My chicken legs just needed fish oil and vitamin C all this time!
Better know your element type, or you'll never get diesel bro.
More Poliquin goodness-
"The elements are Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal, and the fifth element, despite what you might have learned in
the Bruce Willis movie of the same name, is not an orange-haired fashion model in Spandex; it is Water.
Amazingly, each of these ancient classifications predicts quite accurately how different strength athletes
respond to different types of training. It also predicts quite accurately their personalities and even their
weaknesses.
For years I have listened to people disparage this type of training or that type of training, saying that
whatever they were doing did not work for them. Some said that the Westside style is no good, or that
German Volume Training did not work for them. The simple truth is that they were likely doing the wrong
type of training for their type, or element!
For instance, Fire types are the most gifted as far as weight training. They tend to do a high volume of high
intensity work. I know, I know, a high volume of high intensity work would seem paradoxical to Mike
Mentzer and H.I.T. types, but it is possible for Fire types. They can train heavy all the time without crashing
—as long as you change the exercises. They have such a high concentration of high-twitch fibers that will
become winded playing Nintendo.
Conversely, Earth types can stay on a set program for a long time. You have to first stress them with
volume, and then stress them with intensity. Each phase is about 3 weeks. When they overtrain, their
immune system will suffer and they’ll come down with a cold. They are also the ones that have the most
trouble reducing carbohydrates in their diet, and it is much harder for them to get lean.
As far as the Fire, Wood and Earth types, none are necessarily disadvantaged when it comes to
bodybuilding or strength sports, but it is important for them to train for their type. Obviously, pure types are
not that common and most people fall somewhere in-between the five points of the continuum:
FIRE > WOOD > EARTH > METAL > WATER
You may have noticed that I have not paid much attention to the metal or water types. They are,
unfortunately, guys who generally will never make much progress. They have bad nervous systems, the
wrong muscle fibers, and poor endocrine systems. Usually, though, these guys end up being attracted to
non-weightlifting activities like yoga, or stamp collecting. "