What is the number 1 limiting factor of muscle growth?

chrisrivers · Mar 5, 2022

Big Vin said:
It's sleep/rest for me. Diet is on point.

Yep, thats me right there. I slept more in my 20's than i did in my 30's and now early 40's. Even tho I have a better physique than in my 20's. I took good rest for granted.

Tallandsmal said:
If we're talking pure size it's definitely food, and the consistency to pound down lots of it.

If we're talking successful contest bodybuilder I'd go with genetics.

I also agree with this. The second sentence especially.

SOUR DIESEL · Mar 5, 2022

RECOVERY ◄you can still grow with substandard recovery
GENETICS ◄you can still grow with average, or even poor genetics
DRUG DOSAGES ◄you can still grow with low, even no drugs (..natural)
TRAINING ◄you can still grow with negligible training/stimulation

DIET ◄you can NOT grow without diet ..food is the substrate for tissue

.

Ak47 · Mar 5, 2022

I would say recovery but that’s genetic as well. Some guys can just train balls to wall and recover tremendously well while others can’t. How much muscle you can put on yo

maldorf · Mar 5, 2022

Like some others said, genetics. Genetics I think sets the ceiling for muscle growth and many other things. One other factor genetics determines is the body's ability to cope with the drugs guys take for growth. Genetics are going to determine how much size and strength you start out on day one of your first lift. Guys starting out stronger/bigger have a head start. Some guys are just naturally stronger and bigger than others and respond faster to stimuli. Another thing genetics determine is how easily your body assimilates nutrients.

slayer37 · Mar 5, 2022

#1 variable factor-- consistency and discipline with the food.
#1 overall factor-- genetics

Orville Shreddenbacher · Mar 5, 2022

All those factors are essential . we can be taught all of those , how and what to eat , rest time , drugs or supps , workout routines . genetics will dictate how the muscle looks , shape and placement . one thing that cant be taught is intensity. Some people dont have the will to push past a comfort zone , to keep going when it burns . especially when its not their fave body part . its instinctual to want to be comfortable . it takes a certain mindset to break that . In my opinion #1 reason holding someone back is food. Like has been said cant build tissue without it . But the most common i think may be intensity

Ranchhand · Mar 5, 2022

slayer37 said:
#1 variable factor-- consistency and discipline with the food.
#1 overall factor-- genetics

I've seen guys with incredible genetics and sub-par everything else and still grow muscle beyond everyone else in the room. Where I really noticed this was growing up through the school system thru high school

Tomgrass · Mar 5, 2022

I would say genetic - how you handle a lot of food, how you handle a lot of gear or maybe you are hyperresponder? How you respond to gh and slin , how long can you go before joints will suffer, how your metabolism looks like- those variables cannot be change - you were born with it or not.

manlikeg · Mar 5, 2022

people are always going to put gear last as if its not that important. most of you wouldnt be half the size without the gear. genetics most important as this includes peoples genetic response to gear / food / training which are all different.... gear / food / training all equally important next, as without one you arent really going to get that big (unless you've got good genetics).

people saying just food its true, but without the gear food will make you fat. obviously you have to train, but there have been studies where people took gear and didnt train and still put on more muscle than the natural trainees

qbkilla · Mar 5, 2022

Tomgrass said:
I would say genetic - how you handle a lot of food, how you handle a lot of gear or maybe you are hyperresponder? How you respond to gh and slin , how long can you go before joints will suffer, how your metabolism looks like- those variables cannot be change - you were born with it or not.

This. If someone can't eat enough food to grow muscle at an optimal rate or structure a diet properly that's human error, not trying, or a major genetic problem. Eating above maintenance is not difficult especially since we have access to calorie dense foods, whey, etc.

If everyone on this thread did Jay cutlers exact diet they would probably gain fat as he needs a greter surplus than most of us due to being bigger. This is assuming people aren't eating 140g protein or not trying diet wise.

If everyone on this forum tomorrow had his genetics we would look drastically different in a year with good diet and training.

maldorf · Mar 6, 2022

Ranchhand said:
I've seen guys with incredible genetics and sub-par everything else and still grow muscle beyond everyone else in the room. Where I really noticed this was growing up through the school system thru high school

I saw it in the D1 football team at college. One dude had a great build and ate like crap. Lean as hell.

Ranchhand · Mar 6, 2022

maldorf said:
I saw it in the D1 football team at college. One dude had a great build and ate like crap. Lean as hell.

Yep, played ball with a couple of genetic freaks as well. They could eat mac and cheese everyday and didn't know how to lift weights but had very good structural physiques. I also worked for a couple of different court ordered placement programs in my thirties and some of the teenage boys that came through those programs were impressive specimens. At one of the programs we had one weight room and I had connections with York barbell so we built a second weight room so those boys hit the gym almost everyday. The food was pure crap that was offered in the programs and all the boys wanted to do was bench press and barbell curls but I'll be damned if a few of them just grew like weeds and had six pack abs and could push some weight. All genetics, most of these teenagers came from very disadvantaged environments but were very genetically gifted and looked like a very muscular well conditioned adult as a teenager.

maldorf · Mar 6, 2022

Ranchhand said:
Yep, played ball with a couple of genetic freaks as well. They could eat mac and cheese everyday and didn't know how to lift weights but had very good structural physiques. I also worked for a couple of different court ordered placement programs in my thirties and some of the teenage boys that came through those programs were impressive specimens. At one of the programs we had one weight room and I had connections with York barbell so we built a second weight room so those boys hit the gym almost everyday. The food was pure crap that was offered in the programs and all the boys wanted to do was bench press and barbell curls but I'll be damned if a few of them just grew like weeds and had six pack abs and could push some weight. All genetics, most of these teenagers came from very disadvantaged environments but were very genetically gifted and looked like a very muscular well conditioned adult as a teenager.

Yeah, the guy im thinking of was our best running back named Christian and probably the best player on the whole team. He had big muscular arms that put mine to shame, and I trained harder in the gym. On parent's weekend a big muscular father aged guy was walking toward our dorm and I looked out the window and saw him. I was impressed with him, in street clothes. Huge arms. I asked my roommate who is that, my roommate was on the football team, and he said that's the father of Christian. I bet he probably played D1 football too. I didnt play. I just roomed with 3 players.

qbkilla · Mar 6, 2022

Ranchhand said:
Yep, played ball with a couple of genetic freaks as well. They could eat mac and cheese everyday and didn't know how to lift weights but had very good structural physiques. I also worked for a couple of different court ordered placement programs in my thirties and some of the teenage boys that came through those programs were impressive specimens. At one of the programs we had one weight room and I had connections with York barbell so we built a second weight room so those boys hit the gym almost everyday. The food was pure crap that was offered in the programs and all the boys wanted to do was bench press and barbell curls but I'll be damned if a few of them just grew like weeds and had six pack abs and could push some weight. All genetics, most of these teenagers came from very disadvantaged environments but were very genetically gifted and looked like a very muscular well conditioned adult as a teenager.

I had a roommate in college from Ghana. Lean guy. Started lifting just doing whatever taking a little protein and creatine, soon was the most ripped guy on campus. Saw him years later was about 220 lean still just trained casually, said he stopped taking creatine fizz it made him too big. Didn't ever track calories. Getics 101.

There was 2 guys in a gym I trained at one was OCD about everything , he competed, lived and breathed bodybuilding, was a trainer didn't even look like he lifted. The other was a mod and guru on a forum and lived and breathed bodybuilding, he was one of those guys when he posted and you disagree don't even bother, the whole forum would say "how dare you question him he's a vet who are you?" Trained intense as hell like an animal, didn't even look like he lifted. Genetics 101.

Ranchhand · Mar 6, 2022

maldorf said:
Yeah, the guy im thinking of was our best running back named Christian and probably the best player on the whole team. He had big muscular arms that put mine to shame, and I trained harder in the gym. On parent's weekend a big muscular father aged guy was walking toward our dorm and I looked out the window and saw him. I was impressed with him, in street clothes. Huge arms. I asked my roommate who is that, my roommate was on the football team, and he said that's the father of Christian. I bet he probably played D1 football too. I didnt play. I just roomed with 3 players.

Yes, played ball with guys like this as well. In high school I ran fullback and blocked for a genetic freak that lived and breathed football and almost went to the pros but didn't quite make it. He didn't care much for weights but was strong as hell and built like a terminator, could play any position offense, defense, punt, kick, etc., did it all with ease and dominated. His dad was very built as well and was a very successful football star in his day. After he failed to make the pros he fell off the map. I have no idea what he's up to now, the only thing he ever cared about was football.

OuchThatHurts · Mar 6, 2022

headtrainer said:
What is the number 1 limiting factor of muscle growth?

self-confidence

maldorf · Mar 6, 2022

Ranchhand said:
Yes, played ball with guys like this as well. In high school I ran fullback and blocked for a genetic freak that lived and breathed football and almost went to the pros but didn't quite make it. He didn't care much for weights but was strong as hell and built like a terminator, could play any position offense, defense, punt, kick, etc., did it all with ease and dominated. His dad was very built as well and was a very successful football star in his day. After he failed to make the pros he fell off the map. I have no idea what he's up to now, the only thing he ever cared about was football.

There were guys at my college that weren't good enough for the NFL, but they were able to play European football. I don't know much about it, but the guys I know that did it all played in Italy. That would be great. I love that country.