In my work, I am fortunate to brush shoulders daily with experts of sport. I find the conversations that ensue to be utterly fascinating. This is because technically, my area of expertise isn’t actually sport, it is exercise and fitness.

Fitness professionals deal with general populations – regular people who most of the time just want to get in shape. They want to feel better, enhance their general health and preferably look better too.

We deal with special populations too – people with injuries, medical conditions, or some other barrier that may prevent them from pursuing a more active lifestyle and reaping the associated benefits.

Sports professionals, on the other hand, are concerned with peak performance and dominating the competitive sports arenas. They deal with athletes – highly motivated individuals or teams who are often in the prime of their lives.

At some junctures the two roles do overlap, however, these crucial differences sometimes result in contradictory philosophies, and some interesting debates. In both fields, however, we seem to contend with one common denominator: genetics. Some people are born with talent and near perfect physical attributes, while others are distinctly less fortunate.

Take Tim Montgomery, for instance. He was an American sprinter who surfaced briefly in 2002 when he broke the 100 metres world record. But his 9.78-second effort stood as a record only briefly after he tested positive for banned substances.

Montgomery enjoyed a short and controversial stint in the spotlight, however, the most memorable part of his story for me was something he said in a subsequent interview.

Montgomery said he knew he was capable of breaking the 100 metres world record ever since he ran a sub-10 second 100 metres time trial back in his days playing college football. Not even a specialised track and field athlete, Montgomery was already able to keep up with the best sprinters in the world.

Now that’s what I call a great starting point. To think there are men out there with that much natural talent is enough to send chills down the spine of any coach, instructor or trainer.

I recall a similar story in competitive powerlifting. Andy Bolton is considered by many to be the strongest powerlifter on the planet, but what many strength enthusiasts might not know is that when Bolton first stepped into a gym as a young rugby player in England, he was already able to lift enough weight to be classified as international elite.

According to iron game legend, the day he first surfaced at his local gym he piled in excess of 200 kilograms on the bar and proceeded to perform multiple repetition squats almost effortlessly.

Clearly, there are some truly genetically gifted specimens out there, and coaches are always on the prowl to find and recruit them.

Indeed, the coaches who find them flaunt them with pride, while the coaches who must compete against them look on in awe and frustration.

So what about fitness instructors and personal trainers? Who frustrates us?

Sometimes clients come to us desperate to get in shape. They have noticeable problem areas in parts of their bodies they sweat blood to try to improve. They train hard, eat the right foods, and never slack.

But despite their best efforts, their progress is painfully slow. They might complete a year of training and decide the results simply weren’t worth all the hard work.

In life we only get dealt the one hand. But unlike a game of cards, what we build upon that hand is up to us, not chance

On the flipside there are other rare specimens who sport the kind of curves we might spend the best part of our young adult lives shooting for, and make an instant mockery of our entire profession when they casually claim they’ve never picked up so much as a two-kilogram dumbbell in their lives. Yes, genetics make a big difference.

In a game of poker it is purely a matter of luck what hand we are dealt, and in life I guess we only get dealt the one hand. But unlike a game of cards, what we build upon that hand is up to us, not chance.

We sometimes use the issue of genetics as an excuse. We sometimes use it to shun the hard work of others, disregarding their achievements as more a matter of luck than of effort or dedication. You could choose to see it this way, or you could see your hand as a blessing.

The principles of training are the same for all of us. Whether you’re starting from scratch or already possess incredible physical capabilities, advancing from that point will require you to observe the same set of scientific principles, and the same methods of training.

Those less fortunate tend to develop a strong work ethic to make up for their lack of talent. Like a take on the classic story of the tortoise and the hare, while the talented shine during their proverbial five minutes of fame, the hard grafters make slow but steady progress.

In elite sports, you need a combination of the two, but in health and lifestyle terms, looking and feeling your best doesn’t require a winning hand. In our business, the hard grafter always wins in the end.

Don’t lose heart, because as you get better on the outside as well as the inside, the naturally curvaceous might not share your good health, and normally often lie more susceptible to the cruel ravages of time, with no healthy habits in place to defend against them.

So whatever your hand, the prizes of good health and fitness are yours if you want them.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt