C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

       In hundreds of articles and essays—both here on the blog and in various magazines and internet sites—I essentially repeat the same stuff.  Take what I call “The Big 4” for instance.  I’ve written about it ad nauseam, so much that you’ll find it repeated over and over on this site.  So why am I writing about it again , in what you’re now staring at on your computer screen, tablet, or phone?  The other day I received an email from a reader who wanted to know how to incorporate all of the elements of the Big 4 into his training split.  And my answer is essentially what precipitated this essay.      Before we go any further, assuming you don’t know about the Big 4, here goes:  No matter what your goals are—whether you just want to look good naked, enter a strongman competition, gain as much muscle as humanly possible, or step on a bodybuilding stage; male or female—you must do the following 4 things each and every single week : Squat something heavy. Pick heavy stuff off the floor.