Grow Bigger Muscles With Your Genes? Yes You Can!
Donât sweat the bench-press, outsmart it! Learn how your genes can help you hack your way to a dream physique.
Imagine you are at the gym with your best friend.
You are both lifting the same weights, following the same program, and chugging the same protein shakes. Yet, weeks in, your friend looks like theyâre about to burst out of their tank top, while your gains are⊠a little bit more subtle.
But hold on, this might be less about your dedication (although that always helps), but rather â how your body is designed.
Growing Muscles Is Easier, If You Know Your Body
âBody composition analysis shows you precisely how much Skeletal Muscle Mass you have in each body segmentâ â InBody USA
In the fitness industry, people are typically classified into 3 main body types; Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph.
However, this has been debunked by scientists as a myth since the 1940âs. In reality, individuals have a wide spectrum of shapes and sizes that cannot be easily classified into just 3 categories. [1]
Furthermore, our body type can also change over the years â as we get older, even a naturally lean physique can become overweight.
The reverse is also true. For example Henry âSupermanâ Cavill, who used to be a chubby kid when he was young, but grew up to become a hunky man of steel (abs).
Thatâs why instead of categories, it is better to understand body composition instead, which refers to the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body.
Knowing your body composition can empower you to create a personalized and data-driven approach to muscle building, maximizing your results and optimizing your training efforts.
But unlike typical body composition tests employed by fitness professionals, I would like to go deeper , and explore your body composition on a genetic level.
A Better Body Composition, From Your Genes
âSkeletal muscle is a highly heritable trait, with 30â85% for muscle strength and 50â80% for lean mass.â â National Library of Medicine
Scientist have confirmed that genetics play a significant part to your muscle growth potential.
Donât believe it? Just have to look at this example..
In Vietnam, there is a 10-year old boy who has the build of a professional bodybuilder due to a rare genetic condition that causes muscle overgrowth. [2]
This condition causes him to have reduced body fat and increased skeletal muscle size.
While we may not be as fortunate as Nam to be blessed with âmuscle genesâ, we can use our âgeneticâ body composition to create a hyper -personalized muscle building plan, one that enables us to achieve our goals faster, safer, easier.
Unlike information from a normal body composition test, a DNA test can reveal your hidden genetic body composition traits. Which includes:
1. Muscle Potential
Genes can influence your muscle fiber type distribution. Fast-twitch fibers are better for short bursts of power and strength training, while slow-twitch fibers excel in endurance activities. This can help your tailor your workout program. Eg. If you have more fast-twitch fibers, you can focus on heavier weight training with lower reps instead of lighter weight with more reps.
2. Nutrition Potential
Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition for needing slightly higher or lower amounts of protein, carbs, fats, and micronutrients like Vitamin A, E, K, and so on. By revealing this, it allowing you (and your trainer) to optimize your ideal diet for muscle building.
3. Risk Potential
Genetic tests can sometimes identify genes that increase your risk for certain injuries like tendon and bone fracture injuries. By knowing this, you can adjust your training program to minimize that risk and focus on exercises that are safer for your body.
4. Energy potential
Genes can influence how efficiently your body converts food into energy. Knowing this can help you choose the right types and amounts of carbohydrates to fuel your workouts and recovery.
That is why the exciting world of genetic testing is unlocking a new frontier in fitness. By analyzing your unique DNA makeup, you gain these valuable insights into your bodyâs predispositions and choose the right types of exercise and nutrition to recomposite your body to maximize your true bodybuilding potential.
Conclusion
âSuccess isnât an overnight thing. Itâs when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.â â Dwayne Johnson
While some of us arenât blessed with genes meant for bodybuilding, and lowering our body fat percentage may be harder â it doesnât have to be impossible.
There are a lot of strategies for improving body composition that are effective, even for those with an unfavorable genetic profile.
By understanding your DNA and leveraging that knowledge, you can unlock a whole new level of targeted training and muscle-building success.
Imagine a world where Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson doesnât just rely on his undeniable work ethic, but also leverages genetic insights to optimize his training for specific movie roles.
Thatâs the future of fitness weâre hurtling towards!
Who knows, maybe with a little science on your side, you too can cultivate some âRockâ-worthy results!
I am the DNA Storyteller . I help people unlock their potential through storytelling and genetic insights, and I love chatting over coffee. âđŹ.
1. Give this post a đ or đđ», and share it with a friend
2. Leave me a comment about what you liked about this article
3. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter ( if you havenât already )
Your engagement would encourage me to write more newsletters! đ
Disclaimer: The content in this article is intended solely for informational purposes and may contain outdated information after the date of publishing that doesnât reflect the latest scientific advancements. The content is presented âas isâ and is not guaranteed to be complete or up-to-date.
Sources :
[1] 2018, Americans Canât Escape Long-Disproven Body Stereotypes (link)
[2] 2020, Ten-year-old is seriously ripped with bulging muscles due to rare condition that causes muscle overgrowth (link)
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
