Maximize your natural gains part 5

The neurotyping training sessions - Part 1

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, dictating how you should train and how you should eat to achieve the best possible results. Part 2 dealt with the first neuroprofile: the constant seeker of novelty. Part 3 dealt with the second neuroprofile: The Reward Addict. Part 4 dealt with the third neuroprofile: The Harm Avoider.

In this part of the article series, we will go a little deeper into each neurotype, talk about the specific design of training programs and discuss mixed neurotypes.

Neurotypes 1A and 1B

All type 1 exercisers need intensity. For them, performance is more important than a pump or a good mind-muscle connection. Methods where the nervous system is most active will lead to the greatest improvements. In fact, these exercisers find isolation training or pump training boring and annoying.

The two subtypes differ in two ways: how much volume they can tolerate and how much variation they can have in a training session.

In both cases, this depends on their acetylcholine levels. High acetylcholine levels allow a type 1A exerciser to cope with more volume. How does this work? By reducing the dependence on adrenaline. When you have more acetylcholine, you don't need the same amount of adrenaline to perform well. Acetylcholine increases the contractility of the heart and muscles. It also increases blood flow and focus.

Remember that dopamine is needed for the production of adrenaline (epinephrine). So the more adrenaline you need to produce, the more dopamine you will "use." This could lead to a depletion of dopamine reserves.

In order to have high training motivation and aggressiveness, you need high dopamine levels and the constant novelty seeker (neurotype 1) will quickly deplete their dopamine reserves, which will result in a decrease in their work capacity. If a type 1 exerciser has high acetylcholine levels, then they can tolerate more volume because they do not deplete their dopamine reserves as quickly.

In addition, people with higher acetylcholine levels are good at multitasking tasks. They can easily shift their attention from one task to another without losing efficiency. Signs of high acetylcholine levels include an excellent memory and the ability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time, as well as being able to complete more than one project at a time.

People with low acetylcholine levels often forget things (they lose their keys, for example) and may have memory problems. When they do something, they almost forget that the rest of the world exists. They may also find it difficult to make a decision when there is more than one option.

Neurotype 1A, - Low acetylcholine levels

General training recommendations

• High training frequency: Train 6 to 7 days per week.
• Very low volume, short training sessions: This type has the lowest capacity for volume. He should perform 6 to 12 work sets per training session and his training sessions should ideally be shorter than 45 minutes (or even shorter than 30 minutes after the warm-up).
• Highest intensity - very heavy weights, low repetitions. The more a training session is neurologically driven, the better. A good intensity zone is 87 to 92% of 1RM weight. This type should stick to sets of 1 to 3 reps and rarely go up to 5 reps.
• Few exercises per training session: This type is not efficient at shifting his focus. He does best with 2 or 3 exercises per training session. He does not respond well to isolation training and should only use it to compensate for weaknesses.
• Moderate to long rest intervals: Even though this type needs a fairly fast pace in his training to stay focused, he needs a little more recovery time between sets. Although this type should not force themselves to rest by the clock, 90 to 150 seconds between sets is usually adequate.
• Best training methods: Aside from clusters, this type doesn't do well with many other methods because intensity is more important to him than time under tension or the mind-muscle connection. This type does well with 3/2/1 waves and he finds lightly deviated repetitions very effective. (Exercises such as Snatch Grip High Pulls and Push Press (standing shoulder press with a slight swing from the legs) are excellent for this type). People with this neurotype do not respond well to a slower tempo or an emphasis on the negative (lowering) phase of the movement. They respond better to training with compensatory acceleration (CAT), which attempts to accelerate the weight as quickly as possible.

Example training program

Day 1

• Activation: medicine ball throws from the chest, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Push press (standing shoulder press with leg swing)

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 3/2/1 waves (second wave heavier)
120-150 seconds rest between sets

• Bench press

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
3 x 3 with 85-90%
3 x 3 with 65-70% with a focus on maximum acceleration

• 90-120 seconds rest

Day 2

• Activation: Medicine ball slams (solid throws on the floor), 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Pendlay rowing

3 progressively heavier preparatory sets of 3 reps
3 sets of 5 clusters (5 reps with 10 seconds rest between reps) using a 3-4 RM weight
120-150 seconds rest

• Pull-ups with a neutral grip or on rings

3 progressively heavier preparatory sets of 3 reps
3 sets of 3 reps with a challenging weight
3 sets of 3 reps using bodyweight only with a focus on speed
90-120 seconds rest

Day 3

• Activation: vertical jumps with reset, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Classic squats

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 3/2/1 waves (second wave heavier)
120-150 seconds rest between sets

• High pull from a hanging positionbr> o 3 progressively heavier preparation sets

3 x 3 reps with 85-90%
3 x 3 reps with 65-70% and focus on maximum acceleration
90-120 seconds rest

Day 4

• Activation: plyometric push-ups, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Bench press from a rack (8 to 10 centimetres from the chest)

3 progressively heavier preparatory sets of 3 reps.
3 sets of 5 clusters (5 reps with 10 seconds rest between reps) using a 3-4 RM weight
120-150 seconds rest

• Dumbbell push press with neutral grip (standing shoulder press with leg swing)

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
3 x 3 reps with 85-90%
3 x 3 reps with 65-70% with a focus on maximum acceleration
90-120 seconds rest

Day 5

• Activation: Medicine ball slams (fixed throws on the floor), 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Seated rowing on the cable

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 3/2/1 waves (second wave heavier)
120-150 seconds rest between sets

• High pulls from blocks

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 3/2/1 waves (second wave heavier)
120-150 seconds rest between sets

Day 6

• Activation: vertical jumps with reset, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Front squats

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 3/2/1 waves (second wave heavier)
120-150 seconds rest between sets

• Romanian deadlift

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
3 sets of 3 reps with a heavy weight (82-85%)
3 sets of 3 with 65-70% using a stronger concentric acceleration

Day 7

• Training free

Type 1B: High acetylcholine levels

General training recommendations

• High frequency: Train 5-6 days per week.
• Can tolerate a high volume of high intensity work: These are the exercisers that usually make the best CrossFitters and strength/power athletes (American football, track and field, powerlifting). They can tolerate high intensity just like Type 1A exercisers, but can also cope with a higher daily workload. However, they need to incorporate restorative training sessions (neural loading) into their training program to avoid slumps. This type can tolerate 12 to 20 heavy work sets during a training session if they perform an occasional (once a week) neural load training session.
• Heavy training with low to moderate repetitions: This type achieves very good results in the heavy basic exercises with repetition counts that range from 3 to 6. He is not as demotivated as type 1A by isolation training or pump training, but these forms of training should still not make up a large part of his training session unless it is to compensate for a specific weakness. If this type is doing isolation training, they should avoid extra high repetitions. Sets of 6 to 8 repetitions are better. Even with isolation exercises, he must have the feeling that he is training quite heavily.
• More exercises or methods within a training session: To feel stimulated, this type needs variety - either by using many different exercises or using different training methods within a training session. If a training session includes both a minimal exercise selection and uses repetitive methods or load patterns, this will be demotivating for this type.
• Short rest intervals: The rest intervals should be slightly shorter. Exercisers of this type can afford to do this as the acetylcholine will protect them from an overproduction of adrenaline, which would cause their dopamine levels to plummet. A training session with a fast pace will always produce better results.
• Best training methods: This type is best advised with methods that are heavy and give the feeling of using low repetition numbers. Clusters where 5 to 6 total repetitions with 10-15 seconds rest between repetitions, rest/pause sets where 4-6 repetitions are performed on the first part of the set, 5/4/3 waves, or EMOMs with 2-4 repetitions per set are all good choices.

Example training program

Day 1

• Activation: Medicine ball throws from the chest, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Preparation: Band pull-apart (pulling apart a band), 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Bench press

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 5/4/3 waves
90 seconds rest between sets

• B1. Dumbbell rowing with supported chest

4 work sets of 4-6 reps
Alternating with B2
30-45 seconds rest

• B2. Dumbbell incline bench press

4 sets of 4-6 reps.
75-90 seconds rest

• C1. Floor press with close grip

3 sets of 6-8 reps
Alternating with C2
30-45 seconds rest

• C2. Pull-ups with neutral grip

3 sets of 6-8 reps.
75-90 seconds rest

Day 2

• Activation: vertical jumps with reset, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Classic squats

3 progressively heavier preparation sets
2* 5/4/3 waves
90 seconds rest between sets

• B1. Romanian deadlift

4 work sets of 4-6 reps
Alternating with B2
30-45 seconds rest

• B2. Hackenschmidt squats on the machine

4 sets of 4-6 reps.
75-90 seconds rest

• C1. Glute-Ham Raises

3 sets of 6-8 reps.
Alternating with C2
30-45 seconds rest

• C2. Farmers Walk

3 sets of 20-30 seconds (walking under control with solid posture, no running)
75-90 seconds rest

Day 3 (neural charge)

• A1. Vertical jumps, 3-5 reps.

30-45 seconds rest

• A2. Medicine ball throws from the chest, 3-5 reps.

30-45 seconds rest

• A3. Box jumps 3-5 reps.

30-45 seconds rest

• A3. Medicine ball slam (fixed throws on the floor), 3-5 reps.

1 minute rest

Perform the circuit four to five times

Day 4

• Activation: 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Preparation: band pull-apart, 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Bench press from a rack (5 to 8 centimeters above the chest)

Increase the weight up to 3RM over the course of 6-8 sets
75-90 seconds rest

• Bench press from a rack (5 to 8 centimetres above the chest)

90-95% of 3RM weight
3 sets per cluster for 5-6 reps, 10 seconds rest between reps
90-120 seconds rest

• Bench press from a rack (5 to 8 centimetres above the chest)

80-85% of 3RM weight
3 sets with max reps / pause 15 seconds / max reps

• Bench press from a rack (5 to 8 centimeters above the chest)

80-85% of 3RM weight
3 sets of 3 x close grip + 3 x wide grip + 3 x normal grip

Day 5

• Activation: vertical jumps, 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Front squats

Increase the weight within 6 to 8 sets up to 3RM weight
75-90 seconds rest

• Front squats

90-95% of 3RM weight
3 sets per cluster for 5-6 reps, 10 seconds rest between reps
90-120 seconds rest

• Front squats

80-85% of 3RM weight
3 sets of max reps / pause 15 seconds / max reps squats

• Front squats

80-85% of 3RM weight
3 sets of 3 front squats with close stance + 3 front squats with wide stance + 3 classic squats

Day 6

• Activation: Medicine ball slam (fixed throws on the floor), 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Preparation: band pull-apart, 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Pull-ups with neutral grip

3 preparation sets
2* 5/4/3 waves
75-90 seconds rest

• Seated cable rowing

4 rest/pause sets (4-6 reps, pause for 15 seconds, 2-3 additional reps)
90-120 seconds rest

• Rowing with supported chest (chest on an incline bench)

4 sets of 4-6 reps with holding the maximum contraction for 2 seconds per rep.
75-90 seconds rest

• D1. Side raise bent over

3 sets of 6-8 reps, holding the maximum contraction for 2 seconds per rep.
D1 & D2 are performed as a superset, no rest after D1

• D2. Band Pull-Apart

3 sets of 8-10 reps.
75-90 seconds rest

Day 7

• Training free In the next part of this article series we will take a closer look at training the remaining neurotypes and mixed types.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/the-neuro-type-workouts

Christian Thibaudeau