Mike Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I found this article by Charles Poliquin about training according to your "type." He assigns each type of trainee to a different element and offers suggestions on the best rep/set schemes for each. I would be classified as wood. Here's the link if you wanna check it out: http://www.t-nation.com/portal_includes/articles/2005/05-041-training.html Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I fall most into the Fire category, and by far make the most of that style of training. Can't do it right now and am going with a more Earth style of training until I can go heavy again, but Fire is how I was made to train if I want to make the most progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 You look like you'd be the Fire type. For me, the description in this article was spot on for my type (wood). I usually find a routine and think it's the best routine ever invented for two weeks; then I stop progressing. I thought I was just a wuss, but that might only be part of it . I'm doing a running program right now, which only allows for two days of weight training. I'm thinking of doing a Westside Barbell type of set-up, but with drastically reduced workload. So, I might have an upper body max day, a lower body max day and just ditch the speedwork. Do you think that would be appropriate for a wood type? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodhiDave85 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I fall under the Earth Type 100%. Nice Find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks! It's really interesting how these descriptions seem to fit people so well. You totally seem like the Earth type to me. (I mean that as a compliment; Arnie is an Earth guy, too .) I'm really happy about finding this article. I was always frustrated because I could never find a routine that worked for me for longer than a couple of weeks, and I couldn't figure out why. (Hence my bizarre "Anti-Routine" thread .) The next step, for me, is to determine the best way to train for my "element." Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodhiDave85 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks! It's really interesting how these descriptions seem to fit people so well. You totally seem like the Earth type to me. (I mean that as a compliment; Arnie is an Earth guy, too .) I'm really happy about finding this article. I was always frustrated because I could never find a routine that worked for me for longer than a couple of weeks, and I couldn't figure out why. (Hence my bizarre "Anti-Routine" thread .) The next step, for me, is to determine the best way to train for my "element." Mike I know exactly what you mean. I used to overtrain myself bad, anytime I would be working out with a friend, trainer, or whoever they really push me too far sometimes. I didnt give my body time to recover, and quit many times due to my body being completely exhausted. It took some time to realize, but I am more successful at the slow and steady pace. Just the daily consistancy works for me, with occassional give-it-all you got days. The article was very re-assuring that I am already on a good routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 I'm glad to hear you're on a good routine. I was actually going to ask if you were planning on adjusting to the type of routine Poliquin suggests in the article, but it looks like you don't need to . It would be really cool to find a more detailed explanation of how each type should train (like a sample routine for each even.) I'll keep looking around. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsorlando Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 This is an interesrting way of looking at the way a person trains. It's pretty accurate too. I'm mostly an earth type, but I also think I have some fire, and wood elements in me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I think I am probably the wood type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xveganjoshx Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Seem to be "wood type"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 I notice there are some fellow wood types on here. What kind of routines have seemed to work best for you? Do you switch routines every two weeks, take it easy every third week? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 You look like you'd be the Fire type. For me, the description in this article was spot on for my type (wood). I usually find a routine and think it's the best routine ever invented for two weeks; then I stop progressing. I thought I was just a wuss, but that might only be part of it . I'm doing a running program right now, which only allows for two days of weight training. I'm thinking of doing a Westside Barbell type of set-up, but with drastically reduced workload. So, I might have an upper body max day, a lower body max day and just ditch the speedwork. Do you think that would be appropriate for a wood type? Mike Mike, I don't think that a Westside program is necessarily bad, but I think that maybe just going to simplify overall will be enough since true Westside can get a bit complex. Even just having an upper body day with back, chest and shoulders and a lower body day with squats and DLs plus any assistance work (where I'd throw in arms if you wanted to do them). Somtimes just going back to the extreme basics can be enough to see progress jump - when I was doing a lot of bodybuilding-style training years ago I got really stagnant with ANY program I went on after a few weeks. Once I prepped for my ISSA trainer certification I changed to follow their protocol for periodization to a degree and found that just by cutting back on overall volume and dropping reps I started to see a lot more results. The bulk of my training was simply their style of the 5x5 methodology - 1 lighter set, 1 moderate set, then 3 all-out work sets with the last one being as close to failure as possible, just 2 major exercies per body part with no assistance or isolation work (until then, it was no less than 12 sets per bodypart, often up to 20!) Shaking the bag can be pretty useful once in a while - though I respond best to low-rep training, even doing the high-rep stuff I am now for a few weeks is drastically improving my endurance, and when I start to work my way back to lower rep work in a couple of months I believe it'll carry over much better. I don't necessarily believe that anyone HAS to just be one type for gaining, but obviously, we're predisposed to one type that does offer better results than others. If you want to do a modified Westside program it won't hurt - just keep it simple and don't get too caught up in their science for the program (at least for a while) and that will be a good start. Or, just do something similar to their work, alternating light speed work weeks and heavier low-rep work (sets of 2-5 reps) and you'll hopefully have something good happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks for the great advice, VeganEssentials! I like that 5x5 set-up you mentioned. I enjoy the variety of Westside, but like you mentioned, I have a tendency to get mixed up when things get complex. Maybe I'll just pick one exercise for each major body part, work up to a top set of 5 and switch to a different exercise after 1 or 2 workouts. This might give me the simplicity of the 5x5 with the variety of Westside. Man, you've got me excited; I'm sitting here at work, but I want to go home and lift! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Glad to be of service, Mike! I myself tend to not like to squat and DL on the same day or do shoulders/chest on the same, but with the 5x5 I found that because I wasn't exhausting myself with endless reps and sets I could get both in on the same day without any issues. My gym time was cut to around 40-45 minutes tops from the 90+ minutes it had been before that, and I made the first good progress in years with that type of 5x5 routine, so give it a shot and see how it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) I deleted the post I originally had here and moved it to a new thread, since it was a bit off-topic... Mike Edited February 22, 2008 by Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillipeb Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I feel like im a combination of those types but perhaps that is because i have never seriously worked out. Perhaps im the mayburry type they suggested yoga too. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 I feel like im a combination of those types but perhaps that is because i have never seriously worked out. Perhaps im the mayburry type they suggested yoga too. lol It's all good; I wouldn't mess with some of those yoga guys! You may just be a fire type and you don't know it yet . Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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