C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

 Uncommon Training Associations for More Size and Strength Build Additional Mass and Power with Some Unique Training Combinations      Certain objects, items, and concepts are associated with other objects, items, or concepts.  Peanut butter is associated with jelly.  Texas is associated with BBQ, longhorn cattle, and cowboy hats—and nostalgic memories of garage power workouts with Uncle Kirk while we dipped Copenhagen snuff if you’re me.  China is associated with kung-fu and acupuncture.  Japan is associated with samurai, sushi, and creating the first fuel-efficient cars.  Italy is associated with pizza and carb-laden, cheesy pastas.  And so on and so forth.  I could go on and on (and on).  We make associations without giving much thought to it, whether we know it or not.  If I ask what you associate with French fries, I bet you’d say ketchup.  Maybe salt.  Okay, if you’re from the Carolinas, you might...

Some Thoughts on Different Methods of Training, Intuitive Workouts, and How to Break the “Rules” of Lifting      I’m not really sure where I’m going with this.  About half, maybe slightly more and perhaps a little less, of my articles I plan rather meticulously.  I make notes.  I craft an outline.  I have, in short, a plan.  The other half are nothing but the random musings of what is, at the time, circulating throughout the recesses of my mind.  As I’ve pointed out in other essays, I often write just to see what happens.  For me, it is these latter writings that bring a sense of joy to writing.  I’m a writer, sure, but I’m also a creative .  I think it’s also one of the reasons that I love training so much, as well.  Although there undoubtedly is some science to lifting, it is also an art form.  If I’m correct in this assumption of lifting as art, and I have absolutely no doubt that I am, then working out ...

In the Footsteps of Legends - Part 4: Back Training Secrets of the Golden Era for a Wide, Thick, Massive, and Muscular Back      We have reached the 4th part of my series on the training secrets of the golden era bodybuilders, the legends that pumped iron back in the 1970s and ‘80s.  Part 1 was an overview of golden era training, their methods, techniques, and secrets.  Part 2 covered some of the methods I missed in the 1st part, along with their techniques and exercises that they used to build wide, boulder-like deltoids.  Part 3 was all about chest training.  I advise you to read those articles, particularly the 1st two, before reading this one, as they discuss some of the methods that are helpful in understanding why the golden era icons trained their backs the way that they did.  With that out of the way, let’s get right into back training…      I love training back.  It’s easily my best bodypart an...