Striving for the ‘Perfect’ body you see in a magazine is silly when you think about it. Why would you want to look like someone else anyway?
Chasing an ‘Ideal’ appearance isn’t what being a Physique Artist is all about. We all have unique gifts and characteristics. Being a Physique Artist is about appreciating what you have… and working with it to the best of your ability…
…In an effort to sculpt your own personal masterpiece.
Whether we like it or not… genetics does play a role in sculpting your physique. In some cases genetics can be a blessing… in others a curse.
But with instances where it appears we’ve lost the genetic lottery, it’s important to avoid using it as a scape goat or an excuse. Instead… turn that genetic disadvantage into a personal advantage. (more on this topic in a moment)…
For now, let’s take a closer look at the influence of genetics on your physique…
Genetic Factors and Your Physique Masterpiece
Bone Structure is a big factor in both appearance and performance of your physique. Longer limbs can be a disadvantage in some movements, yet an advantage in others.
From an appearance perspective, if you have a short torso and longer legs it can be a challenge to create the illusion of a balanced physique.
Some people like myself are born with broad shoulders. This is an advantage when aiming to achieve a V-taper. But it can be a disadvantage in building thickness with your chest and back. It always seems like the guys who are envious of my shoulder and back width are the ones who have a barrel like chest and big slabs of back muscle, with monster traps.
Your waist can only get so small… and it all depends on your bone structure… same goes for your hips.
Muscle Insertion is also going to have an impact on how you perform certain movements as well as the aesthetic appearance of specific muscles.
For example… having a lower insertion point for the biceps will give you a fuller look and is aesthetically pleasing compared to an individual with a higher insertion point, who may complain about the gap between their biceps and elbow. But it’s often a performance advantage to have the higher insertion point.
You can’t change where your muscle inserts… just as you can’t alter the structure of your abs. Some people are born with perfectly placed abs, while others are more staggered. Some people have all three rows of their abs placed above their belly button, while others have the lower row below the belly button. Some people only have a 4-pack… while others won the genetic lottery with an 8-pack.
NOTE: If you weren’t born with an 8-pack there in now way of working out or dieting to create an 8-pack.
Body Type is definitely going to have an influence on achieving your physique goals. If you’re an ectomorph who is naturally skinny it can be a challenge to gain muscle. The process will be slow. If your an endomorph it may be easy to pack on muscle, but even easier to gain fat. Getting ripped will be the biggest challenge for an endomorph. If you’re a mesomorph… congrats, you won the genetic lottery 😉
Fat Distribution has a tremendous impact on achieving physique goals… especially for women. Some women carry vary little fat in their upper body while storing the majority of their fat on the butt, hips, and thighs. In this case, sculpting lean, defined legs may result in a frail looking upper body. The good news… you can build muscle in your upper body to make you look healthier.
If you’re trying to compare yourself to a female who has even fat distribution throughout their entire body… you are setting yourself up for a world of frustration.
Muscle Fiber Distribution will have a strong influence on your performance… which contributes to your aesthetic appearance.
Although there is a relatively even distribution of slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers throughout our body… some people were born with a bit more fast twitch. This is why we see people who are naturally great sprinters and some built for endurance sports.
People with more fast twitch fibers are better at lifting heavy weight… challenging their fast twitch fibers, which have the greatest potential for growth.
Some people are just built for strength. They’ve got an optimal distribution of fast twitch muscle fibers, optimal muscle origin and insertions, and optimal bone structure.
Gait and Movement Patters influence your performance, with impacts your physique. For example; I have some friends who have been walking on their tippy toes ever since they took their first steps. Their calves are gynormous and they’ve never had to do any formal exercise to build them up.
I on the other hand am a heel striker and I don’t push off with my toes when I walk or go up the steps. I have to consciously force myself to do it. In my opinion, I feel my gait is at least in part responsible for my small calves (which I’ve been working very hard at building up… and it’s working very well).
There are Non-Responders and Outliers among us. Some people are hyper-responsive to exercise. They can think of lifting a weight and they gain a pound of muscle. Others can bust their butt and experience very little improvement.
This is an emerging area of research… and they even have tests to help determine if you are likely to be an exercise responder or a non-responder.
And On… And On…
From this list of genetic influences, you should have a pretty good picture of just how silly it is to compare yourself to others… and we’ve just scratched the surface. We haven’t even begun to discus hormones and other physiological differences.
Turn Genetic Disadvantages Into Personal Advantages
As I mentioned earlier, genetics shouldn’t be viewed as an excuse… it’s simply a means of perspective in the grand picture.
Sure I was dealt a genetic bad card with skinny legs and puny calves. Sure it’s been a challenge to thicken up my chest and back muscles… but you know what??? I’m grateful for the challenge.
In my quest for building a thicker chest and back I discovered some pretty amazing training techniques… learned to enhance my mind-muscle connection to really feel the stretch and maximize the contraction. With this new perspective my training has skyrocketed to an entirely new level.
When I really began to focus on my calves I realized that although I could lift a significant amount of weight, I was using a lot of supporting muscles and I was barely contracting my calves. I had to learn to maximally contract them… and oh boy, what an experience it was… intense cramping… but it opened my eyes. I now know the optimal techniques to contract my calves and I’ve armed myself with a plethora of new training techniques to stimulate growth.
The amount of effort it has taken to build up my legs has really provided me with the opportunity to show myself what I’m made of. A great leg workout carries over into the rest of my workouts for the week. It’s a thrill to test my limits on leg day. Although I feel exhausted at the end, it’s a huge sense of accomplishment. The results… always worth it!
Conclusion
Appreciate your personal genetics. Do not try to be like anyone else. Simply become the best version of yourself. Become fascinated with your unique gifts and abilities. Sculpt your own personal masterpiece.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK is a Certified Fitness Consultant and Elite Natural Bodybuilder with the UFE.
Scott specializes in helping regular men and women sculpt their body into a chiseled work of art. Viewing training as an art form and your body as a sculpture is a simple shift in mindset that brings out the beauty in your ongoing body transformation.
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions, spectacular symmetry, and magnificent detail is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.
Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs:
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When Scott needs to urgently strip away stubborn sacks of fat for a photo shoot or bodybuilding contest, he turns to his time-tested proven system… Elite Physique system.