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. 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. 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. 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 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.

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. 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

Books