C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

 I have a new book coming soon.  It's titled "The Strongest Shall Always Survive: Lifting Lessons from an Iron Legend."  If you haven't guessed already, based on the title, it's on the training of Bill Starr.  It includes all of the H-L-M essays that I originally wrote for the blog, though they have all been revamped with new material, along with some never-before-published chapters.  Here is the tentative cover: Whether you're a long-time fan of Starr or this is your 1st time hearing of him, I think you will find plenty of great workouts, training ideas, tips, and strategies for getting bigger, stronger, and more athletic.  Outside of owning Starr's original book "The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football," it will be the best book available for understanding Starr's methods.  (Yes, I'm aware that I might be a bit biased.)  Look for it in the next week or two! Outside of my new book, look for a new essay on the blog in...

Advice from Bill Starr (and Myself) for the Midlife Bodybuilders and Lifters      Last week, I overdid it.  I should know better.  Actually, I do know better.  But, like all former elite athletes I’ve ever met with decades of training under their lifting belts, there are workouts and weeks when I decide to do a little too much—train too heavy, do cardio that is  way too intense—if nothing than to see if I can still handle it.  Kinda stupid, I know.  But I still do it.  And every time that I do this, reality comes crashing back down to earth and I know I need to settle into a kinder, gentler training routine.  How do I know I overdid it?  Because I hurt like hell in my joints and pretty much want to take a nap all day long instead of staring at this computer screen and writing the very thing that you’re now reading.      If you’re in your 40s and 50s, and have trained for a considerable amo...

  Heavy/Light/Medium Training Part 7: How to Design a Powerlifting Program Using the H/L/M System      At the beginning of February, I started this series on H/L/M training using the methods of the late, great, and, hell, legendary Bill Starr.   For now, I believe this will be the last in the series, although I will still probably do a few more here and there when there is interest or when I think of a subject.   Also, April 7 th was the 10-year anniversary of his death, and I have the intention of using this series—along with other articles and essays that I’ve done in the past—to publish a book on Starr sometime later this month in honor of him.      Since this is—as the subtitle above indicates—the 7 th part of this series, you might do well to familiarize yourself with the previous installments.   At the very least, read parts 1 through 4, as those cover similar concepts as this article, and it will allow you to se...