C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

Some Thoughts and Insights to Help You Adapt to High-Frequency Training      I extoll—more often than not—the benefits of high-frequency training (HFT) over other “systems” of training.  I put “system” in quotes because it’s not a system per se but more of an approach or a way of training.  Within HFT, you are capable of finding numerous, actual systems of training.      What qualifies as HFT?  When I use the term, it refers to any program where you train a muscle group (or a movement) at least 3 days per week.  Most modern workout programs are either low (once every 5 to 7 days) or moderate (twice per week) frequency regimens.  Please understand that I am not “opposed” to programs that use either low or moderate frequency.  If you scour this blog, you will find that I have written numerous programs that use both low and moderate frequency.  There are times when such programs can be very beneficia...

Build Massive Muscles and Monstrous Strength with Heavy, Old-School Dumbbell Training      I don’t know when it happened, or how it happened, but when it comes to strength and power training, we think of barbells and little else.  I’m guilty of this myself.  I’ve written before about using the “ two barbell workout .”  It’s a sound theory, don’t get me wrong.  Basically, if you start your workout session, any workout session, with 2 big, compound barbell lifts—say, front squats and power cleans—you can then do whatever else you want for the rest of the workout and you will get great results.  Or, heck, you can just do 2 compound barbell lifts and nothing else at each workout.  But there was a time not that long ago, when the largest, most massive, muscular, and strongest lifters on the planet—the so-called “Bronze era” of the late 19th century, early 20th century—when strongmen did most of their training with dumbbells and not b...