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The late Charles Poliquin was a legendary coach and expert in nutrition and strength training. His principles still influence coaches and athletes today. In the third edition of his book Poliquin Principles, he provides guidelines and advice on foundational training elements based on scientific research, empirical evidence, and his successes in working with elite athletes.  He calls these guidelines the Poliquin Principles. The context of this book is centered around bodybuilders, but the principles can be applied to any strength training program. In the book's first section, he defines the principles; in the second section, he deep dives into how to apply them. Below, I have listed my key takeaways from reading this book. 

Section 1: Defining the Poliquin Principles 

Chapter 1: Reps

• There is no magic number for the number of repetitions an exercise should require. Repetitions depend on the athlete's condition, the exercise, and the goal.
• Rep ranges and training effect: 
  
  • Lower reps, in the range of 1-4, increase relative strength
  • Reps in the range of 6-8 increase maximal strength and hypertrophy gains
  • Reps in the range of 9-12 are the best hypertrophy gains
  • Higher reps, in the range of 13-20, increase strength endurance gains
• Muscle fiber composition should be considered when selecting rep ranges for a specific exercise. 
  
  • Fast-twitch fibers, like those found in the gastrocnemius portion of the calf, respond best to lower reps.
  • Slow-twitch fibers, like those found in the soleus muscle of the ankle, respond best to higher reps in the 15-25 range.

Chapter 2: Sets

• The number of reps and sets per exercise should be inversely related. Thus, if you are performing high repetitions to stimulate strength gains, low sets would be appropriate. However, higher sets are needed to achieve optimal volume if you are training low reps. 
• The number of sets performed should be individualized for optimal adaptation. Different individuals have different adaptation rates, requiring various amounts of volume. Factors contributing to individualization include gender, training age, and nutritional status.
• Muscle composition is a key factor when selecting sets. Fast-twitch muscles, such as the hamstrings, respond better to more sets/fewer reps, while the inherently slow-twitch soleus muscle responds better to fewer sets/more reps. 

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Chapter 3: Tempo

• Tempo is the time it takes to complete one repetition of an exercise. 
• One variable that tempo impacts is the time under tension or the amount of time muscles contract to complete a set. Muscles should contract for 20-70 seconds per set to achieve maximal muscle mass.
• Utilizing tempo allows you to control the training stimulus. Count the seconds at the same speed as a clock to ensure consistency between sets.

Chapter 4: Rest Intervals

• Rest intervals should be long enough to allow the central nervous system to recover almost completely but not so long that you lose the post-tetanic potential effect. 
• Similarly to sets and reps, there is an inverse relationship between rest and reps. The fewer reps you perform, the more rest is needed; the more reps you perform, the less rest is required. Most American exercise physiologists recommend a 1:5 work/rest ratio.  
• Three crucial variables when selecting rest time are training experience (beginners need less rest), muscle mass and strength levels, and aerobic fitness. 

Chapter 5: Frequency, Duration and Volume

• Frequency is dependent on recovery, muscle group, exercise, and repetition. 
• Longer workouts, exceeding one hour, have been associated with decreased androgen levels. Androgen levels are correlated with strength gains, and training under decreased androgen levels is counterproductive. Thus, keeping workouts to one hour or less is best, not including warm-up and cool-down. 
• Volume is inversely related to intensity. When working with heavier, intense loads, volume is less; when the loads are lighter and less intense, volume increases. 

Chapter 6: Exercise Selection and Exercise Order

• There is no one best exercise, and most exercises are sufficient. The key to reaping the benefits of said exercise is to ensure you complete sufficient volume and loading intensity. 
• Supersets are where you pair two exercises into one set with rest in between. Supersets are popular for saving time in the gym because you can train one muscle group, rest briefly, and train another. However, supersets can also be a great tool to manipulate the training effect of specific exercises. One way to do so is by using pre-exhaustion or post-exhaustion supersets.
• In a pre-exhaustion superset, you perform an isolation exercise followed by a compound movement. First, you fatigue the muscles by isolating them, and then you further exhaust them with a multi-joint movement. 
• Post-exhaustion supersets are the inverse of pre-exhaustion. You first perform a compound movement, followed by an isolation exercise.

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Chapter 7: Recovery

• It’s essential to take adequate rest between training sessions. Too little rest and strength will diminish; too much rest and gains will fade. 
• Longer workouts are immunosuppressive. If you’ve ever overtrained, you’ve probably experienced this by frequently getting colds or viral diseases.
• Proper nutrition is vital to recovery. Ensuring you have enough high-quality food is essential to support your training and not hinder strength gains. 

Chapter 8: Advanced Training Methods

• Two key methods described in this chapter are drop sets and eccentric training.
• Research shows that eccentric training produces the most muscle mass. Slow eccentric training should be used in the lead-up to competition, whereas fast eccentric training should be reserved for competitive periods. One example of a slow eccentric contraction is lowering your body weight for 30 seconds in the chin-up. One example of a fast eccentric contraction is sprinting. 
• Drop sets involve performing an exercise for max reps at a given weight and then lowering the weight for subsequent sets. This allows you to recruit different muscle fibers, which leads to muscle growth. 

Chapter 9: The Kaizen Principle

• The Kaizen principle, which means “constant and never-ending improvement,” is used in all areas of Japanese life.
• Poliquin suggests several methods for applying the Kaizen principle to strength training, including drop sets, wave loading cycles, and modifying strength curves. 
• Wave loading cycles involve repetitions of an exercise that ascend or descend for several waves. This training method stimulates the nervous system, allowing you to lift heavier weights as the workout progresses. 
• Modifying strength curves allows you to overload a specific portion of an exercise by making particular portions of the range of motion more or less difficult. This is a great way to strengthen a muscle across the full range of motion.

SECTION 2: Applying the Poliquin Principles

Chapter 10: Quads

• Squats are said to be the king of all exercises, but the deadlift is a close second.
• Front squats are a great way to measure lower body strength. Although cheating the movement is much more complicated than doing a back squat, it also measures flexibility. Research shows that front squats work the quads better, putting less stress on the knees. 
• The squat is an excellent exercise for improving knee stability, but machines that try to duplicate it place significant stress on the knee. Smith machines are an example of this because they move the barbell in a strictly upright position, making it nearly impossible to squat naturally.
• Step-ups are the best exercise to complement squats. Single-leg exercise has resulted in more significant progress in squats than squatting alone. 

Chapter 11: Hamstrings

• For fully developed hamstring muscles, your workouts should include exercises for both hip extension and knee flexion functions.
• Knee joint integrity must ensure a hamstring/quadricep ratio of 66%. One easy way to test this ratio is to measure your front squat against your back squat. Your front squat should be 85% of your back squat. 
• The hamstrings are composed mainly of fast-twitch fibers and thus respond best to lower reps and heavier weights. This is why performing lower reps and multiple sets is good when working the hamstring muscles.

Chapter 12: Calves

• Genetics plays a small role in calf development. Namely, the length of the muscle belly. The lower the muscle belly sits on your bone, the greater your potential for developing larger calves. Nonetheless, using appropriate training protocols, one can expect 1.25 inches in calf circumference gains in as little as 8 weeks. 
• To avoid sticking points in calf training, utilize appropriate rep schemes, pause at the bottom position, reduce lifting speed, vary foot placement, stretch your calves, use unilateral training, perform calf raises on a hack squat machine, and train the muscles used in dorsiflexion.
• Calf training involves high frequency and high volume to achieve results. Given this, Poliquin suggests training them twice daily, with one workout containing high sets and the other containing low ones.

Chapter 13: Chest

• To achieve maximum chest development, the angles of the bench press must be varied. An inclined bench press is suggested for developing the upper pecs, whereas a flat bench press is indicated for the lower pecs. 
• To improve your bench press, examine weaknesses in your chest and upper back muscles. If your upper back is weaker than your pecs and triceps, you will be unable to progress. 
• If you’ve identified that your triceps are the weak point in your bench press, you should consider performing dips. According to research by Per A. Tesch, Ph.D., dips develop the triceps better than the close-grip bench press. You can get creative with dip training by utilizing a reverse grip or adding elements such as chains or weights attached to a belt.

Chapter 14: Shoulders

• Pressing has many benefits, including developing the traps, delts, and triceps. It also boosts bench press results and can help prevent shoulder injuries. Other notable pros include being an excellent lower back and core muscle conditioner. 
• Muscular imbalances between the shoulders and the external rotators are one major cause of shoulder injuries. To prevent shoulder injuries, spend a few minutes a week performing exercises that work the external rotators. 
• Including compound movements that work the shoulder muscles is sufficient training for most people. However, pre- and post-exhaustion exercise routines can produce great results if your shoulders need specific attention. 

Chapter 15: Upper Back

• Chin-ups are a superior exercise for developing the upper back musculature. They work the latissimus dorsi, deltoids, rhomboids, teres major, pectoralis major, trapezius, and elbow flexors. Chin-ups require you to move your entire body weight, and the stabilization requires more muscle mass. 
• To add variety to your chin-ups, you can vary the grip or add load to the movement. Different grip variations of the chin-up allow you to overload a specific aspect of the movement. Variations: narrow parallel-grip chin-up, narrow supinated-grip chin-up, medium parallel-grip chin-up, sternum chin-up, narrow pronated pull-up, and the subscapularis pull-up.

Chapter 16: Arms

• It's essential to plan variety in your arm training. Different exercises emphasize different arm muscles. It’s good to utilize exercises that work the low, mid, and upper ranges of the arms.
• When training the arms, it is key to first train the muscles to utilize more motor units. One easy way to determine these exercises is to determine how much weight you will lift. Typically, exercises that allow you to lift more weight recruit more motor units. 
• When performing arm exercises, it’s essential to stress form rather than weight. Improper technique does not correctly target the muscles and can lead to injury, which stalls progress. 

Chapter 17: Abdominals

• The lower abs are key to maintaining proper posture. Excessive curvature of the lower lumbar spine can lead to back pain, which weak lower abdominals may cause. 
• There are many fancy abdominal exercises; if you search “core workout” on Google, you will find abundant materials. However, one must not perform a crunch or a sit-up to have rock-solid abs. Full-body lifts such as squats, deadlifts, and power cleans develop impressive abs. 
• The lower abs tend to be the weakest abdominal muscles, followed by the obliques and the upper abs. Therefore, training the abdominal muscles from weakest to strongest is best. 

Chapter 18: Nutrition

• In this chapter, Poliquin lists his 14 principles of good nutrition. Of these 14, the three I believe to be the most impactful are:
  
  • Eliminate all processed foods from your diet
    
    • Processed foods have added sugar, artificial ingredients, trans fat, and refined carbohydrates
    • Consuming processed foods is the leading cause of obesity
  • Drink at least three liters of water a day
    
    • Drinking 0.6-0.7 ounces of water per body weight is suggested. 
    • Water is essential to maintaining and gaining strength
  • Consume enough fiber
    
    • You should consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily for optimal health and digestion. Low fiber intake has been linked to poor insulin health. 

Chapter 19: Supplements

• Poliquin discusses the 10 reasons why someone would take supplements. Below, I have listed the three most important. 
  
  • There are insufficient nutrients in our food. In today's world, food is genetically modified and prepared in a way that often destroys the nutrients it contains. Supplementation is sometimes necessary to get the nutrients we need.
  • Environmental toxins. Many pollutants are released into our water and air. Natural supplements can detoxify many of these pollutants.
  • Insomnia and stress. Supplements such as phosphatidylserine, magnesium sulfate, and vitamin E can help people fall asleep and stay asleep.  

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If you’re reading this and would like to discuss how to apply these principles in your training, schedule a free strategy session with a professional coach below!