One of the main topics brought up in bodybuilding articles geared at showing you how to gain weight is that regardless of how hard or long you train or how strict your eating plan is, the limiting factor will always be genetics.

What's really beginning to bother me is noticing how many trainers are instantly laying the blame on a "bad set of genes" for the fact that they aren't seeing any real muscle building progress from whatever workout program or diet they have been following blindly for who knows how long.

As soon as an individual notices that he / she isn't gaining one bit of muscle mass even though they are following the strictest of workout nutrition / diet, who is that gets the brunt of the blame?

You got it...genetics.

Now, don't misinterpret me. Genetics can most definitely be a a hugely limiting factor in the long-term, overall muscle development you'll experience.

In some cases, that's one of the reasons you have some bodybuilders that are naturally larger and stronger than the next trainer.

However, and this is a big however, being quick to blame a bad set of genes as the main enemy why you are not noticing the muscle gaining progress you feel you should can be turning you into your own arch enemy.

The person that workouts on a regular basis that takes a shot at genetics and says that's the reason for his not-so-impressive muscle gains is doing a big disservice to himself.

"Is it that you have bad genetics, or is that your workout routine isn't that effective?"

"Bad genetics, or the possibility that you're concentrating too much on getting stronger and / or perhaps using bad form instead on utilizing a workout routine that focusing on getting physically bigger in muscular weight?"

"Is it that you have bad genetics, or that you are expending too much energy and calories on other activities, such as sports, work, etc.?"

I think you get my point.

There are a ton of things, and actually probably more important ones, that have an effect on your progress that instantly getting on on the bad-genetics bandwagon is going to result in you always being stuck.

Words of advice...don't think that the battle is lost in building the physique you badly want and seek because you feel you don't have the genetics for it.

How many times have you heard or read someone that observes another weight trainer eating fast food, chinese take-out, chocolate candy bars, etc., and the very thing out of their mouths is that "he or she can eat like that and still maintain a fit physique because of his genetics"?

How about not shooting down someone else's weight training regimen or eating techniques because it isn't the "correct", "politically correct", "goes against bodybuilding tradition", "is everything we are not supposed to do or eat" etc., thing to do, how about looking at things with an open mind.

Sure, there maybe someone that knows how to gain weight while using an exercise routine that goes against the grain or eats foods that would cause the typical fitness community to drop their jaws in disbelief, but have you taken a step back it isn't that he has better bodybuilding genes.

Hey, there are tons of us that can lose weight while eating day after day a diet made up of lots of fats, like fast food, fried chicken, donuts, etc.

It's that they have uncovered that what really has a visual impact on their physiques is not the food per se, it's the total amount of calories that they eat on a daily basis.

There are many that have been able to build a lot of muscle while eating very little protein.

Maybe these weight bodybuilders and fitness buffs have come to realize that when it comes to dieting with the goal of gaining muscular weight doesn't come down to measuring out a specific amount of protein / carbs / or fat grams, but that in fact the biggest bang comes from the total amount of food you consume.

Are you on the popular you must "keep your reps in the 8-12 rep range per set to gain size", but you still don't see any new muscular growth in the mirror?

Honestly speaking, is it truly bad weight gaining genetics, so let go of the bodybuilding dream and go do cross word puzzles...or could it be that for your specific body type a much higher rep range is needed to properly stimulate muscle mass?

Do yourself a huge favor and stop making genetics public enemy #1.

Step back, examine your training and eating techniques.

Test different workout routines out.

If you are serious about putting on some real muscle weight then you need to stop listening to the "you don't have his/her genetics so you can't train / eat how he or she does" crowd.

It could mean using more isolation exercise than compound exercises.

Hey, who knows, you just might come across the workout plan or diet technique that completely blows your bodybuilding goals away!