C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

     In the second part of this series, I’m going to discuss what a full-body system of workouts should look like using my “hybrid” system of training.      First things first, I should have written this piece before my prior piece on chest training.  But, you see, that’s the thing with writing most of these blog posts.  Unlike my articles, which I take my time to write by working out the article in my mind for a few days, then writing a first draft, then writing at least two more drafts before sending it to press, I don’t do anything of the sort with most of my blog posts.  I more or less crank them out in a blinding fit of “inspiration” (or something similar), and then post them without any rewrites or reviews.  And, I must admit, that I think it works for the most part.  But there are hitches in the road, so to speak.  For one, I do things such as write a piece on bodypart-specific training first instead of a piece on full-body workouts.  For another, sometimes the logic in my w

      This is a first of a series of articles that will focus on what I call “hybrid training.”  Unlike some – but not all of the material – on this blog, this series will focus on specifically on bodybuilding .  And by “bodybuilding,” I simply mean the kind of training that I believe most guys (and gals) are interested in: building shapely muscle, adding muscle mass, keeping their bodyfat relatively low.  I other words: looking good. Hybrid Chest Training Bodybuilding for the 21 st Century and Beyond      “ Hybrid - a composite of mixed origin.  Complex, composite - a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts.”      There was a time when bodybuilders trained in one, and only one, fashion.  Of course, in the early days – the “Golden Age” if you will, the age of Steve Reeves, the age of the original “Muscle Beach”, the age when bodybuilders engaged in “physical development” – this wasn’t the case.  In those days, the men who roamed the sands of southern Calif

     The following article is a revision of one that I wrote a few years ago for Planet Muscle Magazine.  It covers several different styles of training for the bench press—styles, of course, that also could be used on the other powerlifts.      This article is good for anyone who is not well acquainted with the major styles of training amongst powerlifters.  It's also a good lead-in article for a series I want to do on "hybrid" training, which is discussed in brief at the end of this article. Building a Bigger Bench Analyzing the Various Training Methods for Increasing your Bench Press      For many years, powerlifters and strength coaches have used a variety of training methods for achieving a bigger bench press.   This article will analyze some of the more popular methods so that you can best decide which method suits your needs and your desires.      Many of you who don’t keep up with the trends in powerlifting will probably be surprised by some