Charles Poliquin and Clance Laylor as Director of Programming, 2001
No Ata boy Clance.
No Pat on the back.
No Good job, Clance.
No You’re going to be a good coach one day, Clance.
Charles said things like,
“Clance has never seen a carb he can’t eat.”
“You’re too nice to your clients.”
“Hurry the fuck up so I can go eat.”
For reasons I cannot explain, Charles drove me to excel and got the best out of me. I don’t know why but I craved his approval – a subtle head nod.
Maybe it’s because I wasn’t close with my father and he never approved of anything I did, so I looked for approval from Charles.
I could hear Charles asking me: “Hey Clance, did you finish that book yet?” If the answer was no, he would say: “What the fuck is taking you so long? My blind grandmother can read faster than you.” If the answer was yes, he would give me three more books to read and made sure I ordered them that same day.
He was my mentor. Not the kind of mentor who would sit you down and feed you gushy messages, but the kind of mentor to put his foot up your ass and tell you to get on the fucking ball.
“Repetition is the mother of learning”
“Bend over once for a pro athlete, bend over all the time”
“Your marketing is good work.”
“Focus on doing a good job with the client in front of you, that’s how you build your business.”
“Those who master motor unit activation will dominate”
“The only thing that matters is RESULTS!”
These are the kinds of things Charles would tell me.
He Doesn’t Suffer Fools Gladly
Charles always wanted me to surpass his accomplishments. And I really felt he meant it.
Charles didn’t give me the answers; he pointed me in the right direction and made me go find the answers myself. No hand holding, no nice cushy structure for learning. He threw shit at me hard and fast.
I am honoured to have learned from Charles Poliquin, and I would not be the strength coach or person I am today if it wasn’t for Charles.
May you rest in peace. Your legacy will never be forgotten.
About Charles Poliquin
Source: Strength Sensei
Charles Poliquin (March 5, 1961 – September 25, 2018) was a Canadian strength coach. He was the author of eight books. 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 has trained numerous Olympic and professional athletes.
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