Training

Q: You and Ian King convinced me that I should add power cleans and deadlifts to my program. Which day should I do these exercises? Should I do these exercises on leg day or back day? I always have muscle soreness in my legs, back and trapezius after deadlifts and I have the same problem with power cleans. Any suggestions?

A: Power cleans and deadlifts should be done on leg day as they overload the hip and knee extensors. If you choose to do power cleans, make sure you do them first during your training session - they require a lot of coordination. Doing them last can cause chaos and havoc in the gym, for yourself and other people around you.

If you're doing a program that aims to increase your weights on power cleans or deadlifts, be sure to adjust your squat training accordingly based on your recovery ability. The number of mutants out there who can push their squat and deadlift performance up at the same time was very small, at least last time I checked.

You should also pay attention to the amount of indirect training like bent-over rowing that you do for your lower back. I remember having dinner with exercise rehabilitation specialist Paul Chek a few years ago and of course we got onto the subject of training. Paul was complaining that he couldn't improve on any of his exercises. I asked him a few questions about how he was training and the reason for his plateau quickly became apparent: he wanted to increase his weights on squats, deadlifts and bent-over rowing at the same time.

My advice to him was pretty simple: pick ONE of those three exercises and work hard on it for three to four weeks and then pick another exercise to prioritize.

Q: I keep hearing how great lunges are for the legs, but when I do them, the only muscle I get sore in is my butt. That doesn't bother me so much, but shouldn't I also feel something in my quadriceps? I start my program with lunges as they require more balance and then move on to leg curls and calves.

A: One of my colleagues, who is well known in the fitness industry for his knowledge of abdominal training, complained about the same thing years ago when he was in Canada with me. At the time, he had a butt that stuck out half a meter, while his legs were so poorly developed they would have made any stork proud. This exerciser was performing lunges at 100 kilos using his interpretation of proper technique. After dropping his ego at the checkroom and agreeing that his technique was indeed abysmal, he reduced the weight to 50 kilos. After this adjustment, the sore muscles promptly moved to the desired location.

When performed correctly, lunges should cause soreness not only in the glutes, but also in the hamstrings, quadriceps and adductors. If you only get sore muscles in your glutes, this means that your technique is not correct - most likely your stride width is too small and you are probably bending too far forward.

In the extended position, the lower 15 centimeters of your leg flexors should completely cover your gastrocnemius muscle. In other words, in the stretched position there should be no space between your hamstrings and calf. Your torso should be as upright as possible - it should be perpendicular to the floor.

Give the correct technique a try and see if you can still run up a flight of stairs the next day without cursing me. I can guarantee you that your leg hypertrophy will skyrocket if you do lunges the way I've described.

Q: I've scoured tons of bodybuilding magazines looking for a different chest exercise - something other than the typical barbell or dumbbell press variations. Do you have any ideas?

A: Well, I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I have an excellent exercise you could try. It is Dan Kennedy's modified "Pec Fryer". This combination of exercises is a variation of a superset that former Rutgers strength coach Kennedy showed me during a seminar at the New York Athletic Club.

Here you perform dumbbell flat bench presses in superset with butterflys with manual resistance. Perform one set of dumbbell flat bench presses for six to eight repetitions, making sure your palms are facing each other throughout the exercise to achieve a greater stretch (this position allows you to lower the dumbbells further). The tempo is up to you, but I would recommend trying a 3210 tempo: three seconds for the eccentric part of the movement, a two second pause in the stretched position, one second for lifting the dumbbells and no pause in the contracted position.

After you put the dumbbells down, stay on the bench. Place your hands behind your head as if you have just been arrested and have a training partner standing over you apply manual pressure to the tips of the inside of your elbows - applying pressure directly to the skin of the biceps or triceps will cause the trainee pain reminiscent of an active fascial stretch. Make sure you start the set when the elbows are in their lowest (stretched) position to give your training partner the best leverage when applying pressure. If you start with your elbows raised, your training partner will find it almost impossible to push your arms apart.

While your training partner is applying pressure, try to squeeze your elbows together as if you were performing butterflies on a machine. The force exerted by your training partner should match your strength curve. This can be achieved by keeping the speed of the movement constant, making the resistance higher in the areas where the muscle can develop more strength and lower in the areas where the pecs are in their weakest position (in this case, the stretched position).

Keep the number of repetitions low, but do them very slowly. I have found that sets of four to six repetitions work best using a very slow tempo with four to ten seconds for the concentric part of the movement and four to six seconds for the eccentric part of the movement. This superset can also be performed on an incline bench if you want to put more stress on the pecs in the collarbone area.

Q: Most exercisers perform flying movements with dumbbells with palms facing each other. However, whenever I see pictures of your athletes, their thumbs are pointing towards each other. What is the reason for this?

A: When exercisers perform flying movements with their palms facing each other, their upper arms are turned outwards. The problem here is that the pectoral muscles are internal rotators of the humerus. Therefore, flying movements should be performed with the thumbs pointing towards each other, as this achieves internal rotation of the humerus.

In addition, when you lower the dumbbells, the elbows should be in line with the ears in the lowest stretched position. Try it out. You won't believe how much stronger the stretch in your chest muscles will be. And to get a really good stretch, you should perform flying movements on a Swiss ball

A word of caution about flying movements - these generally require more warm-up than any other exercise.

Q: I use the multi press extensively in my training, but I've heard that it's not the best piece of training equipment ever developed. What is your opinion on this?

A: To be honest, I don't think much of the multi press. When I set up a weight room for a client, I never buy a multi press. And if some idiot interrupts me during my training and asks me something about chest training, my form of revenge is to recommend 20 sets on the multi press.

One reason the multi press gets so much publicity in magazines is that it makes a great image, but in terms of functional carryover, its value is zero. It was probably developed by a physiotherapist who wanted to improve his business.

What you may see as advantages of this machine are in fact serious disadvantages. The perceived benefits are short-lived as the multi press stabilizes the weight for you. However, the shoulder works on three levels and when you perform exercises on a multi press, none of the shoulder stabilizers need to be recruited to their maximum.

The rotator cuff muscles, for example, don't have to do as much work because the path of the bar is fixed. This creates problems when the exerciser switches back to training with free weights. When this happens, the exerciser is once again exposed to a three-dimensional environment, also known as "real life". As the multi press has only allowed them to develop strength in one dimension, this increases the risk of injury in the underdeveloped planes of movement.

San Diego-based training expert Paul Chek has identified what he calls Schema Overload Syndrome. At his seminars and in his videos, he repeatedly emphasizes that bench pressing on the multi press is one of the most common causes of shoulder injuries.

"When using the multi-press, a movement pattern overload occurs. The more fixed the object is, the greater the risk of developing this type of overload syndrome. This is due to the fact that training on a fixed pathway repeatedly stresses the same muscles, tendons and ligaments in the same way and promotes microtrauma that will ultimately lead to injury. If an exerciser always uses the multi-press for their bench press, they end up training the same muscle fibers of the primary muscles involved in the bench press all the time: the triceps brachii, pectoralis major, long head of the biceps, anterior shoulder muscles and serratus anterior. But he can't change the path - the bar will always be in the same position."

Due to the mechanics of the human shoulder joint, the body will change the natural path of the bar during the bench press with free weights to allow for efficient movement around the shoulder. A fixed pathway does not allow for changes in this pathway for efficient movement of the joint and predisposes the shoulder to harmful overload due to a lack of adaptation.

All in all, the multi press is an exercise machine for idiots. If you're interested in training injury-free over a long period of time, you're much better off sticking with standard barbell and dumbbell exercises.

Q: What supplement recommendations would you give?

A: Let's start with my post-workout recipe. I've long been a big advocate of a liquid post-workout meal and based on my observations and a lot of scientific research, I've developed the following post-workout formula for one-hour workouts:

Protein content:

The post-workout meal should contain at least 0.6 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass. For a 90 kilogram athlete with a body fat percentage of 10%, this would be at least 50 grams of protein.

Carbohydrate intake:

While I used to recommend a blanket 2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight, after further research into the scientific literature and discussions with colleagues, I have come to the conclusion that the total carbohydrate content of the post-workout meal should reflect the training volume of the training session - i.e. the higher the number of repetitions per training session, the higher the carbohydrate intake should be.

The problem is that not all repetitions are necessarily the same. One repetition of squats or deadlifts is much more demanding than one repetition of curls or tricep presses. However, in order not to make the whole thing too complicated, I still assume that all repetitions are the same. Based on this premise, my recommendation for carbohydrate intake after training is as follows:

• 12-72 repetitions per training session: 0.6 g/kg lean body mass
• 73-200 repetitions per training session: 0.8 g/kg lean body mass
• 200-360 repetitions per training session: 1.0 g/kg lean body mass
• 360-450 repetitions per training session: 1.2 g/kg lean body mass

Glutamine intake

After much discussion with low-carb advocates DiPasquale and Serrano, I experimented with higher amounts of glutamine. Recent scientific research has shown that post-workout glutamine consumption can accelerate glycogen resynthesis and, of course, increase glutamine levels - both of which are important in preventing overtraining and generating an anabolic environment. For a 100 kilo athlete, glutamine intake can easily be in the region of 35 grams.

I am also a big fan of antioxidants. All my athletes use an antioxidant blend because they have a higher fatty acid intake than their peers. Fatty acids are extremely sensitive to damage and oxidation and this is true whether they are inside or outside the body. Increased consumption of fish oil, for example, has been linked to higher levels of lipid peroxidation in the body, which results in a greater need for vitamin E.

In addition to vitamin E, I would also recommend an antioxidant formula that includes a wide range of antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta-carotene. I also like to use additional antioxidants of a plant nature such as grape seed extract, green tea extract, quercitin, hesperidin, turmeric, gingko biloba and ginger.

This is just a brief overview of two areas of supplementation, as a full treatment of the subject would go far beyond the scope of this column.

Q: You hear different opinions from experienced strength trainers about the effectiveness of training on a Swiss Ball. Should I integrate it into my training or not?

A: The Swiss Ball comes from the land of watches and cheese fondue, where physiotherapists use it extensively as part of the rehabilitation process for their patients. A Swiss Ball is a valuable tool, but relying on it too much may be counterproductive in the long run.

For example, many of my exercisers perform part of their chest training on a Swiss Ball. Generally, this will help them to control their movements better and correct sloppy form of exercise execution. Why will this eliminate sloppy exercise form? Because if you're not careful, you'll end up rolling a few meters around the weight room with the dumbbell manufacturer's logo imprinted on your forehead.

If you use a Swiss ball when performing dumbbell presses, the instability of the ball will force you to recruit your stabilizers to a much greater extent than normal, allowing you to build a more injury-resistant shoulder structure to recruit more muscle.

For this reason, my colleague André Benoit uses the Swiss Ball for chest training with his beginner clients. In addition to this, the round surface of the ball allows the dumbbells to be lowered deeper, thereby enabling better stretching of the chest muscles.

An example exercise that you can perform on the Swiss Ball is the eccentric dumbbell incline bench press. I came up with the idea of using this exercise during a seminar for personal trainers when one of the participants asked me how to eccentrically train the pectoral muscles in the collarbone area when training alone.

For this exercise, you lie down on a Swiss ball and press the dumbbells upwards as if you were performing a conventional dumbbell bench press. Once your arms are almost straight, keep your torso stable while lowering your hips as far as possible.

Since you are weaker in the incline bench press than in the flat bench press, you will use the larger lever arm of the flat bench press to move the weight up in preparation for the eccentric part of the incline bench press. In effect, you are performing a combination of concentric flat bench presses and eccentric incline bench presses.

However, you shouldn't rely too much on the Swiss ball, as you could eventually reach the point where your stabilizers prevent the primary muscles from getting stronger. As the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and in this case that is the stabilizers.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-25, https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-26

From Charles Poliquin

Here is a brief summary:

1. Opposing training refers to doing the opposite of what you normally do for short and focused periods. This surprises your body with a new stimulus while using a different physiological pathway to stimulate new hypertrophy.
2. Focus on your performance for the majority of your training - regularly use heavy basic exercises performed explosively using heavy weights and short rest intervals.
3. Do the exact opposite for concentrated 'opposite blocks' - lots of exercises, focus on the pump, longer rests and more irregular training sessions. This will build muscle and improve your ability to achieve a pump.

There is one training principle that always works for me. It's not one that I like to use often because it goes against everything I enjoy in the gym. Nevertheless, it never fails when it comes to helping me achieve rapid gains in muscle mass over a two to three week period.

I call it opposite training: I do the exact opposite of what I would normally do. So instead of using my everyday principles for mass and strength - training for performance, with a few heavy exercises, lots of sets, low reps, heavy weights and a high frequency - I turn things around and train for a pump with more exercises, fewer sets, higher reps, moderate weights and a lower frequency. And it works every damn time.

For one, it provides my body with a novel stimulus, which in itself will result in a few gains, and two, it uses a different physiological pathway to stimulate hypertrophy.

Let's look at my principles and compare them to my weeks of opposite training:

1 - Use exercises for high performance

Train for performance and the corresponding appearance will follow. This means performing a fairly high number of sets (6 to 12) per exercise using low repetitions. This style of training consists of trying to move the weight as fast as possible regardless of the weight used (compensatory acceleration), with the weight dictating the repetition speed.

The focus is on full extension of the muscles, such as performing presses until the elbows or legs are fully extended or performing pull-ups from a hanging position with the arms fully extended. The primary goal is either to move as much weight as possible for a prescribed number of repetitions or to move a moderate weight explosively.

The opposite - pump up your muscles

Generate the strongest possible pump within a given repetition range to draw nutrients into the muscle and stimulate growth. This means performing a fairly high number of repetitions (12 to 25) per set with a low number of sets per exercise (2 to 4).

The training style is to make a light weight feel heavy by moving the weight in a controlled manner while tensing the target muscle hard throughout the repetition. The key is to use the range of motion that allows you to keep the target muscle under tension. During press exercises and squats, for example, the muscle loses tension when you (over)extend your arms or legs. We want to avoid this, which is why you end the repetition shortly before reaching full extension of the arms or legs and reverse the direction of movement.

2 - Concentrate on one exercise per training session

To achieve maximum performance on a basic exercise, you need to invest most of your energy in training this exercise. Performing a large number of sets (6 to 12) on one exercise will make you more technically efficient - allowing you to use more weight - and the target muscle fibers will receive more stimulation as they are subjected to repetitive efforts.

Even if some exercise variation is allowed (a change in range of motion or use of bands and chains), the basic movement pattern should not change if you want to maximize strength transfer.

Look at Olympic weightlifters. They use very few assistance exercises and stick primarily to snatches, deadlifts and squats. When they do include supportive training in their program, it's usually the same exercises but with a different range of motion, such as snatches or deadlifts on blocks. The same goes for the elite European powerlifters who primarily train bench press, deadlift and squat - and not much else.

The opposite - use a combination of exercises

If you are looking for a maximum pump, then use a wider range of exercises. Usually, after three or four sets of the same exercise, you will reach a point where the pump will no longer be stronger. However, you can usually increase this pump a little further by switching to a different exercise for the same muscle group.

Using a wider range of exercises (3 to 5) per muscle group with fewer sets (2 to 4 per exercise) will pump more nutrient-rich blood to your muscles while loading a maximum number of muscle fibers, both of which contribute to a solid growth stimulus. While you should still stick to basic exercises, training from different angles or using exercise variations will help maximize muscle fiber recruitment.

For example, in workouts where you focus on pressing exercises, you can use different variations of these exercises: Flat bench press, close bench press, incline bench press, reverse incline bench press, standing shoulder press, bench press with an overhand grip or dips.

Getting stronger from different angles is a good way to increase your potential on a primary exercise even if the power transfer is low. Such an approach also helps to build muscle, which can later be used to get stronger on the main exercise. A good example is the Westside athletes who use support exercises, which are different from the competition exercises, for 80% of their training time.

3 - Train the main exercises regularly

Frequency is crucial for maximum performance. The more you train an exercise, the more efficient you will become. The best athletes in the world train their skills often and being able to move heavy weights is a motor skill. This requires inter-muscular coordination and optimal muscle fiber recruitment and coordination.

World-class Olympic weightlifters train the snatch and clean and jerk daily - sometimes twice a day - to become masters of these exercises. For basic strength exercises, a training frequency of three times a week is optimal.

Strength coaches have had their athletes doing this since the fifties and sixties, and thanks to advances in supplementation, you can increase the frequency even further today.

The opposite - train each muscle group only once or twice a week

If the strongest possible pump is your goal, training one muscle too often can be counterproductive. First of all, a muscle that is trained less often will remain more responsive. If I don't train my biceps for a week and then push them hard, I'll get a crazy pump with very little training. On the other hand, if I train them too often, then the pump will be less impressive and more work will be required to achieve that pump.

In addition, to achieve a maximum pump, we need to use a fairly high volume of work. And of course, volume and frequency are two opposing aspects of training - as volume increases, frequency must decrease. Bodybuilders have found through experience that when training for a maximal pump, a training frequency of one to two workouts per muscle group per week is optimal.

4 - Start your training sessions with heavier or more explosive exercises

If you are aiming for maximum strength performance, then you should start your training sessions with explosive and heavy training. Both are more demanding for your central nervous system and should therefore be performed when you are still fresh.

In addition, both forms of training will activate your nervous system and performing hypertrophy training with an activated nervous system will help you recruit the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Since these fibers have a higher potential for growth, you will stimulate more muscle growth.

The opposite - Perform heavier/explosive training when you're already pumped up

Heavy training is just a tool to generate a mechanical stimulus to the muscle fibers. If you load your muscles with nutrient-rich blood through pump training before performing heavy training, you will have an optimal anabolic environment for stimulating muscle growth.

Even if your performance during the heavier sets may be hindered by the pump and fatigue, this won't matter as much because there will still be maximum mechanical stimulus to the muscle fibers. And since growth factors and nutrients will already be present in the muscle, the muscle building process will start faster.

5 - Minimize the breaks

Training for increased performance requires something called strength capacity - the ability to repeatedly achieve a high level of effort with minimal rest over an extended period of time.

Therefore, if you are working towards becoming a high performance machine, you should gradually reduce your overall training time while maintaining both the quality of work and the level of your performance.

The opposite - pause for 60 to 90 seconds

Rest intervals are tricky when you are training for a maximum pump. Shorter pauses between sets will allow you to achieve a pump faster, as not all of the metabolic waste products produced during a set can be removed during the short pauses. Longer breaks, on the other hand, will allow you to maintain your performance better during training with higher repetitions.

When the muscle becomes over-acidified, the neural drive of the muscle fibers is impaired, making it harder to keep the muscle contracted. Rest intervals that are too short will therefore reduce the number of repetitions you can perform per set. In short, pauses of 60 to 90 seconds are best for pump training.

Let's put it all together and compare

The standard program

Here is an example of what a typical program based on my principles might look like:

Monday and Thursday

* 1 minute break between sets

Tuesday and Friday

* 1 minute break between sets

Wednesday and Saturday

* 1 minute break between sentences

The opposing program

And this is what a program based precisely on opposing training could look like:

Monday

* Finish the movement 3 to 5 centimeters before the elbows are fully extended
* * 3 seconds maximum contraction at the end of the repetition

Tuesday

* + 15 partial repetitions over the lower part of the range of motion

Wednesday

Friday

* descending set
* * + 15 partial repetitions over the lower part of the range of motion

Saturday

* + 15 to 20 partial repetitions over the lower part of the range of motion
* * partial repetitions
* * * with 2 seconds of holding the maximum contraction

What you will get

For me, training in the opposite direction always helps me achieve quick results. This is partly because it is something completely different that my body is not used to and partly because my regular training makes me super efficient at recruiting the fast-twitch muscle fibers that have the most growth potential. As a result, I am able to recruit these fibers even during a pump workout - a skill that those who only ever do pump workouts rarely have.

Doing an occasional pump workout from time to time also improves my capacity to achieve a pump. This means that when I go back to my regular training, I can achieve an excellent pump even with low reps and heavy weights, which can stimulate muscle growth.

Last but not least, pump training can help heal the tendons and get stronger. Tendons are poorly supplied with blood, so it takes high repetitions to pump a lot of blood into them. High repetitions can even promote the healing of minor tendon injuries that can occur when you focus on moving heavy weights with low repetitions.

So even though this type of training is not my favorite type of training, its value should not be underestimated if used correctly between periods of heavy training.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/program-shock-do-the-opposite

By Christian Thibaudeau

Neurotype 1 - the constant seeker of novelty

Part 1 of this article series included an introduction to neurotyping. In a nutshell, the baseline levels of 3 neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine) significantly influence your personality and dictate how you should train and how you should eat in order to achieve the best possible results.

Your personality profile is largely determined by these three types of neurotransmitters, with baseline levels of these chemical messengers being genetically predetermined.

The three basic personality types are as follows:

• Type 1: The constant seeker of novelty
• Type 2: The reward addict
• Type 3: The harm avoider

Each type has its positive and negative characteristics. If you adopt a training style that doesn't suit your psychological and neurological type, then no matter how well that program is put together, you simply won't achieve significant results.

In this series of articles, we will take a closer look at these three neurotypes and what type of training, nutrition and supplementation is best for them. To determine your type, you should read through the first part of this article series.

Below we will look at the constant 'novelty seeker'. This type has low dopamine levels, which means that they are constantly looking for something new to stimulate the release of dopamine. You could also call this type an "adrenaline junkie".

Optimal training for type 1: the constant seeker of novelty

1 - Training preparation

Relatively speaking, this type has lower dopamine levels than serotonin levels. He needs to increase his dopamine levels before the actual training session begins in order to have good motivation and work capacity. If he does not do this, his performance during the first part of his training session will suffer.

For this reason, it is very important for this type of athlete to focus on activation exercises before the actual training session begins: Jumps, throws, high speed movements, etc. The focus here must be on speed - he must perform fast movements without generating too much fatigue.

Example: 3 sets of 5 vertical jumps. Or hitting a tire with a sledgehammer for 3 sets of 12 seconds.

As for the primary heavy exercise of the day, this guy should gradually increase the working weight as he performs heavier and heavier sets and focus on compensatory acceleration (CAT). This involves accelerating the weight as much as possible during the concentric or lifting phase of a repetition. This acceleration will increase strength production and make the nervous system more active through a release of dopamine.

Such an increase should start at around 60% of the maximum weight. Before performing the actual work sets, 5 sets with a gradual increase in weight should be performed. These 5 sets should be performed with the same number of repetitions - or fewer repetitions - that you plan for your work sets. The goal is to activate the nervous system without generating fatigue.

A gradual increase could look like this:

Preparation sets:

• Set 0: empty bar x 10
• Set 1: 165 x 3
• Set 2: 195 x 3
• Set 3: 215 x 3
• Set 4: 235 x 3
• Set 5: 255 x 3

Note: Use a maximum concentric acceleration for sets 1 to 5.

Working sets:

• Set 6: 275 x 5
• Set 7: 275 x 5
• Set 8: 275 x 5
• Set 9: 275 x 5

Remember that dopamine and adrenaline are linked. Dopamine is used to produce norepinephrine, which in turn is used to produce epinephrine/adrenaline. So anything that stimulates you will increase your dopamine levels.

However, you should be careful not to overdo it. This type has low baseline dopamine levels and can produce spurts of dopamine, but there will be a dip if it has produced too much. If this happens during training, willpower and motivation will go down the drain.

2 - Training variation

The exerciser of this neurotype needs a lot of variation in their training. He is the typical "I can't follow a program" type. They always want to try something new. If you have him do a program like the 5/3/1 or "The Power Look" (programs based on doing the same thing over and over again), he will quickly become demotivated and not get results.

We often say that you have to stick with a program to make progress, but with this type of exerciser this is not necessarily true. Remember that whatever helps you train the hardest will give you the best results. With a static program, those constantly looking for something new will easily become bored and lose their focus if the program becomes too routine. In their case, a lack of variety is a stress factor.

This neurotype...

• Can stay with a program for 2 weeks.
• Will get better results with multiple types of stimulation within a week.
• Will achieve better results when different types of stimuli are integrated into a training session.
• Will achieve very good results with cybernetic periodization (freedom within a structure). Here, the first heavy basic exercise of the training session is planned in advance, but the supporting exercises are chosen based on the performance in the main exercise.

Surprisingly, a lot of powerlifters belong to this type. The Westside Barbell System is the perfect example. Here, the main exercise changes every one to two weeks, three types of stimulation are used per week (four if you add conditioning) and cybernetic periodization is used by choosing daily assistance exercises based on performance on the main exercise. Oddly enough, CrossFit is also a perfect example, which is especially true for the shorter WODs of 8 to 15 minutes duration.

However, the need for variation doesn't mean you have to change all the variables. For example, you can change the exercises or keep the exercises and change the methods.

3 - Training frequency

Exercisers of this neurotype do better with shorter but more frequent training sessions. These types of training sessions increase dopamine levels without leading to a slump.

For this neurotype, a training-free day is less effective than a short training session with restorative training. If he allows himself two training-free days in a row, this will have a negative impact on his trainability - it will take 30 to 40 minutes just to get into the training zone. His motor control and motivation will suffer too much from this break.

A very hard training session that includes a lot of heavy training (a high volume on a heavy exercise) or a training session with maximum effort (going up to 1, 2 or 3RM on the heavy basic exercises) can deplete his dopamine reserves. It can then take days to replenish them. When this happens, this neurotype will either hit a wall two hours after their workout or they will feel lethargic, irritable or unmotivated the next day.

When this happens, this neurotype needs restorative training sessions. Restorative training sessions need to be short in duration and focus on explosive training. These workouts should not cause any metabolic fatigue. In fact, you should have more energy after such a training session than before.

During restorative workouts, you should not even come close to muscle failure, as the speed of exercise execution should never slow down. You also need to keep the "beat" of the training session high without turning it into a conditioning session.

The Westside training day with dynamic effort is mainly based on replenishing the dopamine stores depleted during maximum effort training sessions. Most Westside guys are likely to be extroverted, competitive, neurotype trainers who are constantly seeking novelty.

A good weekly ratio of training sessions for this neurotype consists of two high-load training sessions, two moderate-load training sessions and two restorative training sessions per week:

• Day 1: High load
• Day 2: Restorative training session
• Day 3: Moderate load
• Day 4: High load
• Day 5: Restorative training session
• Day 6: Moderate load
• Day 7: No training

Or 6 training sessions within 8 days:

• Day 1: High load
• Day 2: Restorative training session
• Day 3: Moderate load
• Day 4: No training
• Day 5: High load
• Day 6: Restorative training session
• Day 7: Moderate load
• Day 8: No training

Remember that if this neurotype has two training-free days in a row, this will cause his training quality to suffer, as his nervous system will be "listless".

4 - Training volume

The work capacity of exercisers of this neurotype is quite low. They are very efficient at strength training and explosive training, but their performance also declines quickly. However, there are exceptions: If an exerciser of this type has high acetylcholine levels, they can tolerate higher volume better, but these are the genetic freaks among power athletes.

Here are some guidelines:

• Type 1 exercisers should focus on sticking to 45 to 60 minute workouts (after training preparation). This is not to avoid a drop in testosterone levels or an increase in cortisol levels, but to avoid depleting dopamine stores, decreasing focus and motivation. Train hard and go home afterwards.
• A training session consisting of one main exercise and two exercise pairings (e.g. antagonistic pairings or supersets) for a total of 5 exercises works well. The exercise pairings reduce the feeling of routine.
• This type can use minimalist training (multiple sets of 1 to 2 exercises per training session), but should use multiple methods within the training session to prevent a sense of routine and repetition.
• Extreme constant novelty seekers - who are super explosive but have a short attention span - will be able to tolerate a total of 9 to 12 sets of work within a training session. These 9 to 12 sets are not per muscle group, but per training session. However, the average exerciser of this type can manage 16 to 18 sets during the entire training session.

5 - Training intensity: weights and repetitions

Neurotype 1 athletes achieve better results with lower repetitions and explosive or heavy training. Longer repetitions will reduce their motivation, especially with the big basic exercises. For heavy basic exercises, exercisers of this type should stick to sets of 4 to 6 repetitions if they are building muscle and sets of 1 to 3 repetitions if the focus is on strength.

For smaller isolation exercises, they can go up to 8 to 10 repetitions per set if they are trying to build muscle mass and use sets of 6 to 8 repetitions if they are focusing on building strength.

This type is also better off with shorter rest intervals and training at a higher cadence as they need to keep adrenaline levels high to stay focused.

6 - Equipment, methods & strategies

These are other ways of integrating variation into training. The guy who is always looking for something new doesn't always have to replace all the exercises - he can also change the way he performs them.

Equipment

This refers to tools that are used when performing a movement pattern. Replacing a regular bar with a so-called "fat" bar with a significantly larger diameter, for example, represents a major change. Other equipment whose use can be varied includes bars with different grip angles, chains, bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, pulleys and much more.

Methods

This refers to how the repetitions are performed. Examples of variations include changing the speed of movement during the concentric (lifting) or eccentric (lowering) phase of the repetition, inserting isometric pauses during the concentric or eccentric phase, performing partial repetitions, etc.

Strategies

This refers to how the sets are organized (sets x repetitions) and the use of intensity techniques such as rest/pause and descending sets.

For neurotype 1 exercisers, changing equipment, methods or strategies every two weeks is optimal. Extreme cases should even make changes every week, which is especially true for very experienced exercisers. These don't have to be huge changes - it's enough if the exercises feel slightly different to keep the training interesting and stimulate a slightly stronger release of dopamine.

Exercisers of this type respond best to strategies where the number of repetitions varies from set to set.

Examples: Wavelike load changes (5/4/3/5/4/3), descending sets (5/4/3/2/1) or contrasting sets (3/6/3/6/3/6).

If these exercisers want to use higher repetition numbers, then they will respond better to strategies that continue to give the feeling of low repetition numbers.

Examples: Cluster sets, rest/pause, myo reps, isometric contractions after reaching the point of exhaustion, isometric contractions before reaching the point of exhaustion, etc.

Straightforward sets where the same number of repetitions are performed with the same weight are very demotivating for exercisers of the constantly seeking novelty type, which is especially true for the big basic exercises. This could reduce the release of dopamine. If you really want to demotivate this type of exerciser and make them stop exercising, then you need to have them perform a German Volume workout with 10 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise.

Increasing using the same number of reps (e.g. performing sets of 3 reps with an increase in weight on each set) is fine, as the change in weight creates a sense of challenge, which motivates this type.

7 - Exercise sequence

Keep in mind that when we talk about the order of exercises here, we are not including workout preparation. We assume that correct preparation has already been carried out.

Neurotype 1 exercisers achieve better results when the main exercise of the day is performed as the second exercise. For them, neurological activation takes a little longer, which is why it is best to start training with an isolation exercise for the main muscle group or a stabilizing muscle group (e.g. latissimus in the bench press (peripheral activation)) of the following heavy basic exercise.

Dopamine levels rise rapidly, so performing the heavy basic exercise late in the training session will have the same effect as performing a training session with maximum effort or performing too high a volume: a rapid depletion of dopamine reserves.

8 - Progression model

Neurotype 1 exercisers do not cope well with a progression model based on percentages. They quickly lose interest and feel trapped in this scheme. The RM system - using the heaviest weight with which the prescribed number of repetitions can be performed with good form - is more effective. This system makes the workout seem more "open" and "adaptable".

This neurotype will usually hate programs like the 5/3/1 program. Because such programs use a fixed progression model, they can be really demotivating for the constant seeker of novelty.

This neurotype responds better to drastic phase changes (accumulation/intensification). These are the exercisers who get good results when they completely change their training style every three months or so.

The optimal diet for neurotype 1

• This neurotype achieves good results with a low carbohydrate diet with a higher fat content and moderate to high protein intake. This will not necessarily make him lose fat faster, but he will feel better and suffer from fewer cravings. Low carbohydrate diets lower serotonin levels. Since this guy has high serotonin levels, such a reduction will not have any negative effects. It could even improve his work capacity and motivation by increasing the ratio of dopamine to serotonin.
• During a diet, the neurotype 1 exerciser will need more frequent refeeds. When levels of the hormone leptin are high, the body feels good and the metabolic rate remains high. When leptin levels drop, the metabolic rate decreases and cravings increase.
• Low leptin levels also lead to an overreaction of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) - the dopamine response is increased. When this happens, dopamine levels will rise even when you are just thinking about cheat foods. This will make it almost impossible to stick to a diet. Leptin levels will drop if you go on a restriction diet for too long without breaks. As a result, the constant seeker of novelty will need more frequent refeeds. A regimen of 3 to 4 days of intense dieting followed by a refeed day - with quality foods to avoid an excessive dopamine response and an addiction to fast food - works best.
• Neurotype 1 exercisers should avoid "cheat foods" that are high in sugar, as these can overstimulate dopamine receptors and increase the risk of "sugar cravings".
• This neurotype is better off with short but intensive diet phases (3 to 6 weeks with a high calorie deficit) than with longer, more moderate diets.
• This neurotype should minimize the use of isolated BCAAs, as they compete with L-dopa for transport across the blood-brain barrier, which lowers dopamine levels.
• Pre-workout carbohydrate consumption can dramatically lower cortisol levels and promote a more anabolic environment. However, neurotype 1 exercisers may have problems with pre-workout carbohydrates as they can increase serotonin levels, which are already high beforehand. However, motivation, work capacity and training aggression require a higher ratio of dopamine to serotonin.
• The only type of carbohydrate that works well for this neurotype before exercise is highly branched cyclic dextrins, as these have a low glycemic index and do not affect insulin levels.
• During a fat loss diet, most carbohydrates should be consumed during the time around training. During a mass-building phase, a few carbohydrates in the morning are fine, while carbohydrates in the evening should be avoided.
• This neurotype should avoid large meals during the day as these will lead to a shift into parasympathetic mode, making the exerciser sluggish and less energized. A large dinner is a better strategy. In the next part of this article series, we will cover training, nutrition and supplementation for neurotype 2 - the reward dependent.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/unlock-natural-gains-neuro-type-1

By Christian Thibaudeau