For a long time, the bodybuilding world has often debated the subject of gains and muscle growth through various approaches. Each individual may have a unique way of building up their body and getting jacked, but exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel lists three predominant factors that determine the probability of gains.
Often, one would hear reasons like extreme nutritional supplements, PEDs, protein intake, various forms of workout routines, and much more. However, Dr. Israetel revealed that the origin of gains goes far beyond these surface-level explanations. The three determinants that he mentions are:
- Genetics
- Time
- Consistency
Genetics of a bodybuilder
Phil Heath gained the moniker of ‘The Gift’ because of his gifted genetics that helped him become a seven-time Mr. Olympia. While growing muscles have a straightforward two-step approach of intense exercise and proper diet, having the necessary genetics to get the muscles as conditioned as possible amps up the chances of getting jacked efficiently.
Dr. Mike Israetel also recommends getting the basics of workout techniques correct. While genetics would anyway act as an upper hand to many, it was important to perfect one’s technique to give the muscles a fighting chance.
Time spent exercising
Bodybuilders like Chris Bumstead are often celebrated for having a tunnel vision of wanting to pursue bodybuilding in their teens. While it’s not necessarily about starting earlier, Dr. Israetel does recommend training for a span of years to judge one’s gains.
When one spends decades working out and performing strength training, at some point, they’re bound to get jacked over time. Since Bumstead spent years training for his dreams, he’s been dominant as the Classic Physique champion for five years.
Consistency of workout over the years
One could spend years training, be gifted with genetics, and have nailed the technique. However, if they haven’t been consistently training over the years, they are bound to lose their gains and strength. Dr. Mike Israetel once mentioned how often one should train at the gym in a week to balance intensity and recovery.
This is why one might find legends like Ronnie Coleman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Flex Wheeler, and many others stay true to their gym regularly. While they may have hung up their posing shorts decades ago, that doesn’t stop them from working out and getting their pump.
Dr. Israetel maintains that getting jacked depends on multiple factors apart from the three he listed down. Yet, a good thumb rule to ensure one was doing things the right way was to train with full intensity, keep up the consistency of workouts, remain patient to see results and adopt a custom approach. This way, one stood a better chance of building muscle and looking ripped.
