C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

  Some Thoughts on How and When to Follow Specialization Programs Whether You’re Trying to Improve the Size of a Bodypart or Increase the Strength on a Specific Lift      This morning, I sat down with the intention of cranking out an article I had in mind for strength-specialization on a certain lift.  But, as I was working on it, I started to think that perhaps I should just write a “general” essay regarding my thoughts on when and how to go about setting up a specialization program.  The result is what you’re now staring at—I’ll save the other article I had in mind for another day.  (Hopefully, at least.  I forget more articles, unfortunately, than I actually write.)      First things first, for the most part you shouldn’t follow specialization programs the majority of the training year.  Specialization programs are needed when one of your lifts is falling behind the others—or if you’ve never really focus...

An 8-Week Program for Monstrous Mass and Power Gains      Over the years, I have often received the following question from a reader (though it comes in various guises): “If you could only do one exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be?”  I understand the question.  Or, at least, I understand where the question comes from.  Readers simply want to know what exercise I deem the best.      The truth is that I never really answer that question.  Mainly because I just don’t understand it. On what planet would I live where I could only do one exercise?  But as said, I do understand the rationale for the question in the first place.  And the answer I usually give is something along the lines of this: “Well, I don’t know about one exercise, but if I could only do a handful, they would be these (fill-in-the-blank).”  And the truth is, if I’m being quite honest, that I don’t always give the same ex...

  The TBMT Program      It’s an old adage in bodybuilding/strength communities—and I suppose it’s probably applicable in other arenas, as well—that “everything works, but nothing works for long.”  Or as I also like to say: everything works…for about 6-8 weeks.  Kinda similar to another adage that “the best program is the one you’re not doing.”  Well, you get the point.      Having said all of those cliched-but-still-true pithy little aphorisms, some programs definitely do work better than others.  It’s the reason that I’m always trying to come up with new, slightly different (from the programs you see in the “mainstream,” at least) training regimens.  When you have plenty of effective, result-producing programs in your workout arsenal, then you’ll always have something to go to when what you’re currently doing stops working at that 8-week mark (or before).  Enter Total Body Mass Building , or TBMT for ...