Is there any commonly known sport, game, or activity you can become world-class in without having any talent?

In my humble opinion, bodybuilding is a bit of a joke up to a certain point (that point being when roids come into play). Runners make excellent aesthetic bodybuilders-- they are used to routine and emphasis; they have low body fat; they understand recovery; they have an intuitive understanding of their body.

Take almost any d1 runner, subtract the running, put them in a weight room 2x a day, and they'll throw on 20 lbs of muscle in no time at all.

The bodybuilders I know believe they are special, but of course the truth of the matter is they simply happened to pick up lifting at a young age.

pikle rik wrote:

In my humble opinion, bodybuilding is a bit of a joke up to a certain point (that point being when roids come into play). Runners make excellent aesthetic bodybuilders-- they are used to routine and emphasis; they have low body fat; they understand recovery; they have an intuitive understanding of their body.

Take almost any d1 runner, subtract the running, put them in a weight room 2x a day, and they'll throw on 20 lbs of muscle in no time at all.

The bodybuilders I know believe they are special, but of course the truth of the matter is they simply happened to pick up lifting at a young age.

To take a 180 here, I think bodybuilding at the highest level is 90% genetics 10% skill. Anyone has the potential to get big and ripped. Not everyone has the potential to have a size 28 waist on a 6’0 190 lb frame. Genetics aka talent are essential to be a world class bodybuilder. You have to have the proper body proportions, natural testosterone levels, etc.

Rock, scissors, paper?

You say 90% genetics 10% skill. Where do drug choices fit into this Surely whoever can recover quickest can do more workouts and show w/ less body fat. How do you separate genetics and skill from roids, and what percentages would you give to each?

The 1500m. Oly final in Rio says it all.

Swedish Pride wrote:

The 1500m. Oly final in Rio says it all.

Because of the Olympic record, surely?

Anything that requires a lot of money

hard worker with zero talent wrote:

I'm thinking ultrarunning, horse racing, curling, and maybe NASCAR or poker. Though it would be debatable on whether ultrarunning is "commonly known".

Thoughts?

Some level of genetic or developmental talent and a lot of focus and hard work is what is required to be elite in any sport. The most important talent is being able to focus on your goal 100 % of the time. That said, The Biebs never could have become a 100 meter sprint champion nor a center in the NFL but at least he has become a mediocre promotional tool for Timmy Ho's.

Run6556 wrote:

Rock, scissors, paper?

No, this sport is purely talent based.

I thought so as well until I once lost.

Agree--sports that take money and require obscure training equipment/facilities. Winter sports are prime candidates, with skeleton being the first event that comes to mind. Requires a bobsled course and an absurd willingness to take risks, but not much physical skill. I'm not too familiar with curling, but this also seems to fit this mold.

moorest wrote:

Requires a bobsled course and an absurd willingness to take risks, but not much physical skill.

Requires huge mental talent.

"Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard"

Basketball is the most obvious answer.

If you're completely untalented but over 6'4" you'll make varsity at most high schools.

If you're completely untalented but over 6'8" you'll be able to play in the NCAA

If you're completely untalented but over 7' you'll be able to play professionally

The odds of making it as a pro athlete in most sports are like 1 in several million. If you're an American man who is 7' tall, the odds you played in the NBA are 1 in 5.

hard worker with zero talent wrote:

I'm thinking ultrarunning, horse racing, curling, and maybe NASCAR or poker. Though it would be debatable on whether ultrarunning is "commonly known".

Thoughts?

I'd say basketball is the only one. If you're 7'+ you can have the athleticism and agility of a newborn deer and still make an NBA roster.

A participant in a reality tv show.

American football.

Just be a big fat git,who isn't tough enough to play without padding,aka Rugby,and learn how to run in to other fat wimps.

For the answer to your question, look at the obscure sports and activities that helicopter parents are shoving their kids into so they can get recruited into a prestigious school. These people are looking for exactly what you describe - something their little sht can excel in regardless of their actual talent just because the field is so small.

look to the coastal elites wrote:

For the answer to your question, look at the obscure sports and activities that helicopter parents are shoving their kids into so they can get recruited into a prestigious school. These people are looking for exactly what you describe - something their little sht can excel in regardless of their actual talent just because the field is so small.