C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

An “Everything Moderate” Approach to Heavy Singles, Full-Body Training, and Continued Progress      As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat.  I’m unsure where this idiom originated from—as an avowed animal lover I can’t imagine skinning any sentient being—but it does contain a certain truth.  If one method fails at something you are trying to achieve, you should find another.  Training is no different.      In my last article , I presented a Bill Starr-inspired method of implementing heavy singles into a full-body routine using Starr’s heavy/light/medium system.  When training with full-body workouts—singles or otherwise—you basically have two options that are the most effective for the majority of lifters.  You can cycle your training loads with the H-L-M method—or something similar, but load-cycling is the point—or you can follow an “everything moderate” approach, where, essentially, all ...

Some Thoughts on Single-Rep Training for Strength, Power, and Muscle Size       “Many dinosaurs do heavy singles.  Why?  Because they have discovered that for many men, singles build more muscle and strength than sets of multiple repetitions.  Yeah, I KNOW that singles are contrary to modern wisdom and conventional training protocols.  I KNOW that all of the modern experts say that single reps are dangerous and non-productive.  I KNOW that all of the modern ‘champs’ say to train with light weights and concentrate on ‘feeling’ the muscles.  I KNOW that everyone at the House of Chrome and Ferns never does a single rep on anything.  And I KNOW that we have all kinds of wonderful ‘scientific’ training systems that regard heavy singles as worthless, dangerous, insane, and ridiculously old fashioned.      “The experts are WRONG when they say singles don’t work.  For many men, singles build muscle and st...