Arnold's Genetics

[quote]PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Another new-be spouting off. This gets my vote for “dumb thread of the week”. Arnold had bad genetics, my dieing ass. THe dud was a freak of nature in his time. Remember, these pictures were taken 40 years ago. Bad genetics. You have to be kidding. Genetics do matter if you are tying to be among the best. I could train and train and train, but I’ll never be a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

Anyone who is a top level competitor in any sport has superior genetics. About 1 in 16,000 kids makes it to the pro’s in any sport. It’s more than simple hard work that separates them from the rest. You are right, that shouldn’t be an excuse to be the best I personally can be. But to make it to the top genetics is key (and hard work). Arnold was a genetic freak.

wow, this is a weird site

i was putting an article up for those who maybe dont have the best genetics or were not born naturally muscular like “ARNOLD” and actually had to build their muscles…you never know your potential until you give it some effort.

instead i got taken the wrong way. my point again was that “GENETICS WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A CHAMPION”

good or bad genetics is an OPINION…so whatever anybody says is fine with me, i would say he had both good or bad, it woulnt make a difference.

Why because when Arnold was 120 lbs, he wanted to be 240

I’m sorry this article didn’t provide some motivation, rather it just started differences in opinion and debate.

Well that wasnt its intended purpose. Opinion is also highly over rated as about as much as genetics are.

It’s not a weird site, you are just wrong. Genetics is part of what makes people champion. Is it just hard work that enabled Spud Webb to play in the NBA at 5’6" and win a dunk contest? No, the guy had freak genetics and could jump like a gazelle. Yes, he worked hard at his sport, but the genetic gift he had made the difference. Your stance is like one of those Disney movies “just do your best, don’t give up, and keep on dreaming…”

Dude, if you don’t have a certain genetic makeup you will not be a top level athlete, no matter how hard you try. You can be better than you are right now, but professional athletes have more than just a good work ethic. Genetics separates the pro’s from the rest.

[/quote]

well, you make very valid points, but i completely disagree with everything you just wrote

you will learn at some point in your life the power of the the mind and heart and determination and such…

i now see why you wanna argue, we completely disagree on what a champion is.

you believe they are born, i believe they are made

well to each his own i guess

good luck with your genetics then, your life was already already predetermined according to you.

For me,mMy life will be determined by me.

Peace

[quote]Malevolence wrote:
sasquatch wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
Malevolence wrote:
Hard work means a lot more than genetics ever will. ever there is no debating that. Genetics shouldn’t even be brought up, because it’s such a nebulous subject which seems to serve no functional purpose other than making excuses.

Genetics don’t make up for bad motivation, poor discipline, work ethic and drive. If anything, the naturally gifted athlete will be more likely to be lazy and never reach the potential awarded to them by their genetics, solely because they don’t learn the value of hard work.

Arnold may have never been totally skinny, but it’s clear that he’d have been called an ectomorph when he was a teen, just more proof that body types pointless.

i completely agree

pretty much my point, but i went about a different way of stateing it i guess …lol

i don’t see Arnold at all as anything other than a guy that built a killer body and i give him alot of credit. the same even for Ron Coleman. Ron is pushing the limits on how much muscle can actually be obtained on a human. I think Arnold pushed the limit of how much he could attain and still have an aestetic or proportionate physique.

You agree that Arnold would have been considered an ectomorph at 16???

Tall and thin, not much inherent mass, yeah. I would.

You agree that ‘genetically gifted’ are less inclined to reach their potential because they are lazy???

That’s not what I said. I said it is more likely they will be lazy. When you’re spoon-fed something your whole life, it is more likely you’ll lack the initiative to get it for yourself. This is true in almost everything in life. Someone who gains muscle very easily, is less likely to put in all the hard work required to truly make it to the top of their potential because they don’t understand what that hard work means. This is not a rule of course, just an observation.

Some people recognize where they are innately gifted and use that as motivation in and of itself to strive harder. But, a lot of people are just lazy.

You agree that discussing genetic makeup when talking about or comparing top level bb’ers is useless,nebulous, and non-functional(?)–per your discussion of Arnold and Zane???

Talking genetics < talking work ethic. Period. There is no point in it. What do you say if you compare the top 10 bodybuilders in the world by genetics? what information does that give you? why even bring it up? To be the best you have to work hard, genetics matter, but they will only take you so far, you could have the best genetics in the world and a terrible work ethic and never make it to the top level at all, despite having the inherent capacity to do it. When discussing top level athletes I’m far more interested in what work they did to get there than what sort of innate advantages they were born with.
[/quote]

If Arnold looked like that at 16, at what age was he just tall and skinny with not much inherent mass----10. I don’t believe we begin to guess bodytype in pre-pubescence.

Your ‘observation’ of those gifted is nonsense. There is no correlation to those who have succeeded and their potential. Some do–some don’t.

So genetics plays no part in discussing top ranked bb’ers. You just want to see their workouts. Phoey! What about bellies? What about joint size? Insertion points? Height? All factor into the total package you are observing.
All these guys have put in the effort.

[quote]Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Another new-be spouting off. This gets my vote for “dumb thread of the week”. Arnold had bad genetics, my dieing ass. THe dud was a freak of nature in his time. Remember, these pictures were taken 40 years ago. Bad genetics. You have to be kidding. Genetics do matter if you are tying to be among the best. I could train and train and train, but I’ll never be a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

Anyone who is a top level competitor in any sport has superior genetics. About 1 in 16,000 kids makes it to the pro’s in any sport. It’s more than simple hard work that separates them from the rest. You are right, that shouldn’t be an excuse to be the best I personally can be. But to make it to the top genetics is key (and hard work). Arnold was a genetic freak.

wow, this is a weird site

i was putting an article up for those who maybe dont have the best genetics or were not born naturally muscular like “ARNOLD” and actually had to build their muscles…you never know your potential until you give it some effort.

instead i got taken the wrong way. my point again was that “GENETICS WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A CHAMPION”

good or bad genetics is an OPINION…so whatever anybody says is fine with me, i would say he had both good or bad, it woulnt make a difference.

Why because when Arnold was 120 lbs, he wanted to be 240

I’m sorry this article didn’t provide some motivation, rather it just started differences in opinion and debate.

Well that wasnt its intended purpose. Opinion is also highly over rated as about as much as genetics are.

It’s not a weird site, you are just wrong. Genetics is part of what makes people champion. Is it just hard work that enabled Spud Webb to play in the NBA at 5’6" and win a dunk contest? No, the guy had freak genetics and could jump like a gazelle. Yes, he worked hard at his sport, but the genetic gift he had made the difference. Your stance is like one of those Disney movies “just do your best, don’t give up, and keep on dreaming…”

Dude, if you don’t have a certain genetic makeup you will not be a top level athlete, no matter how hard you try. You can be better than you are right now, but professional athletes have more than just a good work ethic. Genetics separates the pro’s from the rest.

well, you make very valid points, but i completely disagree with everything you just wrote

you will learn at some point in your life the power of the the mind and heart and determination and such…

i now see why you wanna argue, we completely disagree on what a champion is.

you believe they are born, i believe they are made

well to each his own i guess

good luck with your genetics then, your life was already already predetermined according to you.

For me,mMy life will be determined by me.

Peace[/quote]

Silly. No one is saying that champions are born and not made. Just that most had a lot of potential and also worked damn hard to realize it. Those who didn’t work or didn’t work as hard didn’t realize it and were not champions. Those with less innate ability and potential in whatever area can still be extremely successful just by virtue of hard work and discipline. But they may never rise to the level of the elite of the elite. Through no fault of their own either. These people are just as admirable.

[quote]Go heavy fool wrote:

good luck with your genetics then, your life was already already predetermined according to you.

For me,mMy life will be determined by me.

Peace[/quote]

People cannot exceed their genetics.

No matter how much I want to be 6’11", try every drug or contraption out there to be 6’11, it just isn’t going to happen.

Same with muscle building.

I think your point is (if there is one) people shouldn’t use “genetics” as an excuse for crappy diet or poor discipline. If that is your point, your are just not very good at communicating it.

Everyone should try to maximize their genetic potential, but to say that anyone can look like Arnold if they try real hard is just retarded.

[quote]sasquatch wrote:

All these guys have put in the effort.[/quote]

That is the key which seems to not only have been overlooked by the original poster, but by some guys in other threas. I think some of them really believe guys are just born huge and didn’t have to work for it. Arnold’s genetics were better than most and he was not skinny growing up. Those pics are half a century old. That means comparing him or anyone else from 40-60 years ago with people today is to avoid realizing that you should be comparing to OTHERS FROM THEIR SAME TIME PERIOD.

Genetics aren’t just about what someone starts with. It also involves how someone adapts to training. Some skinny kid who starts training and gains 80lbs of muscle in 5 years does not have crappy genetics just because they started out skinny.

Genetics will be the determination of who is the greatest at the top of any sport. They have little to do with the fact that to get there will require a shit load of work out of ANYONE. Most people aren’t seeing progress in the gym because they don’t try hard enough or even believe they can. It has little to do with genetics.

[quote]Go heavy fool wrote:

i think this will be my last post…
[/quote]

I have yet to see anyone post this and actually follow through.

Furthermore we must consider the following:

  1. Genetics is a very broad term. There are several different genetic factors that can make one a great bodybuilder (since we were talking about building muscle, but it also holds true for other sports). For example:
  • Genetic predisposition to store more or less body fat. Those who are genetically programmed to carry a low level of body fat will have an easier time getting into contest shape. In all fairness, this “trait” is also heavily influenced by the first 10 years of one’s life; where nutrition and activity makes a huge difference in the number of fat cells we will carry for the rest of our life (you cannot get rid of existing fat cells, only make them shrink by losing fat or blow them up by storing more fat in them).

  • Muscle bellies and muscle attachment. Several individuals had/have the same amount of muscle as Arnold (to stay with our example), but few approached his chest and biceps when it comes to impressiveness. This is largely due to the length of his muscle bellies.

  • Muscle fiber makeup. Fast-twitch fibers have 2-3 times the hypertrophy potential than slow-twitch fibers. And despite the possibility for some fiber conversion, the percentage of each type of fiber we are born with is the percentage we’ll have for the rest of our lives. Those who are born with more fast-twitch fibers will be able to build more muscle mass than others. If an individual is 90% slow-twitch, even with all the hard work and food in the world he will never build a championship bodybuilding physique.

  • Hormonal levels. While hormones can be somewhat manipulated by nutrition and supplements (we will take AAS out of the picture … for now) some individuals are simly born with the capacity to produce more anabolic hormones naturally. These will have an easier time building muscle.

  • AAS responsiveness. We’ll be honest here… since the 70s no top professional bodybuilding physique has been built without the help of steroids. This is even more true nowadays… it is in fact next to impossible to become a pro bodybuilder with using performance-enhancing drugs. And that’s where another genetic trait comes into play: the body’s responsiveness to performance-enhancing drugs. Some individuals get a much greater anabolic drive from AAS than others. Heck, I’ve seen guys at the gym I train take over 2000mg of AAS/week and barely look like they lifted (and they trained relatively hard), while some others will grow huge on a total of 300-400mg/week. You cannot become a top pro is your body is not responsive to gear. You’d have to use way too much stuff to be able to compete with the high-responders that it would not be economically sain or healthy.

Of course there are other factors involved, but this is just to show that there is much more to “bodybuilding genetics” than saying “this guy is big so he has potential”.

Heck, if you want to post an example that is much more powerful than a young Arnold, go with a young Dorian Yates (like I did in my article on genetics) back when he was a “bad boy”. He was probably all of 165lbs… skinny fat. Nobody would have believed that he had great bodybuilding genes, but in some ways he did. His body was probably very responsive to AAS and other substances, his body was also probably able to handle higher dose without suffering more side effects (higher drug tolerance) and we probably was fast-twitch dominant. But when he was young he lived a “punk” lifestyle which is not conductive to building a nice physique.

So you cannot look at somebody out of context and comment on his genetic makeup without considering his lifestyle and past history.

I know EXACTLY what his genetics are:

ACTGGCTATGTCACACGTCACAATCGATCGATAATCGATCG
ATCGATCGATTAACACAGCATACAGCTCATATCGATCCCGA
TCCVGCATSATACACGACATACGATCAGAGCCCTAGATCGA
CTAACGTTGCAACTGAAGCTCTAGCCTGACCGATCGATAGG

I’m pretty sure that’s it, just repeated a trillion times. And who said getting that kind of muscle was hard?

[quote]Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Another new-be spouting off. This gets my vote for “dumb thread of the week”. Arnold had bad genetics, my dieing ass. THe dud was a freak of nature in his time. Remember, these pictures were taken 40 years ago. Bad genetics. You have to be kidding. Genetics do matter if you are tying to be among the best. I could train and train and train, but I’ll never be a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

Anyone who is a top level competitor in any sport has superior genetics. About 1 in 16,000 kids makes it to the pro’s in any sport. It’s more than simple hard work that separates them from the rest. You are right, that shouldn’t be an excuse to be the best I personally can be. But to make it to the top genetics is key (and hard work). Arnold was a genetic freak.

wow, this is a weird site

i was putting an article up for those who maybe dont have the best genetics or were not born naturally muscular like “ARNOLD” and actually had to build their muscles…you never know your potential until you give it some effort.

instead i got taken the wrong way. my point again was that “GENETICS WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A CHAMPION”

good or bad genetics is an OPINION…so whatever anybody says is fine with me, i would say he had both good or bad, it woulnt make a difference.

Why because when Arnold was 120 lbs, he wanted to be 240

I’m sorry this article didn’t provide some motivation, rather it just started differences in opinion and debate.

Well that wasnt its intended purpose. Opinion is also highly over rated as about as much as genetics are.

It’s not a weird site, you are just wrong. Genetics is part of what makes people champion. Is it just hard work that enabled Spud Webb to play in the NBA at 5’6" and win a dunk contest? No, the guy had freak genetics and could jump like a gazelle. Yes, he worked hard at his sport, but the genetic gift he had made the difference. Your stance is like one of those Disney movies “just do your best, don’t give up, and keep on dreaming…”

Dude, if you don’t have a certain genetic makeup you will not be a top level athlete, no matter how hard you try. You can be better than you are right now, but professional athletes have more than just a good work ethic. Genetics separates the pro’s from the rest.

well, you make very valid points, but i completely disagree with everything you just wrote

you will learn at some point in your life the power of the the mind and heart and determination and such…

i now see why you wanna argue, we completely disagree on what a champion is.

you believe they are born, i believe they are made

well to each his own i guess

good luck with your genetics then, your life was already already predetermined according to you.

For me,mMy life will be determined by me.

Peace[/quote]

Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

[quote]PGJ wrote:
Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

[/quote]

ok, I will respond one last time since you struck a note. I also play the guitar and been doing that for 15 years and it also requires no genetic material. I for one am the best example. I cannot read a note of music but I can play any song by ear. I can literally figure out a song by listening to it within a very short time. That kind of talant is learned. It came from practice.

Now your equation.

Why does Arnold fit in to your equation and not Frank Zane.

Good Genetics + Determination = Champion. ok makes sense to me, that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger to most people.

Not so good genetics + determination = best you can be (huh?)would you consider Mr. Olympia best you can be or Champion…because that would be Frank Zane

Frank Zane had not so great genetics and was a Mr. Olympia champion.

What you overlooked was the determination factor. Both equations had it, so both produced champions. Both equations did not have great genetics, only one had it.

So that might prove my point. Genetics don’t matter.

Now if someone failed to become a champion with determination, then they obviously didnt have enough of it. Arnold did. Frank did. Anybody can.

Arnold proved to be a 7 time champion was my example because he made have had some great assets, but he worked with what he had and was determined not to fail. He never had legs, at least what we now know as real quads, his genetics weren’t perfect. There is no such thing. Everyone has short commings. Only the best will be determined not to let then get in their way or be a factor. And the best of the best will use their short commings as an advantage. Arnold produced a physique that nobody else had because he used what he had. He was never going to have legs like Ronnie Coleman but he found a way to look damn good without them. His Chest and biceps are still mind boggleing. His mid section was never that sharp either.

Shawn ray would make Arnold look like amature. Again, genetics are nothing more than an excuse for those who will never become a champion. Arnold was never going to let that become a factor. He is the best example i have. Arnold would still find a way to beat every bodybuilder of today if he were competeing and off age. His determination factor is why he was what he was. What was in his mind is not something that you will often. That is very rare to have that kind of “DETERMINATION”

Like I said before…“only the strongest individuals can define their genetics, not have their genetics define them”

[quote]PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:

Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

[/quote]

Outstanding answer.

BTW and totally off-topic, what’s considered a “senior” officer; LTC and above?

Go Heavy - think about this: if you’re Arnold’s height, do his exact routine, eat his exact food, sleep the same hours he slept as a competitor… basically do everything that Arnold did (including supplementation, natural and otherwise), will you have Arnold’s size and symmetry in the same amount of time that Arnold obtained his?

It’s a yes/no answer. If it’s yes, you believe that genetics doesn’t matter AT ALL. If it’s no, then genetics matter.

The statements that Arnold and Zane were compensating for their genetics are beyond stupid. 99.9% of 16-year-old boys in the world never had Arnold’s championship physique at that age. Zane had one-in-a-million symmetry even before he touched a weight.

Hard work and determination are great, yes, and we all should be using those instead of blaming genetics. But Arnold and Zane are terrible examples for your analogy. I seriously doubt either men ever told themselves, once, “I just don’t have the genetics to become a champion. I’ll work past it instead!”

[quote]Soldierslim wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:

Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

Outstanding answer.

BTW and totally off-topic, what’s considered a “senior” officer; LTC and above?[/quote]
Now your equation.

Why does Arnold fit in to your equation and not Frank Zane.

Good Genetics + Determination = Champion. ok makes sense to me, that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger to most people.

Not so good genetics + determination = best you can be (huh?)would you consider Mr. Olympia best you can be or Champion…because that would be Frank Zane

Frank Zane had not so great genetics and was a Mr. Olympia champion.

What you overlooked was the determination factor. Both equations had it, so both produced champions. Both equations did not have great genetics, only one had it.

So that might prove my point. Genetics don’t matter.

I guess i’m wrong then

even by using your equation and seeing that its wrong. I’m still viewed as wrong.

Well, fair enough.

You can lead a blind man to the river, but you can’t make him drink----- i see the point of that old saying

Well at least i put some some cool pics of Arnold up there.

Pretty cool looking shot of Arnold’s lower legs though.

Now Zane had bad genetics…good lord. I want to see someone with the body of David Spade or Woody Allen with insane determination and work ethic train and eat like hell and become Mr. Olympia. Not simply get big and strong. But become the best in the world.

[quote]Schwarzfahrer wrote:
He is assumed to be a true mutant because his body lacks a hormone which has catabolistic effect. [/quote]

Post the source of this information.

Genetics play a role in determining muscle shape and growth potential.

Hardgainers exist. Look up hyperthyroidism.

Arnold wasn’t “skinny” at 16. You can’t call someone with more muscle mass than 90% of the population (99% at the time) skinny. Skinny denotes a lack of muscle.

Damn, this guy is more dillusional that I’ve ever been. And that’s tough, believe me…

Every Olympia winner and champion athlete in the world has some good genetics. It is the nature of the beast.

Without great genetics, you won’t be a champion among the elite, no matter how much heart or determination you have.

Deal with it.

Frank Zane, Arnold, whoever is the BEST of the BEST had great untrainable physiological attributes that led them to their success.

[quote]Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

ok, I will respond one last time since you struck a note. I also play the guitar and been doing that for 15 years and it also requires no genetic material. I for one am the best example. I cannot read a note of music but I can play any song by ear. I can literally figure out a song by listening to it within a very short time. That kind of talant is learned. It came from practice.

Now your equation.

Why does Arnold fit in to your equation and not Frank Zane.

Good Genetics + Determination = Champion. ok makes sense to me, that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger to most people.

Not so good genetics + determination = best you can be (huh?)would you consider Mr. Olympia best you can be or Champion…because that would be Frank Zane

Frank Zane had not so great genetics and was a Mr. Olympia champion.

What you overlooked was the determination factor. Both equations had it, so both produced champions. Both equations did not have great genetics, only one had it.

So that might prove my point. Genetics don’t matter.

Now if someone failed to become a champion with determination, then they obviously didnt have enough of it. Arnold did. Frank did. Anybody can.

Arnold proved to be a 7 time champion was my example because he made have had some great assets, but he worked with what he had and was determined not to fail. He never had legs, at least what we now know as real quads, his genetics weren’t perfect. There is no such thing. Everyone has short commings. Only the best will be determined not to let then get in their way or be a factor. And the best of the best will use their short commings as an advantage. Arnold produced a physique that nobody else had because he used what he had. He was never going to have legs like Ronnie Coleman but he found a way to look damn good without them. His Chest and biceps are still mind boggleing. His mid section was never that sharp either.

Shawn ray would make Arnold look like amature. Again, genetics are nothing more than an excuse for those who will never become a champion. Arnold was never going to let that become a factor. He is the best example i have. Arnold would still find a way to beat every bodybuilder of today if he were competeing and off age. His determination factor is why he was what he was. What was in his mind is not something that you will often. That is very rare to have that kind of “DETERMINATION”

Like I said before…“only the strongest individuals can define their genetics, not have their genetics define them”[/quote]

Being a professional guitarist takes a tremendous amount of eye-hand coordination, endurance (my wrists get tired after about 5 minutes) and logic. I doubt you are even in the same solar system as my brother. He just picked it up naturally at a young age. Genetically gifted.

Now, who in the world can you say Zane had terrible genetics? Look at the guy. He has perfect symetry. He wasn’t as huge as Arnold or Lou, but the guy was perfect. What is your definition of genetics anyway?

Drop the Disney cliche “you can be whatever you want with enough hard work”. I’ll never be in the NBA or compete in the WSM competition. Ever heard of having reasonable and achievable goals? That’s the bedrock of weightlifting. I refuse to use steroids. I will NEVER be Mr. O. Life is not as simple as you seem to think. ALL champions have something special. It’s a lot more than determination. You just don’t wake up one day and say I want to be a professional quarterback or run a 9.6 100M. People ARE born with certain skills.

I’ve been coaching youth baseball, soccer, football and basketball for 5 years (5-10 year olds). Some kids are just naturally better than others. I see kids busting their ass all day at practice, yet they aren’t even close to some of the slackers. Some are just naturally better athletes.

Here’s a simple plan. You go and train your ass off for a marathon, I mean go all out. Buy the best shoes, hire the best trainers and nutritionists. Those Kenyans will still destroy you. Those guys who win marathons are genetically different than the rest of the population. Literally build to run long distance. But you know what, champions that they are, heart of a lion, they couldn’t be professional bodybuilders. Different genetic gift.

[quote]jsbrook wrote:
Now Zane had bad genetics…good lord. I want to see someone with the body of David Spade or Woody Allen with insane determination and work ethic train and eat like hell and become Mr. Olympia. Not simply get big and strong. But become the best in the world. [/quote]

Amen brother.

Go Heavy Fool,

You seem to have good intentions. The “don’t give up and don’t make excuses” is a great attitude. You’ll go far. However, you need to realize that there are a lot of good people here who know what they are talking about, and when a new guy comes in and starts making silly observations and rediculous comments…well, it will get nasty.

You are young and enthusiastic. That’s good. But you do not appear to be qualified to discuss the genetic makeup of some of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Just sit back, read a lot, and ask questions.

A little while ago some new dude jumped in here and with one of his first posts, proceeded to tell us we are all screwed up for not using swiss balls. He got creamed. Know your limitations. This is a great forum, the best I’ve seen on the topic. Stick around and you will learn something.

[quote]PGJ wrote:
Go heavy fool wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Come on, be honest. You are 18 years old and think you have it all figured out. I’m a senior officer in the Marine Corps. Don’t try to lecture me on determination and heart. I’ve done shit that you can’t imagine.

My point is, to be an Arnold-level guy (your choice of examples) all it takes is hard work and determination. I disagree. YES, it takes a lot of hard work, but you have to have certain physical characteristics that can not be earned or trained. I have friends who have naturally thick joint (I mean huge). I will never bench as much as they do (assuming we both put our time in under the bar). I have friends who are naturally fast runners. Guys who can run 6-minute miles without training. My brother is a professional gutarist. It’s just something he has a knack for. He has a gift. Some people are just gifted. Kind of like the movie “Good Will Hunting”. Frustrated the hell out of the professors that this uneducated janator was a super-genius. That’s genetics. A lot of us have uptapped genetic potential for something. I will never have 22" arms like Lee Priest, but I bet I can kick his ass in a foot race. I was always faster in sprints than other kids. I didn’t train for it, I was just faster. It’s not a hard concept.

Great genetics + determination = champion

not so great genetics + determination = the best YOU can be.

ok, I will respond one last time since you struck a note. I also play the guitar and been doing that for 15 years and it also requires no genetic material. I for one am the best example. I cannot read a note of music but I can play any song by ear. I can literally figure out a song by listening to it within a very short time. That kind of talant is learned. It came from practice.

Now your equation.

Why does Arnold fit in to your equation and not Frank Zane.

Good Genetics + Determination = Champion. ok makes sense to me, that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger to most people.

Not so good genetics + determination = best you can be (huh?)would you consider Mr. Olympia best you can be or Champion…because that would be Frank Zane

Frank Zane had not so great genetics and was a Mr. Olympia champion.

What you overlooked was the determination factor. Both equations had it, so both produced champions. Both equations did not have great genetics, only one had it.

So that might prove my point. Genetics don’t matter.

Now if someone failed to become a champion with determination, then they obviously didnt have enough of it. Arnold did. Frank did. Anybody can.

Arnold proved to be a 7 time champion was my example because he made have had some great assets, but he worked with what he had and was determined not to fail. He never had legs, at least what we now know as real quads, his genetics weren’t perfect. There is no such thing. Everyone has short commings. Only the best will be determined not to let then get in their way or be a factor. And the best of the best will use their short commings as an advantage. Arnold produced a physique that nobody else had because he used what he had. He was never going to have legs like Ronnie Coleman but he found a way to look damn good without them. His Chest and biceps are still mind boggleing. His mid section was never that sharp either.

Shawn ray would make Arnold look like amature. Again, genetics are nothing more than an excuse for those who will never become a champion. Arnold was never going to let that become a factor. He is the best example i have. Arnold would still find a way to beat every bodybuilder of today if he were competeing and off age. His determination factor is why he was what he was. What was in his mind is not something that you will often. That is very rare to have that kind of “DETERMINATION”

Like I said before…“only the strongest individuals can define their genetics, not have their genetics define them”

Being a professional guitarist takes a tremendous amount of eye-hand coordination, endurance (my wrists get tired after about 5 minutes) and logic. I doubt you are even in the same solar system as my brother. He just picked it up naturally at a young age. Genetically gifted.

Now, who in the world can you say Zane had terrible genetics? Look at the guy. He has perfect symetry. He wasn’t as huge as Arnold or Lou, but the guy was perfect. What is your definition of genetics anyway?

Drop the Disney cliche “you can be whatever you want with enough hard work”. I’ll never be in the NBA or compete in the WSM competition. Ever heard of having reasonable and achievable goals? That’s the bedrock of weightlifting. I refuse to use steroids. I will NEVER be Mr. O. Life is not as simple as you seem to think. ALL champions have something special. It’s a lot more than determination. You just don’t wake up one day and say I want to be a professional quarterback or run a 9.6 100M. People ARE born with certain skills.

I’ve been coaching youth baseball, soccer, football and basketball for 5 years (5-10 year olds). Some kids are just naturally better than others. I see kids busting their ass all day at practice, yet they aren’t even close to some of the slackers. Some are just naturally better athletes.

Here’s a simple plan. You go and train your ass off for a marathon, I mean go all out. Buy the best shoes, hire the best trainers and nutritionists. Those Kenyans will still destroy you. Those guys who win marathons are genetically different than the rest of the population. Literally build to run long distance. But you know what, champions that they are, heart of a lion, they couldn’t be professional bodybuilders. Different genetic gift.

[/quote]

i don’t know about you or your brother or what solar system your from

but for me, i play Joe Satriani by ear. Hendrix and clapton are basic and every guitarist should be able to manage that. Now playing for 5 minutes and you’re tired. wow. I could play for 5 hours and not be tired. now that i will admit takes years. You have to train your fingers for that kind of abuse and endurance…but then again thats learned and ive been doing it for 15 years, its not a problem to play 12 hours straight for me.

as for the league im in, you don’t wan’t to go there. i’m sure your brother will know who Satch is and ask him how difficult that is to play be ear.

as for this thread.

just kill it.

i like my genetics and i gain muscle unfairly but i also put forth alot of effort, i didnt write this for me, it was for those without i guess.

nobody’s opinion is going to change. you can see what you want. i will look at the obvious. frank zanes horrible chest genetics with a gap in it and he made Mr olympia. and Arnold someone who had measly 28 inch geneticly bad thigh’s compared to his 22 inch arms and he made a 7 time Olympia. the fact is this. Genetics are genetics. good or bad ones is opinion. so the losers are bad and the winners are good. i see your logic.

if you would have had the logic of a winner, then your genetics would have been good

“champions define their genetics, losers will let their genetics define them”

nobody is gonna change any ones mind about anything anyway, people believe what they wanna believe—bottom line

arnold believed he was a champion before he was even 200 lbs, that’s the point that was ignored in this thread