09/20/2023
Are Your Genetics Good for Bodybuilding—And Does it Matter?
Building muscle and strength requires hard work and time. You have to strength train, eat right, get enough sleep, and be patient to see results. But if you’ve ever thought it’s easier for some people than others, you are right.
Your particular set of genes determines, to some extent, how easy or difficult it is to build muscle and get strong. Yes, everyone can see improvements by doing all the right things, but some people are more limited.
Is it possible to know if you have the right DNA for bodybuilding? Or is it a matter of trial and error? Are some people naturally muscular without working out or putting in long days in the weight room? Are you out of luck if you have bad chest genetics or bad ab genes? Whether for you or your training clients, a lifestyle or health and fitness genetics test can provide some answers and direct your fitness program.
How to Know if Your Genetics are Good for Bodybuilding? Take a Test
Don’t worry, it’s an easy test. Lifestyle genetic tests are increasing in popularity, and they are more affordable than ever. All you need to do is order a kit, send a sample to the testing company, and wait for the results.
The advances in DNA technology are great for health and fitness. These tests can help you determine your specific strengths and weaknesses when it comes to working out, building muscle, nutrition planning, and losing or maintaining a healthy weight.
If you’re a trainer, you are probably already fielding a lot of questions about these DNA tests. Your clients want to know more about them, if they are worth the cost, and if they can help them get fitter or meet their weight goals.
For strength training, the right genetic test can give you some important answers. Some of your clients may respond really well to lifting and be suited to bodybuilding. Others may struggle to see gains when they lift or strength train.
What the results of the test can tell you is how to change their workouts to meet their goals most efficiently. Even for those clients who just aren’t destined to be a bodybuilder, DNA test results can guide program planning so that they get as many benefits from strength training as possible.
Bodybuilding, Strength Training, and DNA
It’s obvious that our genes play a role in fitness. Long before we understood so much about DNA, good genetics, and health, it was clear that some people just build muscle more easily. Bodybuilders work hard to get chiseled bodies, but many also have a boost from their genetics.
One important gene that has been studied and proven to impact strength and muscle size is called ACTN3. This gene codes for α-actinin-3, a protein in fast-twitch muscle fibers. It’s these types of fibers that allow muscles to contract rapidly. They are necessary for power sports, like weightlifting and sprinting.
Studies have found that a lot of people have a defective version of ACTN3, which means the protein cannot be made. Among elite power athletes, the functional version of the gene is much more common than in the general population (1). So if your genetic test showed you have the functional ACTN3 gene, it means you probably have an advantage in strength training and bodybuilding.
ACTN3 is just one of several genes that contribute to an individual’s ability to put on muscle mass and gain muscle strength. Genes are complicated, and we still don’t fully understand how they all interact to make each person unique. Several genes, and probably many more to be discovered, have an impact on bodybuilding abilities.
