Genetics
Genetics. How many times have you seen someone and wished you looked like they did at that moment? How many times have you been at the gym and saw someone lifting a certain amount of weight, seemingly effortlessly, while their muscles flexed and bulged, and you thought to yourself that it’d be great to look like that, even for just an afternoon? There’s an old saying in virtually every gym across the land, that no matter how big and strong you are, there’s always someone bigger and stronger than you. That holds true for no matter how good you think your physique is, there’s always someone else who has all the strengths in your weak spots and at a minimum, exceeds your strong points elsewhere.
Gyms aren’t competition zones, nor are they center stage, so to speak. Gyms are places to build your body, your strength, and your health, behind the scenes, so when you go out into the “real world”, you have all of the assets you’ve earned.
When we see someone else with a trait which we admire, it’s natural to wish you could achieve that for yourself. Whether you can or not depends upon your genetics. Even with the best work ethic and nutrition the fitness world has ever seen, you simply can’t change who you are genetically. This is far from a bad thing, however. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to you to capitalize on the positive and negate the negative as much as possible through consistent hard work and sacrifice.
When we look at a pro bodybuilder such as Branch Warren, for example, and say to ourselves that we wish we could have such amazing quadricep development as him, we need to step back and consider that he’s dealt a different hand than us genetically and that may not be possible for us to achieve. He also is 5’6 which in his case, is a positive thing genetically, as he’ll have a naturally much smaller range of motion in which he’ll need to move the weights he lifts. If you’re someone who wants to play professional basketball, for example, you may be glad that your genetics haven’t limited you to 5’6. There’s pros and cons to every genetic disposition. Maximize what genetics you have, and be happy with who you are.
Andy Bruchey: Austin Personal Trainer 7-15-2015
Andy
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