TIP#2.12 - 5 Facts: Training vs Genetics
We have established the genetic factors involved in Recovery and Nutrition, now we will explore the genetic factors involved in Training. These factors mainly revolve around the subject of Biomechanics. How your muscles perform exercises is just as important as how they react to them, so we will determine what it is that separates good form and bad form, as well as genetic disposition to performing exercises correctly or incorrectly. Those of us looking to getting the most out of our bodies regardless of genetics should know that learning from the most genetically gifted athletes is not the best way to obtain practical or benefitial knowledge. You should in fact try to learn from people who have earnt their muscle and shape through good methodology, hard work and smart training. Below are 5 Training factors you should consider to making the most from your Genetics.
1. Good Form
This seems obvious, but I can almost gaurantee you that you aren't perfroming all your exercises correctly. Genetically, someone with plenty of glycolitic muscle fibres will build muscle easily, and bad form itself won't be a huge limiting factor for them - but learning the correct form of all the exercises will ensure the highest potential for an individual no matter the genetics. Leaving your ego at the door so you can train your muscles correctly is the first step - increasing weight is just one factor of increasing Intensity and should be used sparingly. Click here to learn correct form for bodybuilding.
2. Skeletal Structure
Short, Tall, wide, slim, thick, thin, stocky, athletic, long limbed, short limbed, big boned, thin boned, big joints, small joints... there are so many factors involved in body type that don't involve muscle fibres. What body type are you? What exercises best compliment your frame? How long are your limbs? E.g. Squats are not great for anyone taller than 170cm because biomechanically the force is not generated solely through the thighs but mostly through the glutes and lower back. Bench press when you have very long arms is not great either as the pressure and tension on the shoulder joint at the bottom end of the movement is very high due to the elbows dropping far below the body for the bar to come near the chest - a problem non-existant in stocky short arm lifters. Deadlifts also offer little to the taller trainee. Choose exercises that suit your frame and that keep tension on desired muscles, ignore the ones that don't.
3. Full Body Approach
You might find that genetically you will have stronger or bigger body parts than others. But this does not mean that you should neglect anything. A full body approach is vital to look (and feel) your best. If a body part is lagging behind then prioritise it in your workouts, but also never ignore a good body part either. Strength balance is important for posture and muscle expression, so never skip over muscle groups that you hate training, as having strength and development throughout the entire body will really help your stronger body parts feel great and help create the illusion of size. 5 Exercises of 4 sets each per large muscle group and 2-3 exercises per small muscle group.
4. Agression
We always have to mention Intensity when on the subject of Training because it is the most important factor when pursuing any fitness goal. There have been people with terrible Training Approach with amazing physiques, and people with perfect Training Approach with amazing physiques as well - the common denominator being that they both train with very high Intensity. Form is Queen when getting the very best from your body while avoiding Injury but Intensity is King. Challenging your muscles and going all out is how you force your body to change. If you are not being aggressive with your training, someone else is - and that person will get better results than you despite how much better your form, technique or genetics. Channel your inner beast and get Hungry for it.
5. New Stimulus
Like I said in the Intro, you don't want to learn from someone who is so genetically gifted that no matter what they do they seem to change and grow. Whether you are gifted or not it makes sense to be methodical about Training Approach. Your body doesn't quite like the same exact workout every time - it responds to new stimulus more than the same stimulus - this is because your body is excellent at adaptation, learning a stimulus then becoming good at handling it, fast. So ideally we want to confuse and challenge our muscles as much as possible, we must use different variations of exercises and try to stimulate our muscles from all the angles. Never do the same exact order and exercises more that once or twice - change the order, use different machinery and free weight variations, incorporate different set structures (but always keeping reps relatively high) and don't leave the gym not knowing if you've challenged yourself.
Thank You so much for reading!
Matt The Trainer
Personal Trainer London
For more practical lifestyle help involving Genetics please click here.
