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Genetics (part 1 of 2)

© Matt Danielson

Genetics is a popular scapegoat for lazy people. It is very convenient, and there's no one around to prove that it is, in fact, bull. It's all individually based, so when the guy who spends 2 minutes at the end of his workout every other week doing some light calf-raises, claims he has bad genetics, we can't be sure. Perhaps he WAS born with 50% less muscle fibers in his calves than the rest of us. The most likely scenario is that he hasn't learned the basics of prioritizing, but since there's a 0.001% chance that he's right, he's pouncing on it rather than face the probable truth.

Even though it would actually be true that he pulled a loser when the calf-genetics were handed out, it is not - I repeat, NOT - an excuse to throw in the towel! By training smart, we can overcome most obstacles. That is not the same as fixing the problem at the root, which we can't, but to cleverly conceal the shortcomings.

The most classic example is the guy with narrow shoulders. There isn't a bodybuilding magazine that hasn't covered this at least 10 times, so I'll keep it short:
By trimming down your waist and beefing up your deltoids, you'll create the illusion of having broad shoulders.
Look at small guys like Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. They're way smaller than Nasser El Sonbaty, Marcus Ruhl, and the other giants, but they still snatch the top slots! Once again, it's all about illusions.

The bottom line is that the cosmetic aspect of bodybuilding is not as dependent on genetics as many would like to think. Granted, you may have an uphill battle in some areas, but as a general rule, you can succeed.

If you have skinny calfs, forearms, or whatever, the number one priority should always be to hit that particular bodypart. Surprisingly, experience shows that many people does just the opposite.

Keep in mind that bodybuilding - and all kind of weight training - is about maintaining balance. A guy with huge upper body and spider-like legs not only looks ridiculous, he has also developed an unevenness in his body that'll set him back in other areas in life (think about it - with 30 lbs more of muscle on his upper body, but with the same legs, what happens to endurance in other sports? It's like running with a 30 lbs backpack!).

In this case, you would not only allow your body to get unbalanced, but also allow an already weak part of you get even weaker (as compared to the rest of you, that is hopefully gaining in strength and size).

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