C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

                       Set/Rep Variations for Strength and Power Part Two The DYNAMIC EFFORT Method The great Jim Williams bench pressing in his heyday.      A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an essay on some of the set/rep variations that are the best if your goals are strength and power, as opposed to just gaining muscle mass.  I wrote about 5x5 training, ramp training, and variations that use multiple sets of low reps.  Here I would like to explore some SPEED work set/rep combos that are ideal for the powerlifter or anyone that wants to boost their squat, bench press, or deadlift. Multiple Sets/Low Reps for Speed      This form of training is often referred to as “dynamic effort” training.  It became popular as a mode of training within Westside Barbell.  For Westside, this form of training was of utmost importance due to the fact that the Westside lifter also trained with a “max effort” session each week where you maxed out on a triple, double, or single (typically a single) for an a

AKA: How "Big" Jim Williams Became the First Man to Bench Press 700 lbs Big Jim Williams bench pressing in competition.  I rarely think about, or plan at all, what I'm going to write on this blog until I actually sit down to write it. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't write everything  in this manner.  Currently, for instance, I'm working on a "Budo Zen" book on the real  intersection of martial arts and spirituality, and that book takes research.  But that aside, I really, truly have no idea what I'm going to write until I sit down and actually, you know, write it . So this morning I sat down to hammer away at my keyboard, and thought, "what the heck should I write about in the field of strength training that I haven't  written about, or, at least, haven't written about in a long time?"  About the only  planning I do is asking myself that sort of question once I decide whether I want to write about muscle-building, or serious  s