Breaking the Rules With Charles Staley, Ep 6

In this podcast episode, Breaking Muscle Radio speaks with iconic strength coach Charles Staley. Charles is known as a visionary and a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon,” as he possesses a keen ability to recognize strengths and shortcomings.

Charles has amassed over thirty years of experience both under a barbell and as a top coach. Along the way he witnessesed many trends of the industry come and go, while he often took exactly the opposite path to the majority. As a result, Charles's outlook on the industry is intuitive and intelligent.

• 00:53 - How Charles got started in fitness
• 05:29 - The good and bad points about being a personal trainer
• 07:30 - Frustrations about the strength training industry
• 10:00 - The issues with trends and setting client expectations
• 12:40 - What people should be doing in the gym
• 15:03 - The role of steady state cardio in a training plan
• 17:32 - Focusing on process and behaviors to achieve desired outcomes
• 20:23 - Helping clients to focus on the attainable
• 21:30 - How being non-athletic and a slow learner helps you become a better coach
• 24:00 - Thoughts on nutrition, caloric deficits, restrictive diets, and paleo
• 28:00 - The real reasons a low-carb approach works
• 29:43 - Where Charles's reputation as a rule breaker and pioneer comes from
• 34:00 - Training hard and heavy as a mature athlete
• 37:34 - Staying the right side of the intensity versus consistency line
• 41:15 - How to get the younger generation to understand the concept of longevity
• 43.25 - Having an understanding of your capabilities
• 44:43 - Update from his performance at the AAU World Powerlifting Championships
• 46:42 - Charles's details and upcoming projects