It’s been about 9 months since I started weightlifting again after a long, long layoff. Since I’ve started, my weights on “pull” exercises have doubled, while my weight increase on “push” exercises has been far less. This difference has nothing to do with how hard I work on each kind of exercise. It’s totally a result of my genetics. As a (relatively) skinny guy with long, skinny arms and legs, I find “pull” exercises like rows a lot easier than “push” exercises like bench presses. I’m just built better for them. Similarly, I find deadlifts a lot easier than squats. When I was in college, I had a roommate who had short, massive arms. Not surprisingly, he could bench huge amounts that I couldn’t even touch, because he was built for it. When it comes to exercise, you should always start by looking at what your body is built to do, and then working to maximize your potential. In the end, you can’t beat genetics.