C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

Make Real Gains with Brief, Intense Workout Programs      For years now, high intensity training (commonly referred to as H.I.T.) has been one of the most controversial training methods in the bodybuilding world.   The proponents of H.I.T. seem to think that it’s the only method capable of truly transforming the “average”, drug-free bodybuilder.   On the other side you have proponents of volume workouts (one such proponent has been myself) that seem to think that H.I.T. training is the bane of bodybuilding existence.   So which one is correct?   Well, I believe that the answer is “both” and “neither.”   Confused?   Read on and I’m going to attempt to straighten everything out, and then I’m going to outline some brief, intense workouts that actually do produce real-world results. The Rise and Fall of H.I.T. Principles      In the beginning of the barbell, strength-training universe—we’re talking early t...

As I get older (although I'm only 38, I have been a dedicated lifter for 20 years), certain things remain important to me, and—to be honest—many things do not.  For instance, I no longer want to have 20 inch arms, or be the biggest bloke alive (that's the kind of stuff I wanted 20 years ago), or be the strongest dude walking the planet at my bodyweight (that's what I wanted 10 years ago).  But I do want to be strong, and I don't mind being fairly big, and most of all I want to be healthy. And I want to keep learning. And I just love to train.  Period. So... as I get older, and as I learn more, the most important lessons are the ones that I have learned about myself.  It dawned on me—not that long ago, to tell the truth—that I train just to train.  I love  the feel of a tough, two-hour workout where I squat something, put something heavy over my head, pull something heavy off the floor, and tote something heavy across my lawn.  When you train just...

If you haven't already, please do yourself a favor and go out and buy the July/August issue of Planet Muscle.  I have an article in it entitled "The Big 5 Exercises for Real Mass." I've written a lot of stuff over several years, and I feel pretty confident that this could be one of the best articles I've ever written.  I think it's definitely my personal favorite article.