The future looks bright for Cody Montgomery.

How do average people reach the pinnacle of a sport? Is it through hard work and dedication? Of course. Is it through sacrifice and skill? Surely. Is it fate? Well that’s where things get a bit tricky. You could argue the fact that fate or destiny has a major role to play in creating a champion, particularly when it comes to professional bodybuilding. It sounds a bit farfetched, sure, but stay with me for a bit and you’ll catch my meaning.

Destiny plays a huge role in bodybuilding in only one way. Genes. A bodybuilder must be constructed with the right genetic make up to even have a shot at winning a major bodybuilding title. You can’t just be anyone and succeed at bodybuilding. It’s written in your genetic code. Still sounds a bit crazy, but when you think about it, it’s not too far out of the realm of possibility.

Consider Phil Heath. The Gift got to his position through hard work, dedication to training, and a will to win. But Heath couldn’t rely solely on his work ethic to put him over the top. Many guys put tons of time and effort into their training programs yet come nowhere near to acquiring the kind of physique that Heath has. Why? Because they were born with genes that didn’t serve them well as far as competitive bodybuilding is concerned. To say that fate or destiny plays a role is easily equivalent to saying some people are born with the luck of the draw. The right genes are merely a starting point to work from. It’s the individuals ability to train hard and perfect themselves that truly count.

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As far as the future is concerned, the Phil Heath’s and Kai Greene’s of the world will only be around so long before they’ll be forced to hand over the torch to the next generation of bodybuilders. Among these young up and comers is a man who shows some exceptional promise. Who is the young man set to make waves? Cody Montgomery.

From a purely genetic standpoint, it’s become clear that Montgomery was born with some impressive genes, genes that have allowed him to dominate the competition on the amateur level. Though he hasn’t received his pro card, there’s no doubt that he’ll acquire it soon enough through increasingly dominant performances. But besides having great genetics, the guy just kills it in the gym. Take a look at the video below if you have any doubts.

Do you think Cody Montgomery has what it takes to be a great pro? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.