C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

  How to Utilize Light Workouts for More Strength, Power, Mass, and All-Around Athleticism      When it comes to “things that confuse the average lifter,” I think it’s possible that the light-day concept takes the cake.   A lot of lifters either never train with light days or they don’t know how to properly utilize and implement them.   In this essay, I would like to explain the correct implementation of light days—this information can be used by a variety of lifters, whether you’re a powerlifter, a bodybuilder, a competitive athlete, a fighter, or just an all-around fitness enthusiast.   Most of the ideas that will be presented here are not my own, I must admit, but are culled from the wisdom of strength coaches or bodybuilding writers (from bygone eras) such as Bill Starr, Tommy Suggs, Bradley Steiner, and John McCallum.   (It must also be noted that there is a decided “Russian” influence on my lifting philosophy, as well—not just here bu...

  A Modified Westside Program for Natural and Raw Powerlifters      Recently, my youngest son Garret wanted to start back powerlifting.  He had spent the last year or so doing more “bodybuilding” type training, so I came up with a program that was essentially a “hybrid” Westside method in order to improve his speed and his low-rep strength, both of which can be “compromised” from doing standard hypertrophy workouts for a lengthy period.  After coming up with the program’s outline, and discussing it with him, I decided that it would probably make a good article.  Hence, the article you’re now reading.      This program combines the speed day or dynamic effort method, most commonly associated with Westside, with a more standard strength method found (typically) in Russian and other east European programs.  I will explain the training days first, then give you an outline of the program.  After that, I will giv...

How You Feel is a Lie A.K.A.: No Matter What, Just Do the Workout, and Other Crap I learned from Hard-as-Heck Training Programs C.S. pulls 500 pounds at 40 years old using the methods - or madness- contained herein. I first heard this saying probably a little over 20 years ago.  (I think it was the lifting coach John Broz that made the statement.)  At first, I probably thought something similar to what a lot of people think when they first see/read/hear it: “Well, that’s stupid.  Shouldn’t I go by how I feel?  How the heck am I gonna make progress if I don’t go by the way I feel every day.”  And so on and so forth, making an internal list of not just how stupid this saying is, but how downright weird and odd that a lifter would even think such a thing.   Right? Not so fast!  I think this is actually one of the truest maxims ever uttered when it comes to strength training and muscle building.  Let me explain. I discovered firsthand the truth of ...