The point is that ratios are not defined at all! You use whatever rest is required to keep the work in the zone you want, with an athlete of the level you have.
I think what David Boston did to himself is a shame. Poliquin helped Boston put on an enormous amount of size, some of which was no doubt useful but it quickly got out of control. Boston had one truly transcendent year but has been on and off the DL (and suspension) list ever since.
When Boston showed up for San Diego Chargers training camp weighing 257 pounds it was not a good sign, even if virtually all of it was muscle. According to what I read Boston wanted to come out of games every few plays, and the most likely explanation is that he had become too big to handle the exertion of an NFL game.
I think the truth is that Boston has very nearly body built himself right out of a career, with Poliquin and his staff’s help. Poliquin helped fashion a stunning physical specimen with the most asthetic body in the NFL, created an enormous stir in the strength training community which probably drummed up a lot of business for him. But the ultimate truth is that David Boston is not a better football player for it.
Sorry I jumped into this thread so late in the game but…
I too was at that seminar in March 2000 and I can clearly remember Flash asking questions.
Poliquin is VERY arrogant, brash, and definitely thinks he is smarter than he really is.
I lost all respect for him that day.
IMO, his programs are too weight training oriented for the pure sprinter. The volume is a bit excessive and you spend more time in the gym than on the track.
I think one must realize he had decents results in training bobsledders and they need a fair amount of bodyweight along with speed and power to be competitive. Bobsledders typically only push for under 30m. I think this is why he puts the emphasis on weight training in regards to speed development. But speed for one athlete may not be the same for another.
When he was referring to measuring 5 m segments to find weaknesses, again, I think this is coming from a bobsled perspective where we take splits to find strengths/weaknesses and position on the sled.
Lastly, it is immensely harder to get gains in speed than it is to get gains in size and strength.
even with bobsledders, he’d use the usual 5 day split? also, where he puts resisted running in a typycal precomp week?
I must have really been hogging the questions if I stand out in your memory that clearly.
Just for my own edification, did you think I was asking dumb questions (that you can remember)? I kept trying to steer CP more towards the sprinting itself and could never quite nail him down on the specifics.
My point is when Poliquin teaches about speed, he talks about it from a bobsled perspective, because that is where he has has his most success. The title of the seminar was actually “Short term speed development”. After that seminar he began to train some women from the U of texas track team. Michelle Freeman and a couple of others.
As I recall he didnt discuss resisted runs other than the 10% rule.
He also talked about how little time should be spent training reaction, because reaction is barely trainable.
Flash, if you are the guy who I think you are, you asked the most questions of anyone, and most of them started out with “Charlie Francis said,…”
Poliquin was getting really ticked off, but I was glad to see it. Your questions were good, but most of the guys were there to kiss CP’s ass and bow to him like a god. He avoided most of the intricate questions, because he just didnt have that kind of experience at that time with sprinters.
FYI, you were sitting behind me about 2 rows.
Yep. That was me.
I could tell he was getting sick of me pretty quickly. But I was broke at the time and was determined to get my money’s worth.
My impression of Poliquin was that he grudgingly respects you if you’re a world class athlete or train world class athletes. But if not, you’re just there to pay him and worship at the alter.
From no23’s comments, it looks like he hasn’t learned much more in the interem.
I did the same thing.
Charles dosen’t focus on sprinting or really speed per se.
His empahasis is on developing the strength/power portion or element of the speed equation.
Things like skill, technique and endurance (in this case beyond 40ms) he ignores (or in some cases ridicules).
This is not to bash him - but he hasn’t developed many 100m champions/athletes nor does he seem interested in either, so take his information with this in mind.
This is a big problem with him. I’ve met peopler like some of the guys you’re refering to and it’s scary in some cases - almost cult-like.
Charles is also very different in person (as a client or not) than he is with a mike in his hand. He is very good at specific problem solving and his prescriptions are very "holistic’ and may or may not involve strength training, stretching, ART, accupuncture, magnetotherapy, supplementation or pharmaceuticals. People in this industry are seeking dogma. When he is presenting, he wants to tell you his way because, as a matter of fact, that’s what you paid for. He is not there to debate the reason why you, the audience member, may believe in soy protein and he doesn’t. I find him extremely arrogant and downright condescending during presentations but surprisingly insightful, helpful and open minded in one-on-one situations. His best role in the development of a sprinter is in a consultatory role (with the intermediation of the coach) and not at a direct day-to-day training/development.
Thanks for the insight. I think it’s important as most of us have only had limited contact with him in a seminar environment. It’s good to get more of an insider perspective.
One point I should make in Poliquin’s favor regarding the 2000 seminar, is that he was very complimentary toward Ian King. There were flyers going around for an upcoming seminar in Boston with Ian, and I clearly remember CP saying something to the effect “Ian does things a little differently from me, but that’s good. If everyone used the same approach, training methods wouldn’t advance.” He then went on to list several of Ian’s accomplishments. So as arrogant as he can be in his seminars, he does give credit where credit is due regarding other approaches. Of course he was merciless in his assessment of Vern Gambetta, but that’s another matter.
I’ve completed 2 internship’s with Charles Poliquin and found his methods work extremely well for him. I don’t use anything today in training my players which I learn’t from Charle’s. But from the 2 internship’s I observed he did get his athlete’s stronger but his approach would be completely different to mine.
Charle’s is a World class strength coach and a tob bloke.
after seeing dwigth phillips at 1 meter distance in rome, He has one of the biggest pair of hamstrings I ever saw…
i would be interested to see what poliquin has done with phillips in the weight room since he started training him
anybody know anything about poliquin/phillips??
There was an article in the BFS magazine covering their training a year or so ago. I believe Phillips still lives and trains in Arizona with Poliquin and his jump coach.
Heres the article in case some were wondering:
http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/DwightPhillips.pdf