Do Bodybuilding Genetics Limit Muscle Gain or Body Fat Reduction?

Unreasonable expectations have proven to be the downfall for many who attempt to achieve muscle gains or weight loss, as bodybuilding far too often becomes a pursuit of transforming into someone else, as opposed to maximizing the genetic potential that each of us has been granted. We may frequently see individuals on TV, in magazines, or on the Internet who have the bodybuilding physique we aspire towards, so we somehow feel that by weight training and dieting a certain way, we can develop an identical body, when in fact our physical makeup is unique to each of us, meaning that results others achieve do not in any way dictate that we are capable of the same, or, we may even be able to exceed the bodybuilding success of those we admire. Yet, there is no way of knowing our personal potential without embracing an effective diet and weight lifting workout routine to determine how our body responds.

The major downside of basing our own bodybuilding satisfaction upon achieving the body of another is that, although we may produce muscle gains or fat loss results that impress nearly every person that we meet, in our mind, we maintain a sense of inferiority, since our own personal standard is not based upon our individual accomplishments, but rather whether we're moving closer to the person we choose to emulate, and therefore, regardless of how impressive our results appear to others, we constantly seek for the impossible dream, and eventually either quit bodybuilding altogether, or choose to experiment with risky drugs or bodybuilding supplements instead of altering our expectations to match our own individual potential.

It is true that genetics offer us a roadblock which we all must obey, no different from one who wishes to become a basketball superstar but is shorter than necessary for success in such an industry. Yet, in bodybuilding, few ever achieve their individual genetic potential not necessarily due to insufficient effort, but rather as a result of weight lifting and diet errors which plague muscle gain or fat reduction efforts. Certainly, when eating and weight training perfectly, genetics will then eventually limit future gains, and will also impact the overall speed of results, but most who feel genetics are interfering with any significant change actually are eating and weight training without any sense of direction, which is the true reason behind disappointing progress.

Unfortunately, numerous weight lifters continue to follow poorly written diet and weight training methodologies, and find themselves frustrated due to a perpetual plateau despite dedicated effort. Making matters worse are the unrealistic expectations created by our media, as seeing men and women on the front cover of popular physical fitness magazines tend to make even the most successful natural physical fitness enthusiast overflow with envy, but what is not revealed in the photos that so many wish to emulate is that most who are featured in such publications are using drugs such as growth hormone or steroids, which are extremely dangerous, leading to serious potential health issues such as cancer, internal organ enlargement, and heart failure, therefore are never a legitimate option for those who have their priorities in order and wish to protect health and well being far beyond any temporary muscle building or fat loss goal. It's unfortunate that many young men and women are being indoctrinated by many pictures that are promoted as the definition of a desirable and healthy appearance, when in fact the methods used to produce such a temporary level of muscle gain or fat loss pose serious health risks to those involved, and regardless of these realities, become a very powerful temptation for those who try to pattern themselves after the individuals they believe to be accepted and admired by our culture.

Muscle gain or weight loss results are as unique as our finger prints, and we should not try to emulate another in our pursuit of any muscle gain or fat reduction goal, rather forging our own personal road by maximizing the individual muscle building potential each of us has, and doing so through an effective weight training plan and bodybuilding diet. When we begin to view bodybuilding as an experiment in personal achievement, we then begin to finally embrace the improvements we make, as opposed to feeling constantly deprived due to focusing on the achievements of another. Without the chance of experiencing satisfaction with our own transformation, bodybuilding becomes a sustained pursuit of the unattainable, and can morph from an entertaining pursuit into a stressful, detrimental hobby.

Francesco Castano authors MuscleNOW.com, a diet and weight training program teaching the exact techniques for muscle building without supplements or drugs. He also owns FatVanish.com, teaching exactly how to lose fat without supplements.