C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

Here's an article that I wrote for Iron Man back in 2003. It's probably been my most "controversial" article (or, at least, it was when I wrote it, which was probably a year or two before it was actually published). If I was to write this again, there are some things I would change—my training theories have evolved slightly in the seven years since. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good article (if I do say so myself). Myths of Might If you’ve been bodybuilding for a long time, listening to your buddies at the gym and reading the garbage that appears in bodybuilding magazines, and you have not given any serious thought to powerlifting or strength-event training, the warning at right is for you. The fact is, almost all of the trainees at your local health club know virtually zero when it comes to getting truly strong. That doesn’t have to be you. Read about the following myths, trust in the truth of what is said, and if you’re still not a believer,...

"I f someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his life to, I would answer: training. Train more than you sleep." —Masutatsu Oyama (founder of Kyokushin Karate-Do)

" So the lesson here is, stop separating things out. Stop drawing these artificial lines from the person you are in the gym to the person you are in church. It comes down to one thing: integrity. Integrity has a meaning in theology and in morality: it means being the person that you say you are. The key to integrity is to keep you one person. Don't be this person in one environment, that person in the next. I've known many people who would rip you off in a heartbeat, but then tell you that they have to rush off to church. Be one person, one consistent person, so at your funeral they're all talking about the same guy. I think once you do that, the universe seems to conspire to help you out." —Dan John (strength coach)

I enjoy reading T-Muscle. Overall, they have more good articles than most any other bodybuilding magazine or on-line bodybuilding site, but I have to say that the best thing about them is Dan John—if it wasn't for T-Muscle then I would never have been introduced to some of the best training articles (and honest advice) from the pen of Dan John. He ranks right up there with Bill Starr and George Turner. If you don't believe me, then be sure to read T-Muscle's latest interview with him. Just click on the link below: Sucker Punch: Dan John

George Turner is one of the greatest bodybuilders/trainers/writers who ever lived (and ever put pen to paper). He also knows more about training than just about any writer still writing for the major muscle magazines. Probably a lot of younger lifters who read his stuff think that he's crazy—because of all the high-volume programs he recommends—or that he's too "old-school." The Q&A below comes from a column he used to do for Iron Man magazine. There's more wisdom in the below piece—dealing with how you should train if you're young and how you should adjust that as you get older—than most folks will ever realize. For those of you who DO realize it, then welcome to the wisdom that is George Turner. Question: How have you adjusted your training and diet as you’ve gotten older? Answer: My training has changed a number of times over the years. Back in the 1940s I trained my entire body every time I worked out. When I got out of the service in 1946, I con...

I have, for a long time now, been a proponent of one-exercise-per-bodypart routines. I think this kind of training is effective for building muscle, building strength, or just getting in great strength. Bodybuilders of old would use this form of training in the off-season, where they would train one (or at the most, two) exercises for each of their muscle groups. In general, most "old-timers" thought this was the best form of training for growing muscle, not to mention becoming bigger, stronger, thicker lifters. It wasn't until a couple of months from a contest that they would switch over to a multi-angular approach. They (rightfully, I might add) believed that multi-angular training splits were best done for "shaping" and "detailing" the muscles, but NOT for building big muscles in the first place. Not only, however, is it good to limit the number of exercises performed for each bodypart, but it's also wise to limit the number of exercises pe...