C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

      “In my view the best equipment anyone has for confronting the adversity that comes with hard times is the possession of a healthy, powerful body and the sense of spiritual equilibrium that comes from being centered and in solid personal control.” ~Bradley J. Steiner*      Bradley Steiner, in the pages of Ironman , penned the words above in 1995.  Apparently, he thought the world was going through some hard times back then, though I’m not really sure exactly what it was.  Bill Clinton was in the 3rd year of his presidency.  Perhaps he didn’t like Clinton—I was a Perot man myself those days—and thought the world was headed in directions that could be detrimental for its future.  Steiner passed on from this life in December of 2020, when everyone was in isolation from Covid.  I wonder what he thought of the world then?  Oh, well.  Whatever it was that he thought in ‘95, his words ring true no matter ...

Thoughts on Lifting and Thoughts on Thoughts While Lifting      What do I think about when I think about lifting?  For one, just lifting in general.  I think about programs, workouts, regimens that work for me and work for others I’ve trained.  I think about the ones that didn’t work and why they didn’t work.  I suppose, more than anything else, I think about life.  I think about life when living and when lifting.  They’re inextricably bound for me, life and lifting.  My life, in many ways, is a life of lifting.      I suppose it would be different if I wasn’t a lifter.  There are those who lift.  Then there are those who are lifters.  The former do it for any myriad of reasons.  At least, I guess they do.  I’ve trained a lot of those who fit in that group.  I’ve trained with those that fit in it.  And I’d also surmise that a lot of folks who read my writing fall ...

  Some Thoughts and Musings on Why I lift and Why You Should Lift (with a Little Help from Budo and Zen)      Over the years that I have been lifting—going on almost 4 decades of training at this point—I have been asked a number of questions.  Most of them are in the “how” category.  How do I gain muscle?  How can I increase my bench press?  How do I get big arms?  And, from primarily women, the most often asked is how do I lose weight?  Or how do I get in shape?  Occasionally, however, I have been asked the why question.  Why do I lift?  Why do I train?  Now, usually, though not always, this is a what question.  As in: what are my goals?  What am I trying to achieve?  Though there are times when the inquiry is deeper .  Especially as I get older, sometimes folks want to know why I still do this lifting thing.  After all, I’m not preparing for powerlifting meets anymore or getting...