C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

5 Keys to Mass… Fast  5 Principles for Building Massive Muscles in the Shortest Possible Time       If you’re reading this article, the chances are that you want exactly what the title implies: massive muscles.  And I bet there’s an equally good chance that you have been going at it all wrong.  It’s time to fix that!  What follows are 5 tips – along with training programs and other sagely muscle-building advice – for acquiring the most massively muscled body that your genetics are capable of building. Key #1: Squat, squat, and squat some more Jon Cole squatting heavy and deep      Whenever someone wants to know what they can do to build more muscle, I ask one question first.  Are you squatting?  If the answer is “no,” then I know that the lifter isn’t serious about building muscle or is misinformed about what entails good training.      Hard, heavy squats should be the cornerstone of any good mass-building program, whether you’re splitting your body several ways or whe

Make Real Gains with Brief, Intense Workout Programs      For years now, high intensity training (commonly referred to as H.I.T.) has been one of the most controversial training methods in the bodybuilding world.   The proponents of H.I.T. seem to think that it’s the only method capable of truly transforming the “average”, drug-free bodybuilder.   On the other side you have proponents of volume workouts (one such proponent has been myself) that seem to think that H.I.T. training is the bane of bodybuilding existence.   So which one is correct?   Well, I believe that the answer is “both” and “neither.”   Confused?   Read on and I’m going to attempt to straighten everything out, and then I’m going to outline some brief, intense workouts that actually do produce real-world results. The Rise and Fall of H.I.T. Principles      In the beginning of the barbell, strength-training universe—we’re talking early twentieth century—almost all of the physiques and the strength gains w

As I get older (although I'm only 38, I have been a dedicated lifter for 20 years), certain things remain important to me, and—to be honest—many things do not.  For instance, I no longer want to have 20 inch arms, or be the biggest bloke alive (that's the kind of stuff I wanted 20 years ago), or be the strongest dude walking the planet at my bodyweight (that's what I wanted 10 years ago).  But I do want to be strong, and I don't mind being fairly big, and most of all I want to be healthy. And I want to keep learning. And I just love to train.  Period. So... as I get older, and as I learn more, the most important lessons are the ones that I have learned about myself.  It dawned on me—not that long ago, to tell the truth—that I train just to train.  I love  the feel of a tough, two-hour workout where I squat something, put something heavy over my head, pull something heavy off the floor, and tote something heavy across my lawn.  When you train just to train, when yo

      For this installment of my semi-ongoing series dealing with H-L-M training, it's time to turn my strength-inducing beacon of light on a subject near and dear to a lot of men's hearts: how to gain muscle mass.  (For those of you who are not that familiar with H-L-M training, go back and read some of my previous posts first - and make sure that you read my Dragon Door article on the subject; that way, you can have all the details hammered out before venturing into what I'm going to share here.)      First off, understand that H-L-M training is naturally a great way to gain muscle mass.  Full-body workouts (and I think that, overall, H-L-M training is the best full-body workout you can do) act as a muscle-inducing "trigger" (for lack of  a better word).  There's just something about training all of your muscle groups in the same session that makes you gain muscle faster than split routines.  (Before some of you start crying foul at this point, realize tha

     This week, I have received several e-mails from lifters who wanted help—in some way or another; whether it was for muscle growth, strength, or both—in setting up a full-body workout.  This is my first post which will deal with this issue.      This li'l mini-article that you're staring at on your computer screen will deal with how to set up a full-body workout for muscle growth.  In other words, these tips are for anyone whose primary goal is just muscle growth.  (I suppose I could have titled this entry "How to Look Friggin' Good Naked with Crazy  Full-Body Workouts."  That probably would have gotten more attention.  But alas...)      You will, of course, gain some strength out of workouts designed in this manner, however these programs are not for aspiring powerlifters or other strength athletes.  These are for bodybuilders—or anyone who just wants to gain the most muscle growth possible in the shortest amount of time.      Here are what I consider to be th