(Conversation of Announcers at the 2027 NPC Nationals)

Mike: Okay here come the Extreme Heavyweights or over 350 lb class. What do you think of the new guy, Steven Eberhart?

Jeff: Well obviously he has the stuff. He mashes the scales to down to 402 pounds at a height of only 5'10. His waist looks miniscule at 31" but who wouldn't when it is dwarfed by his 72 " chest. I understand his arms are 27". But I am not sure he will overtake, Kurt Saunders who is an inch shorter and 30 pounds more muscle. This is kid is my favorite to win.

Mike: Yeah I have to agree. Kurt looks like he will have his day this year. If I recall, Kurt was came in about 398 last year, a tad light for this class but with the year of training and his new weight of 434 and 29" guns he is clearly beefed to the max today.

Jeff: Well the decision is up to judges…..let's see how they compare in the compulsory poses.

While the above story may seem far fetched, this may very well be what the future holds for the sport of bodybuilding in the next 20 years.

Bodybuilding's future? Taming the myostatin gene could produce incredible results. (Unreal Photos above)

How is this possible?

In the quest to solve Muscular Dystrophy, Dr Se-Jen Lee discovered a specific protein, myostatin, in the mammal's body that inhibits muscle growth. This gene essentially keeps muscle growth in check. The gene is named after the protein and simply called the myostatin gene.

If this gene is overactive, muscle growth is significantly impaired. Conversely, if you happened to be blessed with an inactive or under active gene, muscle growth remains unchecked and packing on size comes easy. Even better this growth seems to affects only the skeletal muscles and not the organ muscles like the heart.

In experiments, Dr. Lee manipulated the embryo of mice to deactivate the myostatin gene. When the mice were full grown and compared to a brother mouse, the myostatin modified looked was muscled up with big thighs and massive shoulders. He was ready for competition if bodybuilding were for mice.

While manipulating embryos of humans is chancy, creating a drug to inhibit myostatin production is less risky. Scientist have developed a drug to inhibit production of the myostatin. Again testing on mice, he created a similar phenomenon of muscularity. This has significant implications for victims of muscular dystrophy and perhaps even bigger implications for bodybuilding's future.

Could controlling the myostatin gene produce bigger yet more balanced physiques without "roid guts"? (Unreal photo above)

Not so new news

While Lee has found key to muscular growth 21th century, the Belgian farmer found similarly over 400 years ago. In the 1600, Belgian farmers notice certain cows were heavily muscled and extra lean. This "double muscled" cow was good business, so they began to breed cows with these traits to enhance their meat production. Eventually a breed of cow emerged called the Belgian Blue Cow. We now know the Belgian Cow was simply breed out the myostatin gene.

Belgian Blue Cow or Muscle Bound Bovine. Look at the neck and shoulders on this cow. It almost does not look normal.

Where there's will there's pill.

When there's perfection you will find injection.

As scientist get closer to solving the disease of muscular dystrophy with myostatin inhibiting drugs, they are the same time creating the next super drug that will leave steroids, human growth hormone and insulin in the dust. But even better, I believe, is that aesthetics of bodybuilding could be improved by adding the muscle without the "roid" guts we have today. I guess it is a mater of opinion whether a 400, 5'10" pound bodybuilder is aesthetic, but certainly we have gone the wrong direction in waist lines on the pro's.

So what does this mean for today?

As I step into the gym daily, I see all levels of development. I know a guy that has been training for several years and he is still skinny and looks like he never stepped into the gym. In the back of my mind, I think the guy has an overactive myostatin gene. Poor guy. On the other hand I have noticed those that grown like weeds and work out half as hard. Hmmm….under active myostatin gene, I think.

When I think about guys like Trey Brewer that are the rising stars that leap into the national bodybuilding spotlight at a mere 21 years old and 275 pounds, I think how do they do it?

How do you explain that they are so heaviliy muscled with zippo body fat at such an early age. If you genetically tested these guys I would place money that they are recipients of under active myostaton genes. I am not dimishing their dedicated training sessions and disciplined diets. Those are factors that help. And I am sure steroids are also a factor. But friends, steroids will not make you a national level competitor without the right genes. I think many believe it can. If steroids could then any mindless wannabee who can afford the stuff would be there. (By the way, I have seen guys boat load the steroids and make no dramatic improvement).

So if Myostatin is so powerful am I sunk…I may have an over active gene….I haven't made many gains.

No. Myostatin is not the only factor in determining the final outcome. Your genetic inheritance is more than myostatin. Some body type as mentioned in the previous article is a factor. Seemingly most everyone has a body part that grows easy and will develop. Don't forget I just mentioned your training and diet are factors. So control what you can:

• Train like a maniac to generate the best physique you can. You don't know you physical limitations, so don't limit yourself mentally.
• Don't compare unless it motivates you to work harder. Leave that for the judges.
• Don't be critical of the little guy. He may be under gifted genetically.
• Don's assume the big guy knows what he is doing in the gym. (This is a common assumption) I would never follow his lead just because a guy is big. He may just be genetically gifted instead of gym smart.

 

Sweat eventually hardens to Muscle".....Scott

This article is property of Bodybuilding Program Zone and may not be reproduced without written permission from Scott Jameson. Besides it wouldn't be right....Scott