# Which/what animals could get buff if they were trained to lift weights?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 11, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769 "2022-11-11T23:49:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/1 "2022-11-11T23:49:54Z")
Presuming they could be trained/motivated, I presume that all mammals could develop extra muscle by exercising just like humans. Monkeys would be setting all sorts of records and get freaky huge.
Is this self evident in the real world? Do draft animals, for example, develop noticeably more muscle mass than more sedentary members of their species?
I’ve seen pictures of “buff” dogs: I’m guessing that you could design a training program to get your dog swole.
What about other species? Could a fish muscle up? I’m doubting anything with an exoskeleton could, but maybe?
What’s the straight dope on bodybuilding in the animal kingdom?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2022, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/2 "2022-11-11T23:55:46Z")
“Buff” dogs(and others) are a mutation.
> **[Mutant Muscle Dog](https://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery/mutant-muscle-dog/)**
>
> This "bully" whippet has a mutation in its gene for the muscle growth-limiting factor myostatin that caused the canine to develop its striking overstuffed muscles.
Other animals get all the exercise they need for their niche.
Besides, do you really want to get this guy any bigger?
[ ](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/106DF/production/_90559276_mongo2jakebeaton-rekkers.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/3 "2022-11-12T00:20:41Z")
It’s bad enough even without weightlifting.
[ ](https://www.barnorama.com/wp-content/images/2015/04/musclebound_kangaroo/04-musclebound_kangaroo.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/4 "2022-11-12T00:54:24Z")
It’s not a question of whether you should; it’s a question of whether you (physiologically) can.
These animals are why I’m guessing the answer is yes.
But is it really just a mutation?
Humans can’t be unique in our ability to increase our muscle mass with a consistent routine of weight lifting!
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/5 "2022-11-12T06:49:35Z")
Don’t horses get stronger and more buff from drawing wagons and being riden? Race horses appear to be more buff than ones that just hang out in the pasture.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/6 "2022-11-12T17:11:18Z")
Years ago, we had a cat who, due to a birth defect, had underdeveloped and useless back legs. She learned to walk on her front legs, with her butt balanced in the air. This gave her forelimbs much more exercise than is normal for a cat, with the result that they had huge muscles.
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/7 "2022-11-12T20:14:42Z")
I used to road my dogs similar to how they do sled dogs. They would wear a harness and pull against my slow moving truck. They got very buff doing this.
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### Author:  [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/8 "2022-11-12T20:19:36Z")
Out of curiosity, why did you do this?
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/9 "2022-11-12T20:21:55Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#):
>
> I used to road my dogs similar to how they do sled dogs. They would wear a harness and pull against my slow moving truck. They got very buff doing this.
I cannot contain myself: Why?
And do I understand you correctly that you harnessed your dogs, took a leash/rope, tied it to your truck, started driving in one direction, with the dogs pulling in the opposite direction?
Or am I missing something?
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/10 "2022-11-12T20:22:10Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#):
>
> Out of curiosity, why did you do this?
These were field trial bred bird dogs. For the national trials they had to be able to run at a very fast pace for 3 hours. This requires serious conditioning.
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### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/11 "2022-11-12T23:15:12Z")
Is this limited to mammals? Would a bird get bigger wings if it used weight resistance to train for faster/stronger flight?
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### Author:  [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2022, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/12 "2022-11-13T05:00:41Z")
I used to say (jokingly) that when I grow up I will get a large gorilla, train it to lift weights, give it steroids, shave it, and have it follow me around to intimidate my enemies.
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### Author:  [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/13 "2022-11-13T05:02:16Z")
> [@Moriarty](#):
>
> Is this limited to mammals? Would a bird get bigger wings if it used weight resistance to train for faster/stronger flight?
Are free range chickens meatier than battery chickens?
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2022, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-what-animals-could-get-buff-if-they-were-trained-to-lift-weights/974769/14 "2022-11-13T09:42:21Z")
Meatier or more muscular? Because those chickens at Costco are pretty damn meaty and may appear buff.