

An ideal body can be considered a body, both halves of which are developed symmetrically. Now, as you understand, we are talking about the right and left parts of the body. To achieve this, the athlete must have a perfectly healthy spinal column. The presence of any, even the most minor problems with the intervertebral discs at some point will lead to infringement of the nerve endings. As a result, it will become impossible to develop paired muscles evenly. By the way, scientists have found a pattern between malocclusion and problems with the spine.

Muscle attachment sites and fiber types

If you are interested in how to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting, then you need to determine the points of attachment of muscles to the bone structures of the skeleton. Do not think that it is very difficult, just conduct a study of your body and everything will fall into place. Scientists have proven that the lower these places are, the faster you can achieve your goal.

It is equally important to know the number of different types of fibers in your muscle tissues. It is quite obvious that this parameter can be changed due to the process of hyperplasia, but the more muscle fibers you have from birth, the easier it will be to progress. Most athletes believe that a biopsy is necessary to determine the number of fibers of all types.

However, this is not the case and you can completely do without going through this procedure. Just work out in training in different modes - explosive, low-, as well as high-volume. You need to establish which muscle group gets tired faster. Let us pay attention to the fact that in this case, it is not failure that is of interest, but fatigue.

If you tire faster when using low-volume training, then Ma-type fibers predominate in muscle tissues. Accordingly, if this occurs during explosive training, then the muscles contain more lib-type fibers, and during high-volume training - the first type. The fewer slow fibers you have (type 1), the better. The most famous athlete whose muscle tissues were dominated by slow fibers is the Canadian bodybuilder Nimrod King.

Bundles

By and large, in bodybuilding you can achieve outstanding results and, without possessing huge force. However, if you work with large weights, then the task will be solved faster. When determining strength, it is first necessary to pay attention to the ligaments with the joints.

Food

One of the main factors of progress in bodybuilding is nutrition. It may sound strange, but the appetite and the speed of metabolic processes are inherent in each of us from the moment of birth. For example, a native of the African continent, Victor Richards, could eat any food in large quantities. It is quite clear that he gained mass very quickly.

During the heyday of his career, with a fairly dry physique, Victor's body weight reached 150 kilos. Another example is Jaxter Jackson. According to the builder himself, he literally forced himself to eat, since the guy did not have a big appetite. But thanks to a fast metabolism, he could maintain a shape close to optimal for almost the entire year.

Anabolics

If we talk about the use of various anabolic drugs, then professionals need them much less compared to amateurs. This fact is due to the fact that the concentration of testosterone and IGF in elite athletes is at a fairly high level. In addition, their muscles contain a large number of androgen-type receptors.

As a result, even minimal doses of steroids allow you to get the strongest anabolic response. It should also be noted that in professionals, the protein compound myostatin is synthesized much more slowly. Recall that this substance is designed to restrain the growth of muscle mass. Do not forget about other enzymes, for example, 5-alpha reductase or aromatase, the concentration of which also differs from that of ordinary people.

Discipline

For those who do not yet know how to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting, I want to say one thing - all your possible natural advantages will not cost anything without discipline. To become a true professional, you need to be selfless and selfless. Although this is important in any sport, not just bodybuilding.

Chris Cormier can be cited as an example of the almost complete lack of discipline. This is an amazingly gifted athlete from a genetic point of view, who literally squandered everything and could not achieve even half of what was possible. But, say, Branch Warren, and, not possessing excellent genetics, thanks to high self-discipline, has achieved a lot.

How to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting?

There are two ways to determine genetics - empirical and laboratory. Today we are talking about how to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting and talk about each of them in more detail is simply necessary. The simplest is the empirical method. You need to train for at least a year and at the same time use a nutrition program to gain muscle mass. If during this time period your figure does not differ much from the previous one, then you are not inclined towards professional bodybuilding.

The laboratory method involves several procedures and, unlike the empirical method, does not require a lot of time to get an answer. However, you will have to pay for all tests. In addition, not every locality in our country has the possibility of holding them. However, it's worth talking about.

Composition of muscle fibers

To do this, you need to undergo a tensiomyography procedure. It allows you to measure the contractility of muscles and thereby determine the ratio of fibers of various types. Also, similar results can be obtained thanks to myotonometry.

But that's not all, and you can use glycolytic anaerobic or aerobic work capacity methods to evaluate your muscle tissue composition. To do this, you must perform certain exercises in specially designed simulators.

Motor unit assessment

With the help of electromyography, it is possible to establish neuromuscular transmission during muscle contraction. As a result, you will learn the assessment of your motor units and some features of muscle innervation.

Metabolism assessment

There are several ways to determine this indicator, but we will only talk about one - indirect calometry. Breathing is used to determine your metabolism, more precisely the amount of heat exhaled by a person. The procedure is carried out in several stages, for example, at rest and under the influence of physical activity. It should be recognized that this is a fairly accurate method for determining the rate of metabolic processes.

The speed of anabolic processes

To do this, you have to donate blood for analysis. It is quite obvious that anabolism depends on the concentration of certain hormonal substances, in particular testosterone.

What to do if you are not predisposed to bodybuilding?

If a person decided to test his genetic predisposition and received a negative answer, then everything depends only on him. He can stop thinking about a beautiful muscular body or get down to business and start training. We have already said that in any sport, the discipline of the athlete is of the utmost importance. A lot of examples tell us that hard work in the classroom can make any person an outstanding athlete.

But there are many opposite examples, when builders wasted everything that was laid in them by nature. Now you know how to find out the predisposition to bodybuilding and powerlifting. However, you decide who to be in this life. I would like to recall such an athlete as Dick Fosbury. This is not a bodybuilder, but a high jumper. Sports genetics were sure that this sport discipline did not suit Dick at all.

However, he did not pay any attention to their opinion, and as a result became Olympic champion. There is practically nothing impossible in life, and everything is in the hands of man. Gather your will into a fist and start practicing. It is possible that you can become a high-level athlete.

More about the genetic predisposition to bodybuilding and others power types sports, watch the video below:

Many guys complain about bad genetics. They say I do everything that is required, but for some reason the muscles do not grow. Sometimes this really happens. Someone gets excellent genetics from nature, and someone has to work hard to achieve even minimal results. How to understand that you really are not genetically gifted? Let's find out.

How do most people define their body type? Their muscles are calculated to be very short and their bones to be thin. Thus, they conclude that they are ectomorphs. And in most cases, these guys immediately classify themselves as losers with bad genetics. But this is far from true. Just because you're an ectomorph doesn't mean you have bad genetics. Frank Zane, Chris Dickerson, Flex Wheeler - they all fit the standard of typical ectomorphs, but achieved tremendous success in bodybuilding. And this means that the reason for your failures lies elsewhere. And you can calculate it only by analyzing what you have already done to achieve the result. Here are 5 direct indicators that you are not making progress.

1) You have been practicing for more than one year and still do not see any results. A year is enough for the first visible, and often the most serious, results to appear. After all, it is in the first year that most athletes, seeing how their body changes, light up the idea of ​​​​bodybuilding forever. If during this period of time you have not gained any muscles, then you should think about the fact that your genetics are not the most suitable. But even this is not an indicator if you did not comply with the second item on our list.

2). If you train anyhow, do not go to the gym at least three times a week, do not follow your diet at all, then the result may simply not be for objective reasons. Moreover, in 95% of cases it is not even necessary to exercise and eat exclusively correctly. It is enough to do this regularly and in parallel to study information about what you do in general and how to do it correctly.

3) Progression of loads. This indicator is one of the most important. If you pull up with your weight and press 70 kg from the chest, then you have room to grow. And it's too early to say that your genetics are not suitable for iron training. In order for muscles to grow, strength must grow. And this can only be achieved by constant progress. Whether it's increasing sets per workout or working weights in exercises.

4) Age. A lot of teenagers are fond of bodybuilding, so that, however, they completely forget that their body is still growing and being formed. Someone can build beautiful body already at the age of 16, and someone will have to wait until 20. It all depends on many factors that you cannot speed up without the use of drugs. The same can be said about adulthood. If you are already 45-50 years old and you have just started bodybuilding, then you should understand that from the beginning of the training process to visible result it can take much longer than a 20-year-old guy.

5) The shape of the muscles. It happens that your muscles seem to be growing, but at the same time they do not look very good. The press is not symmetrical, the biceps are too short and there is no peak, the pecs do not have a beautiful undercut and outlines, the calves are too long. In this case, all the blame is just the same genetics. After all, as you know, we cannot influence the shape of the muscles. But even here it is worth noting that in most cases, people lag behind something specific. It very rarely happens that all the muscles are clumsy and not beautiful in shape. If you have small biceps, look at the triceps. Or maybe you are the owner of an expressive trapezoid and you have a deep and traced press.

Before you scold your genetics for weak sides, pay attention first to the strong.

Most newcomers to gym I am interested in the question of whether they have a genetic predisposition to bodybuilding, how quickly they can gain muscle mass and pump up. However, good genetics is not at all the ability to quickly build muscle, it is the ability to gain a minimum of fat with muscle growth.

The simplest home test to identify your genetics is to measure the girth of your wrist to determine. Mesomorphs and large-boned endomorphs, who are athletic and prone to gaining muscle mass, usually have a few centimeters wider bones than naturally thin ectomorphs.

Body type according to the girth of the wrist

To determine your body type, measure the circumference of your wrist at the bone (that is, approximately where you wear your watch). The girth of the wrist is usually less than 17.8 cm for y, from 17.8 to 19 cm for y, and more than 19 cm for y (1) . These figures are relevant for men and adolescents with a height of at least 160 cm.

However, it should be noted separately that most people cannot be attributed exclusively to one type of physique. A real man most often they combine several body types at once in certain proportions. For example, the bottom of the body is more likely to have endomorphic characteristics, while the top has ectomorphic characteristics.

Genetic Lucky

The genetic potential for rapid muscle growth depends not only on body type, but also on the level of hormones in a particular person. Those who gain muscle easily tend to have naturally larger, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and good sensitivity. skeletal muscle to insulin.

Recall that testosterone directly affects muscle growth, low cortisol allows you to train longer and recover faster (destroys muscles), and the sensitivity of various body tissues to insulin affects weight gain, determining, in fact, which of the body tissues "accepts" calories - fat or muscles.

How fast do muscles grow?

It's believed that maximum speed muscle mass gain in the average person is no more than 0.2 kg of muscle per week, or approximately 1 kg per month (2) . Despite the fact that at first glance this figure seems excessively small, an increase of 12 kg of pure muscles in a year can change the body of any person beyond recognition.

If your weight is increasing faster than 1 kg per month, then you are probably gaining not only muscle, but also fat or fat. excess liquid- which is typical for endomorphs. That is why it is more important to follow the “purity” of nutrition, and not just the increased calorie content. In addition, you need to know.

Sports metabolism

It is also important to mention that Scientific research suggest that key metabolic indicators vary between body types by about 7-18% (3) . The key difference is in the body's response to carbohydrates from food, the production of the hormone insulin, and the aforementioned tissue sensitivity to insulin.

At the same time, regular physical training significantly improves the body's ability to store carbohydrate energy in the muscles (in the form that serves as the main fuel for the muscles), and not in fat. As a result, the body of athletes more efficiently converts calories from food into muscles, while in ordinary people, excess energy goes into fat.

Genetics for muscle growth: the main signs

1. Athletic body proportions. In ectomorphs, the girth of the chest, waist and hips is usually approximately the same, in endomorphs the waist is most often noticeably wider than the hips and chest, and in the mesomorph with a narrow waist, the girth of the chest is slightly larger than the girth of the hips. This makes mesomorphs easier to create with broad shoulders.
2. Proper metabolism. If you do not experience increased cravings for sweets, do not suffer from night gluttony, gain excess weight with difficulty and quickly get rid of it, your metabolism is most likely normal. Otherwise, you will have to restore normal tissue sensitivity to insulin by.
3. High testosterone. Elevated testosterone levels in men are characterized by stable high level sexual desire and behavior that can be called aggressive. If you are happy to take risks and are willing to set ambitious goals for yourself, your testosterone is likely to be higher than normal.

Perseverance and desire to achieve goals

No matter how "bad" your genetics are, regular physical training and a sports diet can always change the body for the better. All you need is time and a high level of self-motivation. Remember that even Arnold Schwarzenegger in early childhood was a thin and rather unathletic teenager.

That is why success and muscle growth are most often achieved not by those who have ideal genetics, but by those who really want to change themselves. This desire makes them monitor their nutrition and carefully study information about muscle growth, and not just “go to the gym”, spending time sitting on the simulator with a smartphone in their hands.

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The genetic predisposition to bodybuilding and rapid muscle growth is characterized by a mesomorphic body type with high testosterone levels, low cortisol levels, and increased sensitivity of skeletal muscles to the ability to absorb proteins and carbohydrates. However, the final contribution always comes from the motivation of a particular person.

Scientific sources:

1. Predicting somatotype from body measurements. Damon, Albert; Bleibtreu, Hermann K.; Elliot, Orville; Giles, Eugene
2. What is My Genetic Muscle Potential? lyle mcdonald,
3. Somatotype and indicators of metabolic fitness in youth. Peter T. Katzmarzyk1, Robert M. Malina, Thomas M.K. Song, Claude Bouchard, 1998,