C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

I haven't lifted weights in almost a week. My sons and I took a trip to the mountains of Tennessee for a few days. We arrived back this afternoon. After taking it easy at my house for a spell, we decided it was time they return to their mother—she was missing them, after all. And I was DYING to hit the weights again. Once my children were safely returned, and their mother and I said our cordial goodbyes, I headed over to the "wrecking gym" where I train. Only to find, much to my chagrin, that the garage was more than just a little bit infested with... fleas. Must be this sweltering Alabama heat—I know summer has just arrived, but it seems like every day for the last month the heat index has been over 110 degrees. Could be all the dogs that hang out around the gym. Well, whatever it is, tomorrow it will be time to spray the pesky critters. (Yes, yes, I'm aware that the fleas are—technically speaking—a "sentient being", but I'm afraid they're st

To fail or not to fail... that is the question. We're talking training to failure, of course. On one side of the spectrum, you have strength coaches such as Chad Waterbury and Charles Staley (and I suppose myself in recent years) who seem to never recommend training to failure. On the other side of the spectrum, you have the great strength coach Charles Poliquin, and bodybuilding writers/trainers such as Steve Holman, Eric Broser (and whoever the hell invented that Doggcrapp—yes, that's the actual name of the training system for those of you who don't know— crap) who seem to always recommend training to failure. The million dollar question: Who's right? I think the answer is both—as long as certain criteria are adhered to for the most part. I haven't always felt that way. If you read my early writing for Iron Man magazine and MuscleMag International —I used to write quite a bit for those magazines 10 to 15 years ago—then you would have assumed I was a training

For those of you looking for a torturous workout—or for those of you just looking for something new—the following squat program from Bill Starr definitely fits the bill. Hardest workout ever? I'm not sure about that, but it's probably not far off base. Couple words of advice: Don't try this unless you're in shape. And, two, I would add this to the end of your typical workout the first time you try it. That way, you don't have to do anything but lie on the floor in agony, attempting to recover. Time to Squat By: Bill Starr Most readers of this magazine want to make continuous progress and move their top-end numbers up on a regular basis. Change is an excellent method of achieving those goals. Changing a routine, even slightly, can instill enthusiasm for your workouts. Anything that helps you look forward to your next session in the weight room is a positive thing. Some people get along just fine doing the same routine for a long time. Jerry Hardy and I coached to

Here's an article that I wrote for Iron Man back in 2003. It's probably been my most "controversial" article (or, at least, it was when I wrote it, which was probably a year or two before it was actually published). If I was to write this again, there are some things I would change—my training theories have evolved slightly in the seven years since. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good article (if I do say so myself). Myths of Might If you’ve been bodybuilding for a long time, listening to your buddies at the gym and reading the garbage that appears in bodybuilding magazines, and you have not given any serious thought to powerlifting or strength-event training, the warning at right is for you. The fact is, almost all of the trainees at your local health club know virtually zero when it comes to getting truly strong. That doesn’t have to be you. Read about the following myths, trust in the truth of what is said, and if you’re still not a believer,

"I f someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his life to, I would answer: training. Train more than you sleep." —Masutatsu Oyama (founder of Kyokushin Karate-Do)

" So the lesson here is, stop separating things out. Stop drawing these artificial lines from the person you are in the gym to the person you are in church. It comes down to one thing: integrity. Integrity has a meaning in theology and in morality: it means being the person that you say you are. The key to integrity is to keep you one person. Don't be this person in one environment, that person in the next. I've known many people who would rip you off in a heartbeat, but then tell you that they have to rush off to church. Be one person, one consistent person, so at your funeral they're all talking about the same guy. I think once you do that, the universe seems to conspire to help you out." —Dan John (strength coach)

I enjoy reading T-Muscle. Overall, they have more good articles than most any other bodybuilding magazine or on-line bodybuilding site, but I have to say that the best thing about them is Dan John—if it wasn't for T-Muscle then I would never have been introduced to some of the best training articles (and honest advice) from the pen of Dan John. He ranks right up there with Bill Starr and George Turner. If you don't believe me, then be sure to read T-Muscle's latest interview with him. Just click on the link below: Sucker Punch: Dan John