At this point it seems like an argument, but that was certainly not my intent .... I am not sure what this really is but it is interesting how fitness/genetics/body types are perceived.
I was a 3 sport athlete in HS, not a jock, better on a motocross track/snowcross track than I ever was at college/HS sports. I coached football, wrestling, track, mens/womens volleyball, and yes wait for it varsity BADMINTON. I have taught PE/Health for over 10 years and have spent enough time in the gym in HS, college, and after college back in the HS up until we started having kids 4 years ago. I am terribly average in size (fluctuate between 195-210) and never really engaged in this sort of banter online because it is a complicated equation, but I do think I have an unbiased opinion on this because I have seen it all. I never get into magazines and limit my sources and try to make it as simple as possible for all intensive purposes.
90% of what's posted above is true and works to some degree, what we can all agree on is there is NO substitute for dedication and general lifting smarts.
I am currently teaching in the middle east and see bodies from 60 different countries and do believe most of what was posted above to be true as I said. Mothers and nuture + genetics...sure but I dont believe we are all generally equal and then later in life slot into a figure.
There are families here with multiple kids eating the same horrible diets from the same gene pool and there are dramatic differences. Bones, muscle and fat growth and displacement is vastly different and they all respond different to food/exercise. That is not just in the middle east in grade 4(current role), but at home across the board. There is no naturally muscular guy? I guess I just don't get it? How can that be remotely true? I have seen kids (like me) built like Gumby and take kids buiit like Pop-eye and tie them into knots...literally. I have seen giant guys who are like Lenny, retard strong and other dudes who appear to be tone, but are the softest creatures on earth. There are kids that have freakish natural builds (genetics?), whatever you want to call it they are ahead of the gene pool. The need to lift half as much, half as hard and see results. There was a kid that was 5-8 that had Jordon hops...he good dunk a volleyball as a Junior. Incredible. Genetics come into play at elite levels? I guess I categorically disagree. No doubt, they are gifted, but they are all around us. I find it hard to believe anyone reading this doesn't know a dude who had IT and either was a stud and never worked out a day in his life or the guy who was even better but ended up a complete waste of talent.
Suppose you put a full team of athletes in the weight room and controlled most variables because you knew mom/dad were dedicated to improvement and YOU were in charge of putting together diets and directed workouts. Let's say you have a workout that is observed and done along side the athletes for 6 months. You have a heavyweight, 150 and 103 pounder and everything in between working out during this time. I am here to tell you that results are as unique as the kids...which is no surprise to anyone on either side of any debate. Let's also say you watched the kids from the time they were in elementary school to the time they graduated, I could make a strong case that there are various body types and maybe guess results based on unscientific genetic terms. Assuming you took the workout explained above, had dedicated athletes sticking to their diet and had closely monitored variables I can guarantee there would be kids wondering how the hell a FEW seen dramatically higher results. I will not profess to know all about this complicated equation but I can say without a doubt there are plenty of people who put in equal effort, equal muscle few on strikingly similar workout regiments who see dissimilar results.
Another fine example would be marines. Granted there are variables in this as well, but I would contend they have a pretty high standard of physical condition and even after they make the cut the guys who make it are in an elite physical gene pool. Private Pyle? Okay that maybe a bad example, but even at that level I bet they would be able to add to this conversation.
Fast twitch/slow twitch, diet plans whatever, the big boys are vastly different from the little guys and I am proud of anyone who can write how hard they work and how dedicated they are because that is awesome. That's the kind of people I have surrounded myself with, but you take that same hard work, similar diets and workouts and try it with 3 different sized guys and I would bet the differences in the amount of muscle they put on over the same time would be different...in some instances maybe dramatically difference.
I realize what is written (some of it anyway) and what is said to be true, and I see what is accepted and run-off as bogus over the years but at the end of day for classification purposes, using the types helps differentiate and creates a starting point for those who are interested in turning around their lives. Whenever I am asked, creating or talking with someone about their personal fitness I design a plan based on what I see. I usually start by steering them in the right direction with regard to diet and exercise(s) based on their goals what I see. Write or wrong it has led to good results.
