All the best personal trainers have one thing in common: they never stop learning!
One area where you can always seek to better yourself is programming your clients' workouts. After all, this is going to have a direct impact on the results they experience, so it makes sense to refine and hone your skills in this area.
To help you get some inspiration, below we will take a look at the top five strength coaches out there that can help you improve your programming skills:
1. Charles Poliquin
There is only one place to begin, and this is with Charles R. Poliquin. Unfortunately, Charles passed away in 2018. He had a history of heart disease in his family, and it is believed he died from a heart attack.
However, the Canadian strength coach’s legacy still lives on today, as he penned eight books and the Poliquin Group was formed in 2006.
The Poliquin Group was established based on the training philosophies and principles of Charles Poliquin. The organization’s aim is to provide quality health and strength education to personal training coaches around the world, and the great news is that you can take these courses either online or in-person.
The Poliquin Education Platform is a great resource for any personal trainer who wants to enhance their skills as a strength coach, learning how to program effectively so that their clients can get the best possible results.
You may also want to broaden your horizons by reading one of his books:
However, the Canadian strength coach’s legacy still lives on today, as he penned eight books and the Poliquin Group was formed in 2006.
The Poliquin Group was established based on the training philosophies and principles of Charles Poliquin. The organization’s aim is to provide quality health and strength education to personal training coaches around the world, and the great news is that you can take these courses either online or in-person.
The Poliquin Education Platform is a great resource for any personal trainer who wants to enhance their skills as a strength coach, learning how to program effectively so that their clients can get the best possible results.
You may also want to broaden your horizons by reading one of his books:
2. Ian King
Ian King is a name that needs no introduction in the world of elite training. He has trained hundreds of professional athletes across the world, in more than 20 different sports. In fact, since 1988, he has prepared athletes for every Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games (both summer and winter).
King also enjoys educating the wider public about reaching their optimal physical potential, as he regularly contributes to a number of magazines, including Testosterone Nation, Mind and Muscle Power, and Men’s Health.
And, when Ian King introduced his notorious 12-week training programs to readers of T-mag, the bodybuilding world took notice!
So, for strength coaches, there is no denying that Ian King is someone to look up to. His book ‘How To Write Strength Training Programs’ is a must-read. It is available in eBook and hard copy format.
The book is all about the practical art of writing strength programs. It is split into three parts:
We promise you that this will help you to improve your programming game!
King also enjoys educating the wider public about reaching their optimal physical potential, as he regularly contributes to a number of magazines, including Testosterone Nation, Mind and Muscle Power, and Men’s Health.
And, when Ian King introduced his notorious 12-week training programs to readers of T-mag, the bodybuilding world took notice!
So, for strength coaches, there is no denying that Ian King is someone to look up to. His book ‘How To Write Strength Training Programs’ is a must-read. It is available in eBook and hard copy format.
The book is all about the practical art of writing strength programs. It is split into three parts:
- The steps to consider when writing a strength training program
- A summary of the issues and variables in strength training programs
- How he writes strength training programs
We promise you that this will help you to improve your programming game!
3. Mike Boyle
Michael Boyle is one of the foremost experts in the field of general fitness, functional training, and strength and conditioning. In 1996, he co-founded one of the first for-profit strength and conditioning businesses in the world; Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning.
Mike and his team have trained professional athletes such as Joe Pendenza, James Develin, Daniel Sturridge, Shannon Brown, Ryan Fitzgerald, Zak DeOssie, and many more.
He also established StrengthCoach.com, which is a community for the globe’s best strength coaches.
Mike’s resume speaks for itself. He served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League during 1991 - 1999, as well as being the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Boston Red Sox when they won the World Series in 2013.
For the past 25 years, he has also been the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston University for Men’s Ice Hockey.
Mike and his team have trained professional athletes such as Joe Pendenza, James Develin, Daniel Sturridge, Shannon Brown, Ryan Fitzgerald, Zak DeOssie, and many more.
He also established StrengthCoach.com, which is a community for the globe’s best strength coaches.
Mike’s resume speaks for itself. He served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League during 1991 - 1999, as well as being the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Boston Red Sox when they won the World Series in 2013.
For the past 25 years, he has also been the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston University for Men’s Ice Hockey.
4. Dr. Aaron Horschig
Dr. Aaron Horschig, the owner of Squat University, can also help you to hone your programming skills. You can follow him on social media and read a number of his books, including:
After graduating from Truman State University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, he went on to receive a doctorate in 2012 from the University of Missouri in Physical Therapy.
For the past decade, he has been involved in Olympic weightlifting as an athlete and coach. One of his main aims is to assist the entire sports medicine society in becoming proactive in how we approach athletes, from both a training and rehabilitation perspective.
- Rebuilding Milo: The Lifter's Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation for Enhancing Performance
- The Squat Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Squat and Finding Your True Strength
After graduating from Truman State University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, he went on to receive a doctorate in 2012 from the University of Missouri in Physical Therapy.
For the past decade, he has been involved in Olympic weightlifting as an athlete and coach. One of his main aims is to assist the entire sports medicine society in becoming proactive in how we approach athletes, from both a training and rehabilitation perspective.
5. Eric Cressey
The co-founder and president of Cressey Sports Performance, with facilities in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and Hudson, MA, Eric Cressey knows what it takes to run a professional personal training business.
Eric has produced plenty of resources that you can use to improve your programming skills, including four DVD sets, five books, and more than 500 published articles.
You can find his work in national and local publications, including Triathlete Magazine, Collegiate Baseball, ESPN, T-Muscle, Yahoo Sports, Parents and Kids, The Boston Herald, Baseball America, EliteFTS, and more.
His Master’s thesis, “The effects of 10 weeks of lower-body unstable surface training on markers of athletic performance,” was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Eric is also a competitive powerlifter himself, holding a number of world, national, and state records.
Eric has produced plenty of resources that you can use to improve your programming skills, including four DVD sets, five books, and more than 500 published articles.
You can find his work in national and local publications, including Triathlete Magazine, Collegiate Baseball, ESPN, T-Muscle, Yahoo Sports, Parents and Kids, The Boston Herald, Baseball America, EliteFTS, and more.
His Master’s thesis, “The effects of 10 weeks of lower-body unstable surface training on markers of athletic performance,” was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Eric is also a competitive powerlifter himself, holding a number of world, national, and state records.
Never stop learning to ensure success!
So there you have it: an insight into five of the best strength coaches out there today when it comes to programming. By following these coaches online or taking one of their training courses, you can learn everything you need to know in order to put together training courses that really bring success to your clients.
