C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

An “Easy” High-Frequency Training Program for Plenty of Size and Strength + Some Other Tips and Workouts for Transforming Your Physique      I began training in martial arts more than 40 years ago, when I was around 10 years old.  By the time I was a teenager, it was my life.  (In many ways, it still is.)  I was at the dojo just about every day of the week but I also trained at my home every day.  However, when I was around 16 or 17—I’m not really sure of the exact age; I just remember that I could drive by that point—I only started going to the dojo about once per week.  Sometimes just once every two weeks.  I’m pretty sure that a lot of my fellow karatekas—especially those who had known me for many years—thought I had become lazy or that something was “wrong” with me or that I no longer took my martial training very seriously or even cared about it anymore, for that matter.  But I had a reason for it, though I didn’t really c...

A Workout Program and Some Training Ideas for Those Who Want It All      In my last article on using the 3 to 5 method with split workouts, I outlined the Russian rules of training.  3 to 5 training is one of the methods that you can use when training with the sub-maximal effort method, or what is commonly known as “grease the groove” training.      I have talked to many lifters who have told me that they understand the reasons why grease-the-groove training and other Russian methods work .  They’ve also told me that they’ve gotten good results from that kind of training.  But there’s a problem.  When they do those kinds of workouts, they often miss using harder or higher-volume routines, or a combination of both.  They often ask me if there’s a way that they can do both.  To which I reply, “yes.”      Most grease-the-groove workouts produce gains by ensuring that all of the workout...

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...