Of course genetics play a major part in our physique but as we all know, we can ruin good genetics and we can certainly improve upon bad genetics. It is true that an individual’s physical appearance is a result of genetics, what they eat and how they lift. Many times I walk into gyms and see guys who are pencil thin doing long runs on the treadmills. I ask these guys what do they want to accomplish physically and they say something like “I wanna bulk up” My response is usually “you’re not going to gain size doing that much cardio.” To gain size one must lift heavy weights but with low reps. A good rule of thumb when training to build size is if you can lift the weight more than ten times, it’s too light! The opposite goes for weight loss training. High reps and medium to light weight is best for burning fat and losing weight. Of course their are a few different types of weight loss techniques. If you’re not concerned with losing muscle then extended sets of cardio similar to that of a marathon runner is great for losing weight. But if that is a concern, then that approach may not be the best for you because you will burn off muscle with the fat as marathon runners do. If you want to lose fat and build muscle then you want to do explosive exercises like jump squats or short sprints to emulate the bursts of a sprinter. That style of training will not only help you shed fat but also build lean, defined muscle. So when training keep your goals in mind. The style of lifting you choose to do will directly effect your appearance and performance.