Something that puzzles me...

[Valeria]

I have been training hard and eating as well as I can, using supplements and in general doing all I can to make the best gains that I can with the body that I have. Lately I have been pushing to make some personal bests...hitting 100 lbs on the chest press, 400 on the leg press...etc... Recently one guy at the gym was watching me and commented that I had the genetic 'right stuff' for competitive bodybuilding and should do all I could to pursue that. I would love to, and have toyed with the idea on more than one occassion. This is the thing...I have large muscles, large bones and stand 5'6". I also gain weight very easily and am predisposed to hanging on to that old adipose! I also love to push the heaviest weight that I can, never having cared for low weights and high reps...although I know that they have their place. What I want to know is this...how can someone say that you are genetically gifted towards bodybuilding by just looking at you?

[JCDay]

Valeria, I am so glad you posted this question.
I am curious about this too (and I hope someone answers this).
I worry that the reason I can't gain much muscle is because of genetic reasons. That is very discouraging. The trainer at the gym told me I could never be a bodybuilder beacuse I am 5'7 and too tall. That's when I got discouraged and quit. Now I am back and kinda holding onto hope.

[freaker]

I think it is possible to tell if someone has good genetics for bodybuilding. I don't, however, think it's as possible to tell if someone has bad genetics for bodybuilding. People with more fast-twitch fibers can develop bigger muscles, so if you're better at short distance running than long distance running, that's a good indication. A small frame is good for bodybuilding in that you don't have to be as big to look as developed, but it isn't indicative of muscle-building potential. One thing I have noticed as far as people who can seem to get big quicker is that the size of their head is large for the size of their body. A good example of this is to look at an NFL lineman or a big professional wrestler next to an NBA basketball player. The more-built lineman or wrestler generally has a bigger head and lower shoulders compared to a not-as-muscular basketball player of the same height. Hulk Hogan standing next to Dennis Rodman is a perfect example of this, or even basketball players of similar height standing next to Shaq who has a bigger head and lower shoulders than most 7 footers. Based on this, I have a feeling my little 9-year-old cousin has the potential to be huge. He's already athletic and aggressive, by the time he's my age he could be down-right intimidating.

[Telly]

Valeria,

It's quite easy for an experienced eye or for someone who knows what to look for to spot bodybuilding potential when they see it. Just from your description it sounds like you have the genetic predisposition to be able to gain muscle quite quickly. That type of physique is most commonly described as a mesomorph. You may have heard that term.

Although that is the case, you mentioned you have large bones, which would lead me to assume that you also have large joints. Typically, while that type of skeletal structure is ideal for adding muscular gains, it does not necessarily translate to aesthetic appeal, but then again, bodybuilding is not a beauty contest.

JCDay,

Height has nothing to do with success or otherwise in bodybuilding, and 5'7 is pretty average height. What is more pertinent is if you are skinny. There are plenty of people who are tall and quite solid, yet there are those who are tall and quite lanky and slight. They are the one's who will have trouble adding muscle, because their body structure, metabolism, and amount of muscle fibre does not lend itself to quick muscular growth.

The advantage of being short, is that you can look quite dense and solid quite quickly as you don't have as much muscle to fill out on your limbs. If you are tall, ie 5'10 plus, you obviously have longer limbs and it takes longer to fill your body out with muscle.

Success in this sport is all about building the best physique you can with the gentics you have, good or bad. Therefore, once you take genetics out of the equation because it is fixed and you can't alter genetics, success all comes down to the three variables of nutrition, training and dedication. Those three variables which you can control, will determine to what extent you realise your genetic potential or not.

So good luck and don't let anyone hold you back.

[fembdybldr]

Oh my God! you sound just like me! I am the same height (I'm 5'6 and 160lbs)and I add muscle and fat quickly and my body likes to hang on to that hip and leg fat.
I am a bodybuilder who has been training for 2 1/2 years. Our type of build is great for off season bodybuilding but getting it off is almost a science. If you do decide to compete, don't jump out of the starting gate all at once. Give yourself a good 6 months to diet down, so you can save as much of that muscle mass as possible. If you're anything like me, your body will burn muscle first before fat and you end up looking really, and I mean really flat. (been there done that and I had to start over). Just continue to monitor your progress and take things slow and steady.