is strength genetic?

[JasonH]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing - especially when it comes to genetics.

Can you do a 500lb bench?
Can you build a 20inch arm?

If you can, then you've obvisouly got the genetics for it. But you'll never know until you've done it....

[Geo]

I'll go with 75 % genetics and 25 % mental and call it a day !
                           

[tbombz]

posts like this is why tbombz is the f*ckn man!

thanks 

[Palpatine Q]

EVERYTHING is genetics. if you don't have the genes to bench 500 pounds, you won't.[/b]that said, people often attribute things to "poor genetics" that could really be solved otherwise. sure, not everyone will deadlift 600 their first attempt, but i'd hazard a guess that given enough time and work most people should be able to come close to that. you always see some guy who weighs 180 pounds with a soft belly saying he has "shitty genetics" only to find out he drinks four days a week and spends more on porno mags than protein powder.

i do NOT have good genetics. my first squat workout i did 95 pounds for a set of 20 and nearly died. it took almost a year before i could even DEADLIFT 225 (i distinctly remember being at the gym with a buddy and using straps to deadlift two plates a side on the short 25 pound bar and feeling like a badass). i started lifting when i was 17 and four years later i was proud of myself for doing a damn board press with 275.

now, two years after that, i can hit 350 with a pause on the bench, pull 520, squat four plates for reps, weighing LESS than i did when i got that shitty 275 board press. my genetics didn't change, i just got my head on straight, ate better, and stopped training like an idiot. that's the key. i could have easily stayed in my rut and figured i'd never be able to get any better, but i didn't and actually started improving.

genetics ARE the big things, but people have a WAY skewed impression of where their genetics will stop them.

Good Post Magoogle.

First sentence quoted for absolute truth.

[mesmorph78]

Good Post Magoogle.

First sentence quoted for absolute truth.

exactly....

[MisterMagoo]

i do admit that it's impossible to know where your genetic limits are, but... they exist, and that's all there is to it. some guys are gonna be benching 3 plates for reps within a year or so of stepping into the gym and have 18" arms without doing much arm work. some guys are gonna be scraping for every quarter inch of size and every five pounds on the bar. sad but true.

the mental aspect will help you maximize your potential, but it ain't gonna overcome your DNA. the key is to never use genetics as an EXCUSE. just bust your ass to always improve. the odds of any of us hitting our genetic limit is pretty slim. you might not be able to get 22" arms or a nine-plate deadlift, but chances are much better that you could add a half inch or a plate per side if you worked at it.

[mesmorph78]

exactly....
i prefer not to know what my limit is..
in my mind i have no limit i just keep going....
the fun part is to break new ground... in size and muscle shape but most importantly STRENGTH
and doing so naturally is the challenge

[WillGrant]

posts like this is why tbombz is the f*ckn man!

Umm no , its not comparing apples with apples..

Yes your mind is always a limiting factor but if this was the case and all it took was mind control then we would all be benching 1000s of pounds etc..

The strong men in the world would all be moving 10000000 of pounds..you see its just not the case..having control over your mind is a vary valuable tool but will not make you go past your genetic limitations , most of us never really even reach that limit..


The mother who saves her baby has nothing to do with "strengh training" but adreniline..a sudden rush of A and add the fight or flight syndrome can turn anyone into a superman..it has nothing to do with mind control or strengh training.

[MisterMagoo]

The mother who saves her baby has nothing to do with "strengh training" but adreniline..a sudden rush of A and add the fight or flight syndrome can turn anyone into a superman..it has nothing to do with mind control or strengh training.

not to mention those stories are heavily exaggerated. the supposed analogy is that a mother saving her child can lift a car but ah... no. that doesn't actually happen. sure she might be stronger than she would be normally, but it's not like if i put you in a situation like that you'll suddenly be able to tip over a Greyhound bus. people take this "power of the mental" thing to retarded limits.

it's like you and meso said, it's not about thinking that your brain can overcome all limitations, it's having the positive attitude that you can always improve because chances are you can.

[tbombz]

not to mention those stories are heavily exaggerated. the supposed analogy is that a mother saving her child can lift a car but ah... no. that doesn't actually happen. sure she might be stronger than she would be normally, but it's not like if i put you in a situation like that you'll suddenly be able to tip over a Greyhound bus. people take this "power of the mental" thing to retarded limits.

it's like you and meso said, it's not about thinking that your brain can overcome all limitations, it's having the positive attitude that you can always improve because chances are you can.

um, yes, actually, peieople have done similar feats of strength in these kinds of situations.

your underestimating the power of the mind.

[Palpatine Q]

not to mention those stories are heavily exaggerated. the supposed analogy is that a mother saving her child can lift a car but ah... no. that doesn't actually happen. sure she might be stronger than she would be normally, but it's not like if i put you in a situation like that you'll suddenly be able to tip over a Greyhound bus. people take this "power of the mental" thing to retarded limits.

it's like you and meso said, it's not about thinking that your brain can overcome all limitations, it's having the positive attitude that you can always improve because chances are you can.

agreed again.

I wish i could vlountarily put myself in the state of mind that i can lift a car every time i workout

Maybe I should take some method acting classes