On the Joy of Creative Training I love training for many reasons. Like a lot of lifters, I’ve always loved training because, more than anything else, I just loved the feel of moving heavy iron. I also loved the kind of training that goes along with being incredibly strong. I can think of fewer pleasures in life than a workout that involves near max sets of squats, bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, and curls. But I also love training because I love the creativity of it all. I am a creative, after all. An artist. Writing is one of the arts that my creative side is attracted to—not just attracted to but needs . But I love lifting for the same reason that I love writing. The gym is where I practice the art of training. Training is both science and art. If you neglect either side, you’re neglecting the full range of benefits that lifting provides. Nowadays...
How to Gain Upper Body Mass AND Build a Big Bench Press I received an email question a couple days ago that went something like this: “Hey, C.S. I know you’ve probably written some articles about it already, but what is your advice right now for someone who wants to increase his bench press and build a lot of upper body muscle at the same time? I’ve struggled to both increase my bench press weights and gain muscle, so I could use some advice. Thanks a bunch!” (Emphasis added is mine.) Well, my questioner is correct. I do have a number of articles that I’ve already written on building a big bench press and I have a lot of articles for anyone who is looking to gain a lot of upper body muscle, but I figured, you know, what the heck, there’s no reason that I can’t write another one. Also, I would have to assume that there are still a lot of modern gym-goers who train for just those goals. I me...