C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

Variations and Alternatives to the Classic 5x5 Methods of Training      Of all training methods and workout routines out there, I think it’s safe to say that 5x5 training is one of the most popular and most widely used by a lot of lifters, especially those seeking a combination of both size and strength.  It’s not the most popular training method, I'm not saying that.  I bet if you walk into most commercial gyms anywhere in America (perhaps the world) you’ll find that the majority of trainees use somewhere between 3 and 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps more than anything else.  Nonetheless, 5x5 training is hugely popular.      There are two ways that most lifters utilize 5x5 training.  You can either do 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps or you can do 5 straight sets of 5 reps, using the same weight at each set.  The former works better for full-body workouts performed 3 days per week.  The latter tends to be ...

Approach Your Lifting as a Skill and Craft to be Honed      There is a certain science to lifting.  I won’t deny that.  But if we only approach training from a “science based” perspective, we won’t see the whole picture.  We’ll also miss out on what makes lifting one of life’s true joys.      Lifters who approach training as an art learn more than just how to build strength, power, and muscle mass.  A lifter whose art form is lifting itself learns about his body, particularly what kind of training works for him alone, but he also learns about life and all that lifting has to offer outside of just physical transformation.      How does one go about the art of training?  For the remainder of this essay, we will see what this might look like.      To start with, just as with any craft, you need a plan that focuses on the essence of the craft.  Begin with a bas...

On Striving to do Fewer Things Better      In my recent Go Heavy or Go Home essay, I discussed Pavel Tsatsouline’s “7 rules of Russian training.”  The last of the rules is “You must strive to do fewer things better.”  In this essay, we will look at the importance of this rule and some various training strategies to accomplish it.      I often write about the different reasons that lifters don’t get the results out of their training that they’re looking for.  Not using the right movements, following so-called bro-split routines that are also coupled with too many machine and cable exercises, along with jumping from program-to-program are just a few of the workout ideas that I’m apt to rail against.  For these reasons and some others, there are a lot of average gym-goers—even ones who have been “training” for years on end—who don’t look like they lift.      The best programs often involve doing...