Are you built to exercise?

Hi folks,

We’ve all heard people say “I’m just not made to exercise” or “its easy for them, they’re suited to exercise” but is there actually any truth in it? You might have heard about people whose genetics make them either high or low responders to exercise. Basically this another way, this is the difference in results if two people were given the exact same exercise & nutrition plan to follow.

Aerobic exercise: According to some studies, there can be a 3 to 10-fold difference between low & high responders over a 15-20 week period.  This difference could be in the form of recovery speed, aerobic endurance, or calorie burning efficiency. On top of this, some people may be more suited to long endurance exercise & some to short sprints. Unfortunately there is no visible way of telling who is a high responder & who is a low responder, you have to undergo scientific testing.

Strength: Variations in response to weights training are well known. The potential to gain muscle size largely depends on the ratio of slow-twitch & fast-twitch muscle fiber’s the person has (i/e. a naturally taller / leaner person will find it harder to build muscle mass doing the same weights routine as someone naturally stockier). So this is a response that we can predict, just look at our body type.

Overall the messages to take away from this are:

·        Choose an exercise that you enjoy (even if you aren’t very good at it). If you enjoy it you will stick to it, which means you will get some results.

·        If you’re body type makes it harder to meet your desired goals, don’t be put-off you can still make a significant improvement!

·        If you want to excel in a sport or the gym then choose the type of exercise that suits your body / genetics, it will give you an advantage.

·        Eat well (especially lots of vegetables & lean meat)

·        Recover well & get your 7-8hrs of sleep per night

Hope this helps any body who is disheartened by exercise or gives you direction if you want to really progress.

Thanks

James