By Vince DelMonte – Vince Delmonte Fitness.com
I have a question for you to ponder today, “Is it impossible to grow beyond your genetic potential?”
Yes, the “gurus” say, “It’s impossible to grow beyond your genetic potential…”
But I’m In The Business Of Doing The Impossible!
I’ve worked in the transformation business for eight years and helped more than 20,000 people in 120 different countries move from scrawny-to-brawny, regular-to-ripped and flabby-to-firm.
Students who have been most successful were always told that it was impossible to get a jaw-dropping physique. Don’t believe me?
This article was inspired by an email I get regularly and my response will show why I’ve been successful at doing the impossible:
“Vince, there are a lot genetic factors that hold people back, stuff that’s beyond training and nutrition. Things like recovery capacity, anatomy (muscle attachments), muscle fiber type makeup, circulation, nervous system, bone structure, hormonal capacity, insulin sensitivity, mental factors, that kind of thing. Can you tell me what you believe and your philosophy to the entire genetic limit debate?”
First off, I don’t debate. I learn from doing. Now to your question…
As I’m a no nonsense guy you’re not going to get a scientific reply from me. Other muscle “gurus” would take on the challenge to analyze each of the genetic factors listed above.
I don’t give a scientific reply because I don’t know the science but because I don’t see the point!
You get what you focus on. That’s my belief. When you focus on your limitations you will find more limitations. I just don’t see how focusing on what we don’t have is going to help us get what we want.
They’re many people who need to understand the “why” before they can apply knowledge. I suggest you be partially ignorant on this subject. I hope this statement will make more sense after I reflect on my first body transformation in 2002:
I believe one of the reasons I gained 41 lbs of muscle in 6 months is because I’ve tended to be a little naïve and gullible. Too be frank, the first time someone said to me, “BS… there’s no way you gained that much muscle in 6 months…” on a bodybuilding.com forum, I really didn’t know how to reply. I thought my results were normal, perhaps a bit above average, but nothing people should be skeptical of.
I was never an analyzer or reader always but a doer and so the numbers didn’t mean anything to me.
If someone had told me you could build 100 lbs of muscle in one month, I probably would have said, “Cool, lets get started.” I was never persuaded to listen to speakers tell me what was realistic read books on limits.
Even when I got a knee injury at 15 years of age and the doctor told me flat out, “Your body was not born to run”, I rejected the limits being put on me. That was one of the first time my blood boiled. Did I listen to him? No! I went on to represent Canada at the World Triathlon Championships the next summer.
I was more interested in discovering my own limits by doing, not by talking about them.
My attitude was to always give 100 percent with whatever was in front of me. Yes, I was probably not using a lot of tools but I maxed out what I did know and what I had at my disposal.
Sure, after my transformation I wasn’t the biggest guy in the gym but I surely wasn’t the smallest anymore.
And over the past eight years (the last two years especially), I’ve gained a further 20 lbs of muscle and now have nearly 200 lbs of solid muscle on my frame, simply by continuing to remain ignorant on the subject of “limits” and “genetics”. Not bad for a former distance runner with the nickname “Skinny Vinny” eh?!
And whilst I’m not winning bodybuilding competitions, Flavia, my fiance, doesn’t seem to mind. I’m sure your charming lady won’t mind either – as long as you’re giving her the best you can be!
Another Reason I Hate Talking About “Genetic Limits”
I won’t discuss subjects that I believe limit the human will and spirit.
You will not be served mentality by doing that. I would rather remain naive and gullible and end up surprising myself (and others) in the process.
Applying this mentality in all areas of my life, even my financial matters, at the age of 25 I earned $45,000 income in one day. Listen to this story:
When at the age of 22 I decided to buy my first house, I was already broke with credit card debt. I could have thought, “I can’t afford a house,” but instead I thought, “How can I afford a house?” As soon as you say the word “can’t” your brain shuts down and stops looking for a solution. When you use the word “can” your brain is compelled to stay open and find a solution. Mine did.
By the age of 23, I saved $10,000 for a down payment on a home by sticking to my plan. I rented the house out for two years. Then I flipped it. And at the age of 25 I received $45,000 (after expenses). That lump sum payment gave me a huge head start on life and it all began with by having a mindset of, “How can I afford it.”
My advice is the word “can’t” should not even be apart of your vocabulary.
Show Me Your Friends And I’ll Show You Your Limits
Have you heard the saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future?”
I believe what’s equally true is: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your limits.” For example, if your top six friends are all afraid of deep sea diving then I wouldn’t be surprised to find you are too. If all your friends are afraid to have their kids take swiming lessons because they are afraid they may drown, then I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s your fear too.
It’s important you grab hold of the principle I just shared, don’t pick apart the examples. Moving on…
I believe if we hang out with certain people with negative beliefs too long, their limits and fears will become our own.
Please: Don’t try this at home! This is one of those areas you want to take my word on. Don’t test this theory out on your own.
Trust me and be with friends who live with the attitude that anything is possible. Be with people who make you feel good! You will attract these kind of people in your life. One of the big secrets to not achieving your potential in life, is avoiding people who live in fear and try to get you to believe in their negativity.
Most people who tell you to be “realistic” and are non supportive, are jealous of you pursuing something they want and have failed at. They don’t want to see you succeed because you’ll prove that their beliefs are false.
People would prefer you stay in your comfort zone and not push your limits. Do you want to know why? It’s because when you change and grow and become an aware person they’re unable to control you or manipulate the puppet strings they have on your life.
Here’s an example. My friend Joel is a very giving person. If I called him up at the last minute to stay with him in Tampa, he would warmly welcome me in. I could say I’m only staying three days, but what Joel doesn’t know is that I’m flat broke, am unemployed, and have no plans on leaving soon. Because I know Joel, he will let me eat out of his fridge, let me stay as long as I like, not charge me any rent and even shout me expensive dinners.
Of course, selfishly I am exploiting Joel’s generosity. So when he announces that he’s going to attend a self development conference that teaches you how to be independent and stand up for yourself, I quickly suggest that he not pursue the idea. I know that if Joel move out of his comfort zone, and begins to develop awareness, I will no longer be able to exploit him and I don’t like that.
Okay, that’s an extreme example of intentionally misleading a friend, but I hope you see the point. The take away message is:
Be very careful where you get your information from. Often, people who know your limitations and advise you against setting goals, will impose their fears and negative beliefs onto you to stop you setting realistic goals. In this way they exploit your fear and insecurity, often for their own gain.
Here’s My Question For You:
Now that I’ve got your brain thinking, “Is it impossible to grow beyond your genetic limits?” Do you share my attitude of being ignorant toward limits? Feel free to share a story in any area of your life, like my house example, on how you went way beyond your own genetic limits.
——————————-
About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of Maximise Your Muscle. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and said, “Why am I not growing fast enough?” or “Why have I stopped growing even though I’m training my butt off?” then find out exactly WHY even your most intense efforts can’t seem to get you past where you currently are. Read more…
