There’s no question we can do a lot to reshape our bodies with diet and exercise. But there’s also no question that genes determine a lot of how we look: our builds, how easily we gain or lose muscle and fat, and and whether we tend to build short, compact or long, lean muscles.
The real question is: just how much do our genes predetermine? If you know what your body is and isn’t capable of, then you can choose workout and diet routines designed to give you the healthiest possible body for the type you have. On the other hand, if you assume your genes are limiting your options more than they are, you could miss out on the opportunity to achieve your greatest fitness.
What weightlifting can and can’t do
Lifting weights does build muscle and lead to the reduction of fat. This is always true, for anyone. Weightlifting always improves your overall health. What frustrates people is when it weightlifting doesn’t produce the bulk and/or the definition and/or the speed of results they were hoping to achieve. That’s when we start wondering about genetic limitations.
Bulk is, to some extent, determined by genes. Some people just can’t bulk up – most women, but a fair number of men. You could fight this with protein powders and even dangerous drugs like steroids, but the wiser choice would be to accept that you’re not destined to look like a weightlifting champion. This type of body can develop lean muscles with powerful definition, which is not only healthy but beautiful. (There are so many different forms of beauty: don’t get hung up on an ideal look your body isn’t made for.)
Definition is less dependent on genes. Basically, if your body fat is low enough, your muscles will show. But what’s low enough for you may not be low enough for someone else, or vice versa. Bodybuilders aim for between one and four percent body fat to get the definition they want for competitions. For some bodies, four percent fat doesn’t hide the muscles, but for other bodies nothing more than one percent will allow muscles to show. Again, if you can’t achieve the definition you want because your body needs to have one-percent fat, you may want to shift your goal rather than get frustrated about it. There can be downsides to having too little fat in the body, especially for women. If you’re making the correct efforts, then you’re going to be in good shape and look good, even if it’s not precisely the look you had in mind.
Speed of results is very much determined by genes. Some bodies gain muscle rapidly but lose fat very slowly. Others are just the opposite. If you’re the first type, and you’re trying to lose weight, you can actually gain weight from working out because your muscles are getting heavier but the fat isn’t getting much lighter. Eventually, you’ll raise your resting metabolism by adding that muscle, and it will get easier to burn fat.
Whatever body type you have, you need to find your body’s forte and work with it. You also need to get over your idealized body images that are coming from other people and their bodies. If you train, you will improve your health – it’s that simple. If you improve your health, you will look fit and confident because you will actually be more healthy.
Filed in Strength Training
Updated: August 20, 2010
Copyright: August 26, 2010
