C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

I received an e-mail this morning asking me how to set up a 2-3-5-10 workout plan based on my post from a couple days ago (which is itself based on a workout by Dan John). The author of the e-mail wanted to know what kind of split to use and what exercises should be utilized. This post is my answer. (I decided to post my answer here since I have a feeling there are others interested in this kind of workout who have similar questions.) First, let's talk exercise selection. Obviously this program is one of those where you need to select "bang-for-your-buck" exercises. Squats, front squats, and hack squats ( real hack squats as I performed in my training entry) would all be great lower body pushing movements. Deadlifts, platform deadlifts, snatch-grip deadlifts, high pulls, and power cleans would all be excellent lower body pulling movements. Dumbbell bench presses and barbell bench presses of all sorts, as well as overhead presses and dips would all be great upper bo

First off, before you read this entry I would advise that you head on over to T-Muscle and read the latest article by Dan John entitled " The Problem with Hypertrophy Programs ." Otherwise, you might just be lost. With that out of the way, let's get to the post... Training Entry #3: The One with the Dan John Workout Tonight, I had a cold. (Odd thing about these "training entries": When I wrote the first one, that was the last time I had a cold.) I didn't feel too good, but I also wasn't going to miss a workout. I don't miss workouts—period. I might take planned layoffs on occasion; even if the plan pops into my head a day before the workout. But the planned layoff is different—it's only because I know that my body needs a break to recover. "I got a plan" I told Puddin upon his arrival at the Wreckin' Crew gym. (Okay, it's not really called "The Wreckin' Crew", but to understand you need to read the past ent

Old-Time Bodybuilding Methods: Train Through the Soreness I know this method's going to be a bit controversial, given all the emphasis in muscle magazines the past few years on giving your muscles enough time to "recuperate" and "repair." But, let me explain, and maybe I'll have a few converts (especially once you put the method to proper use). I think it's mistakenly believed that bodybuilders of the past trained so frequently (usually 3x weekly for each bodypart) because they simply didn't know any better. But, if you were to ask the great Bill Pearl if he would change the way he used to train considering all the new "knowledge" about recovery, he would flatly tell you, "no." The same goes for longtime Iron Man contributor George Turner. He's seen it all, and done it all, and still believes frequent, volume-oriented training is better. One of the reasons bodybuilders who train each bodypart once-per-

I talked to my Uncle Kirk tonight. He lives in Texas. He stands about an inch taller than me—he's 5'7". He weighs about 10 pounds heavier than I do—he's 200 lbs or so. He's also 58 years old, and built like the proverbial brick shit-house. He also trains in a barn—squat rack, a bench press, a few barbells, lots of dumbbells, and a whole crap-load of weights—with a few guys who are probably 30 years younger than him. He's been training since his teens, can bench press in the mid-300s, and can deadlift around 500 pounds—not as strong as he once was, but all-in-all still a pretty strong S.O.B. He calls me to talk training, and we just like to keep each other updated as to the kind of progress we're making and the kind of workouts we're performing. "What'd you do tonight?" I asked. "A 10 sets workout," he replied. I know that my Uncle doesn't use a "split" routine—never has—so I was

Over the past year, two of my workout programs seem to be the most popular—at least, I get asked the most questions about these two programs. The first program would be my "Mass Construction" program. The Mass Construction routine is ideal for anyone who needs to pack on as much muscle as possible in a relatively short amount of time. However, I think that the second program—what I call "High-Frequency Focus Training"—has the most potential. It's not just a workout program, but rather it's a system of training with a lot of potential—and by this I mean that it is a template that you follow, but it allows for plenty of variety, hence its potential . What follows in this post is the basic program—with a beginner routine and an advanced routine. After this post, I'm going to add some others that deal with specialization while on the HFFT system, since that's the area where a lot of questions get asked. High Frequency Focus Training Sometim

The following is an article from the always-great Bill Starr entitled "Low-Rep Lowdown." Starr, of course, always remains my favorite strength coach and writer—I'm amazed sometimes that he still gets so much attention from the mainstream magazines. But, then again, it could be that Iron Man —never one to shy away from heavy, basic training articles (after all, I have written for them since the early '90s)—knows what they have in Starr, and they don't plan on letting him go. Anyway, it's always nice to see Starr's byline next to an article—you know it's always going to be good stuff. This one is no exception. Low-Rep Lowdown by Bill Starr Currently there’s a trend in strength and fitness training to shy away from doing lower reps—threes, twos and singles. It’s largely due to the influence of those who are responsible for programs in high schools, colleges and the pro ranks. And, of course, personal trainers. The reason: safety. What those in cha

The following is an article that I wrote a few years ago for T-Nation (now "T-Muscle"—I always thought T-Nation had a better ring to it). If you're into full-body workouts—and if you're not, then you NEED to get into them—the training program presented herein is one of the best. Train Long, Not Hard by C.S. Sloan You hear it all the time. It's one of the favorite sayings from high-intensity pundits and other "briefer is better" trainees. It goes something like this: You can either train long or you can train hard, but you can't do both. You know what? It's a pretty damn good quote, one I wouldn't mind using myself when I talk to different lifters seeking advice. The problem is that everyone seems to assume that the answer is to train harder . I don't exactly agree. In fact, I think the better option is to train longer , not harder. If you've been reading Testosterone for any lengthy period of time, then it's possible that you&#