Genetics, How big of a role do they play?

FoRenSiC · Jul 7, 2007

I have a few questions concerning genetics and how big of a role they play in weight lifting, nutrition, etc. (I am 16 years old and the people who I will talk about are the same age.) Because I have 2 friends with whom I workout and one of them works out 3-4 times a week does HIIT and eats very healthy yet has average results. My other friend does only weight lifting 2-3 times a week and has a crap diet/eats junk/fast food a lot yet still has amazing results.

I looked at this and questioned myself why would there be such a diffrence? Then I thought genetics maybe? So I ask: How big of a role do genetics play in weightlifting/nutrition?

NBS 4life · Jul 7, 2007

The play quite a large role but I myself have decided to set my own boundaries. Your mates do the same program? Alot of people claim they eat healthy and actually dont and vice versa.

Danger_Dave · Jul 7, 2007

Genetics play a big role. I have alot of friends your age (my age) that lift. Some don't improve quickly and a scant 1 or 2 of them are realyl buff. This one kid, 16 years old, legitimate bench press maxout at 280. parallel squat 505. He's huge, and lifts just about as much as me. My max out on bench is only 195. I'm 15 though but the age difference doesn't really factor in nearly as much as genetics.

Streamline · Jul 7, 2007

Some people are lucky and born to be muscular machines. Even though they're all on roids, the top bodybuilders in the world would have had muscular frames before they ever stepped into a gym.

Conan Stevens · Jul 7, 2007

Streamline said:
Some people are lucky and born to be muscular machines. Even though they're all on roids, the top bodybuilders in the world would have had muscular frames before they ever stepped into a gym.

Not true - I was skinny as F when I started training but that would have been partly due to the fact that I was a long distance runner and always on the go.

Don't blame your genetics for bad gains there is

Karky · Jul 7, 2007

oh god, not another one. We are not discussing hard gainer, we are discussing genetics, if you think everyone has the same ability to gain muscle you are ignorant. Some people will get by on crappy routines and crappy diets, some have to pay a bit more attention to detail and get a propper routine.

A "hard gainer" is usually just an ectomorph, read up on body types.

Its no problem to get over "bad" genetics, it usually just means you have to train a little different, and eat a little different. Like tye typical ectomorph just shouldnt train as often and hard as a mesomorph because ectomorphs are more prone to stress (its all inn the hormonal balances) But lets face it, not everyone can be Big Ron, even if they were on the roids.

but dont blame genetics if you cant gain muscle, everyone can gain muscle.

Woodt · Jul 7, 2007

Also before your fully matured some people can obviously develop faster than others. Natural muscle boosts etc. Also genetically samoans for example are superior to most other races.

goergen1 · Jul 7, 2007

the top bodybuilders in the world would have had muscular frames before they ever stepped into a gym.

Dude. Read some bios. A lot of the best got into BB because they were small when they were young.

Genetics play a big role.

It does not matter what your genetics are. You have what you have. Results come more from training harder and better than others. No matter what genetics are.

Thinking too much about genetics usually ends up as an excuse for not getting good enough results.

Train hard and educate yourself all of the time. Results will follow.

SmithMachine · Jul 7, 2007

Branch Warren used to be a skinny 60 kg kid and now hes HUGE....By the sounds of it genetics play a roll in how fast u just gain the muscle not on how big u can really get

Karky · Jul 7, 2007

well, how big we get, or how tall we get, or anything is really a matter of genetics and enviourment. Genetics usually set the potential, and the enviourment decides if we reach it or not. Like if you have good genetics for bodybuilding, but you eat bad, maybe you are pour, cant afford good food, etc, you will not reach your potential.

Jake 85 · Jul 7, 2007

Heres a question i always wondered about concerning genetics. Say you didn't really have good genetics. But you consistently workout for years. Will your kid be born with better genetics than you did? Don't know if it works like that or not.

Karky · Jul 7, 2007

no, it doesnt work like that. Abilities you aquire in your life does not get printed into your DNA. Sad, but true.

Woodt · Jul 7, 2007

Although Karky, having said that the theory of selective breeding works in a similar way. Over a few generations it probably would make a difference.

Karky · Jul 7, 2007

not with abilities gained during life, thats not how selective breeding works. With selective breeding you pick out the individuals who display the genes you want and have them mate. If you breed sevral generation of crappy genetics hard training strong individuals, the offspring will still have crappy genetics. I just used training as an example there, could be with all different sorts of abilities.

Selective breeding is used alot to bring up good animals, for example cows that are big, have alot of muscle, which means more meat and more money. they breede the cows with big muscles to make more cows with big muscles. And remember, with cows, if they have big muscles its pretty much genetics, since they dont really get dedicated and go to the gym.

Woodt · Jul 7, 2007

Karky said:
not with abilities gained during life, thats not how selective breeding works. With selective breeding you pick out the individuals who display the genes you want and have them mate. If you breed sevral generation of crappy genetics hard training strong individuals, the offspring will still have crappy genetics. I just used training as an example there, could be with all different sorts of abilities.

Selective breeding is used alot to bring up good animals, for example cows that are big, have alot of muscle, which means more meat and more money. they breede the cows with big muscles to make more cows with big muscles. And remember, with cows, if they have big muscles its pretty much genetics, since they dont really get dedicated and go to the gym.

Mmm. I know that, my biology teacher drilled it into me. Suppose your right mate. lol.

Karky · Jul 8, 2007

lol, mine drilled it into my head too

matt182 · Jul 8, 2007

goergen1 said:
Dude. Read some bios. A lot of the best got into BB because they were small when they were young.

It does not matter what your genetics are. You have what you have. Results come more from training harder and better than others. No matter what genetics are.

Thinking too much about genetics usually ends up as an excuse for not getting good enough results.

Train hard and educate yourself all of the time. Results will follow.

Very poor post..

Its true that anyone can gain muscle, however the speed and maximum results obtained DOES depend on your genetics.

Danger_Dave · Jul 8, 2007

goergen1 said:
Dude. Read some bios. A lot of the best got into BB because they were small when they were young.

It does not matter what your genetics are. You have what you have. Results come more from training harder and better than others. No matter what genetics are.

Thinking too much about genetics usually ends up as an excuse for not getting good enough results.

Train hard and educate yourself all of the time. Results will follow.

You can't fight off your basic set of genes. By your reasoning. My tiny framed, 115 pound Cross Country runner friend (we're high schoolers btw) could catch up to my in terms of strength and size (I weigh 170 and he's abot 3 inches shorter than me) by his hardwork despite how his bone structure is considerably smaller and has been lifting WITH me with the exact same excersizes and intensity for the past few months. Where as I have increased weight by 10-15 pounds in each exercise he has not even though He just began lifting and I have been lifting for a long time.

I'm sure you're much more knowledgable in weights than me, but I'm pretty sure genetics are a huge influence.

goergen1 · Jul 8, 2007

Very poor post..

I'm Sorry. I just heard excuses for not being good enough.

however the speed and maximum results obtained DOES depend on your genetics.

Thats BS. I have seen the "genetically inferior" kid end up a lot better than the kids with good genetics. It happens all of the time. (not that you really know who has better genetics anyway)

Speed and maximum results depend only on the drive of the individual. You can use genetics as an excuse if you want. I will not.

You can't fight off your basic set of genes.

Nobody even knows their basic set of genes. Many people think they do not have good genetics just because they are not as big or as fast as others at a certain point in time. You never really know until you try. After that most will find that they can train themselves to be as good as or better than anyone else.

The fact is genetics does not matter. You can't change it. So why focus on it. But you can get better and faster results.

Where as I have increased weight by 10-15 pounds in each exercise he has not even though He just began lifting and I have been lifting for a long time.

This could simply mean that your workout does not work as well for him.

The power of the mind will overcome all excuses and more. I have seen it over and over again. People doing things that they are not "supposed" to be able to do.

But if you guys are content to wallow in mediocrity go ahead. Someone who is not as gifted will be better than you anyway.

Danger_Dave · Jul 8, 2007

"But if you guys are content to wallow in mediocrity go ahead. Someone who is not as gifted will be better than you anyway."

I didn't make this a competition on whos better and who isn't. And I didn't say that my improvements aren't good because of my genetics. There is nothing in my message that suggests that I "wallow in mediocrity." Though it is likely that people are better than me, you have no way of knowing the intensity that I train at or how I workout. you seem to like drawing broad conclusions from little information.

If you're telling me that a distance runner like prefontaine could have worked hard and used his "power of mind" to look like present day ronnie coleman then you are full of crap.

Believe what you want.