Guys, How Did 'You', Get Your Muscles.. ?

[Anonymous]

Is it genetic or did you have to work for it, or what?

Just curious..

[BeMuse]

Well I am genetically gifted as in I was granted an adult height of 6’3”, I have a large bone structure, and I am a mesomorph so I put on muscle relatively easily. I have a lot of testosterone which is obvious from my movie theater deep voice... That said I was always athletically driven. I was doing martial arts at 5 years old, I played soccer throughout my youth and was the fastest runner in my school as a knee high. I swam a lot as a kid. I played basketball, street/ice hockey and won league championships and mayor cups repeatedly because I wanted to win. I use to swim in strong currents when hurricanes were approaching to go surfing/body boarding in good waves on outer break. I wrestled freestyle/folk style/greco-roman and was a state champion because I was very competitive and driven. I was on the number one ranked wrestling team in the state and we worked hard everyday non stop no quitting. I started lifting free weights when I was about 11 or 12. I have an older brother that is 3 years older than me, so we always tried to out lift each other. I use to break dance as well which is very physically demanding. I ran marathons because I just wanted to get faster, stronger, better, etc. My parrents also always used me like a human mule to do heavy work or all sorts as a kid. Hard work makes you big and strong... I was never into body building though...

[Asker]

Impressive

[God_of_Thunder]

A little of both, I suppose?

Genetically, I've got a large/broad frame, and I had relative impressive biceps, for example, without ever working for them. Working out built on top of what I was born with, but I already had a decent starting point.

[FunkyMonkee]

Partly, it's genetic, partly is was work.
For me, it was mostly to do with my leverage, based on how tall I am, and even moreso on my drumming, which I'd been doing nearly all my life. When we were going to or from gigs, I never had any cases for my drums, I'd just put two smaller ones inside the bigger ones and carry things out like that. So, I'd have a thing or two inside of each of my bass drums and, when it came to ME carrying those out, I'd pick up one in each hand and carry them like luggage. In the meantime, my singer, who was ex-military (Vietnam) and was generally a pretty strong guy had trouble carrying just one and he could never figure out how I could carry two at a time. On top of that, I'd also keep a lot of my stands in an old golf bag so, along with those two drums, the golf bag would go over my shoulder and one or two other gig bags would go on the other shoulder! So, the way I packed shit, I could carry the entire 10 or 12 piece set out in 4 or 5 trips.
1. both bass drums and snare and a tom plus the golf bag and one or two gig bags.
2. two floor toms and 4 rides.
3. first milk crate loaded with more stands and the fire bell.
4. second milk crate loaded with the bass pedals plus the cymbal safe.
5. the carpet and the last tom or anything else that needed to go out.
Anyway, between playing gigs the way I did and carrying all that gear around all over the countryside, I done gots me a good set of muscles!!

[wheist9095]

I would say 80% life and 20% intentional work. I've worked a lot of physical labor jobs so I've always been stronger and a bit bigger than other guys with similar backgrounds who didn't get that everyday work in ya know?

That being said, deliberately working out with the goal of gaining muscle is much more effective since it's a goal driven by effort. Nobody gets good glutes doing day labor, gotta hit the squat rack boys

[exitseven]

I started working out with weights before it wa a main stream activity. At the time Arnold had not gotten into the movies yet.
I have been lifting for over 30 years. I used to be a lot stronger but there is a reason why you never see any 50 year old pro athletes.

[NathanDavis]

mostly... 25 years of sports

but also, some working that was more physical with businesses in my family, like construction, moving and transportation, cause we all cousins put on some real hard work before getting behind the desks

[RobT312]

I’d say 75% work, 25% genetics... decent metabolism, but must have a good diet and exercise

[Redstang88]

Bit of both. I gain very easily and have worked labour jobs most of my life, but I’m obviously much stronger when I’m working out as well

[humpbackjack]

By working hard and believing I’m strong also getting drunk and doing stupid shit

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Using dumbbells and working out with a small amount of weight

[Wiredone]

I'm not really built but the muscles I have is from my jobs. I always push my body to the limit, sometimes past the limit.

[DaveToo]

Muscles don't come genetically. They are earned through hard work, lots of exercises. Muscles develop from an early age. The more you play outside as a child, the more your muscles develop.

[ChiTown33]

I didn't lol.

[Asker]

@chitown33 🤔

[ChiTown33]

Some guys got muscles some don't no matter how hard they work at it. I don't know if this is true but I read somewhere that it all depends on the length of tendons to length of muscle.
You ever see guys with really fat biceps while another guy doesn't. Supposedly it has to do with this. To find out which you are all you have
To do is flex your bicep. Next look at the area between the end of the bicep bump (that's where the tendon begins), and the inside of the elbow. If you can fit one finger you have long muscles and short tendons. And you can maximize muscle size. If you can fit 2 or worse even 3. Then you're cursed with long tendons and short muscles no matter what you do you're relegated to your genes.
Having said this you can still get pretty good size I've read your max size is a 27 inch bicep (think a little bigger than Hulk Hogan lol) but that's the max. A guy with longer muscles and shorter tendons can still get. much bigger.
All I'm saying is I wasn't someone who tried to build big muscles. But even if I'd tried i would have been hampered by my genes. Today I just lift for general muscle strength. I don't care about having muscles i just want to stay in good health.

[emperor90]

Just do some pull ups

[LiamSawyer]

Some of both.

[admles]

Martial arts and lifting weights.

[Fuentes]

Worked