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Barbell Chris Thibaudeau's Neuro Training Type

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Kenny Croxdale

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Chris Thibaudeau is one of the better Strength Coaches.

Below is some information on training based on your Neuro Type and my Cliff Notes on each.

Kenny Croxdale

Introduction to Neurotyping - The Type 1A Profile


1) Intensity describes them.
2) They get more muscular by becoming stronger.
3) High Rep/Pump doesn't work.
4) Strong Neural Dominance.
5) Low Muscular Dominance.
6) Need Heavy Training.
7) Cannot do High Volume of Training.
8) Need longer Rest Intervals.
9) 1A built for Slow Gear Strength; Grinding Strength.
10) Respond to Slow Repetitions, Slow Eccentrics, Heavy Partials, Lifts from Dead Start, Pause Lifts...
11) Not good at using the Stretch Reflex.
12) 1A built for Strength and Intensity.
13) Need High Frequency but Low Volume.
14) High Volume Training kill their progress.

Introduction to Neurotyping - The Type 2A Profile

1) About half muscle dominate and neural dominate.
2) Variation in Training is important
3) Everything works for a short time, 2 - 3 weeks.
4) Need a Muscular and Neural Training component in every training session.
5) The component you are dominate in recovers faster.
6) 2A Can handle the most volume, if you have a blend of Muscular and Neural Training.
7) 1A and 1B; Linear Periodization works.
8) 2A: To Deload, you need to change your training every three weeks, Non-Linear Periodization Training!
Doing something different is a Deload because you are starting over with a lower load the intensity goes down. It should go down. However, some overly ambitious individuals start off to heavy which is counter productive; then progressively get weaker each week.
7) Bands and Chains:
Type 1A is Slow Gear Strength. They want maximal load throughout the full range of the movement. Lots of Barbell weight and Low Band or/Chain Resistance.
8) 1B is built to create momentum; produce force by creating acceleration. Less Barbell weight and more Chain/Band at the top end of the movement.
9) 2A, both work. Heavy Barbell/Low Chain/Band Resistance and Low Barbell, greater Chain/Band Resistance at the end top end of the movement.

NEUROTYPING TRAINING FOR THE TYPE 1B

1) Explosive Training works best. Not build for Slow-Grinding Strength.
2) 1B good a multi tasking.
3) Need more exercises in a training session. Pairing exercises works
4) Need to go heavy but not as heavy as 1A. up to 95% of 1 RM.
5) Need to avoid Lactic Acid build up.
6) Don't do well on Slow Tempo, Pause Lifts, and Bodybuilding.

NEUROTYPING TRAINING FOR THE TYPE 2B

1) High Muscle Dominance; Bodybuilding Training
2) Sensation, they need to feel it; Mind Muscle Connection, The Pump.
3) They get Stronger by getting Bigger.
4) High Volume works for them.
5) Need to avoid Neural Training.
6) Below 80% of 1 RM Training.
7) Use Short Rest Interval.

NEUROTYPING TRAINING FOR THE TYPE 3

1) Control Freaks. Structured life.
2) "My body's telling me to stop. I'm telling my body to continue."
3) Mentally need more Warm Up Sets.
 
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@ kennycro@@aol.com,

Thib's stuff is really good IMHO, the bulk of my best gains have been accomplished using variations of his "Best Damn Workout Plan for Natural Lifters 1":

The Best Damn Workout Plan For Natural Lifters | T Nation

Have read about his neurotyping before but am not clear on how he determines this in a new client or relatively untrained individual. He must have covered this, but he has a lot of material out there.

This approach makes a lot of sense, I think anyone who's trained in a gym environment has seen the full range of these neurotypes, has seen some folks thrive on a particular approach while another person using the same protocol stagnates.
 
He uses the "The Cloninger Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI)" to type his trainees.

IDK how this would play out, but I have to assume if you've used this test a lot it probably is a better starting point than just assigning a basic program and pushing it different ways to see how the client responds.

Nonstop Natural Gains: The Neuro Typing System | T Nation

I would also expect folks to orbit around one or the other of these, passing through the outer edges of other neurotypes as time goes by.
 
For me this knowledge is pure gold, Especially the articles. Thank you @kennycro@@aol.com and @North Coast Miller ! Although most of the training advice is hard to carry over to SF kettlebell classic programs, but the general understanding of the circumstances is eye opening and helps to better understand my body and mind.
 
Fascinating, though i would need either a lot more experience or a coach to tell me which group I belong in.
 
Fascinating, though i would need either a lot more experience or a coach to tell me which group I belong in.

I have a good idea where I land, but applying it to others with confidence would take a lot of experience I'd think.

In fact you'd need a lot of experience to even dream up this sort of planning guide, but it has the ring of truth about it.
 
I think he has a test on his website, basically a personality test like Myers Briggs, to determine your type tendencies. It also categorizes your physical AND mental types too, and shows what percentages of what other types are also in present in your neuro profile.
 
The world of high performance astounds me. Teasing out the signal through the noise through all the complex information must be a nightmare.
 
Fascinating, though i would need either a lot more experience or a coach to tell me which group I belong in.

Thibaudeau's Neuro Guidelines Check List

Thibaudeau's Neuro Training provides you with a check list to help you in determine what type of training is most effective for you.

Based you practical experience, listed above, check off where your strengths and weakness are. Then, formulate a program based on...

Playing To Your Strengths

Some training needs to be devoted to working on your weakness. However, focusing on you weakness in training or anything else in life is a poor investment of your time.

Investing Your Money

Think of you training like money. You want to invest your money in something that yields the greatest return; invest your training time in something that elicits the greatest training response.

Generating Force

Let's look at come of the characteristics of three of Thibaudeau's guidelines.

1) Limit Strength: Some individual are able to push or pull more weight due to a great deal of "Slow Gear Strength; Grinding Strength"; Type 1A Profile

2) Explosive Strength: Some individual are able to push or pull more weight with Explosive Power. Type 1B Profile.

3) Combination of Limit Strength and Power: Some individual fall in between, "About half muscle dominate and neural dominate"; Type 2A Profile

Which Category Do You Fit Into?

Few individual fit 100% into one category. However, they usually have a dominance in one particular category.

The key is to take what works for you and disregard what doesn't.

With that in mind, let look at...

What is the most direct means to achieve strength gains specific to the demands of jumping events?

This is a brilliant piece of work by David Kerin, a Track Coach High Jump Specialist.

Kerin essentially breaks High Jumper down into two categories.

1) Explosive Jumpers: These High Jumpers generate vertical force to a greater degree with Explosive Power.

Explosive High Jumps will elicit the greatest training effect with Speed and Power Training to a greater degree in conjunction with some Limit Strength Training.

2) Strength Jumpers: These High Jumper generate vertical force to a greater degree with Limit Strength.

Strength Jumpers need to incorporate more Limit Strength Training in conjunction with Speed and Power Training.

I think he has a test on his website, basically a personality test like Myers Briggs, to determine your type tendencies. It also categorizes your physical AND mental types too, and shows what percentages of what other types are also in present in your neuro profile.

Determining Your Training Type

To reiterate, the Cliff Notes listed in the initial post will provide you most of the information you need.

Mental Types

There is definitely a mental/emotional component to training and in sports.

As Yogi Berra said, "Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”

Warm Up Examples

Many lifters turn Warm Ups into full blow workouts; expending strength and energy needed for their top set.

The protocol for a Warm Up is to perform the least amount of work necessary to prepare you for you top set.

With that said, some individual mentally/emotionally need...

Multiple Warm Up Sets

For a various of reasons, they like to slowly ascend to their top set rather than taking large jumps.

Individual like this perform better if you allow them to slowly ascend to their top set. The key is to minimize the repetition with their ascending sets to the top, performing 1 - 2 Reps.

This allows them to get a feel for the weight without depleting their top set Strength and Power.

Minimal Warm Up Sets

Individual like this perform better by taking a minimal amount of Warm Up Sets, taking large weight jumps with each ascending set with a minimal amount of reps.

Summary

Assess your Strengths and Weaknesses and Play To Your Strengths; chose the most effective method that works for you.

Kenny Croxdale
 
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The world of high performance astounds me. Teasing out the signal through the noise through all the complex information must be a nightmare.

Paralysis Analysis

Overthinking the issue is a huge problem brought on by individuals trying to break down a multitude of complex information; information overload.

The most effective method of resolving a problem/issue is...

Occum's Razor

Basically, this means the simplest answer is usually the right one. Don't overthink it.

There are two or three primary factors that are the root cause of a problem/issue.

Determine the prime root cause and correct them and you have pretty much solved the problem.

Blink

Malcolm Gladwell's book touched on that fact; obtaining three prime root factors usually provide you with the right answer.

Another factor that Gladwell went into is what I term...

Introspection

Based on an individual practical experience in life, your "Gut Reaction" often provides you with the right answer. It's somewhat like a Déjà vu moment. Something in your past tells you if something is right or wrong.

Part of what makes great athletes, coaches, etc is this ability.

What I Learned From Chip McCain, 198 lb Lifter

Initially, my training revolved around crunching number on training.

In an interview with McCain, years ago, I examined his Deadlift Training Program.

McCain's Deadlift Training Program revolved around alternating Heavy Training one week followed by Light Training the next week.

McCain's Deadlift Training didn't make sense. His Light Training load every other week were all over the place.

His Heavy Deadlift Training Session did not make sense, as well.

McCain Heavy Deadlift Progression

McCain trained his Deadlift heavy every other week. This was his progression...

1) 675 lbs X 2 Reps

2) 725 lbs X 2 Reps

3) 800 lbs X 2 Reps!?

McCain's target was to pull 775 X 2 Reps on the day he pulled 800 lbs X 2.

My question to McCain was, "Why did you go up to 800 lbs?"

McCain reply was, "Because I knew that I could".

McCain's Light Deadlift Training

Every other week was McCain Light Deadlift Training Day

1) 505 lb X 4

2) 545 lb X 4

3) 495 lb X 4

His 495 lb didn't make sense to me.

McCain's reply to me was a Light Day need to be light; how it feels is more important than the load/training percentage.

McCain's drop from 545 lbs to 495 lbs was based on how it felt to him. The purpose of a Light Deadlift Training Day was for recovery rather than ego. To prepare him for his Max Effort 775 lbs X 3 Rep Deadlift Day which ended up being 800 lbs.

Autoregulation Training

McCain, as other great athletes, used Autoregulation Training before it was even a term.

Most great athletes are Introspective, they have a feeling on when they can or can't do something.

Take Home Message

1) Complex Information: Trying to break down a multitude of information leads to overthinking the problem/issue.

2) There are usually two or three prime root causes to a issue/problem.

3) Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan. However, you also need to Autoregulate.

In other word, on day you thing don't feel right/the weight feel heavy, back off.

On days, when everything feel like, crank it up.

Kenny Croxdale
 
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NEUROTYPING TRAINING FOR THE TYPE 3

1) Control Freaks. Structured life.
2) "My body's telling me to stop. I'm telling my body to continue."
3) Mentally need more Warm Up Sets.

Very interesting! From your notes, I did not relate to Type 3 at all. But the video describes me pretty well. Maybe you, Kenny, do not relate much to it? Let me elaborate: I am not a control freak, but I like to feel in control. I can actually improvise and multitask very well and like to go with the flow - to feel in control of my output! I do not tell my body to continue, as I like to feel in control, as Thib explains.

Here are my cliffnotes on Type 3:
  1. Keyword: Control (I would add: patience and quality)
  2. They get stronger by practicing, building confidence and focusing on precision
  3. Build cortisol quickly - and thus need to feel safe and in control to manage their training load
  4. Progress is slow
  5. Need less exercises and need to stick to them longer
  6. Cluster sets and singles work well for them, controlling every rep
  7. Paused reps and slow reps work well for controlling technique
  8. High volume works (but at a lower intensity)
  9. Shy away from overloading and hard grinding reps
  10. Dislike fatigue and acidity
  11. Treat training as practice - favor more sets with less reps
Edit: Found this article and have added notes for Type 3

  1. Type 3s often have the best performance toward the end of the session
  2. Prefer the same load throughout
  3. Strive on dynamic warmups
  4. " Basically, this type doesn't need to amp up prior to a session, and they shouldn't. "
  5. "They can perform just as well after taking a few days off, "
  6. Do not need activation sets as a ramp-up, but practice sets with the cue "make a light weight feel heavy."
  7. Get sore more easily (due to high cortisol) and need to manage recovery (taking days off, lighter days, foam rolling, mobility, etc.)
  8. Prefer variation in means, methods, and strategies rather than changes in exercises
  9. "A big motivation killer is feeling a movement in the joints, in the wrong place, or not feeling in perfect control. "
  10. "They're really good at conditioning work because of their high dopamine to serotonin ratio, and because they don't get bored or run out of fuel due to the high cortisol release. "
  11. Hypertrophy: Progressively harder warmup, then 2 sets close to TRM in the 8-15 rep range.
  12. Strength-Skill: 6x2-3 @ 75-85%1RM works well (or 2-3 x 4-6)
  13. Prefer precise programs
  14. Need carbs with every meal, especially last meal of the day to manage cortisol and serotonine. Preferably aslo pre-workout.
 
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kennycro@@aol.com said:
4) Strong Neural Dominance.
5) Low Muscular Dominance.


I'm sorry, I don't understand this part. Could you explain Kenny?

Great Question

That information comes from Thibaudeau's video.

I hadn't thought about it and am not sure what he means.

Before going further let me mention...

One Of My Pet Peeves

For some reason, when someone says something, people have a tendency to perform rectal extractions; they try and interpret what they "Think" someone, what they mean.

There is a recent post on this site that did just this; which means these individuals were guessing and have no clue.

With that said, it's always better to get it, "From the horse's mouth".


Rather that guessing, I posted your question and now mine on Thibeadeau's message site listed above.

This way we'll get the right answer rather than guessing.
 
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Is this similar to the late Coach Poliquin's take on using the Braverman test to determine neurotype specific training? I've read a bit about it and it's an interesting topic.
 
@kennycro@@aol.com I'm not intimately familiar with the topic, but I'll try to explain to the best of my knowledge. The Braverman Test was used to identify deficiencies/primary drivers in the main neurotransmitters (Dopamine, Seratonin, GABA, Acetylcholine, if I remember correct) based on how the test-taker answers. Coach Poliquin used the test to determine who was dopamine dominant, for example, and would train them a certain way. He classified them in terms more akin to traditional Chinese medicine: fire type, wood type, and so forth. This was discussed on an interview on the Tim Ferriss Show. I'm not qualified to speak to the merits of such a system, but it seems like a similar approach to Chris Thibaudeau's.

Here's a link to an article Coach Poliquin wrote on the topic: The Best Training Program Doesn’t Exist
 
About to watch these vids. I saw a video of CT talking about time under tension and getting closer to failure for hypertrophy which was pretty cool. Basically saying people “waste a lot of reps” or something like that by wearing themselves out on lighter weights for higher reps when you can just do heavier weight for less reps and get to that sweet spot before complete fatigue a lot more effectively and get stronger at the same time. Something like that I think.
 
TBH, it seems a little like pseudo-science to me.

I'd have to see some actual studies for me to reduce my skepticism.

On any given day, I might self-identify with a different 'type'.

It's catchy marketing, though.
 
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