Neuro Type 1A with Low Acetylcholine and Low GABA

[wintergirl]

Hi Coach,

I fit the above category 1A with low acetylcholine and I also know that I have low GABA which makes my mood change quickly. I found benefit from some training and diet tips in your excellent articles to modify my plan.

My current goal: I want more strength in my lifts, I want more iron plates on those barbells, I am physically weak, I do better at endurance than at strength or power. I do not mind some muscle mass (although I am a slightly v-inverted back without much workout in weight lifting to begin with or I am a woman with slightly broader shoulder than hip ratio).

you need to find out first if you are a Type 1A or Type 1B

Are you naturally explosive? (yes is more Type 1B, no is more Type 1A)

Do you have good short term memory (are you good at remembering names, phone numbers, etc.) … yes is more Type 1B, no is more Type 1A

Did you (or do you) get into fights (yes would be more type 1A, no would be more Type 1B)

Are you very vocal and try to take control of conversations (yes would be more type 1A, no would be more type 1B).

Etc. When I assess someone I talk with them for an hour and have them fill out a questionnaire. Just judging from reading an article is not that accurate

My answer yield 1A to “all questions”. In addition to apply most of your article on 1A into diet and found it to be accurate in terms of mental and energy levels.

For a many years, I did moderate weights 12/10/8 with 1.5 minutes rest.
I switched recently to 5/5/5/5/5 - it did not work out as intended, volume is high, became fatigue.
Now I am on 5/5/5 with 3-5 minutes rest. I feel better than two above approaches, I want to go heavier.

I train using Stronglifts program because it is basic and beginner movements and no upper body, body weight exercises. It is bascially squat, bench, military, rows, deadlifts, 3 times per week using with 1kg/2lb weight progression per workout (each and every workout per week). I do some accessories work to strengthen my glutes and hamstring and some stretch work for hip and abs to correct any imbalances.

“Type 1’s don’t do well on a percentage based progression model. They lose interest and feel trapped. The RM system – using the most weight they can in good form for the prescribed rep – is more effective. It makes the workout look more “open” or adaptable.”

Question 1: Can you explain a suitable progression model for my type or any overall approach toward training?
I could possibly be an extreme 1A but not sure how to know. I did not understood what was prescribed in the article.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

@wintergirl

Question 1: Can you explain a suitable progression model for my type or any overall approach toward training?

Dude, that would take about 15-20 page of text. When I give my seminar i talk about programing for each type for about 4 hours. I cannot resume that in a Q&A forum,

I can talk a little bit about progression though. Type 1A are driven by the need to lift heavy. They need to touch AT LEAST 85% weights at every session and need to move more weight from session to session.

They normally do 4 week cycles with the 3rd week being a deload.

BUT the biggest mistakes they can make while deloading are 1) reducing frequency and 2) reducing the relative intensity.

They should deload by reducing ABSOLUTE intensity while maintaining RELATIVE intensity.

Relative intensity i how much weight you are moving on a lift compared to your maximum on that lift. If your best bench press is 300lbs and you are doing your sets with 24l0lbs the relative intensity is 80%.

Absolute intensity is how much weight you are moving. Let’s compare two situations:

A. Deadlift doing sets with 400lbs with a max of 500lbs (80%)
B.Romanian deadlift with 275lbs with a max of 315 (87.5%)

The RELATIVE intensity is higher in case “B” (87.5% vs. 80%) BUT the ABSOLUTE intensity is higher in case “A” (400lbs vs 275lbs)

So a type A deload could look something like this (note that I’m using percentages for illustration purposes, they are not recommendations).

WEEK 1: Back squat sets of 5 with 85% (e.g. 340 for a 400 max)
WEEK 2: Back squat sets of 4 with 87.5% (e,g, 350 for a 400 max)
WEEK 3: Back squat sets of 3 with 90% (e.g. 360 for a 400 max)
WEEK 4 FRONT squat sets of 3 with 90% (e.g. 285lbs for a 315 max)

That would be an accumulation block for Type 1A

Then you would have an intensification block … for example:

WEEK 5: Back squat ramp up to 5RM
WEEK 6: Back squat ramp up to 3RM
WEEK 7: Back squat ramp up to 2RM
WEEK 8L Front squat ramp up to 2RM

Then a realization block

WEEK 9: Back squat ramp up to 3RM
WEEK 10: Back squat ramp up to 2RM
WEEK 11: FRONT SQUAT ramp up to 2RM
WEEK 12: Back squat ramp up to 1RM

Now type 1A can do the least amount of volume, and this includes warm-up sets. So the “ramp” should be fairly fast… reaching the RM in maybe 5 sets, 3 of which would be challenging. While a Type 2A for example would ramp in 8-10 sets

[wintergirl]

I understand what you wrote. May I ask if you have any publications other than seminars where I can read or listen or watch more about it?
I’m a novice in strength training, some of the terms I do not know what they mean “ramp up to 5RM or 3RM”. Do you mean work in the zone of 5 times of your repetition maximum or 2 times of your repetition maximum? But what is not clear is the rep range, you only mentioned sets range. Any recommendation on rep range?

Thanks for your reply. Appreciate you took the time to write all about it. I will study it well.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

Ramping means working up to the max weight you can lift that day for the selected number of reps.

For example ramping to 5RM might look like this

1 x 5 @ 135
1 x 5 @ 185
1 x 5 @ 205
1 x 5 @ 225
1 x 5 @ 235 (you know you can’t use more weight for 5 so you top there)

[wintergirl]

Got it, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Appreciate it.

[crag]

Could u give an example of full workout for type 1a that uses ramping method?

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

I mentioned that I wouldn’t do that. It’s outside the scope of a Q&A forum, sorry