The Impact Of Genetics On Building Muscle And Shedding Fat

[@omaralayan2157]

Dr. Mike trusting his audience is conditioned enough to watch a 47 min lecture! He's been resistance training our attention span for years. It's working. Love the new branding.

[@davidloyd7279]

I legit hesitated before watching cause I saw the timestamp before the title

[@Omar1066]

From a fellow Omar, I was thinking the same thing!

[@ReizokoRyu]

Hahaha. I usually listen to these videos while doing the dishes and meal prep after work. Better than just sitting down and watching for 47 mins 💪

[@mcfarvo]

Check out some of his old lectures or his Making Progress talks, most of them are much longer. Only in recent years did Scott & Mike begin to focus more on shorter videos.

[@vasilzhiliev6057]

He used to raw dog hour long videos on each part of RP's books some years ago.

[@olkid]

Hi Mike, I've been watching the channel religiously for about 8 months now. In that time I've gotten married, got in the best shape of my life, and also gotten laid. I'm not saying you're responsible for all of those things, but sometimes correlation is actually causation.

[@abdelkader8556]

Hey man could you tell me briefly about your diet?

[@lookiaursiana]

Congrats for getting married before getting laid 🙌🏽

[@olkid]

​@abdelkader8556 just chicken, brocoli and rice brotherrrrrr. Joking aside, do you actually want to know? If so, I will be happy to share.

[@olkid]

​@@lookiaursianaI never said they were in that order...

[@joshuastevens5193]

​@@olkiddon't be embarrassed sir

[@TheRickTurner]

I don’t wanna brag, but today I talked to a girl. I mean, she was really far away & didn’t actually know I was talking to her, then there was odd eye contact & I ran out of the ladies restroom, but it’s a start. Side note: gym manager just told me I can’t work out there anymore. 🤷

[@vvoof2601]

Manager is just a jealous beta. Keep at it big dog, she wants you.

[@matthewotis3594]

Shoulda been lifting at planet fitness😂

[@Raherin]

Just don't yell 'Thanks Mike' when you're climaxing!

[@darthbombadil6774]

Progress is progress

[@PornEqualsHappiness]

You win some you lose some. Keep progressive overloading that talking to girls 😂

[@fodaforce90]

Dr. Mike, I’ve gotten laid so much using the techniques I’ve learned from this channel that it’s become a real problem. Drowning in sex, please make it stop

[@mcfarvo]

Get so lean that your libido crashes and women find you to be freakishly lean

[@anthonys7311]

So that's why Dr Mike can't get laid. He's sacrificing for us.

[@AustriaUndeadSlaya]

Hmmm, the only thing I get is compliments from dudes who adore my jacked physique :(

[@M.M.H.F]

69 likes, not gonna ruin that so here's a comment😁

[@anthonys7311]

@@M.M.H.F of I downvote does it lower the likes? It's not 69 anymore.

[@hamza361]

Genetics is such a crazy topic. Some guys take 2 months to bench 2 plates and some guys take 5 years. Some naturals take 1 year to get 16 inch arms and others never get there. The variation is insane.

[@joeofdoom]

16 inch arms is where I started, sucks to think some people struggle to get there.

[@ZalvaTionZ]

​@@joeofdoomIt took me 3 years of consistent lifting to get to 16 inchish arms. Last of it with major focus on arms. Based on estimates from wrist width there isn't really much potential left also. It is what it is.

[@joshh.3870]

@@ZalvaTionZy’all down real bad

[@joeofdoom]

​@ZalvaTionZ I used to think I just had bad genetics, turns out I just wasn't eating enough protein and was training like an idiot. I am probably an outlier if I actually think about it, 6ft 4 18st and I've never been anything more than alittle chubby, and my diet until recently has been garbage.

[@JezzaN1]

As a teenager, when I first started lifting weights I could only bench 25kg for a couple of reps.. Now 30 and still can’t bench two plates and barely look like I lift. Where my garbage-tier genetic boys at?

[@SPRVLN27]

"I've been watching Renaissance Periodization for years now and I'm pretty sure I've gotten laid since then." ---A glowing review for this channel. Please use as marketing for all future ventures.

[@intruder217ESmith]

Being “pretty sure” about getting laid is the best description I’ve heard in a while😂

[@loganmyall660]

​@@intruder217ESmith even if he didn't, he feels like he did, and that's what's important.

[@PHIplaytesting]

It's important to understand that you might not be cut out for training like crazy and getting jacked, and that's ok. But you still have a lot to gain from training and exercise. The goal doesn't need to be to be better than everyone else. Just be a better, happier, healthier you.

[@maseratidyce3587]

My goal is to physically frighten people with my size tho. Happiness doesn’t enter into the equation

[@drummer811000]

Yeah i agree with the guy above me. I'd like to live a healthy lifestyle, but I'd also like to physically intimidate people lolz

[@taylorhillard4868]

A happier me is one that have fun shirtless bed wrestling with the lights on. And without huge pecs thats not possible.

[@jagleaso]

Me and my dad herniated the same lumbar disc compressing the same side nerve root at the same age. I talked to my grandfather about it and he laughed and told me he did too - same age…. Crazy.

[@Trapz4Dayz]

The genes are running strong

[@erichesse4636]

Please tell me you have a son to warn.

[@alexb6380]

Hi Mike, been following this channel for about a year, working out for 2yrs, lost 20kilos of fat and am close to a sixpack. I can confirm I havent gotten laid in years and I do not expect that to change any time soon.

[@hunk88]

Average Gymbro experience

[@oimazzo2537]

Still lots of dudes looking at you

[@TRichards66]

What are you doing to yourself man, go see a pro

[@Fen3rbahce]

Lmao

[@erykaldo2l270]

Hey man, Just remember that its not gay as long as its with your gymbro 😔🤌

[@john-wallaceholt1806]

Dr. Mike got me a girlfriend. Well I think she is a girl, she lives 2300 miles away in a basement in Baghdad. We’ve talked 3 or 4 times but I really love her and sent her my savings already so she could buy her first bike. THANKS DR.MIKE YOUR THE BEST

[@trenaceandblackmetal5621]

She is buying something else that starts with b

[@hunk88]

@trenaceandblackmetal5621 birthday gift for him for sure!!

[@bad3032]

Happy for you bro! Hope it works out!

[@Fen3rbahce]

Lmao

[@NegativeAccelerate]

Haa she responded to you in the oast 4 days?

[@oldcur]

As a mathematician, I appreciate your comment, "The normal distribution ... is one of the deepest shapes in nature." True. So true.

[@RainbowFishSaysHello]

I do feel like he could have explained it better. As someone who already knows what a bell curve looks like, his vague hand gestures were enough, but I can imagine being super confused if I didn't already know what he was talking about. Not that it's his job to teach his audience about maths, and I'm sure he didn't want to scare people off by going too deep into it anyway 😂

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@RainbowFishSaysHello If you're watching this channel for any length of time, you are educated enough to understand basic math and stats concepts. It also helps to recall that Dr. Mike is a university professor, so he's used to giving presentations to an audience that has completed their 100 and 200 level prerequisites.

[@liquidcorundum6568]

@@theKashConnoisseur Given that this isn't a formal course with well-defined prerequisites, it may be a good idea to give a brief mention of a resource to get up to speed on this stuff with an accompanying link in the description. After all, someone without much education in statistics (or someone who learned it long ago and has forgotten much of it since) could easily happen upon a Renaissance Periodization video in their recommended feed. That said, I don't think it's a big deal either way.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@liquidcorundum6568 Putting info in the description is nearly useless. Very few viewers will ever see it, and the majority will still come to the comments to ask questions answered in the description. But more importantly, people who'd need to be spoonfed the information would likely click off these videos in favor of channels that cater to the less well educated. As such, the "problem" solves itself. If you frequent this channel, you either have the education to understand the content, or you have the willingness to look up things you don't quite understand.

[@RainbowFishSaysHello]

@@theKashConnoisseur I'm not sure "less familiar with statistics" should be conflated with "less educated." I think if someone had previously dismissed most maths as not useful in real life, but is now getting really interested in the science of hypertrophy, then it's a really cool opportunity to bring them into the fold. (Cut to us maths nerds in a circle, surrounding a reformed gym bro, chanting "one of us, one of us" 😂)

[@palebloodz]

0:54 oh boy i got bad news from ur subscribers

[@mjkraft9365]

“Be ok with being your best” absolutely true, and it’s taking me a long time to get there. Great informative video.

[@cwmoo]

professional cyclists are freaks of genetics too. I listened to an interview with a good, not even best in the world, pro. He picked up cycling because he was doing rehab after a motorcycle accident. The PT put him on a cycle ergometer and told him to pedal hard to see how his muscles were recovering from the injuries, and the dude was pushing +5w/kg at 20yo with no bike specific training. After a year of training he was hitting 6w/kg, winning national championships, and has slowly built from there over the past 10 years. the first time this guy does a fitness test on a bike he's already 97th percentile, one year in and he's 99.8th percentile. his starting point was insane and his training response was insane too. but you have to be superhuman to win national championships.

[@johnhawthorne6763]

As a former (non-pro) bike racer...fuck that guy. :D

[@ginoyesano5649]

Yes, pretty much anyone on a highly competitive level in a popular sport is a freak of genetics

[@DjDolHaus86]

Horse sized heart, super-low resting heart rate and blood so thick it could be used to waterproof a tent. If you've got those assets then there is a very good chance you could be a very competitive cyclist. During the 90s when everyone in the endurance cycling world was on a cocktail of PEDs they became so fit that they were a risk to their own health. They'd have to wear heart rate monitors when they slept which would wake them up if their heart dropped below a certain BPM because there was a very real chance that they could die if they didn't wake up and do some exercise to get the blood pumping. They were sort of like a race car engine where they could happily run near the redline all day long but when you take your foot off the gas and let it idle it'll splutter and barely keep running.

[@odaddy47]

I need to smoke to sleep, or nyquil😂

[@do_a_powerbomb]

I picked up lifting about 1.5 years ago, and thanks in no small part to Dr Mike I have gone from 170lbs to 200lbs+, that is 30lbs... 30lbs of ASS. My legs are so thick and I got so much junk in my trunk I'm pretty sure I gotta switch over to ladies jeans because I can't get my dump-truck ass into ANYTHING. Thanks Dr Mike!

[@Jaetheeintrovert]

I don’t think my genetics would allow me 30 lbs of ass 😢 so far it’s allowed me 10 💔

[@nuncasaberas5926]

Do the thug shaker.

[@animefan8518]

I went from 145 to 128 and I still feel fat

[@catboy_official]

Suffering from success

[@triptychlux]

that’s great lemme see

[@benstanfill363]

My childhood friend is the definition of good genetics. He's always been very strong, naturally has a lot of muscle and goes insane if he isn't working hard. He specifically went into underground plumbing because he liked the physicality.

[@erikhorne846]

I was born an emergency C section. The circumference of my chest was bigger than the circumference of my head. In high school I was able to bench 250 when I weighed 125. That is my genetic gift.

[@Depulso7]

Benching double your body weight in high school is actually crazy wtf

[@CouscousEnjoyer]

Goddamn that really is a gift, i better see you in the olympics

[@earleebyrd]

your mom is a beast 💪 😤

[@yoeyyoey8937]

Erikhorne how much can you lift now?

[@erikhorne846]

@@yoeyyoey8937 I haven’t tried for a pr in a long time. But a while back at 49yo I was able to do 135 for I think 6 or 7.

[@xerouki839]

Mike, you’re right about me in petroleum jelly looking at quads, except, they’re your quads, and it’s right now.

[@ZanesFacebook]

Underrated

[@campbellsoupgirl2522]

Tom Platz once said "I will not be a victim to my genetics" you don't truly know until you put the work in for years

[@tajanisc]

"do not be a slave to your genetics, make your genetics a slave to you"

[@trzaskubejbe]

I mean Platz had world class genetics...

[@I_recommend_suicide]

Even if you knew for sure you had unfortunate genetics you should still do the work. If you know you're 100% going to be an unlovable goblin, you may as well be the most jacked and strong goblin _you_ can be.

[@uvd1]

@@trzaskubejbefor legs

[@LieutenantSteel]

I think this is called 'survivorship bias' since he was able to get so big due to his genetics, then said that he wouldn't let his genetics hold him back... but they wouldn't have because they were good...🤔 To be fair even Jay Cutler is a weird example- i know Dr Mike has previously said Jay didn't have the best genetics but he just out worked everyone else to win the Olympia 4 times, but in this video he says Jay has great genetics that let him put on loads of muscle really quickly, so I don't think anyone really knows who's got what until they get to the top. Anyone with bad genetics doesn't seem to make it that far, even when they try.

[@KrishnaWashburn]

Thanks for talking about injury genetics, Dr Mike! Some of our injury prone folks have connective tissue disorders and hypermobility, including myself. I have a group of friends who also have connective tissue disorders, and I swear, I'm one of the only ones who's still doing all right physically because of regular resistance training. Everybody else is dislocating knees by walking downstairs, dislocating cervical vertebrae by agreeing too vigorously with people. It's true, I do get injured more than the people in the middle of the bell curve, but I'd rather have lifting injuries and still get stronger and protect my joints than to get injuries from taking off my shoes too quickly and just keep getting more fragile. GIANT REQUEST: Lecture on lifting for hypermobile people? Please? How many Lambos do I need to buy for your butlers?

[@davidshmavid5]

I'm hyper mobile too. Got a jacked up shoulder that keeps me from lifting sometimes, tore both ACLs and tore my Achilles. Still trying my best to lift. Would love a vid on the topic.

[@adowdell]

Very spot on analysis. I think I was aware of a lot of this before, but never really explicitly assembled it into a coherent thought package like this. Great work.

[@jeremyjjbrown]

I thought I had bad genetics until I started tracking everything and planning off my metrics and I possibly even have above average genetics.

[@GloryToFatherGod777]

If it took all that then you probably don’t have good genetics. Most guys I know with good genetics look great despite eating like crap and having subpar inconsistent training

[@jeremyjjbrown]

@Nexahexaflexa It's all rigorous adherence to the basics. I track all my macros and adjust total calories and protein and keep that consistent. I track my lifts and make sure I am progressing long term to control volume which I have adjusted to be a lot higher than I would have thought. I also track my weight, waist size and 3 site skin fold daily (AM before eating but after the toilet) to try to gain about 0.5-1 lbs a week as long as my fat is not going up. I adjust calories appropriately. I really like creating 1 week averages of weight and BF since they vary and comparing those averages. It's not very hard really.

[@jeremyjjbrown]

@@GloryToFatherGod777 I am probably 1 Standard Deviation above Mean whereas I would have thought I was -1SD. Your talking about +2SD or +3SD people and I am definitely not one of those. I know the type your talking about, I had a roommate that was. He ate dogshit and always had a ~5mm Abdominal Skinfold.

[@Vincent_Beers]

Average genetics paired with a good work ethic and proper nutrition still produces good results even if they aren't competition class.

[@Moose92411]

It took me a long time to realize and accept that my genetics for most of these factors really aren’t special. They’re average. I used to whine about not having good fat loss or muscle building genetics, and I finally accepted that while I’m really not great for either one, I’m also not terrible for either. It was a highly liberating realization.

[@joshualuttrell7269]

There is no tooth fairy, there is no Santa Claus, and there is no Scott the video guy

[@loganmaclean10]

I really appreciate the nuance in this, Mike. I live with Crohn's disease and definitely fall in the injury prone, hard to gain muscle territory. Always tough to say what's genetics and what's just Crohn's being hard on the body and especially nutrition, but I find a lot of the "get jacked" approach isn't super useful for me. My goals are more about feeling strong and having energy, with the side benefit that it may include looking better. But trying to find videos for that gets one caught up in a lot of gains gains gains, which leads me to injury. This video helps contextualize those, so thank you.

[@zenergetic_8299]

I have the genetics of a tuna casserole, which is why it’s taken me 20 years to build the physique I have.

[@JoeFromSJersey]

lol I feel you. It's taken me almost 20 years of busting my ass and TRT to look like....average on my best day

[@a.k2156]

Lets start a club guys. 12+ years of training and good diet, last 1.5 years on gear and i finally look like i lift....kinda :D

[@JoeFromSJersey]

@@a.k2156 I finally feel seen….

[@a.k2156]

@@JoeFromSJersey I feel you brother :D Keep grinding or we will turn into bag of milk :D:D

[@PeterKnagge]

Bro just called me out as fat, stupid, lazy, insecure, & ugly in biology...

[@Cookiekeks]

Started lifting about a year ago, watched all the big lifting channels, tried to optimize what I can, trained hard 6x and bulked for the entire time. Yet, my body looks pretty much the same, plus a bit of fat. I'm just glad it's getting acknowledged that some people really just have had bad luck in the genetic lottery and there's not much you can do about it.

[@MadRedCarnelian]

I found using silicon ear plugs a game changer for sleep. I have really heightened senses, so a dark room and muted sound goes a long way for helping me sleep.

[@mashenka6189]

Same. I sleep with block out blinds, and silicon ear plugs for years..game changer..

[@XuanTran-s3l]

What if a burglar breaks in?

[@mashenka6189]

@@XuanTran-s3l haha..that where my husband who is 95 kg of muscle steps in..😉

[@JayFrii420]

i found ear plugs were too uncomfortable so i use a box fan for white noise instead and a noise machine in the winter. even carry a keep a little noise machine when i travel

[@boonavite3200]

I saw this sleep eye mask with built in bluetooth speakers where the sides cover the ears. So tempted to get it!

[@TylerCaples-l6i]

Dr Mike, when I first started watching you two years ago I could not stand your videos. The more I progressed in my training I found the significant value that comes from your lecture like videos. Thank you!

[@sxhrgvs]

Very interesting. Great to see all this together in one video.

[@GordonBFit]

Iu😅

[@TheDonnieLlama]

Dr Mike! I hope you read this. You are the most entertaining teacher I’ve ever seen. This is the best show on the internet. Scott the video guy is a beast. Please keep pumping this out. I love this channel.

[@allcartuner]

The biggest takeaway for me is: Dr. Mike hates sand, it's rough, coarse and it gets everywhere!

[@hank_poole_]

Such a missed opportunity, they were going back and forth and I was like "SAY IT DAMMIT!"; alas...

[@nicholasheimpel5998]

Hell yeah

[@TwinsNicknMax]

I have an identical Twin and were into fitness and such(athletes) we did an experiment with different workout routines, push pull legs vs full body and the differences were crazy

[@CODKenny1]

6:49 Dr. Mike chooses to sleep on the couch tonight 23:20 Dr. Mike chooses to sleep on the couch for the rest of the week

[@gabrielmarinho9060]

That part of dealing with our own genetics fits every part of life. If you learn how to deal with it, you'll become the best version you can be.

[@DawgFL]

5:30 I'm so glad someone with influence finally said this. I've been saying this for years and people always take it as "making excuses". Genetics determine EVERYTHING. Not just how much muscle you can build and how fast. But how well you recover, what your appetite is, your work ethic, your sleep, your mental strength, your discipline, etc. Genes are literally the makeup of your life. You cannot best your genetics. You can only try to make smart optimizations within your genetic ability.

[@Everythingismeaningless344]

And then it gets into epigenetics. It's almost like life is unfair. 😂

[@jacob6215]

You can say the exact same thing about environment. Doesn’t matter if you have the best genetics in the world if you don’t have the environment that causes them to be expressed. It is possible for two people to have the exact same genes but with different environmental factors, mostly stuff that is completely out of one’s control, one persons DNA may have methylation patterns that cause DNA to be coiled around histones in a way that makes it physically improbable or impossible for transcription factors to bind to a gene. Thus, two people with the exact same genetics have completely different traits. asking if genetics or environment is more important is like asking does length or width contribute more to the area of a square? Mike is just bad at communicating the ideas of genetics or he’s not well read on them.

[@MsGymCh]

Likewise. The genetic predisposition is the only factor to someone's success. We're just here to find out what these positive and negative traits are.

[@strategicsage7694]

@@MsGymCh It is absolutely not the *only* factor, not even close. It is a significant factor, and can place bounds around it, etc. but people also make decisions. A vanishingly small amount of people ever bounce up against the limit of their genetics.

[@maseratidyce3587]

Yeah and with getting laid. I might be a beautiful man but I have retard genetics, and can’t resist mansplaining steel alloys to women and calling them by another woman’s name. I can try to fight against it, or I can use my sexual frustration to raise my T

[@Jaynene_rainey]

This is one of the best videos on this channel. I'm going to listen to this at least one or two more times.

[@CoachRedmon]

I’m so glad to hear him address this topic. Nobody discusses it!!

[@strategicsage7694]

It is a good topic ... but *lots* of people discuss it.

[@CoachRedmon]

@@strategicsage7694 I listen to this type of content every day. I make my living in this space. I have NEVER heard anyone discuss the genetic aspect like this. Maybe “nobody discusses it” was a stretch, but it’s incredibly rare, at best.

[@dogs-game-too]

I've been 6'3" since I was 13 and people have always told me I could be an absolute monster if I committed. I've tried several times in life to really really commit, but a lack of results always leads to my lack of self discipline interfering. Most of my family struggles with weight, and now at 33 it's starting to catch me. I would really appreciate any non-toxic advice. I wish I had a training partner but it's not a very viable option for me currently. I try to make exercise fun with kickboxing and hiking, but since I started working full time it's harder and harder to have a routine

[@JezzaN1]

Hey Mike - any advice on ‘coping’ with having objectively dogshit genetics? I am constantly frustrated by my lack of progress, despite training more intelligently / harder / tracking food more accurately etc than 95% of people. I know it isn’t going to change anything, but it’s a mental battle seeing my physique go basically nowhere despite dedicating so much time and mental capacity to improving it (this is without even comparing myself to others, which is a whole separate thing I try not to do). Edit: looks like you touched on this later in the video. I’ll continue drowning in my self-loathing and accept my rubbish genes - thanks!

[@eazyt84]

Same story here. But people get obsessed with this unimportant crap. Imagine you die tomorrow and review your life, a stage, a game to experience. How were you spending your days? You were worrying about 21.3% this, 2.1kg that. (And in other people we dont even notice when they lose 20 pounds over a year. ) At the same time we overlook spring and singing birds. 22.53% fat in the App dashboard is more important. Have fun. Go hiking. Ride a bike in nature. Go to the gym 2x per week for fun and health. Focus on stuff thats fun and/or what you are good at. Some more coperade: che k those vids where they ask girls which body type they prefer. Spoiler: fat, skinny, athletic.... everyone has their own preference. You dont need to be this or that.

[@DiceMasterChannel]

This is absurdly good content AND very witty, entertaining. Keep it going 🎖

[@gohmmy]

as an asian 6:52 had me actually laughing out loud

[@magos_0083]

FAVORITE PART 😭💀💀

[@patriotcraftsboy1046]

😂

[@marinajade2010]

Really eye opening to realize the variability of all the variables, I want to start coaching and learning to think about individuals as an n of 1 is incredibly valuable. I personally am "bad" at sleeping, but I have developed a bed time routine that works for me. Screen time right before bed is about the worst thing I can do to my brain. I put away all screens at 7 pm, dim the lights while I brush my chompers, read an actual in bed with a red light only reading light for 30 min to an hour, and lights out no later than 9:30. I wake up with no alarm at 4:50 am and am at the gym by 6. I also sleep with ear plugs in a dark and cool room, etc etc, but limiting and eliminating bright light for two hours before bed has changed everything. That, and magnesium have almost eliminated insomnia which I have struggled with since I was a child.

[@gary_michael_flanagan_wildlife]

I don’t think I have great genetics, as I was an obese child and wasn’t great at sports. But in 2017 I got my diet on track and focused on a John meadows style training program (after a few years) and lost a lot of body fat and recomped. Now 42 years old and I can tell you a lot of success in diet and bodybuilding is: Consistency, every meal, hours of sleep, good training. Most people just aren’t consistent. I also don’t drink alcohol anymore and I’ve made pretty good gains even after 40. So I think those of us without the best genetics may need to work harder but if you are consistent you can go a long way!! Thanks Dr Mike, I always appreciate your knowledge and funny personality!!

[@thomassrock313]

00:50 mission success dr.mike

[@aynrandfan7454]

Genetics is the number one factor to everything in life

[@RasLunacy]

7:00 asian joke made me spit my water out, idk why i even get surprised anymore atp

[@lolilll]

Adenosine triphosphate

[@Censord]

Spilled my goddamn Creatine lol

[@seiyulyu4854]

This Korean found that Asian hard worker joke funny af and I totally endorse Dr Mike for making that funny!

[@TreMcKeeJapanTrePreneur]

As a white guy living in Japan I overLOLd

[@liquidcorundum6568]

@@lolilll Gotta get that oxidative phosphorylation, brother 💪

[@trycethomas939]

Hey! Been watching the channel for almost a year now, have loved learning more about working out and building my routine. Working out has been awesome, and it has 100% effected how much I'm getting laid.... so thanks Dr. Mike! The channel is working. 👌

[@Luigiman59able]

Great video on a complicated topic. My big takeaway is that while being limited by your own genetics can seem unfortunate, it just means you need to strive to be the best you possible, which I think is a healthy mindset.

[@rockpaperscizors1030]

Would love a video addressing lifting and attempting to gain weight while handling Crohn’s disease. I’ve heard Jenn Aguirre mention her dieting challenges due to Crohn’s herself. Keep up the good work, Doc!

[@marcinbaranowski5565]

Cant belive you threw so much fat on just for this one thunbnail. Respect man

[@Jmexmaldo]

Hey 👋🏽 Dr. Mike, thanks for really touching on the genetics thing. I’m a skinny guy, been skinny most my life, I’ve come to terms with it, but have embraced being the best version of me. It really bothered me when I was younger, but understanding how we are all different and listening to your body to optimize your best you is really what I like about your message 👍🏽 I also found that I was doing a lot of exercises wrong and educating myself helps the process. Your videos have helped a lot with my confidence in fitness, thanks.

[@ColbyGillich]

I want to blame genetics, but we can just call my genetics “drive thru fast food”. Yep, solid nickname

[@dannyrwagamba]

You’re one of the best, Mike 👍

[@sh_project1999]

Im a phd student in pharmaceutical chemistry and our group mainly works on gene expression via influencing DNA, RNA or protein levels. Your explanation of genetics is brilliant in the sense that you emphasise that EVERYTHING is genetic!

[@cedric1808]

That perfect blend of zero bulshit science and funny af hardcore humour alone deserves a subscribe 👌

[@Conformist55]

Me, above average muscle, above average fat, below average height. Edit: I also have a fat ass….

[@MunkEMann]

Go reproduce then

[@hunk88]

Go make some daughters

[@Udontkno7]

You into men?

[@vojtechstiborsky9522]

Same bro always wanted to be an elf but trapped in dwarven body 😂

[@breezethru]

Nice ass bro

[@Aus-OpenBodybuilding]

I'v got so big from this channel woman dont even look at me anymore their discusted. I love it! Thanks Dr Mike. ❤

[@REPSDirect]

Every one wants to be a battleship, but regardless of improvements made in dry dock you can't make a battleship out of barge.

[@FullMetalAsh]

I identify as a barge and I find this comment offensive.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

Jokes on you, I'm an impromptu life raft made from palm tree logs and some nylon twine that washed up on the shore.

[@ftate]

Informative as always, Mike! I had never heard of "diet fatigue" before, much less one's capacity to gain or lose it. Extremely useful information.

[@Shanejack__]

this might have been the funniest one yet, bro actually just kills the jokes lmaoo

[@Yupppi]

"There are people in high school that just exist" is now my favourite quote. It's fascinating though, my dad is a tall and strong guy, big not in a non-active way, looks a bit like a weightlifter that isn't quite all the way to power belly. My uncle is similar but less power belly and more athletic looking. I was always tall and lanky, no muscle to even mention. Until now at 34 I'm starting to look athletic after some years of barbells. Like actually surprising myself with gains and thinking that I have more impressive physique to many people I know (not in the way that it's a competition, but opening my eyes with less self-criticism) when I thought I'd always be the skinny weak guy. I also had some skinny fat although I looked normally lean, I could've maybe had some abs showing if I ever had some. But now I'm for the first time approaching the place where my midsection has blown up and I'm getting lean enough to start seeing the lower abs. And even wilder thing to me is currently growing muscle and strength on maintenance/slight deficit while doing judo when I thought there's no way I'd be getting more gains without putting more serious effort in. On my way to 1,5x bodyweight squat as well. It's shocking how you can have pretty decent genetics and be completely oblivious to them for all kinds of factors that contribute to not gaining muscle. I suppose the thing really was that I used to care and now I don't give a shit about most things. I also struggle to add a lot of set volume to my training, one of those guys. Not that it doesn't do great things, it for sure grows me more, but I can't handle it. I'm just a zombie outside the gym and everything starts to look grey and I lose interest in everything. And get soreness for ages. It takes a good while to be able to add sets for me. And talking about squats, at least you can affect that if you want to. When I started squatting thrice a week and bicycling at the same time for fun because it was summer, squats stopped being tough to tolerate. And I believe Eric Helms has an anecdote about really hammering his hamstrings with frequency and volume at some point and now he can handle hamstring training well. And Max Aita when he just started with almost Bulgarian method ended up being so accustomed that apparently he just really doesn't generate much fatigue from doing maxes any given day and training squats every day. I think some famous bodybuilder once said "Pain don't hurt much". It's so funny with the sleep. I dated a couple of girls who complained how they can't get sleep tonight and it really pisses them off, and they would fall asleep five minutes after getting in bed. I have a funny way to sleep, I struggle a lot to fall asleep unless my schedule is unnaturally (to me) early and I just drop before midnight, but when I fall asleep, I sleep like a log and nothing will wake me up. On the other hand on those early schedules I can wake up multiple times a night and wake up before the alarm clock and not be able to fall asleep again, feel tired for interrupted sleep but not being able to do anything about it. Shit like that makes me believe in individual inner clocks and mine is just fucked up. And I whole-heartedly believe that it's both my own doing and my genetic dispositions, my parents said I was bad at sleeping as a baby already. Poor parents, nothing worse than baby that sleeps poorly. I think I've got less laid than ever since I started watching the channel like 5 years ago or so and growing muscle. Regarding being able to sleep in cuddling, it depends on the person 100%. It's really bad with a new person, but gets better when you get used to it. However with some people it's worse due to their body shapes and some other factors I'm not sure about, but then there was this one girl that felt like she was made to be my counterpart - it felt so natural and comfortable to be in cuddling position with her and I fell asleep and slept really well throughout the night, like a log, on the first night we slept together. Perfect height and shape. Never slept so well with another person before and after. On the other hand she was very fit unlike any of the other girls I dated, which probably lends to her body being leaner but shaped somewhat comfortably anyway, not pressing anywhere and her handling her body and weight better, not just dropping the whole weight on anything she lays on (she's a pole dancer and climber). A bit like good partner in judo is not tense per se, but not like a rice bag or bag full of jelly - like alerted. Being relaxed but ready to act and resist. Military service was fun. There's a huge sandy beach (more sand than beach) where there's a training exercise and it's a common joke that even after getting relieved from service people are still finding sand from everywhere after that exercise. I'm not even asian but I recognize that thing. If I know the stuff at school or it doesn't challenge me, I start getting frustrated and losing motivation, it starts feeling like giant waste of my minutes and hours. At judo classes I work more than others or necessary, just because I enjoy it, but also because it's only 1,5 hours twice a week at the moment, if I spend that time standing and chilling, I don't get that much practice and also it's fun to see how much I can challenge myself (in the limits of not blowing up technical work for cardio). And I never do anything at home that's "useless" like keeping the apartment particularly clean or going to bed early if I don't have visitors coming or have to go to somewhere the next morning. I'm extremely bad at being motivated for something that is not efficient or useful. After a long time I just accepted it's how my brain works and I can adjust if need be, but that's what my default function is, sitting down not doing the chores. But also needing something that stimulates the brain so I won't start jumping on the walls, which is why I like gym because you can turn the brain off for a moment and just challenge the body even if you have nothing pressing or important on the schedule. Like I'm good at learning, school and stuff, but extremely avoidant to unnecessary work to the point of seeming lazy. Sometimes I stay up until noon learning stuff that's interesting online, to the point my brain barely functions anymore and I find it hard to hit the sack early. But on the asian topic, Finns have been called mongoloids as insult previously and back in the day the US refused to give Finns citizenship because someone said we originate from Mongolians or so, and only white people and Africans could get citizenship. It was overturned later when some judge said "if we look at any given Finn, it's hard to find more pale person".

[@blind_warriorr]

Craig Golias in that bottom 10% for taking instruction.

[@OneEyedJackNLD]

Man, such an informative video! I learned so much! Notes to self: 21:12 Never looked at it like this 25:47 why some muscles just won’t grow 30:00 Diet fatigue

[@donovanmallory]

The sandman forgets I exist. He only visits me if there's someone else in the bed with me. We don't have to be cuddling, but when he comes to give them the sleep dust, he sees me and sprinkles some over me as well.

[@amandaroy9656]

I think you just paraphrased my insomniac experience using a fairy tale villain, which weirdly makes so much sense

[@evangaudet]

I wish I could talk to him on a podcast during this entire video. Great video man. Lots of generalizations but I’m sure you know that. I was that 120lbs guy out of high school and trained up to 220lbs over the course of 15 years. Took me forever just to gain 5-8lbs. I always hated eating. I learned that I can be dialed in for about 4 months out of the year. The rest of the year is me fucking off or not sticking to the needed routine.

[@Ericrawnsley]

For thousands of years being able to have a gut from eating was seen as a blessing and good genetics. I refuse to let modern body image standard bring me down!

[@galapalafala]

Great points Dr. Mike making on not judging people.

[@alexdenton9176]

My ab genetics are so much of a two-pack the only way I can see them is with a chalk outline.

[@PuTeee89]

i swear, i almosted didn't trained for 3 years and i lost so few volume over all this time, i almost feel bad about it. Endurance went really low though. Now, i started again and it feels so great. keep pumping iron! greetings from germany

[@SteveJonesOwnsDSP]

I need to see that study where genetics controls your level of hard work (43:50). Not that I doubt it (maybe just a little bit), but I need to see how that was concluded and wish to know more.

[@groboclone]

It might come under studies into the genetic basis of the big 5 personality traits, of which conscientiousness is one. Conscientiousness can be further broken down into orderliness and industriousness, I imagine the latter would be the one to look into

[@SteveJonesOwnsDSP]

@@groboclone ah, thanks for the lead

[@dogs-game-too]

Alright, the super saiyan 4 reference finally got me to sub 😂

[@I3orjoyzee]

I have super “genetics”. Limbs thin and without fat. But my torso is full of fat. Like doctor Robotnik.

[@AlamedanBreezyRep]

Hahah

[@JayFrii420]

it’ll take work but you can improve on all of that. how are your legs?

[@I3orjoyzee]

@@JayFrii420 I am boxing for 3 years now (as a hobby, no fights, just few sparring here and there). I am lifting weights for 1,5 year a lift more than at begging, but nothing special, I really try hard. Yes my diet is not perfect, even small deviation in diet plan leads to ruining my "gains". I measured my testosteron level and on the low end of "normal" level. Before I started lifting I was even bellow normal level. (I am 180cm and 93kg. My best was 86kg and around 23% by DEXA.)

[@I3orjoyzee]

@@JayFrii420 And most of the fat is visceral. If I stand upright (or pose) you can see clearly my ribs:) Funny I know:)

[@JayFrii420]

@@I3orjoyzee visceral fat is what i struggled with too. what helped keep the belly flat for me is tons of walking and calisthenics. walking especially keeps my cravings for sweets under control.

[@mollyrhodes9318]

I recover very quickly from fatigue, but I also injure very easily. It's a funky bridge to walk and requires a lot of incredible attention to technique and learning what a good hurt vs a bad hurt is.

[@jacobdouglas4896]

I think I definitely am one of those 'fragile motherfuckers' :((, List of injuries after just over a year of training: 1. Tricep tendonitis developed after 1 month of benching with 10kg, I cant do any tricep isolation work without pain 2. herniated disc in lower back leading to consistent sciatica 1 year later after picking up an empty bar with perfect technique and bracing my core. 3. Both my shoulders are all kinds of fucked up, I cant do db pullovers with 2.5kg without severe pain even when i cut the range of motion short. Most likely a shoulder impingement as there is so much grinding and clicking and I also have bad scapula winging 4. Both knees hurt basically all of the time, walking downstairs is painful 5. Left hip hurts a lot when performing back squats or leg press, I can only do bulgarians which isnt the most fun way to train legs in the world. 6. My personal favourite, I strained a muscle in my neck last week from grimacing too hard on a set of 6kg lateral raises. Lol

[@romercreate5232]

Most likely from mental state your body reacts to mental hardships with injuries in your physical body

[@jacobdouglas4896]

@@romercreate5232 I don’t know if this is a genuinely documented phenomenon but I will say you may be on to something in my case. I have severe mental health issues so that very well may be why I’m so fragile lol

[@romercreate5232]

@@jacobdouglas4896 im not eng speaking but i have a book where u can see what causes your problem and how to fix it i use it for me and its insane how accurate it is. And how the mentalstates like selflove fear and so on affects the real body.

[@romercreate5232]

@@jacobdouglas4896 yeah u need to work on yourself, lower back problems can for example be, that u got no selflove, or fear from authorities or supperiors, fear of being yourself since u want to appear normal or strong to society. Can give u a more clear answer when u can tell which disc u herniated.

[@Herr_U]

The "cuddle sleep with someone", I've found two solutions two this. 1) Find someone who tends to freeze when they fall asleep, it is great, it is like having a thermoregulated mattress 2) Sleep with a thin sock (the tyoe that just goes over you heels) on one foot and have that leg be _not_ under a blanket. A thigh and calve is a surprisingly large area for your body to dump heat (the sock is to just keep circulation to your toes going (and to avert damages if you live in a place with decent (cold) climate). But overall, my duvet/blanket when sleeping alone is twice as thick as the one I have when cuddle-sleeping with someone. Edit: And the trick to de-sanding your hair is a soft brush (the kind used for toddlers are great, or get a soft military style brush). Or just be in a windy area after the hair has dried (or use a blow dryer).. moist sands clings to everything... (And yes, I know it is a bit - but I also have had these discussions seriously with too many people)

[@Mikey__R]

My "yet" lasted until 30, when I really started running, and then my mid 30s, when I stopped running and started getting interested in strength sports. The fact my quads got huge running up hills meant I probably had a genetic predisposition to big legs. It's a shame that my upper body didn't get the same memo.

[@JayFrii420]

i’m the same way. leg gains come easy but upper body is stubborn to grow. definitely making (slow) progress

[@impaledface7694]

One of your best videos, and it's useful for non gains applications as well.

[@conornegri]

"What does a high school girl look like... Scott the video guy? I'm just kidding that's fucked up" whilst full shit eating grin. Had me dying lmaoooo

[@TallgeeseFan]

I can't wait to get the app and see if I can finally fix my chest. I haven't ever gotten rid of my chest fat. My chest has always sagged on the bottom leading the armpits. I think it's mainly due to a lack of knowledge of proper building, but whether it was in my addiction at 140 lbs to now that I have lost weight and built some muscle since being super overweight, and my chest fat/sag has managed to stay the same. I've been doing chest workouts and lat pulldowns, a little better chest shape now but not much, I'm hoping the app can show me the workouts I need to square and tone up my chesticles, it's definitely something I'm most self conscious about.

[@high0nfire]

Looking forward to this video. I tend to think anyone talking about good genetics is just denying the hard work over long periods of time behind closed doors. On the opposite side, talking about bad genetics makes me think it’s denial of the lack of consistent hard effort over long periods of time. Ready to be wrong!

[@taylorhillard4868]

I feel like you probably just havent been around other people in the gym for very long then. If you pay attention long enough to notice everyone else in the gym you'll see small guys killing themselves day in and day out for years on end, and big guys doing the absolute least and looking how everyone wants to look. Granted yes there are plenty of people who arent putting in the time or effort who dont look good, and people who are putting in the effort and time and do look good, but thats not everyone. The "time+effort=results for anyone" is the most blatantly false notion that still persists to this day. (And understandably so, no one wants to aknowledge that you'll never be good enough just because of how you were born)

[@thomask114]

That point of working hard being a determining factor is huge. A buddy was telling me about his son trying to get into D1 athletics and he would say “he’s really good and has the potential he just doesn’t have the drive or try hard enough” and I told him that his capacity to work hard and go after it was probably MORE limiting than his physical potential in top level athletics. Knowing a number of collegiate and pro athletes, the one thing they almost all share is mindset and dedication.

[@yanbaihuzxzxzx]

I was the person that had muscle as a kid, from 11-18 my body was solid 185 5ft 10" broad shoulders and huge forearms. Basically never left the house and never trained, had a friend couldnt put a pound on himself if his life depended on it. Said I was a lucky bastard. My brother was bigger than I was 6ft 3 same shoulders and big arms. genetics just run that way. Now I'm fat as hell and lazy. Need to start a fitness program hence why I like this channel. Fun to build up from nothing though. Diet has a huge impact on this. My family always ate red meat. pork steak roasts etc pototoes, country cooking!! Drink Whole Milk and as far myself I always had a huge appetite. never no shortage of protein or carbs.

[@matthewotis3594]

Should be easy being your great genetics. My uncle is like that. Hrs 66 and still ripped with Popeye arms. Set all the half back records as a teen in our side of state. I'm short ND over weight. Framed and roofed all my adult life. Is what it is. Watching my diet and working out. Losing weight and gaining strength but no size or form difference minus slimmed down. Just don't have big arms. Back and chest are good but never had arms. Had back arms but no biceps. The way I'm made

[@wowandrss]

Congrats on the genetic lottery bro! Now become the monster you can be!

[@Udontkno7]

My family looks at weights and we're muscular. I'm a girl, and when I started, I was able to deadlift 230 first try. Just kept lifting the bar until it was difficult. I'm 6'2 (but was 5'11 at the time, 15 then) and then I was 155. Now I'm 175 and can lift MUCH more. Still not a serious lifter, but a few deadlifts and my back is fucking sizeable. Which some might find unfeminine. I do not care.

[@TaxEvader420]

Thanks for talking about what genetics mean for intermediates and advanced lifters, people often skip that part entirely

[@Requilith]

they only really start mattering once you get deeper into all of this stuff imo, for complete noobs it's literally just noise that distracts them from the real stuff

[@Jason-gq8fo]

I think my genetics are dog water. But we’ll see how my first true bulk goes

[@thodorisevangelakos]

If you've never done a "true bulk" I doubt you've been lifting long enough to have a good read on what your genetics look like

[@Jason-gq8fo]

@@thodorisevangelakos I have been lifting for about 6 years. But only seriously in the last two I would say. I have done some bulks but it was before I knew as much as I did now. Currently trying to cut down before a proper bulk, but I suck at sticking to my calorie goal so it’s taking a while

[@Jimlifts1]

You go it mane

[@jonathanrekker]

Thanks dr. Mike! As always, interesting stuff.

[@salemsarni-gg7md]

6:55 bro was homelander for a sec

[@behtashs]

Hi Dr. Mike! You raise some valid points about genetics, though there are aspects that could benefit from clarification, particularly regarding the genetics of behavior. The notion that learning patterns and work ethic are simply tied to a person's genetic makeup is misleading and has been repeatedly disproven. However, there is some truth to the idea that genetics play a role in behavior. Behavioral genetics is best understood as a spectrum. On one end, you have organisms like certain insects, which, despite never encountering others of their species, demonstrate complex and seemingly ingenious behaviors. This can be contrasted with animals like orcas, which exhibit some ingrained intelligent behaviors but also rely heavily on learned behaviors, such as advanced hunting techniques passed down through generations. Without such learning, these techniques may not develop in some orcas. Humans, by contrast, fall on the opposite end of this spectrum, where behavior is significantly influenced by genetics, epigenetics, and environmental factors. Given your role as a scientist and affiliation with a prestigious institution, I suggest having your videos peer-reviewed before publishing to ensure your audience receives the highest quality content. If time is a constraint, consider running the transcript through an LLM for overall feedback. - A fellow scientist.

[@Dope2Drop]

Genetics are everything

[@palehorse7775]

The “Be proud of what you’ve built” got me

[@lemonidask]

Now thats a guy with genuine PhD knowledge...Simple explanation of genetics statistically (normal distribution etc) shows thatthis guy not only is a bodybuilder but also has an IQ.

[@TallgeeseFan]

21:53 in regards to 'The Boys' I'm with you on that, show gets me pumped!

[@nickjaymes4152]

What does it say about my genetics if I love a hairy bald man named Mike?

[@felixpos3917]

Love these videos! It's like my favorite TV program, I learn and laugh like crazy!!

[@erikpeterson70]

I recently realized, im a stupid lucky lazy ass hole, so im finally really committing to going to the gym. Ive been 6'5" since i was 14, have always had naturally jacked traps, decent pectorals without doing any work on them at all. My genetic makeup is about 75% nordic. The extent of my physical activity has been just going for walks. I feel like ive been spitting in the face of god's blessings lol

[@videogamemessiah4988]

Don't feel too bad, I have a 7 ft in highschool uncle that had coaches trying to recruit him in random restaurants they wanted him so bad. Man has never played any sports or lifted, I don't know what the rest of his muscles look like from him being 500lbs, but his calves are straight muscle and the size of palm trees.

[@michaelbarletta1024]

I love the amount of nerdom that is Dr. Mike. An amazo reference isn’t something I’ve heard from any other fitness KZbinr.

[@kwerby3285]

Genetics is a moot argument because 1. You can’t change your genetics and 2. Even if you have bad genetics, are you going to use that as an excuse to not workout?

[@samuelkorger3567]

Agreed. When I train bench my legs get a pump but I’m still out here trying to be more than legs.

[@wowitsfrostygames155]

Depends on the goal.

[@taylorhillard4868]

I mean.....yeah? Whats the point in putting your body through chronic pain and irritability if you dont get anything out of it? Muscles are PURELY for vanity. There is no need to be strong in the modern age, and optimal health doesnt require it either (though it does require not being fat) Living a life of soreness and pain can be worth it if you end up woth what you were looking to get, but if youre just going to look barely any different......why not just look almost the same but not be in pain all the time?

[@ademsulejmanovski7178]

@@taylorhillard4868my brother in Christ if you have chronic pain from training I’m sorry to say but ur not working out properly. Also there’s a plethora of reasons to train muscle aside. 👍

[@taylorhillard4868]

@@ademsulejmanovski7178 it's literally not possible to avoid for me. If I work out a muscle, regardless of how frequently, (unless I keep it like 7-10 reps from failure) it will be sore. Soreness itself is a form of low level chronic pain, very manageable, but still annoying. (Especially if it's not helping to look any better) But even beyond that, putting any kind of load and doing lower body exercises causes much more significant pain. It's not like there's a different form or style of training that will change that. If I load weight onto my knees and go through even a half range of motion, my knees will be hurting. Usually so much so that I won't be able to get to sleep without painkillers, which also completely erase all muscle growth. Pain is unavoidable, it is the fundamental outcome of all muscle training, no matter the form, style, or structure.

[@BuckFieri]

I’m in the hate eating camp but the spoon trick definitely works to an extent. I have to get it all down before my body realizes it’s torture so anything I can shovel and minimally chew works best.

[@juliehopkins5924]

Hey Dr.Mike, thanks for your videos! I hope you see this and can answer. In the last few weeks of Mr.Olympia a lot of people are making predictions here and there. One of the thing everyone keep repeating is “conditioning” makes all the difference. What is this conditioning? Is this just diet and drugs and lack of water? I can’t imagine anyone can make any major muscle differences this close to the end. I know nothing of body building I just like to go to the gym and watch these competitions. Can you explain different styles of this mysterious conditioning and what bad conditioning looks like very good? Obviously good is probably the winner of these comps but yea… thanks so much! Thanks for continuing to be a great teacher!

[@Zhenöq]

Now I do want tattoo saying "inevitably, блять" from 17:32.