C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

The Ultimate Workout Routine for Getting Massively Big and Incredibly Strong?      In my previous essay Go Heavy or Go Home , I discussed some ways to train using Pavel Tsatsouline’s seven “Russian rules” of training.  This article will be, in many ways, just a continuation of that one.  I’d recommend reading it first, but you don’t have to.  That article contained a few workout suggestions using Pavel’s 7 maxims.  In this one, I want to propose a workout that I believe is the ultimate for building a combination of size and strength.  This routine isn’t for beginners.  You need to be at the “intermediate” stage before even attempting this routine.  So, you’ve been warned.  If you attempt this without having the work capacity to handle it, it’ll be too much.  At the very least , spend about 3 months doing one of the workouts in the prior essay before moving on to this one.      This routine u...

An Essay on HFT Ideas for Achieving Your Physique Goals      In my recent article High-Volume, High-Frequency Workouts for Quick Mass Gains , I outlined a training routine that uses high volume as the primary training variable with high frequency the 2nd.  For anyone who likes to train with a lot of volume and particularly loves getting a “pump” while training, I would suggest giving that regimen a chance, especially if you’re new to training with both high volume and frequency and aren’t quite sure where to even start with high-frequency training (HFT).  In this essay, however, I want to present some different ideas for other ways that you might utilize HFT, notably if you like the idea of experimenting with new and/or different training strategies that you haven’t utilized before.  If you’re new to training, you probably need to get on a more detailed, regimented program, one where you don’t have to put a whole lot of thought into your workout...

Double Split Training for Quick Hypertrophy Gains      If there is one form of training that is more controversial than any other, it just might be the idea of “double-split” training, where you do two workouts in a single training day.  Popular among pro bodybuilders from the ‘70s up through the ‘90s, it was usually viewed as a form of training that could only be performed by the genetically few “easy gainers.”  It was used by Arnold, and many others, in the ‘70s, and was the favorite training system of many European bodybuilders in the ‘90s.  Arnold utilized it to work different muscle groups at the morning and evening sessions.  Bodybuilders like Francis Benfatto, who possessed one of the most aesthetically pleasing physiques of all time in the ‘90s, used it to train the same muscles at both the A.M. and P.M. sessions—the common way that it is still used among East European bodybuilders.      It’s also oft-used by...