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Fitness

Athlete Journal: Charles Staley, Entry 80 – How Close Are You to Perfect?

if you could somehow know, with certainly, what the fully-realized you looked, felt, and performed like, how different would that be from the current you?

Written by Charles Staley Last updated on March 7, 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wonder how a world-class coach actually trains? Wonder what it’s like to train as a “mature athlete?” Welcome to the athlete journal of Charles Staley. A big believer in practicing what he preaches, Charles trains and competes just like his clients. Every Friday you can read what Charles has done this week in his workout sessions.

Well, the most noticeable thing about this week is the greatly increased volume. Most of the weekly differences in volume are due to fluctuations in the assistance lifts rather than the core exercises, incidentally.

I’ve been thinking about something this week, and you might find it interesting to apply it to your own situation:

If you could somehow know, with certainly, what the perfect training/nutrition/recovery plan was for you, how different would it be from what you’re doing now? Similarly, if you could somehow know, with certainly, what the fully-realized you looked, felt, and performed like, how different would that be from what you currently look, feel, and perform now? In other words, how close do you think you are to getting it 100% right?

Sorry no videos this week, but I thought I’d leave you a popular video from last February when I blacked out with 390lbs on my back. Don’t worry, you can enjoy this guilt-free – I wasn’t hurt.

Charles blacks out on a 390 squat (3 reds ;-(

Weekly Volume And Noteworthy Lifts:

Volume: Pounds 45,636 lbs (Last Week: 24,510 lbs)

Kettlebell Snatch: 53×44 continuous reps

4” Block Pull: 405 (5×2)

Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 7:30 PM

Bodyweight: 199 lbs

Volume: 6,890 lbs

SQUAT

Set 1: 95 lbs × 3

Set 2: 95 lbs × 5

Set 3: 135 lbs × 2

Set 4: 185 lbs × 1

Set 5: 225 lbs × 1

Set 6: 275 lbs × 1

Set 7: 315 lbs × 1

Set 8: 365 lbs x 0

Set 9: 225 lbs × 1

Set 10: 315 lbs × 1

BACK EXTENSION

Set 1: 130 lbs × 8

Set 2: 130 lbs × 8

LEG EXTENSION

Set 1: 140 lbs × 8

Set 2: 140 lbs × 8

Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 5:25 PM

Bodyweight: 199.2 lbs

Volume: 12,044 lbs

BENCH PRESS

Set 1: 45 lbs × 5

Set 2: 95 lbs × 5

Set 3: 135 lbs × 5

Set 4: 185 lbs × 2

Set 5: 205 lbs × 2

Set 6: 205 lbs × 2

Set 7: 205 lbs × 2

Set 8: 185 lbs × 9

KETTLEBELL SNATCH

Set 1: 53 lbs × 44

TACTICAL PULL-UP

Set 1: 199.2 lbs × 1

Set 2: 199.2 lbs × 2

Set 3: 199.2 lbs × 3

Set 4: 199.2 lbs × 1

Set 5: 199.2 lbs × 2

Set 6: 199.2 lbs × 1

EZ-BAR CURL

Set 1: 75 lbs × 8

Set 2: 75 lbs × 8

Set 3: 75 lbs × 8

HAMMER CURL

Set 1: 80 lbs × 8

Set 2: 80 lbs × 8

Saturday, March 1, 2014, 3:30 PM

Bodyweight: 198.6 lbs

Volume: 16,870 lbs

4″ BLOCK PULL

Set 1: 135 lbs × 2

Set 2: 135 lbs × 3

Set 3: 225 lbs × 3

Set 4: 315 lbs × 2

Set 5: 365 lbs × 2

Set 6: 405 lbs × 2

Set 7: 405 lbs × 2

Set 8: 405 lbs × 2

Set 9: 405 lbs × 2

Set 10: 405 lbs × 2

HIGH-BAR SQUAT

Set 1: 45 lbs × 10

Set 2: 95 lbs × 10

Set 3: 135 lbs × 10

Set 4: 185 lbs × 8

KETTLEBELL SNATCH

Set 1: 53 lbs × 20

Set 2: 53 lbs × 20

Set 3: 53 lbs × 20

BARBELL HIP THRUST

Set 1: 405 lbs × 2

Set 2: 315 lbs × 6

Sunday, March 2, 2014, 5:15 PM

Bodyweight: 199.6 lbs

Volume: 9,832 lbs

BENCH PRESS (DUMBBELL)

Set 1: 100 lbs × 10

Set 2: 130 lbs × 10

Set 3: 160 lbs × 10

Set 4: 190 lbs × 6

TRX ROW

Set 1: 199.6 lbs × 6

Set 2: 199.6 lbs × 6

Set 3: 199.6 lbs × 6

BICEP CURL (DUMBBELL)

Set 1: 70 lbs × 8

Set 2: 80 lbs × 8

PRONE ROPE ROW

Set 1: 1 Length

About Charles Staley

Charles Staley's primary interest is providing inspiration and education for older guys looking to reclaim their physicality and vitality. At age 56, Charles is leaner than ever, injury-free, and in lifetime best-shape - a few of his recent bests include a 400-pound squat, a 510-pound deadlift, and a set of 17 chin ups.

Charles Staley's primary interest is providing inspiration and education for older guys looking to reclaim their physicality and vitality. At age 56, Charles is leaner than ever, injury-free, and in lifetime best-shape - a few of his recent bests include a 400-pound squat, a 510-pound deadlift, and a set of 17 chin ups.

Well known in the U.S. and across the world, Charles is recognized as a innovative coach and a thought leader in the field of human performance. His experience, reputation, and self-effacing persona have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio and podcast appearances. He has penned more than a thousand articles for major publications and online websites in the industry.

Often referred to as a visionary, an iconoclast and a rule-breaker, his methods are leading-edge and ahead of their time, capable of quickly producing serious results.

Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: currently, he competes at the national and world level in weightlifting and powerlifting on the master’s circuit and holds three World Championship titles in the sport of raw powerlifting. Find Charles online at Target Focus Fitness, or follow him on his popular Facebook page.

Charles has had a successful online coaching service in place for several years. This is a way people to train under his direct supervision even if they aren’t local to him. If you’re ready to invest in yourself, Charles would love to be on your team!

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