The Genetic Limit: The Natural Limits of Strength and Muscle Building

The so-called “genetic limit” is often discussed and used as an excuse for the use of anabolic steroids, yet hardly anyone knows exactly what this term means. The genetic limit, often abbreviated as GL, describes the natural upper limit for strength and muscle gain. This factor is unique to each individual and cannot be changed. It is also nearly impossible to determine the upper limit of the GL, as there are simply too many factors that influence the genetic limit. The more muscle mass a person has, the greater the anabolic stimulus must be to build even more mass. The body always wants to return to its baseline or natural state; that is, it constantly tries to break down muscle mass (catabolism) because it can maintain this state much more easily. In non-athletes, anabolic and catabolic metabolic processes are in balance, so that, as a rule, exactly as much muscle mass is built as is broken down. Through training, anabolic processes predominate, as they are stimulated by the training stimulus. Consequently, muscle mass is built up when the training stimulus exceeds the catabolic—or muscle-breaking-down—threshold. If the stimulus is no longer sufficient to exceed the catabolic threshold, the limit of muscle growth has been reached. While existing muscle mass can be maintained, the body will not build new mass. The higher the level of performance and muscle mass, the more difficult it becomes to maintain the existing level and gain new muscle mass. The human body is not naturally designed to be extremely muscular. It constantly tries to revert to a lower level, as this is easier to maintain. Once the limit has been reached, the body is no longer able to build strength or muscle mass. However, the genetic limit is also influenced by a variety of other factors, such as everyday stress, nutrition, recovery, training, supplements, and illnesses. Whether you will reach your own genetic limit is something you can influence yourself. Only when truly decisive factors—such as a perfectly tailored training regimen, adequate recovery, a personalized nutrition and supplement plan, and enough discipline and ambition—are in place is it possibly possible to reach the limit of your physical performance. It is very difficult to generalize exactly when an athlete’s genetic limit is reached; there is no real formula for it. Other genetic factors also come into play—such as metabolic type, limb structure, muscle fiber distribution, and tendon attachments—which influence the genetic limit. Some athletes will never even come close to their GL due to a lack of discipline, stagnation, or illness; other athletes, however—who possess enough ambition and for whom all the contributing factors align—can reach their genetic limit as early as two years, according to a recent study. However, this figure should by no means be considered a guideline! Experience shows that it generally takes at least five years for a strength or endurance athlete who trains really hard to reach their GL. To put it simply: Only a very small number of natural “recreational athletes” even come close to the limits of their physical performance! This is because most simply lack the ambition, discipline, and specialized knowledge needed to adapt their bodies to the given circumstances. Many athletes—especially young ones—train their upper body four times a week and forget to train their legs as well. Since the body as a whole—and thus both the upper and lower body—functions in symbiosis, the upper body will plateau much sooner in terms of strength and muscle growth if the legs aren’t trained just as hard. Such major mistakes, as well as incorrect training techniques and dietary habits, often lead an athlete to mistakenly believe that they have reached their GL and that further visible and measurable performance gains can only be achieved with the help of steroids. However, there are other ways to potentially reach the limits of one’s GL more quickly without having to accept concerning physical (and psychological) side effects. With the help of supplements, you can shorten the time it takes to reach your individual genetic limit and possibly even push that limit up just a little. Supplements such as Anabolic Protein Fusion or Whey Fusion, Createston, Amino Fusion, BCAA TST, or Ecdysone have both anabolic and anti-catabolic effects and can help shift the balance between anabolic and catabolic metabolic processes toward an anabolic metabolic state. The body is thus better able to compensate for everyday catabolic situations such as stress, frustration, lack of sleep, and nutritional deficiencies, and to make better use of the stimuli provided by training. In summary, one can say that the GL limit can only be reached naturally if the following factors are 100% in place:

• Nutrition
• Training
• Supplements
• Ambition, Discipline
• Immune system
• General Physical and Mental Well-Being
• Recovery / Sleep / Regeneration

As you can see, very few recreational athletes are likely to reach their natural limits. Nevertheless, it’s not impossible! If you have a specific goal firmly in mind and work hard toward it, it’s not even absolutely necessary to reach that limit. For the vast majority of recreational athletes, a well-rounded physique—comprising respectable muscle mass and definition—is more than enough to feel comfortable showing off a “topless” look at the pool or even in gym class. Not every athlete wants to look like a “typical” bodybuilder! As long as the overall look is right and you feel good about yourself, you shouldn’t necessarily try desperately to push the limits of your physical capabilities. Your Turbo D . . . . .