C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

The Magic of High-Volume but Minimalistic Training      As I have pointed out more often than I can count, there are many ways and multiple paths to achieve your physical goals, whether it’s strength, power, more muscle mass, less bodyfat, or a combination of several of those goals all at once.  The key to achieving your goals, whatever they may be, lies in the proper balance of volume, frequency, and intensity, but some training plans are decidedly better than others, depending on your genetics, training history, and whatnot.  In my last essay on balance, I briefly mentioned that if I absolutely had to select one training methodology over anything else, it would be the “sub-maximal effort” method.  With strength and power roots in Eastern European countries, mostly countries from the former Soviet-bloc, this method basically involves doing multiple sets of low reps with weights that are not quite maximal—hence the name.  Almost completely ...

Musings on “Good” Workouts and Effective Training Strategies      I’m sure that you’ve heard of “the rule of 3.”  Actually, just kidding.  I’m sure that you haven’t because, well, I made it up.  Like right now.  This moment.  But it should be a rule, and once I hit “post” on this essay, it will forever be on the internet, so it, you know, will be a rule.  Forever and ever.  Or until the internet collapses in an apocalyptic, cataclysmic downfall.  But maybe then it will be rediscovered by Max and all those grimy kids when they go in search of Tomorrow-morrow Land, and find a copy of it that one of you printed off the internet.  Anyway, rule or not, it is a good way to look at your training.      Now, there are various “rules of 3.”  After writing that first paragraph, I did a cursory search and Google spat out a handful of different “rules.”  The only one I was familiar with, I mus...

     In Part 3 of my “Big and Strong” series of on-going articles that I’m writing at the moment, I mentioned how that series isn’t for the average gym-goer.  If you’re going to follow the high-set, low-rep (and really high volume) regimens that the series recommends, you really can’t do much else.  Hell, you probably can’t do anything else.  I’m taking a break from that series briefly so that I can focus on some essays and articles that tackle different workout programs and just different subjects in general. I have several articles and essays that I’m working on at the moment, and it made me realize something.  Since this blog has quite an array of different workout programs, many lifters might be unsure as to the one they should be doing.  So, I thought it might be good to look at training goals and the workout programs you should be following for your goals.  Because, if you have been reading that series and you decide to ac...