The next time someone tells you they’re fat because of their genetics, tell ‘em about Otto and Ewald.
And just who in the heck are Otto and Ewald?
Otto and Ewald are two identical German twins, but you’d never know it by looking at them.
From this comparison shot (from 1969, when both were 23 years old), you can see some slight differences between the twins’ physiques.
What the heck happened here?
Both twins are athletes. Otto runs distance, Ewald competes in the field events (discus, shot put, hammer throw, etc.).
The different types of training (one, low-intensity cardio; the other, high-intensity resistance-type training) resulted in two very different body types, even for a pair of humans with the exact same genetic code.
Let me say that again, in simpler terms:
You can make yourself. Literally.
We’re constantly bombarded by the media with allusions to the power of genetics: “We’ve found the gene that codes for hunger,” “We’ve identified the gene pair that inhibits expression of muscle size,” etc. With all this rhetoric, you’d be forgiven if you thought your genetic code was an inescapable inevitability – your destiny, as it were.
While genetics provide a blueprint for your body’s construction, as is oft quoted by researchers:
“Genetics aren’t destiny.”
Genetic traits only become expressed if you allow them to be expressed. In other words, in order for you to express your genetic tendency to become overfat, you’ve got to perform the actions any other human being would to become fat – it just comes easier for you.
If you’ve got “fat genes”, you’re not doomed to a life of shopping in the plus-size section of the department store if you never take actions that lead you to become overfat. If you exercise (strength train) regularly, avoid eating to excess, and live a generally active, low-stress lifestyle, how on Earth will your “fat genes” have the opportunity to express themselves?
You’re right – they won’t.
I’m not arguing the Pollyanna view that we can all have perfect bodies if we just eat the right things, pump some iron, and take a siesta now and then. Your genetics do form a boundary of sorts; i.e., if you’re 5′2″ and have 7 inch wrists, you’ll never be able to look like Gisele Bundchen (especially if you’re male). However, you can make a major difference in your physique by applying valid methodology to your food and exercise choices.
With proper diet, scientifically valid training, and a whole lotta consistency, some individuals with extreme focus and discipline, like John Stone and my friend Charles Damiano, can achieve results that would awe most people.
So screw genetics. Just kidding.
P.S. – If you’re interested in studies, read the one Otto and Ewald came from. Here’s the link.
Filed under: Exercise Science, Research (Studies, Reports, etc.), The Mental Game
Great point on gene expression, Eugene.
Genetics provide the “structural framework,” if you will, for making us who we are — human being vs. another species of living organism; tall vs. short; blue eyes vs. brown; Black vs. White vs. Chinese. . . .
Beyond that, while our genetic history may predispose us to “more easily” express traits — i.e. fat gain/loss or darkened skin (think transformation from pale to tan) –
many of these traits aren’t expressed until the body requires it for function and, ultimately, survival. (Assuming that genetic mutation isn’t involved, of course.)
Essentially, our genes function under the “nature vs. nurture” argument often discussed in psychology. The “nature” of our DNA is what makes us fundamentally who we are, and can’t be controlled or changed. How we “nurture” ourselves, however, will determine if whether or not any of the information on our 30,000 genes(!!) gets translated and utilized by our body.