Bodybuilding Genetics Are Everything - What It Takes to Be an IFBB Pro

The title in this article speaks for itself: genetics are everything. If you are someone who wishes to take your bodybuilding journey to the next level, this one is for you.

Every single pro bodybuilder out there, whether you want to hear it or not, is a genetic elite. They would plain and simply not be where they are today without the genetics which they have been so graciously blessed with.

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Now, that doesn't mean that they haven't had to work hard to reach their level of greatness. It simply means that their hard work, gets them faster and greater results than your hard work gets you.

I know, it's not fair is it?

Coming to Terms With Your Bodybuilding Genetics

But the sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you can avoid disappointment, by setting more realistic goals in your journey through sculpting your beloved body. And I am here to help you come to terms with it. In the great words of the Marc Lobliner himself, "It is what it is."

When I say genetics are everything, I literally do mean it. They come into play in every aspect of bodybuilding. The food, the training and of course, the drugs. These are the vital components, the ones that must all be perfectly put into place, meticulously planned and specifically calculated.

Without these fundamentals, no one is getting anywhere in this sport - irrespective of their genetic gifts. I hear it time and time again, "I could look like that if I took steroids." This usually comes from people who have never lifted a single weight in their entire life. And to that ludicrous and incredibly braindead statement, my response is: no, no you could not. But, I digress. That is a totally different topic.

The point is, the top IFBB pros respond well to these aspects. Very well, in fact.

Their bodies break down the food, recover from the training and utilize the drugs at a far more superior level to that of a normal person, or average trainer. Genetically, they are bigger, leaner, have more roundness/fullness, are more proportionate and generally just respond better to the components than bodybuilders, at any other level do.

Here we're talking the best of the best. The elite.

At other levels, let's say, for example, a lesser-known IFBB pro, a NABBA pro or even a top-level NPC national competitor. They may have some - but not all - aspects of these genetic gifts. For example, let's talk about drugs.

They may not reach their full potential until they bring drugs into the equation. Their body could have a massively positive response to the drugs and that is where their genetic gifts lie. Because, believe it or not: steroids don't necessarily have the same effects on everyone. Why? Because peoples genetics dictate how they respond to the substances.

The guy who suddenly blows up after bringing drugs into his program may not have been amazing up until that point. And vice versa, one guy may have the genetics to be naturally big- so big that people already think he is using.

And then when he decides to start, he may not improve as significantly. It all comes down to how your body uses and responds to things. Everyone's body is different.

Marc Lobliner discusses who he believes to be the most 2 genetically gifted bodybuilders of all time.

The same applies to food. Some people's bodies might convert food and break food down quicker than others, thus meaning that the food they eat is put to greater use in terms of the muscle-building process. They are genetically gifted in this respect. It is not just down to having a faster metabolism, it comes down to: once the food has been broken down, how much can your body actually put to good use. It can certainly vary.

And then again with training. Blood cell disposition is a basic example of how genetics affect peoples responses to training. I'm sure you'll be rather familiar with this: your muscles respond differently to different weight and rep ranges, based on which you have more of (out of red or white blood cells).

But it goes further than this.

Some people may find that training heavy helps them to grow quickly for every body part except one, why is this? Genetics. Some people might have to switch it up, a mixture of light and heavyweights. High volume and low volume. High intensity and low intensity.

Training causes different reactions in everyone's bodies, some positive and some negative and it is all down to genetics. The only sole rule for me in training is: hit positive failure. How you achieve this is up to you. And then genetics come into training in other ways too, in particular, recovery. Once you've stimulated growth, returned home and fed. The rate in which people's muscles begin to repair themselves is different based on the person's genetics. The quicker the better I say, the sooner the muscles repair, the sooner you can train them again and get more growth for them.

The basic message

In summary, genetics dictate everything within the bodybuilding journey: size, leanness, proportions, conditioning, roundness, fullness, the way you process nutrients and food, your recovery rates, your training styles, the thickness of your skin (unless, of course, you eat white fish), the list is quite possibly endless, or near enough so. Am I communicating my point here? Good.

You just need to realize that you are different to everyone - literally. There is no one on the entire planet with the same genetic make-up as you, nor has there ever been, or ever will be again, in the history of mankind. This is why I am a big believer of learning your body, finding what works for you based on your genetics and how to maximize what you have been given.

The sooner you figure out what works for you, the better. And f*ck what anyone else thinks.

I always stir up controversy in my gym when it comes to discussing training and nutrition. Why you may ask? Because people don't agree with what I say and rightfully so, maybe what I do won't work for them, but I understand that because I am open-minded enough to do so.

Which is more than I can say for them. it's either their way or the highway. And I'm okay with that too, because I know that their way probably won't work for me, because it isn't based specifically on my genetics- hereby guaranteeing that when faced with their way or the highway, I choose the latter.

Their theories are based on massive amounts of bro-science, which has been passed on mindlessly through generations; it gives no consideration to the specifics and minor details of individual peoples bodies and how they work. What they preach is basically just a bombardment of illogical statements which apply to the masses of bro-scientists out there. And that's just not how it works, in my opinion.

So, my message in all of this is: learn your body, apply what works consistently and most importantly: don't be afraid to stare directly into the eyes of, or come face to face with, obscenity, in order to stand up for what you believe in.