Charles Poliquin

Canadian strength coach and author

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Charles Poliquin
Born	(1961-03-05)March 5, 1961 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Died	September 26, 2018(2018-09-26) (aged 57)
Occupation(s)	Strength coach, fitness author

Charles R. Poliquin (March 5, 1961 – September 26, 2018) was a Canadian strength coach. He was also the author of eight books.

Early life and education

Charles Poliquin was born on March 5, 1961, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and started strength training at an early age. He earned a master's degree in exercise physiology.

Career

Poliquin began working as a strength coach while he was in graduate school in Canada. He helped popularize German Volume Training.^[1] In the late 1990s, Poliquin founded Poliquin Performance, opening the first Poliquin Performance Center in Phoenix, Arizona in 2001, and the Poliquin Strength Institute in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, in 2009.^[2] Throughout this time he certified coaches in the Poliquin International Certification Program (PICP), which includes a body hormone profiling method, which he invented, called BioSignature Modulation.^[3] In September 2013 Poliquin parted ways with Poliquin Performance (now renamed Poliquin Group).^[4] He subsequently founded another fitness company called Strength Sensei.^[5] He trained numerous Olympic and professional athletes.

Poliquin published articles in peer-reviewed journals of exercise science and strength and conditioning.^[6] His training theories were introduced to the bodybuilding community in 1993 through his articles for Muscle Media 2000 magazine, and after 1998 through the online and print versions of Testosterone Magazine^[7] (now known as T-Nation). He coined the phrase "the myth of discipline" to suggest that fitness results depend on how motivated a gym-goer is.^[8] As a columnist, he penned over 600 articles in numerous publications.^[3] Additionally, he is the author of eight books, many of which have been translated into 12 different languages, including Swedish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, and Japanese. His first book, The Poliquin Principles formatted a basic summary of his training methods and provided insight into the training regimens of some of the world's top athletes.

Death

Poliquin died on September 26, 2018, at the age of 57.^[9]^[10]^[11] The cause of death was not officially stated. A tribute to Poliquin on a weightlifting website to which he was a contributor indicated he died of a heart attack.^[12] Friend and former client Gary Roberts stated, “He lost his father early to a genetic heart disease. He knew he had this in his family. He had a heart attack previously, so he was on top of his nutrition as a result. I knew that was a concern for him.”^[12]

Poliquin was survived by his daughter.^[13]

Selected list of trainees

Helen Maroulis, first American female wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal
David Boston, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver
Al MacInnis, Retired NHL defenseman, Norris Trophy winner
Joe Nieuwendyk, Florida Panthers, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Stanley Cup winner
Chris Pronger, Anaheim Ducks, Stanley Cup winner; winner of Norris and Hart Trophies
Connor Dunlop, Bradshaw Cup Winner
Canadian short-track speed-skating team
Dwight Phillips, Olympic Gold Medalist long jumper
Nanceen Perry, World Record Holder 4 x 200 metre
Michelle Freeman, former number 1 ranked hurdler in the World.
Larry Vinette, World Champion Bodybuilder & Trainer
Chris Thorpe, Olympic Silver & Bronze Medalist, Double's Luge
Adam Nelson, World Champion & Olympic Gold Medalist, Shot Put
Ben Pakulski, Top Canadian Bodybuilder and Trainer
Gary Roberts, NHL player—Roberts credits Poliquin with having helped him make a successful return to the NHL after 2 of his previous return attempts failed due to physical injury.^[14]

Books

The Poliquin Principles - 1997, 2006
The German Body Comp Program - 1997, 2005
Manly Weight Loss - 1998
Modern Trends in Strength Training - 2000, 2001, 2005
Winning the Arms Race - 2000, 2001, 2005
Applied Strongman Training for Sport (with co-author Art McDermott) - 2006
Ask Coach Poliquin (Volumes I and II) - 2006
Arm Size and Strength: The Ultimate Guide - 2015

References

^ "Introduction to the German Volume Training". STRENGTH SENSEI. Archived from the original on 2017-01-10. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
^ "Poliquin Group Company overview". poliquingroup.com.
^ ^a ^b "About Charles". Rhode Island: Poliquin LLC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ "Poliquin Tips". poliquingroup.com.
^ Charles Poliquin. "Charles Poliquin - World's most successful strength coaches – Charles Poliquin is recognized as one of the World's most successful strength coach. He continues to optimize training methods for professional athletes and Olympians worldwide. He has perfected the art of writing routines that produce results". Strength Sensei. Archived from the original on 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
^ "Charles Poliquin Interview". criticalbench.com.
^ "T-Nation - Authors". t-nation.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
^ Mitchell, Nick (2016). Your Ultimate Body Transformation Plan: Get Into the Best Shape of Your Life in Just 12 Weeks. London, U.K.: Thorsons. p. 27. ISBN 9780008147914. OCLC 944207044.
^ @StrengthSensei (September 27, 2018). "It is with a heavy heart that the Poliquin family from Ottawa announces the sudden passing of their brother Charles…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ "Charles Poliquin Remembered". 27 September 2018.
^ Farrell, Paul (2018-09-28). "Charles Poliquin Dead: 'Strength Sensei' Dies at 57". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
^ ^a ^b Feschuk, Dave (29 September 2018). "Charles Poliquin was extreme when it came to fitness, but he got results". The Toronto Star.
^ "Remembering the life of Charles Poliquin 1961 - 2018". ottawacitizen.remembering.ca. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
^ Anderson, Craig. "Top Ten Q&A for Hockey Players". Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012. Gary hired Poliquin Performance to just get back in shape and improve his quality of life. After a few months of training, his strength and mobility improved and he started to feel like he could possibly play hockey again. At that point his decision to return to the NHL was definite.