Genetics, Evolution
or HARD WORK????
The 6000,000 Year Old Question
There are 3 types of people out there:
1) Those who are happy with their physical appearance.
2) Those who don’t give a dam about the way they look.
3) Those who are self-conscious about their appearance.
Chances are you are carrying a few extra pounds of fat [endomorph] and are looking
to tone up, or you are naturally lean [ectomorph] and are looking to gain muscle.
LET’S GO BACK 6
MILLION YEARS!!!?
Human beings have been around for roughly 6 million years, yet our modern lifestyle as we know it has only been in existence for a few thousand years.
Hence, there was once a time, as hunter-gatherers, when we did not know where our next meal was going to come from.
The body, in a desperate attempt to survive during the winter months, would therefore prioritise storing food as fat as opposed to muscle and energy.
WITH REGARDS TO HUMAN SURVIVAL, THE BODY THINKS THAT BEING FAT IS GREAT!!!
This is because FAT is better at storing energy than MUSCLE.
Therefore, when there’s no more food, you’d rely on your fat stores for survival.
As a result, modern theories suggest that the human body has developed physiologically so as to make it easier to store fat as opposed to muscle. The reason being that muscle tends to burn [waste] energy whereas fat tends to save [store] energy.
Therefore, those who were ‘fat’ would survive longer during famines, whereas leaner people wouldn’t.
Although having muscle was and still is also important, it was the body fat that would take priority for longer during food shortages.
SO, WHAT’S THE RELEVANCE TODAY?
In many countries nowadays, especially Western countries, we live in abundance. There’s food everywhere, and we seldom die of starvation.
However, our genetics over the last 10,000 years has remained pretty much the same.
Hence, the majority of us will tend to store excess fat when we overeat, and not so much muscle.
What’s worse, because it is seen as inefficient to carry excess amounts of skeletal muscle around, the body would more readily break down this excess muscle and keep the fat as opposed to vice versa.
..OKAY JON, BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS GUY????!!
There are many people out there that do not fit into this category. These are people with ‘favourable’ genetics. They tend to produce more testosterone and less cortisol than the average person.
Easy Gainers!!!???!! 
These guys(& girls) are often deemed genetically elite/easy gainers/mesomorphs.
A lot of athletes out there evolve from this stock of ‘lucky’ folk.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying athletes do not have to work their butts off in the gym…They do!!!
But a lot of them have a ‘leg up’ genetically speaking, compared to us ‘normal’ people.
“…BUT I WANT TO LOOK LIKE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGAR!!”
I hate to say this, but the truth is that a lot of pro-athletes and bodybuilders look the way they do as a result of:
1. Favourable Genetics and/or
2. Drugs eg. Anabolic Steroids
3. Commitment & Hardwork 😉
Therefore, most normal people will never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger no matter how hard they trained.
Therefore, most normal people will never look like
Arnold Schwarzenegger no matter how hard they trained.
SO, HOW DO YOU GET RESULTS?
We may not be ‘gifted’ with the same balance of hormones,
enzymes, neurotransmitters, etc. to look like a pro-athlete.
However, there are ways by which we can influence our biochemistry so as to mimic the same physiological responses to hormonal and neurological change that otherwise occurs naturally in the genetically elite.
It is VERY possible for someone [like myself], who is not gifted with the body of an athlete, to dramatically change his/her physical appearance by simply modifying their diet, sleeping patterns and training routines.
Over a relatively short time period, you CAN AND WILL see some amazing results, but only if you understand the science behind it.
To learn more about genetics and its relevance when it comes to diet and exercise, then please check out my book:
“The Essential Guide to Sports Nutrition and Bodybuilding.”
It is VERY possible for someone [like myself], who is not gifted with the body of an athlete, to dramatically change his/her physical appearance by simply modifying their diet, sleeping patterns and training routines.
Over a relatively short time period, you CAN AND WILL see some amazing results, but only if you understand the science behind it.
To learn more about genetics and its relevance when it comes to diet and exercise, then please check out my book:
“The Essential Guide to Sports Nutrition and Bodybuilding.”
