by Cade Thomas
How annoying does it get to hear the word “genetics” thrown around as either a reason for someone succeeding in bodybuilding, or even worse, as an excuse for failure. I wish I could say that everyone is crazy and that the role genetics play is over stated – But they pretty much control your fate to a large degree. Let’s take a look at three major signs that you might have lucked out in the genetic department and have been blessed by the bodybuilding gods from birth.
1. You surpass your peers quickly and leave them in the dust
Many of us who start lifting at a relatively young age do so in a social manner with at least another friend, sometimes a whole gang. If your lifts skyrocket past your friends and they start to have trouble spotting you due to their muscles being unchanged – You might be on to something. Although many things determine who will stick with a weight training plan and who will not – including a large mental component – A genetically blessed one will usually see his friends start to miss workouts and drop off entirely as they didn’t get the same results as the chosen one did. Don’t fret or let them get to you; This is a sign that you need to stay on track and surround yourself with those with similar dedication levels.
2. People assume you weigh a lot more than you actually do
Perma bulkers aside, if you maintain a relatively lean body fat normally and constantly get shocked replies when you tell people how much you weigh, it can be a good indicator that your genetic shape and muscle bellies are favorable for bodybuilding. The general public equates weight to size, but we know this is nonsense in the physique competition world. A lean 180lb bodybuilder with fantastic proportions and round muscle bellies will often trick most people into believing they are well over the 200lb mark at the very least. This is one of the greatest compliments a bodybuilder can get (being estimated to be heavier) and means that every lb you add is going to look more impressive than it would on a bodybuilder with unblessed genetics. Don’t worry about the scale, as long as people’s eyes deceive them. Create that illusion.
3. Seasoned gym members push you to compete
Trainers and people looking to make money off of recruiting prep clients do not count. If your gym is the type of gym that has serious bodybuilders training in it, getting their attention is nothing to scoff at. I am strictly talking about other lifters who either compete or follow the sport closely, not just “bro’s” who have no real grasp on what a competitor should look like. It is also a good sign if you consistently get asked if you already compete, or when your next show is. Let’s face it – Tons of people hop on stage whom if you saw in the gym 4 weeks out you would NEVER guess they were that committed. So if you can actually have the opposite effect and make people who know what they are talking about ASSUME you are preparing to lay it all out there then you definitely are many lessons ahead of the class. Most people bust their ass with a pipe dream of looking like a bodybuilder, and if you look like one before fully realizing you are one, then you have something special. *Just because people think you should compete doesn’t mean you should listen to them and rush into it, take all the time you need to make the improvements you feel necessary to be competitive.
