Do Muscle Building Genetics Limit Muscle Mass Gains and Body Fat Reduction?

Unrealistic expectations have proven to be the downfall for many who attempt to achieve muscle gains or fat loss, as bodybuilding far too often becomes a pursuit of transforming into someone else, as opposed to working towards the individual genetic potential that each of us has been born with. We may frequently see individuals on TV, in magazines, or on the Internet who have the bodybuilding physique we aspire towards, so we somehow feel that by weight training and dieting a certain way, we can produce an identical appearance, when in fact our physical makeup is unique to each of us, meaning that results others achieve do not in any way dictate that we are capable of the same, or conversely, we may even be able to greatly exceed the bodybuilding success of those we admire. Yet, there is no way of knowing our personal potential without embracing an effective diet and weight lifting workout plan to determine how our body responds.

The major downside of basing our own level of bodybuilding satisfaction upon achieving the nearly identical physique of another is that, although we may produce muscle gains or fat loss results that impress nearly everyone that we meet, in our own mind, we sustain a sense of inferiority, since our own personal standard is not based upon how much we've achieved, but rather whether we're moving closer to the person we wish to mimic, and therefore, regardless of how impressive our progress appears to others, we constantly seek for the unrealistic dream, and eventually either quit bodybuilding completely, or decide to experiment with dangerous drugs or bodybuilding supplements instead of altering our expectations to match our own potential.

Genetics offer us a roadblock which we all must obey, no different from one who wishes to become a basketball superstar but is shorter than necessary for success in such an industry. Yet, in bodybuilding, very few ever achieve their individual genetic potential not necessarily due to lack of effort, but rather as a result of diet and weight training errors which plague muscle building or fat loss efforts. Certainly, when eating and weight training perfectly, genetics will then eventually limit future gains, and will also impact the overall speed of results, but most who feel genetics are curtailing any positive change actually are dieting and weight lifting without the correct techniques, which is the true culprit behind frustrating progress.

Unfortunately, numerous bodybuilders continue to follow poorly constructed weight training and diet methodologies, and find themselves frustrated due to a perpetual plateau despite disciplined effort. Making matters worse are the unrealistic expectations created by our media, as seeing men and women on the pages of popular physical fitness magazines tend to make even the most disciplined natural physical fitness enthusiast overflow with envy, but what is hidden by the photos that so many desire to emulate is that most who are featured in such publications are using drugs such as steroids or growth hormone, which are extremely dangerous, offering health risks such as cancer, internal organ enlargement, and heart failure, therefore are never a legitimate option for those who have their priorities in order and wish to preserve health and well being beyond any superficial muscle gain or fat loss goal. It's unfortunate that numerous young men and women are being indoctrinated by many images that are marketed as the definition of a desirable and healthy body, when in fact the techniques used to produce such a temporary level of muscle gain or fat loss pose serious health risks to those involved, and despite these realities, become a very powerful temptation for those who try to emulate the individuals they believe to be admired and accepted by society.

Muscle gain or weight loss results are as unique as our personalities, and we should never try to emulate another in our pursuit of any muscle building or fat loss goal, rather forging our own individual road by maximizing the individual muscle building potential each of us has, and doing so through an effective weight training plan and bodybuilding diet. When we begin to view bodybuilding as an experiment in individual achievement, we then begin to finally embrace the improvements we make, as opposed to feeling unfulfilled due to focusing on the results of another. Without the chance of experiencing satisfaction with our own improvements, bodybuilding becomes a frustrating pursuit of the unattainable, and can morph from an entertaining pursuit into a stressful, redundant hobby.