C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

Workload as an Important Factor in the Quest for Size and Strength      What follows is nothing more than some of the thoughts that have been rattling around in my training-filled brain since writing my last couple essays, the first on the “ Old School Way ” and my most recent one entitled “ Train Through the Soreness ,” both of which were also precipitated by my series on “ Tailoring Your Workout Program .”      I think it’s fair to say, or write in this instance, that modern gym-goers believe gains in muscle or strength (or both) comes down to “hard” training coupled with rest, recovery, and eating enough calories and protein.  I think that is true but only partially so.  Since it’s not the entire truth, however, it can hold you back from achieving (potentially) even better results in the gym.      The “whole truth” of muscle growth contains several factors.  If you want to prioritize muscle gr...

Tips and Advice for Tailoring Your Training Routine Part 1: Workload Basics       “In order to create a successful strength program, you must design it to fit your individual needs.  You must consider your weaker bodyparts, and build it around such factors as time limitations, old injuries, and your ability to recover from the workload.  A program that brings results for your training mates of the same age and bodyweight may not be right for you.  Some people thrive on lots and lots of work in the gym, whereas others become chronically fatigued and eventually injured if they attempt to carry a heavy workload for any period of time.” ~Bill Starr      I open with that quote from Bill Starr since those are the very things that I want to cover in this series of essays.  Lately, I have received the most questions from readers on this very subject.  With all of the programs that I write for the blog, I give workout “ex...

A Method for Developing a Work Capacity That Can Handle High-Volume, High-Frequency Workouts      I often preach the benefits of high-frequency training along with full-body workouts.  I think they are two of the best ways to build a lot of muscle and strength, especially for the natural lifter.  Another central component for the natural lifter is to develop a strong work capacity , or the ability to do a lot of work and then recover from it quickly.  Read that last sentence again if you have to and let it sink in.  There are, I would guess, a lot of lifters who are capable of doing a lot of work in the gym, but very few of them can then recover from it quickly.  You can blame that on modern training, I suppose, more than anything else, since we live in some sort of upside down, topsy turvy training world where bodybuilders “blast” their muscles with endless sets and then give those muscles a week—hell, sometimes even more—before train...