C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

More Tips, Advice, and Program Suggestions for Winter Bulk-Building      After writing my last two articles on bulk and power training—the 1st on Hugh Cassidy’s training and the second on another, similar winter bulk building program—I figured that was it.  I mean, not as if I’m done writing or need to take a break from hacking away at my laptop.  No, I just mean that I thought that was it when it came to advice for cold weather bulk building.  I have a few other articles that I am already about a ⅓ of the way through at the moment—the 4th part of my "bodyweight and beyond” series, an essay on “pain”, and another one on Bill Starr’s advice for tailoring workout programs for your own needs and goals, along with a few others, in addition to outlines and notes for around 20 more—so I had every intention this morning of finishing up one of those assorted pieces.  But then I received an email.      A reader messaged me....

  Winter is the Time for Bulk Building      A couple of occurrences precipitated this essay.  First, my last article on the legendary powerlifter Hugh Cassidy.  His training is just the kind of program anyone seeking bulk should follow.  And not just his style of training, but most certainly his “method” of eating.  You know, if you can call scarfing down every calorie-laden, protein-packed, carb-loaded thing in sight a method.  Second, and most obvious, the cold.  Much of our country, as I type these words on my laptop, snug against the warmth of my fireplace, is in the grip of a bone-chilling freeze.  Even in the Deep South of Alabama where I live, work, and train (outdoors), we have been told by the wintry weather prognosticators that it will only get slightly above freezing as the high for the week.      I have long believed that we should do “seasonal” training.  Too many lifters, train a...

  Training During the Coldest Months of the Year My garage gym, where I train no matter the weather.      Okay, so a couple of mornings ago, when I started writing this, I was going to write—or, at the very least, I had every intention to—the 3rd part of my current “New Year Resolution” series, the latest being on fat loss (or at least it will be when I get around to writing it).  But, with the weather being 12 degrees outside as I sat down to my keyboard and started writing, and with much of the country that cold—or even colder—I have instead opted to write a piece on training in the winter .  Which is what you are now staring at, so I hope you find it informative, or, at the very least, somewhat interesting if not entertaining.      A few months ago in early October, about two or three weeks after the start of the Fall season, I wrote an essay on training in the fall.  So, with winter most definitely upon us, I t...