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 Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, 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. 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 East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan st ...

in 2009. Throughout this time he certified coaches in the Poliquin International Certification Program (PICP), which includes a body

hormone A hormone (from the Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones are required ...

profiling method, which he invented, called BioSignature Modulation. In September 2013 Poliquin parted ways with Poliquin Performance (now renamed Poliquin Group). He subsequently founded another fitness company called Strength Sensei. He trained numerous Olympic and professional athletes. Poliquin published articles in peer-reviewed journals of exercise science and strength and conditioning. His training theories were introduced to the bodybuilding community in 1993 through his articles for ''

Muscle Media William Nathaniel Phillips (born September 23, 1964) is an American entrepreneur and author. He wrote '' Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength'' with Mike D'Orso. He is also the author of ''Eating for Life'' and the founder an ...

2000'' magazine, and after 1998 through the online and print versions of ''Testosterone'' Magazine (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. As a columnist, he penned over 600 articles in numerous publications. 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. Poliquin has a chapter giving advice in

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' book

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Death

Poliquin died on September 26, 2018 at the age of 57. 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 A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. 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.” Poliquin was survived by his daughter.

Selected list of trainees

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, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver *

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, Retired NHL defenseman, Norris Trophy winner *

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, Florida Panthers, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Stanley Cup winner *

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, Anaheim Ducks, Stanley Cup winner; winner of Norris and Hart Trophies *

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, Bradshaw Cup Winner * Canadian short-track speed-skating team *

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, Olympic Gold Medalist long jumper *

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, World Record Holder 4 x 200 metre *

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, former number 1 ranked hurdler in the World. * Chris Thorpe, Olympic Silver & Bronze Medalist, Double's Luge *

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, World Champion & Olympic Gold Medalist, Shot Put *

Ben Pakulski Benjamin "Ben" Pakulski (born March 18, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario), nicknamed the Pak-Man, is a Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition. In the IFBB, he finished 2nd twice in 2008. He has increased his ...

, 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.

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

External links

*
Charles Poliquin Seminar Experience
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poliquin, Charles 1961 births 2018 deaths Canadian non-fiction writers Franco-Ontarian people Writers from Ottawa Strength and conditioning coaches