Charles, how did you get started as a strength
and conditioning trainer?
Initially I was a martial arts school owner, competitor, and
coach. For various reasons too involved to cover here, I wanted
out of that industry and as fate had it, I managed to transition
my martial arts skills and background into physical preparation
for athletes.
You have written extensively on training
for martial arts, so I'm curious about your own martial arts background.
What styles have you trained in and which have you enjoyed the
most?
I started at age 11 in Kempo, and studies various "hard"
styles until the age of 31. I then took a 12 year layoff to let
my injuries heal (!) and now am involved in fencing. I studies
various Japanese and Korean styles, including tang soo do under
a Chuck Norris black belt. I wish I had done more grappling, but
at the time (1971 through 1991) that form of martial art was almost
unheard of.
12 years?! What kind of injuries did you
have? Looking back and knowing what you know now, is there anything
you could have done to avoid them?
Well, nothing catastrophic really, just the usual stuff, sprained
fingers and toes, cracked ribs, the usual contusions. I would
have used a lot more cryotherapy and also I know a lot more about
the role of proper nutrition now than I did then.
What problems do you typically see in the
way most martial artists are trained?
It'd be a lot faster if I were to simply cover what I see being
done properly! Nevertheless, too much lactic acid and long-term
endurance, too much ballistic and static stretching (as opposed
to dynamic), jumping jacks, lying leg scissors. Most martial arts
classes are like a compendium of really worthless exercises.
A lot of martial arts instructors are against
lifting weights, hence the jumping jacks and scissors. Is weight
training appropriate for martial artists, despite tradition?
Well, put it this way: it improves the performance of track athletes,
basketball players, footballers, skiiers, skaters, race car drivers,
the list goes on and on. I always wonder (sarcastically) what
on earth is so unique about the martial arts that they can't also
benefit from resistance training?!?!?!
Look, here's the psychology: if you try to get stronger, it's
(subconsciously) viewed as cheating. But to me, it's just winning.
Escalating Density Training has become
enormously popular, how did you come up with this method?
It was an evolution I suppose...over time it finally sank into
me that the training effect is simply a result of the workload
that the body experiences. In other words, the focus should be
on the ends, rather than the means. This resulted in a system
that, much like water fills any shape container, fits any end-user,
because the end-user becomes an active participant in determining
the optimal loading parameters in any given workout. This is not
to say that EDT is without structure, or that it's just a free-style
system of some sort. There is a very well-defined procedure that
varies from person to person and from workout to workout.
As versatile as EDT is, your first book
on the subject of massive arms. Why did you pick that aspect of
training as opposed to one of the many other variations I have
seen on EDT?
People asked me for it! Personally, my interests are more performance-oriented,
but I also know how to increase muscle size in a big way, so I'm
happy to provide whatever the market asks me for.
What do your own workouts look like and
how are they shaped to meet your performance goals?
At varies of course, but generally, I tend to do maybe 10-16
workouts a week, but they're very brief, usually one exercise
per workout, 15-30 minutes total. This also includes run/walks
over measured courses, a couple of fencing classes a week, flexibility
work, and so on. Generally everything is timed, and there is a
performance goal to meet. For example, I'm a relatively big guy
who's had boatloads of knee surgery, so I'm not a great runner
by any standard. But for example, I'll measure a mile course and
walk/run/jog it, and get a time. Then next time out, I try to
beat that time, etc.
Weight training, I think last workout, I cleaned 225 for I think
12 singles in 15 minutes. Next time I do that, I'm aiming for
at least 13 singles...that kind of thing.
Do you have any favorite exercises? Are
there any that appear in almost all of your workouts regardless
of the client?
I make liberal use of single arm snatches (typically with a dumbbell),
Olympic lift variations, medicine ball throws, the 3 powerlifts,
and various sprinting drills. Oh, lots of pull-ups also. We're
very big on all forms of chins and pull-ups.
What types of equipment do you use most
frequently in your own training?
My facility here in Las Vegas features a 3 power racks (all different
designs for various purposes, one of them is in effect a Monolift),
a glute-ham bench, a reverse hyper, Olympic lifting equipment,
obviously barbells and dumbbells, but also medicine balls, stability
balls, adjustable benches, and oversized barbells. Then we've
got a high-low cable unit, a vertec, sprint timing equipment,
kettlebells, electronic force-measurement equipment, video monitors,
let me think....really, I put a lot more faith in my methodology
than in my technology, come to think of it.
My facility is like the "bat cave" actually, even my
next door neighbors don't know what goes on in there. There is
no sign or anything to let anyone know what type of business it
is.
When evaluating a client, what steps do
you go through to design an effective workout?
The Staley Training Systems (STS) approach to physical preparation
training is a dynamic, continuously evolving system with origins
in not only the traditional training sciences, but also from project
management literature.
Our system uses what we call the "STS 5-Phase Performance
Management System." The steps are as follows:
The first step in any new project is to evaluate the client¹s
premise for accuracy. For example, an athlete may hire me to improve
their strength, which they assume will improve their sport performance,
but often, after a detailed assessment, I find that strength is
not a primary limitation for that athlete, in other words, increasing
their strength will not improve their sport performance (or in
some cases it may actually decrease performance.)
The second step in this phase is to conduct a thorough assessment.
This is a combination of "informal" observational assessment
as well as more formal tests, including interviews (with the client
and his or her technical coach(es), postural analysis, and strength
and/or range of motion assessments. I¹m looking for correctable
deficiencies that limit performance significantly.
With my initial findings in hand, we shift to the vision phase
of the
project. This involves "beginning at the end" to envision
and establish a definition of success, and also to mutually agree
upon the expected results of the project (Oh...forgot to mention
this... What most people would call "programs," we call
"projects." I call myself a project manager as opposed
to a coach or trainer in fact.
In any event, after the project has drawn to a conclusion, I implement
a formal closing evaluation and statement. We use a project evaluation
sheet to mutually determine to what degree we managed to meet
various project specifications, pre-determined time frames, expected
versus actual results, etc. The client signs off on this evaluation
sheet, which accomplishes three purposes:
1) I am able to generate statistics on my success rate with clients
2) The client, by signing off on the evaluation form, etches in
his or her own mind that (hopefully) the project was a success
3) Perhaps most importantly, I am able to learn: what we did well,
what we should have done differently, and so forth. Failure to
administer this last step condemns us to making the same mistakes
over and over, rather than learning from our errors.
Finally, from a marketing perspective, immediately after the
client signs off on the project evaluation form, and while he's
enthusiastic about our relationship and the results we achieved,
I will prompt the athlete to provide me with possible referrals
etc
As a "coach of coaches", what
type of training do you recommend for a personal trainer? Do you
have any favorite training resources that every personal trainer
should be aware of?
Meaning, educational resources?
Yes, how should a trainer learn his craft
before he is sent out into the "chrome and fern" trenches?
Are there any instructional materials that you recommend?
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If your goals are
primarily financial, read Jay Abraham's stuff, also Dan Kennedy;
learn business and marketing, because how much money you make
is solely a function of your marketing, and has nothing to do
with your training skills.
If you just want to get great results with your clients, go to
the annual S.W.I.S. Conference (www.swis.ca)
or buy the recorded videos. Attend anything by Pavel Tsatsouline,
you'll learn a ton. You might consider reading some of my stuff
too, or shadowing me at my facility. If nothing else, I guarantee
you never saw a training paradigm like mine!
Charles, thanks for doing the interview! If you would like to
find out more about Charles Staley, please visit his website at
http://www.IntegratedSportSolutions.com.
