A lot of popular guys in various different sports fields, at one point or another, have been accused of using steroids. Some of them are really muscular, while others are not. So, how exactly are you supposed to know what is actually possible to achieve naturally?
Even though many of the steroid accusations were proven to be true, there are also plenty of steroid accusations that are proven wrong. Anytime an athlete looks really muscular or shredded, a large group of people will immediately assume that such a physique is only attainable with performance enhancing drugs. Ironically, people that don’t work out themselves are some of the first to jump on the steroid accusation bandwagon. They assume that since they couldn’t do it naturally then no one else could do it either.
However, the truth is that there are variables that influence how much muscle someone can build naturally. And the very first variable that we’ve got to touch on is, of course, genetics. That’s because there’s no doubt that having favorable muscle building genetics can go a very long way.
However, even though genetics do matter, a lot of people know that what you do with your diet, workout plan, and also sleeping schedule is also extremely important. And scientific research reports support this belief. The evidence actually shows that both genetics and environmental factors contribute about equally to muscle and strength gain capabilities. Since there’s a strong link between strength and muscle mass shown by those studies, it means that genetics and environmental factors should also have about an equal impact on how much muscle you could build.
Bottom Line About Muscle Building
It is true that you can drastically improve your physique and grow a lot of muscles whatever genetic makeup you have. But it is also true that having amazing genetics can wind up building much more muscle even while putting in much less work than someone with bad muscle building genetics.
We can see a perfect example of having a big genetic edge by looking at the current powerlifting record holder named Andy Bolton. He said it himself that he didn’t even start training until he was 18 years old. And on his very first time, he was already able to squat 500 pounds and deadlift 600 pounds.
Understanding Genetics
So yes, it is safe to say that genetics do matter. But exactly, which genetic factors actually determine how much muscle you can build naturally and how you would find out if you yourself have good muscle building genetics? Well, some people take a DNA or genetic test, but even a good genetic test is only going to look at 20 of your genes. That’s a big problem because the human gene project has identified over 20,000 genes present in every human being. So, even if you look at one particular gene that might have an impact on muscle growth, it’s still as if you’re looking at a single computer chip and trying to find out how the entire computer works based on that single chip.
That’s why researchers advise against taking genetic tests seriously. In fact, a 2016 review that looked at a bunch of studies on this topic had the researchers questioning if genetic tests could even predict athletic performance with any sort of accuracy.
So, it obviously brings up the question: why are DNA Tests so popular then?
And the answer is very simple: because they bring in a lot of money.
Now with all of that said, there are a few factors that do seem to directly influence muscle building potential. And the primary one is:
Frame Size
For example, referring back to our powerlifter Andy Bolton – one thing that made him stronger without even training is what most powerlifters have – he has a very good build. That’s how he managed to make his powerlifting coach look tiny. Not only because he has more muscle, but also because his skeleton frame is massive.
That’s why – the thicker your frame, the more muscle you can typically build around it. We could see this playing out in studies that show that most people with big bones and joints carry more muscle naturally than the slimmer built people.
Other evidence also shows that world class bodybuilders, Olympic lifters, and powerlifters all have a large frame size making it a good predictor of success in those sports. So, if it’s a good predictor, how can you use frame size to determine your natural muscle building potential?
Special Formula
Well, there’s a bodybuilder formula that analyses 300 title winning natural bodybuilders and strength athletes from 1947 to 2010. The formula uses factors such as your height, ankle circumference, wrist circumference, and body fat percentage in order to estimate your natural muscle building potential.
Unfortunately, one downside is that the formula is pretty complex, especially done with the pen and paper. But fortunately, there’s an online calculator that can do the math for you.
However, keep in mind that even though this formula is the most accurate option we have at this moment, it’s not foolproof.
For example, this formula doesn’t take into account how well someone trains and eats. And I already mentioned that muscle growth is about 50% environmental. So, that’s a very important variable to leave out. Another is that the formula doesn’t consider someone’s hormonal profile either. And based on the fact that we know what anabolic steroids (hormones) can do – that’s another extremely important factor. And lastly, it requires you to take a bunch of measurements that can be easily messed up if you take them at the wrong measuring sites.
So, there are a couple of less complicated ways to estimate your natural muscle building potential. But the problem is that the simpler methods also tend to be less accurate. But we can still give you a lot of estimation of what you can expect. Especially when combined with the formula I just ran over.
The McDonald Model for Genetic Muscular Potential
One of these methods was developed by a long time researcher and natural bodybuilder Lyle McDonald. He made a table to show exactly what you can expect. According to his model, you can gain anywhere between 37 and 46 pounds of muscle during your first four years of lifting weights. After that, additional growth comes very slowly, down to only about a few pounds per year.
So, to illustrate this better. If you start the journey at 150 pounds in 2020, you should be able to reach anywhere between 187 to 196 pounds in 2023 (4 years of training). Now, even though this model can be helpful, there are a couple of pitfalls.
- It’s designed only for men. Women can expect to gain at about half the rate that men can. So that’s about between 19 and 23 pounds over the first four years.
- Another issue is that it’s designed for people who eat, sleep and train properly. If you’re inconsistent or you don’t have the muscle building fundamentals in check, you won’t progress at his outlined rates.
- And finally, the last issue is that this model doesn’t take in consideration such things as your age. If you’re in your 20s, or early 30s you can generate muscle gains faster than those who are older. That’s due to more favorable hormonal profiles for muscle growth.
So, to more accurately predict how much muscle you can build naturally, not only should you use two methods instead of just one, but you should also be looking at three other things.
Three Other Factors
Birth Weight
The first one you should look at is your birth weight. Research shows that the bigger you were as a baby, the more muscular you’re likely to become as an adult. As a reference, the average weight of a newborn is about 7.5 pounds and those who are under 5.5 pounds are considered clinically underweight.
Ratio Between Index and Ring Finger
Secondly, you should look at the ratio in between your index finger and ring finger. This may sound like sci-fi science, but it could actually indicate how much muscle you could build naturally. That’s because having a shorter index finger and a longer ring finger indicates that you’ve had more exposure to testosterone while in the womb. This actually explains why research shows that people that have a shorter index finger and a long ring finger have a higher potential for strength sports as well as a wide range of other physical activities.
To do this test yourself, it’s best to use your right hand. That’s because oddly enough, research shows that the right hand is a better predictor of prenatal testosterone exposure than the left. So, place your right hand flat on a table with your finger pressed against each other and observe the difference between your index finger and your ring finger.
Race Phenotype
Finally, the third and final predictor of how much muscle you could build may have to do with your racial phenotype. Based on the available data, the phenotypes with the best genetic potential for muscle growth to worst are African American to Caucasian and then Asian. But, make sure to take this last factor with a grain of salt because the evidence is not enough on this topic. Moreover, there are obviously plenty of examples of all different people with different racial backgrounds successfully building a ton of muscle both naturally and on steroids (think of Chul Soon).
In The End
In general, I have to go back to one main point that I mentioned before and that’s the fact that environmental factors make up fifty percent of your results when it comes to building muscle. Thanks to this, at the end of the day, there’s no reason why you should limit yourself just because you think that you have bad genetics.
Ultimately, by working harder and by doing the right things in the kitchen and in the gym, you can reach the top of your genetic potential just by staying consistent. And even if you don’t have the biggest frame or the ability to squat 500 pounds on your first try, it doesn’t change the fact that you ought to yourself to get into the best shape that you can possibly be for yourself.
Everyone has the ability to pack on a lot of pounds naturally and by pushing genetics aside, the two factors that are fully in your control are:
- Consistency
- How well you structure your workout sessions and your diet
Hard work and consistency really go a long way. In many cases, putting in consistent actions required will yield better results than just having genetics on your side.
Other Things to Consider about Muscle Building
One last thing that I want to mention is that many within the fitness community talk about men being able to build about 1 to 2 pounds of muscle per month. That’s while women can only build about 0.5 to 1 pound of muscle per month. Even though this can’t be used as a guesstimate of how much muscle you can build, there’s no research to back this up. So, it’s important to keep that in mind.
To get a better prediction, you are better off sticking with the methods that I talked about earlier.
So, remember that your workout plan and diet plan (alongside your sleeping schedule) are playing an extremely important role in how much muscle you can build and how great of a physique you can develop. But in case you have mastered these factors and you want to take it to the next level, you can always resort to anabolic steroids that are there to help you get over the genetic potential.
If you’re feeling that it’s unfair that you train and eat right for years and have pretty much the same results as someone else doing the same things or even worse for only a few months, then you can always add anabolic steroids. They are surely game changers.
On our website, Supps-For-Life.to you can find various tips and best advice including the best anabolic steroids. By properly using them, you’re sure to get over the genetic limit.
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