by

Tim Ferriss

Charles Poliquin – His Favorite Mass-Building Program, His Nighttime Routine For Better Sleep, and Much More (#198)

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“If you’re 80% good and 20% terrible, you can’t expect to have 100% results.”

– Charles Poliquin

Charles Poliquin is back for another round of the podcast. Charles (@strengthsensei) is one of the best known strength coaches in the world. He has trained elite athletes from nearly 20 different sports, including Olympic gold medalists, NFL All-Pro’s, NHL All-Stars and Stanley Cup champions, and IFBB bodybuilding champions. His clients include long-jump gold medalist Dwight Phillips, NHL MVP Chris Pronger, and MLB batting champion Edgar Martinez, and the first women’s wrestling US Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis, among many others.

And as I creep up towards episode #200, his first appearance on the podcast is still one of the top-15 most listened to episodes, and he’s constantly requested by listeners for a round 2.

In this episode, you to play host, and I selected your most popular questions on Facebook and Twitter. This time, Charles goes deep on several topics, including:

  • His favorite mass building program of all-time
  • Recommendations for older lifters
  • His latest thoughts on hormones and diet
  • How to differentiate a bad trainer from a good one, and a good one from the “best of the best”
  • His nighttime routine for improving sleep
  • Why most people screw up abdominal training
  • Ketosis and muscle gain
  • And much, much more!

Enjoy!

#198: Charles Poliquin – His Favorite Mass-Building Program, His Nighttime Routine For Better Sleep, and Much More

Want to hear another episode with Charles Poliquin?  — Listen to his first appearance on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss, muscle-building techniques, how to become stronger, warmup routines, why people struggle to lose fat, and more (stream below or right-click here to download):

#91: Charles Poliquin on Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive

This podcast is brought to you by Rhone Apparel. Dozens — maybe even hundreds of you — have asked me: “What shirts are you wearing in your recent YouTube videos?” They’re a very specific set of shirts from Rhone. I’m packing for a trip for seven to ten days, and I would say half of what I’m going to pack is from Rhone. These are the most comfortable shirts (and Rhone stocks way more than shirts) that I have ever worn — at least for active wear. But you can even sneak them into a business casual event or dinner if you’re a Long Island kid like me.

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Visit trunkclub.com/tim, answer a few questions, and then you’ll be sent a trunk full of awesome clothes. They base this on your sizes, preferences, etc. The trunk is then delivered and you only pay for clothes that you keep. To get started, check it out at trunkclub.com/tim.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Connect with Charles Poliquin:

StrengthSensei.com | Facebook | YouTube | Google+ | Twitter | Instagram

Show Notes

  • Advice for older (40+) lifters. Is it all downhill from here? [06:44]
  • How can you test your insulin sensitivity to determine if you’re lean enough to make good use of carbs or not? [09:33]
  • What’s Charles’s best routine for gaining mass? [11:16]
  • What dosage of Gotu Kola does Charles recommend for repairing stretch marks? [14:00]
  • What injuries has Charles had to deal with over a career of maximizing swolertrophy (aka muscle hypertrophy) — and how does he treat them? [14:32]
  • With YouTube giving so many so-called strength training “experts” a soapbox, how do we combat misinformation? [16:53]
  • What distinguishes a good personal trainer from a great personal trainer — and what’s the best way to get started? [19:53]
  • Which supplements does Charles recommend for improving sleep? [22:58]
  • Does Charles have any regrets? [23:27]
  • Is taking three-to-one EPA to DHA supplements worth it? [26:01]
  • What’s Charles’s beef against foam rolling? [27:38]
  • Does Charles have a go-to lifting plan for body transformation? [29:23]
  • How do we know which supplements are more effective — or if they work at all? [30:36]
  • When squatting: high bar or low bar? Type of shoes? With or without a belt? [32:50]
  • Why something as simple as chewing can have an impact on your weight goals. [34:08]
  • Is there a way to combine strength training and long cardio sessions? [40:01]
  • What’s the use of scientific knowledge if it’s not put to practical use? [41:35]
  • Is a trainer who can’t get a woman to do 12 pull-ups in 12 weeks a bad trainer? [47:05]
  • How would Charles prioritize sleep, food, and exercise? [47:50]
  • Are there any benefits to cryotherapy for the average person? [49:12]
  • Top things Charles has learned in the last two years. [51:25]
  • What does Charles know that’s not well-known among the scientific community? [53:08]
  • For someone who wants to start coaching in the strength and conditioning world, is there something more beneficial than certifications? [53:55]
  • Thoughts on intermittent fasting for trying to gain lean muscle. [55:35]
  • What is the most effective and efficient way to increase strength in a squat and deadlift after you hit a plateau? [56:53]
  • What “big idea” has Charles recently changed his mind about? [58:40]
  • What new insights did Charles gain training women wrestlers Helen Maroulis and Elena Pirozhkova for the Olympic games in Rio? [1:00:09]
  • His process for learning new languages. [1:04:59]
  • Favorite books. [1:08:27]
  • Charles discusses his “one thing.” [1:08:49]
  • What is Charles most proud of? [1:10:16]

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