First, a pet peeve of mine, one you might’ve seen (many times) on social media:
A dramatic before and after transformation doesn’t show someone “overcame bad genetics.”
If anything, it shows the opposite—good genetics—as in a genetically gifted response to resistance training.
Because that’s how gene expression works.
Now you can spot “genetic potential” as far as good bone structure for bodybuilding (wide shoulders, narrow hips, etc) but that’s one small part of a more complex equation.
Take Arnold—he was undoubtedly genetically gifted.
Anyone who’s seen pictures of Arnold at age 16 can observe the perfect foundational bone structure, long tendon insertions, and deep muscle bellies that underpin his iconic physique in the 70s.
But at the end of the day, God-like genes or not, you gotta do the work. Consistently. For YEARS.
You can’t SEE that. Hell, you’re probably not even born with it.
That kind of vision, work ethic, and dogged determination must be trained and developed—just like your muscles.
And it almost certainly accounts for the largest part of any PHYSICAL transformation.
So take any fitness influencers’ claims of “overcoming bad genetics” with a hefty dose of skepticism and this bit of advice from yours truly:
For every year you spend training, eating, and recovering like a bodybuilder, the better your genetics for bodybuilding will appear to be.
It’s science.
— Coach Bryan