Brad Castleberry discusses a frustrating reality in bodybuilding – some people will always have to train harder than others to succeed.
Brad Castleberry is a love him or hate him kind of bodybuilding personality. But one thing that cannot be denied is his impressive physique. It’s a large part of why he built such a massive following as an influencer. And regardless of fake weights in videos or not – it takes hard work to achieve that kind of physique. It also helps that he has incredible genetics.
Brad Castleberry has inspired many to want to follow in his footsteps. Like many other bodybuilders, he becomes an icon that aspiring bodybuilders want to achieve. While the bottom line is that it will always take hard work – Castleberry isn’t ashamed to admit it’s easier for some than others. It call comes down to genetics. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Brad Castleberry explains some individuals simply have to train harder than others to achieve the same level of success. The problem is – too many people use bad genetics as an excuse to avoid hard work.
The unfortunate truth about bodybuilding and fitness is that one size does not fit all. Yes, the core tenets of weight loss and building muscle are universally true. But what works for one person might not work as fast or as well for others. This has been the hardest psychological aspect of fitness. It’s what bars so many people from success. They follow a diet or training plan. They don’t see results as fast as a friend or training partner. They get frustrated and give up.
It’s true that some foods or some training methods react better to some bodies than others. But there is no training program or (well formulated) diet that will even actively NOT work. It might just take more time than you want. It might simply require more trial and error than you want. Fitness and bodybuilding is about the long term. It’s a marathon not a sprint. A lot of people don’t make it that far to really see those kind of results – unfortunately.
Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Brad Castleberry above!
That’s why Brad Castleberry went into great detail about the realities of how genetics play a role in bodybuilding. It’s foolish to go in thinking you will look like Ronnie Coleman if you just follow his routine. You might not have the genetics to sustain that kind of aesthetic and size. It’s not 100% impossible. It just might take 10 times more work than it actually did for Ronnie himself. And Ronnie certainly trained his ass off.
But the bigger problem Brad Castleberry sees is that people use bad genetics as an excuse. If a training program doesn’t show results fast enough. If a diet doesn’t work as initially intended. If someone simply has more trouble keeping off weight than others. All of these factors become excuses. A person might say “I can never look like an IFBB pro bodybuilder – so why even try?”
Brad Castleberry wants individuals to understand and temper their expectations – but also to have motivation to still succeed. Yes, you may have bad genetics. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t create a fantastic physique. The difference between the best bodybuilders in history are not just genetics. It’s willpower. It’s dedication.
Arnold Schwarzenegger himself has admitted that he has poor genetics. But he worked twice as hard to make up for it and become the best in the world and win seven Mr. Olympia titles. If he let genetics decide his fate – he wouldn’t have become the historic bodybuilder, actor, and politician we know today.
It might be hard to imagine yourself as becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s because the odds are very much not in your favor. But at the same time – someone eventually has to become the next big legend. What separates the icons from the normal folk isn’t fate. It’s having the mental strength.
You can watch Brad Castleberry go into further detail about genetics and excuses in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!