Muscle Building Genetics: Myth And Reality

How much are genetics to blame for our inability to build muscle, get ripped or get in shape? The answer may surprise you - very little.

It's something that I believe needs to be tackled since too many people are being held back by self-imposed obstacles. So lets look at genetics, myth and reality.
"I just cant get big/ripped/in shape/stronger - because of my genetics"

I hear this a lot - both in the gym and casual conversation. Genetics are a favourite scapegoat for athletic shortcomings. We blame genetics for our failure to build muscle or lose body fat. But how much do genetics really influence your success in the gym?

The answer is less than you would like to believe. While everyone has inherited a certain blueprint, which includes having good and not-so-good muscle groups, certain hormonal levels, and fat storage tendencies, it is also true that ANYONE can get in amazing shape.

You are trying to build the best body for you, not to emulate someone else.

Think of your body as a plant. Given the right conditions, a plant will grow and blossom. If it doesn’t, that means something is wrong - a parasite, not enough light, or too much water, perhaps. The same applies to your body: There is always an explanation for why you’re not progressing.

Success in training has three pillars: training, recovery, and nutrition. Most people at best get two out of three right, in fact I am going out on a limp here saying that most people's workout are ok, whereas there nutritional and sleep habits are a disaster. You can not expect to have a great physique if you neglect the basics.

Most of us don't have the potential of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but that doesn’t mean we cannot achieve our own goals. By way of example, look at the guy next to Arnold: Frank Zane.

He had narrow clavicles, a long torso, fourteen-inch arms, and weighed 190 pounds at a height of 5'10". In short, he had one of the worst possible genetic make-ups for a pro bodybuilder.

Yet, he won Mr. Olympia three times, beating Arnold!

How did he do it? He stuck to his diet, trained with unmatched intensity, and did not take no for an answer. He realized that he couldn’t compete with Arnold on the basis of mass; so he created the most symmetrical physique, which many people still consider as close to perfect as a human can get.

Frank Zane’s story is inspiring. Your first step is to honestly assess yourself, your schedule, and your training experience, and devise the plan that’s right for you.

What is my goal? Mass in the upper body? Lean legs?

If your progress has been snail-like, then you might need to work out less often to give your body enough recovery time. Another approach would be to focus on certain body parts that you deem weaker and train them twice a week. Look at your body like a piece of art. You are the artist; it’s up to you to create the perfect physique for your particular body.

For example, if you have wide hips, don’t waste your time with oblique training to make your hips narrow; train your shoulders instead. The wider your shoulders are, the narrower your waist will appear. If you have long arms, curls wont cut it.

Add pull ups to every workout, yes to every one. Have your training partner touch you (in an appropriate way) at the muscle you are trying to work, studies show that muscle recruitment is up to 30% better due to the sensation of touch.

Also, stop working out and start training. Training means, “to increase the capacity to perform a skill or work.” If you are still training with the same weights after twelve months, you are simply not better. Push yourself to the limit in every workout to achieve your goals. Train your muscles, not your joints.

By simply going through the motions, you wont get as much stimulation as you could, instead try to feel every rep. Training is a lifestyle; whereas working out is neat and cute like a French class you take every two weeks. The only way you’ll really learn French is by moving to France and speaking only French.

The same applies to your body; it is a 24/7 project––training, eating, resting, and learning.

Remember, creating a physique is not a race against other people. You are doing this for yourself. If someone else gets in shape quicker or with seemingly less effort, don’t be discouraged. Don’t psych yourself out with complaints about your genetics because you can’t change them. The time you spend complaining could be much better used cooking a healthy meal or working out.

5 Common Muscle Building Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

If you're spinning your wheels, odds are you're making one of these 5 mistakes: abs and biceps overkill, eating low fat, ego training or following the "Champ's" workout.

Having so far spent my whole training life in commercial gyms, I can understand the typical strength athlete in their contempt for what goes on in such establishments.  However, instead of writing my own version of ‘why I hate fitness articles’, I reckon I can address the most typical mistakes I see being conducted on a daily basis.

The aim of this article is to help beginners or people who have been going to the gym for a while but have never improved their physical appearance or strength levels (believe me there are a lot of those in my gym). The information provided in this article will not be anything new for experienced serious trainers, as I imagine they are all too aware of the following pitfalls.


Pitfall 1 – Daily Ab Marathon Sessions
How often do you see people at your gym spend countless hours purely focusing on their abdominal muscles? Well I see plenty of such individuals, all of whom have too much excess fat which prevents them from attaining their ultimate goal – the elusive six pack. What they don’t understand is that doing 10,000 crunches a day will get them nowhere nearer to achieving that goal.

The fact is that doing endless ab exercises will not get rid of the fat that hides one’s perfectly defined abs, in other words, spot reduction doesn’t work! Instead of spending 2 hours doing abdominal exercises, more time should be devoted to weight training of the whole body, with multi-joint movements (i.e. Squats, Dead-lifts, Presses, Rows, Dips) being at the heart of your training routine. These exercises will make you burn more calories during the session and also after due to their stimulating effect on your metabolism.

In addition, one must also not neglect cardio work if the goal is fat loss. The most effective time to do cardio workouts is either in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast or straight after your weights sessions, as in both cases your body is depleted of glycogen and hence the body uses fat for energy, which is what you want. Any form of cardio can be used but I suggest running or using a cross-trainer type apparatus instead of the stationary bike due to higher calorie expenditure experienced when performing the former activities.

One must also not forget diet when trying to lean up, without going into too much detail, your diet should be high in protein and moderate to low in carbs and fats (this topic will be touched upon later in the article).


Pitfall 2 – Beach Muscle Syndrome

Most men who go to the gym are motivated by the thoughts of acquiring huge biceps and pecs along with chiseled abs, as those are considered the “main showcase muscles which every female seeks in a male and the key component that resonate the ultimate level of manliness for any male amongst his peers”. Whilst one cannot criticize your average Joe for having such desires, the fact is in order to attain this goal the whole body needs to be trained equally and key areas such as the legs and back cannot be neglected.

Exercises like squats and dead-lifts increase testosterone levels to such an extent that the whole body grows and even the non utilized muscles such as your chest get bigger due to the overall effect higher testosterone levels have on your body. There are plenty of guys who do endless variations of curls yet never manage to make any gains on their biceps, whereas if one looks at strength athletes like strongmen, Olympic lifters and power-lifters they all tend to have extremely well developed and visible “beach muscles” (as long as they don’t go overboard with stuffing their faces at the dinner table).

Most Olympic lifters don’t even do any direct arm work or any single joint exercises for that matter, instead relying on variations of Olympic lifts which mostly involve the lower body and the posterior chain, yet most of them still possess phenomenal physiques which any average male would love to have.

Pitfall 3 – Low Fat to Lose Fat

This pitfall refers to the general ignorance most people have when it comes to diet. Most believe that you only get fat by eating fatty foods, and completely ignore the detrimental effect surplus carbs have on your physique. Whilst I am not advocating a high fat – low carb diet, I believe both fats and carbs should remain at moderate levels in one’s diet, what people fail to notice in certain food products is that low fat varieties tend to have a higher sugar content and hence as a result are not all that healthier than the original versions of that product.

What is most bewildering is seeing overweight individuals in the gym doing their cardio and sipping sugar laden sports energy drinks thinking that because they are sports drinks they must be good for you and will help with their weight loss, whereas in fact all that cardio work goes to waste due to the sugar consumption from such drinks. Even things like fruit should be consumed sparingly if weight loss is the goal due to its fructose content (the sugar in fruit).

Most people have this false misconception that fruit will never make them gain weight as it is “natural” and that it is “full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants”, though these points are correct it doesn’t mean fruit will not make you fat – it easily can, especially depending on the portion size and types of fruit.

Pitfall 4 – Ego Training

This is something that goes on in my gym and I m sure in countless others worldwide, and although it’s common amongst beginners, many long time gym goers still keep on making this stupid mistake. What this entails is using too much weight than the individual can handle but they still insist on biting more than they can chew, common examples of this include someone who has no idea how to squat yet insists on doing quarter squats with a weight they have no right to even look at, let alone put on their back.

Another favourite of such folk is heavy bench pressing with a buddy (or 2 or 3) who basically ends up doing a dead-lift in order for his ‘bro’ to get the weight up, all the while screaming “it’s all you!” Joking aside, in my time training I have probably seen every exercise bastardized for the sake of using more weight, as a result rendering the exercise useless and leaving the trainer highly susceptible to injury.

Whereas a lot of beginners make this mistake from sheer inexperience and lack of proper training knowledge, the majority of trainers do it to stroke their ego and demonstrate how “strong” they are to their fellow gym members. One must never sacrifice form in any exercise for the sake of using more weight and once in the weight room the ego always needs to be kept in check no matter how inflated it is.

Pitfall 5 – Following the Champ’s Routine

There is nothing wrong with trying to emulate the success of many great bodybuilders or strength athletes. In the old days Arnie set the tone and every male in gyms all across the world wanted to be like him, more recently it has been individuals like Marius Pudzianowski or Jay Cutler that have inspired new generations to start training with weights. This is all well and good, but the belief that if one follows the same training routine as those champions do and that it will yield the same results is completely incorrect.

All the time I see newbies in the gym following a chest or arm routine consisting of almost every exercise there is, I am sure they have read Flex or some other muscle publication and saw some huge bodybuilder training his chest with 5 different press variations followed by another 5 fly variations, their reasoning is if it makes his chest so massive and ripped, surely it will do the same for me.

What they fail to understand is that by following such routines they would severely overtrain themselves and make zero gains in muscle size or strength, as a result they will get demotivated that all their efforts in the gym are not giving any results, and subsequently will stop training altogether. What these trainers need to grasp is the successful athletes who follow such routines have many factors available to them which allows them to profit from such training routines.

Firstly, their genetic makeup is superior to others, this cannot be changed – you are either born with superior genetics in regards to building muscle strength or size – or you are not, fact is very few have favourable genetics for this purpose and the individuals you see in magazines are the minority that have it. Secondly, it needs to be understood the access that the top guys have to food, supplements, and other “extras” which would be insurmountable for your average person.

Thirdly, for most of these athletes their training (along with nutrition and recovery) is their full time job, most don’t need to spend all day at the office or other work establishments, they are able to train freely when and how often they want, and likewise are able to feed their body and give it enough rest without restrictions.

It should also be noted that any successful champion didn’t start with the advanced training routine that he or she follows now; it took them years to get to such a level where their current routines are actually beneficial for them, and this regardless of their genetic potential and other advantageous elements. So if they began with more basic training routines, why should everyone else start with something their body and nervous system cannot handle? Beginners and even intermediately experienced trainers need to train in a way that reflects their level and not like someone of a much higher level trains.

Final Thoughts

The pitfalls listed in this article are a daily occurrence in gyms and fitness centres all across the world. The mistakes committed by gym members are all due to general ignorance in regards to diet and training; this is not helped with the misinformation that is presented in many fitness publications and online sources, in addition to being guided by ‘qualified’ personal instructors who don’t know much themselves.

Every year the same clientele of gyms look physically the same and never get an ounce stronger, yet they still carry on making the same mistakes and end up wasting their time and money on pointless training. By looking at the list of pitfalls objectively and consequently eradicating them, anyway can improve on the non-existent progress that they have been stuck with. 

Procedure for Intramuscular Injection of Hormone in Oil (part 2)

This tends to be an important subject ignored by a few bodybuilders, let me just say that if you inject incorrectly you risk one of the following things:

1. A broken needle in the flesh, difficult to remove and may need minor surgery.
2. An infection or boil at the injection site. If ignored the infection will spread and may infect your bloodstream.
3. Death by injection of an oily substance going around your blood stream until it causes failure of a major organ like the heart, or brain. If your lucky (or unlucky) you might get away with a stroke!!!
Its an easily learned technique and with care and attention you will accomplish it easily and without pain and bruising.
Another piece of information you may find useful is that oral steroids work more quickly than injected steroids, but on the whole cause greater harm to the liver.
Preparation is the key to successful injection, Have everything ready and laid out on a firm clean surface next to you. Choose your injection site, its no good sitting or standing there with a syringe full of juice waving a two inch needle around wondering where your going to stick it.

You will need the following
1. A syringe (large enough to hold whatever it is you are injecting yes you can mix shots, why take two shots when one will do the trick).
2. Two needles preferably two greens, but for the squeamish a green and a blue.
3. Two swabs opened and ready for use (if you don’t bother swabbing, and many don’t at least wash or shower first and make sure your hands are clean).
4. The juice (wash the outside of the container first)
5. You may find a beaker of warm water useful to warm up the amps this makes those with an oil base flow easier.
6. A small nail file
Warning: Some amps will not break cleanly, this is where the nail file comes in. Saw around the neck of the ampoule a few times until it is scored, then it will break evenly. Sometimes its wise to hold the amp with a piece of clean cloth or tissue, if the top breaks when you try to open it your fingers may be cut by the broken glass.
When you are fully prepared fit one of the needles {a green} to the syringe, open the amp(s) and draw up the fluid. Shake then tap the syringe and expel any excess air through the needle.
Change the needle to your other one. (many people don’t bother they use the same needle to inject as they draw up with.
Swab the area to be injected
Present the needle at right angles to the injection site and push it right in. Do not jab.
Draw back on the plunger ( this will save your life ), if any blood enters the syringe withdraw the needle and choose a slightly different site and repeat the process. (blood in the syringe may indicate that it has entered a vein or artery, if you inject there.........)
If all is well push the plunger firmly, but smoothly, home. Remove the needle from your flesh and swab, rub the injection site gently to assist in distributing the medication. If the injection site bleeds a little you have gone through a blood vessel or vein, this is ok as long as you haven’t injected into one.
That’s it clean up after yourself dispose of your used equipment safely.
1) Always use a new needle and syringe for each injection. Green capped needles are best for the buttock, blue ones for the thigh. (Don’t know if you have the same colours in the USA).
2) Steroids are injected into a muscle - normally the buttock or thigh. Never inject steroids into a vein.
3) Never share needles, syringes or multi-use vials.
4) Don’t inject more than 2mls of fluid into one muscle area at a time.
5) Dispose of used needles and syringes in a sharps bin and return them to your needle exchange.
6) Only insert the needle three quarters (3/4) of the way into the muscle so it can be removed easier if it snaps. If you don’t insert the needle far enough into
the muscle and then inject a steroid you could cause an abscess!
7) If you feel a hard lump in a muscle where you inject - use another site.
8) If you have any concerns about your health then contact / visit your General Practitioner.

Ok - here’s how :-
1) Choose your injection site. The gluteal muscle (the buttock) is the best.
2) With a clean needle and syringe, draw up the steroid.
3) Make sure there is no air left in the syringe. Flick the syringe and press the plunger until a drop appears.
4) Remove clothing from injection site.
5) Wipe site with a swab or soapy water.
6) Stretch skin of the injection site with your finger and thumb.
7) Hold the syringe like a dart and quickly jab the needle into the skin at a right angle (practice on an orange).
8) Release the skin.
9) Pull back the plunger, if there is no blood, slowly press in the plunger.
10) If blood is drawn into the syringe - STOP - remove the needle quickly and press hard on the site until the bleeding stops. Use another site for the injection.
11) After injecting, remove the needle and press onto the site with a swab for ten seconds and massage slowly to disperse the drug.
12) Dispose of needle and syringe responsibly - IN A SHARPS BIN.
If injections are not done properly, infections or abscesses can occur at the injection site. They may be caused by not cleaning the area properly before injecting or by using secondhand needles and syringes - this allows bacteria to enter the site. An abscess can also be caused by a steroid (fluid) not fully dispersing from the injection site. This occurs mainly in athletes who inject too much in one go or who don’t insert the needle far enough into the muscle.
Symptoms - Pain or burning at the injection site. Hard lump(s) at the injection site.
Prevention - Don’t use the same site more than twice a week. Only use small volume injections - 1ml or 2ml per muscle area. Alternate injection sites for every injection.

Procedure for Intramuscular Injection of Hormone in Oil

If you are very sensitive to pain, obtain 2 new needles for each administration: 1 to fill the syringe (18-22 gauge), and another for the injection (22 gauge). That way the injection needle will be entirely sharp. Be careful not to drag the injection needle across anything, even skin, before the injection, because that will dull it.

If you are fairly tolerant of pain, or cannot afford 2 needles for each injection, then use the same new needle (22 gauge) to fill the syringe as to make the injection. Do not under any circumstances reuse needles between injection periods, or between different people.

Warm the vial (ampule) between your hands for a moment to help the oil flow more freely.
Cleanse the top of the vial and the area for injection with a swipe of povidone-iodine (10%), or if you cannot obtain that, use rubbing alcohol (95-99%) or hydrogen peroxide (3-5%).
The best intramuscular injection sites are the upper outer quadrant of the buttock, or upper outer thigh. Either is fine, as long as you are hitting at least two inches of fat and muscle, not bone or an artery.
Securely mount the drawing needle on the syringe, then if you are using a rubber-corked vial, pull back the plunger about 1/4-1/3 cc farther than the intended injection amount (e.g., if you intend to inject 1 cc, then draw back 1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cc of air).
With the vial right-side-up, insert the needle in the top, such that the needle end is in the bottle air, but not the oil. Inject all of the air from the syringe into the vial.
Be sure the needle end is in oil (not air, and not bumping against the glass), then slowly but firmly draw back the plunger until you have a bit more than the injection amount. You will probably see some small air bubbles; that is normal. Inject the extra solution, along with the top bubble, back into the vial. If you have a rubber-corked vial, this is easiest if the vial is upside-down.
Withdraw the needle (still needle up), then set the vial down. If you are using a second needle for the injection, swap needles now. Make sure the injection needle is securely fastened (usually a twist-on).
With the injection needle pointed up, tap the syringe and very slowly squeeze out the final bubbles. You might lose a bit of the solution, but it is important to be patient amount removing all of the significant bubbles (however, you need not worry about the suspended bubbles which are so tiny as to be nearly invisible).
If you need to change position to make the injection, put the protective cover on over the needle so you can set it down. Some people find it easiest to stand; others prefer to lay on their stomach if the buttock is target. If possible, have someone you trust make the actual injection; it is much easier that way.
Uncover the needle, grasp the outside of the syringe firmly (finger off the plunger), place the needle against your skin, perpendicular, then bravely push straight in (no bending at all) to a depth of roughly 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cm , (1 - 1 1/3 inches). There should not be much pain past the initial prick. Once the needle is in, try not to shift your weight around or flinch such that the muscles there would move.
Still holding the outside of the syringe, pull back the plunger to be sure you did not hit a significant blood vessel. If you see no blood in the syringe, then very slowly but firmly depress the plunger. If you do see blood, then withdraw the needle, apply pressure to the site for a minute, then [optionally install a new needle and] try again a few centimeters away, or on the opposite side of your body.
Remove the needle from your body, replace the protective cover, and dispose of that part into a sharps container, or at least a container of strong composition that cannot be punctured by the used needles.
It is normal for there to be slight oozing of blood and/or oil from the injection site (and a small bruise later), given the large needle gauge. If it oozes for more than a few seconds, apply pressure for a minute. If you are the extraordinarily tidy type, you can also place a dot bandaid over it, but it is not really necessary.