How to Build Mass, Strength, and Power Without Squats Tips, Advice, and Programs On October 20th, I posted a Q&A article with my answers to a few questions that I had received lately. One of the questions asked: Could one design a strength-building, mass-gaining program without the use of squats? The question came from the fact that I have, over and over throughout the years, pushed the squat as the king of all exercises. On top of that, I have, in fact, written more than once that if you don’t do heavy squats, you can all but forget about building prodigious amounts of muscle mass and strength. However, I also pointed out that I thought it is possible to build strength and power without the almighty squat if you include enough other big, compound lifts that work the entirety of the body, especially lifts that work the back and the legs. This essay will include, in much more detail, what I think such programs sh...
On the Physical Practice of Zazen and its Application to the Martial Ways This is the 2nd part in my new series on the Budo Zen path for the martial artist. Although this series is written for the martial artist, I hope that even those of you who may be lifters might benefit from its insights. In many ways, it is as much about the intersection of Zen and physical practice in general, meaning that some of its insights will carry over into active pursuits outside of the Asian martial arts. My intention is for this series to be practical. I hope that it does have some degree of depth to it but, at the same time, my wish is for it to be easy to understand and easy to apply, though you do have to apply it. Not applying what is written here would be akin to reading my pieces on strength training but never actually working out. The cornerstone of Zen is the practice of zazen or ...