If I told you that I have created a program that could make you three inches taller, what would you say? You would probably say that I'm full of it. And, you'd be right. What if I further claimed that this program, with the right facial exercises and diet plan, could make you look exactly like your favorite celebrity? Would I still be full of it? Coming out of my ears, right? Then, why are so many peoples' goals to have Brad Pitt's Fight Club abs or to slim down into Heidi Klum's runway figure? Why does this seem more possible?
The fact is, even the best fitness and nutritional regimen is limited by your genetics. The amount of intricacies that work together to make you you is hardly quantifiable. Your DNA is imbedded with information that largely determines your physical capabilities. I call the peak manifestation of these capabilities your genetic blueprint (this term may be used with less specific connotations throughout the scientific community).
What this means is that there are certain aspects of our physical make-up that just can't be altered in a natural way. Sure, we could get major reconstructive surgery. We could get liposuction and abdominal implants, but without the necessary behavioral changes, we could end up right back where we started. We could get gastric bypass surgery, but that wouldn't make your dietary habits (the quality of content) any better. We could get all jacked-up on steroids, but they aren't worth the complications that they create. The point here is that nature doesn't like to be drastically altered, and any attempt to do so could cause more problems than it solves or could further exploit existing problems without the implementations of much needed behavioral changes. Procedures with this level of severity should only be conducted if a qualified medical professional deems it necessary.
Given the inescapable marriage to your genetic blueprint, it is important (especially for motivational purposes) to be familiar with the limiting factors involved. Here are some of the more obvious limiting factors that we face and a brief description of each:
1. Fat distribution - Your body determines where it wants to put fat and in what order it wants to add or subtract that fat from various locations. Some people hold more fat in their abdomen, whereas others hold the majority of fat in there butt or thighs. Also, someone might notice a decrease of fat in one area of their body but not in another. Your body is in total control of this fat distribution and order of addition or elimination. So, you can kiss your spot-reduction wishes goodbye.
2. Bone Structure- Your bone structure determines the general framework of your form. The shape, width, and length of each bone can largely influence the potential size and shape of your muscles and the condition of your posture.
3. Insertion Points- Any muscle that concerns itself with movement is connected to two bones (at least). As it pertains to the potential movement created by the muscle, there is a stationary bone (a bone that remains still) and a moving bone (a bone that is caused to move as a result of muscular contraction). The muscle's origin is understood as being the part that attaches to the stationary bone, and the insertion point (the major variant from person to person) is the part that attaches to the moving bone. The greater the distance between the joint and the insertion point, the more leverage the muscle has. This better leverage creates greater strength and power as a result of its inherent mechanical advantage.
4. Muscle Belly Length- Muscles attach to bones by tendons, and the connection between a muscle and a tendon is called the musculotendinous junction. If you track a muscle from one bone to another, this is what you'd essentially have: bone, tendon, musculotendinous junction, muscle, musculotendinous junction, tendon, bone. It is important to note that the muscle cannot be made to grow closer to the bone along the tendons. You will not see a decreasing of tendon length and an increasing of muscle length. The only thing that can be altered here is the cross-sectional area of the muscle (increasing the size or width). It is also important to know that this situation places limits on the potential size of a muscle, since a muscle's width will not naturally exceed its length.
5. Muscle Fiber Type & Number- For the sake of simplicity, there are three different types of muscle fibers that make-up any muscle: type I (slow twitch or oxidative fibers), type IIa (fast oxidative or oxidative-glycolytic fibers), and type IIb (fast glycolytic or glycolytic fibers). The higher the oxidative capacity of a fiber, the more it lends itself to endurance activities. The higher the glycolytic capacity of a fiber, the more equipped it is at accomplishing high levels of power and strength and the greater potential for growth. The number and distribution of these fiber types not only vary from person to person but can also vary from muscle to muscle within the same person.
- What Did You Expect? Part 1
The fact is, even the best fitness and nutritional regimen is limited by your genetics.
- What Did You Expect? Part 2
Resuming from part 1, Jay finishes his common sense, yet effective approach to getting the results you want!
- Most Common Fitness Myths Debunked
Don't let the mainstream media and "fitness pundits" fool you into buying their garbage. Learn the truth about fitness and nutrition in some of the most common misconceptions in the fitness world!
