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Are These
Secrets To Natural
Bodybuilding?
Instead of
secrets to natural
bodybuilding, there are a
number of genetic factors
that influence muscle
growth. Your body type
impacts your ability to add
size. There also appears to
be a genetically set limit
in the muscle mass that you
can achieve, although many
environmental and mental
factors influence your
success. Accept your
genetic profile and tailor
your workout to your body's
ability to recuperate and
grow because it’s very
important to gain muscle
naturally.
Muscular
development is influenced
by a number of factors.
Many of these are the same
for all humans. Others,
such as the proportion of
fast-twitch and slow-twitch
muscle fibers, vary with
the individual and are
genetically determined.
While all humans can
improve their muscle growth
with weight training, there
are certain restraints that
genetics places on your
size potential.
One of the
main genetically determined
factors is body structure.
The three main body types
are: ectomorphs,
mesomorphs, and endomorphs.
These body types result
from the relatively greater
growth of particular layers
of the embryo before
birth.
Ectomorphs
are slim and it’s very hard
for them to gain muscle
naturally. Endomorphs have
strong bones, and are
sometimes fat. They can
easily gain muscle
naturally. The mesomorphs
have moderate bone
structures and muscular
physiques. Many top
bodybuilders are
mesomorphs, while
basketball players tend to
be ectomorphs. Yet, while
only three theoretical body
structures exist, most
athletes are a blend of all
three types, with
variations in the levels of
dominance.
There
appears to be a genetically
set limit in the muscle
mass that an individual can
achieve, although it's far
greater than what most
people imagine. Once the
person reaches this point,
no amount of training will
increase the size of the
muscle. This doesn't mean
you should stop working
out, however. Continued
training is necessary to
maintain this peak muscle
mass. Exercise also
provides many other
psychological and health
benefits, all of which are
independent of body size.
Training (especially
aerobic training) helps
reduce body fat as well, so
the muscles are more
visible.
A person's
maximum growth potential is
determined by their
genetics to a significant
degree. This is a fact of
life. Our muscle-fiber
compositions vary, as do
our cardiovascular
capabilities, natural
hormone levels and points
of muscle insertion. Our
abilities to recuperate
also vary. These factors
can limit your ability to
respond to exercise. Some
people's muscles seem to
grow from just a few months
of training, while others
train for a year or more to
get similar results.
At the same
time, there are many
environmental and mental
factors that influence
muscular development. These
include the determination
to keep to a training
schedule, the ability to
react positively to the
physical and psychological
pressures of competition,
and the capacity to push
through the pain barrier
during training. Your diet
and the amount of sleep you
get are under your control,
too. All of these factors
will impact your success
when you gain muscle
naturally.
Your age
also influences your
ability to grow, although
scientists have found that
age is a much less
important factor than
originally thought. What
was once considered an
inevitable decline in
muscle size now turns out
to be dependent on
environmental and lifestyle
factors such as diet and
exercise. Athletes can gain
muscle naturally in their
eighties if the desire is
there. While they might not
out-perform a teenager,
they will nonetheless
enhance their quality of
life and feel the exercise
"high" from all those
wonderful endorphins
rushing through their
systems.
There is no
question that genetics
plays a major role in
muscular development. Some
athletes simply have the
ability to gain muscle
naturally. But don't give
up and become a couch
potato. Accept your
genetics and work with
them. Tailor your workout
program to your body's
ability to recuperate and
grow. Don't train yourself
into the ground just
because you see other
people doing it. Follow
your own path. Respect the
signals that your body
gives you and it will
respond with the greatest
muscle growth your genetics
allow. Regardless of your
ultimate mass potential,
sports activity will
improve the quality of your
life. The satisfaction you
get along the way will be
its own reward.
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