Old Gold from the Living Legend!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Before I cover the Bruno Sammartino
course, let me say something very
important:

THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up,
took action, and grabbed a copy of the
Dinosaur Training Military Press Course!

We had a great response, and we've been
getting great feedback on it -- and as
I've said before, I can't do this without
you -- so once again, THANK YOU!

And now -- in response to 20 bazillion
emails -- more info on the Bruno Sammartino
Course.

The course is long out of print, and it's
more or less impossible to find -- so the
following summary is "old gold" (to quote
my mentor, Bradley J. Steiner):

1. This was a course for beginners, so Bruno
kept the volume pretty low. You did 3 x 6 on
all of your exercises. As you got stronger,
you could add a warmup set on heavier exercises
such as squats and bench presses, so you'd do
4 x 6 on them.

2. You trained with wts 3x per week -- and on
two other days you did a bodyweight workout.

3. You made progress by gradually adding weight
to the bar. Bruno emphasized the importance of
SMALL increases in weight. Over time, the small
increases in weight would add up to BIG GAINS!

The weight work was as follows:

1. Parallel squat

2. Bench press

3. Barbell curl

4. Press behind neck

5. Upright rowing

6. Sit-ups

The bodyweight work looked like this:

1. Hindu squats 1 or 2 sets

2. Hindu pushups 1 or 2 sets

3. Behind the neck pull-ups 2 sets

4. Calf isometrics

5. Neck isometrics

On the bodyweight work, you did whatever reps
you could do at the beginning and gradually
added reps, working up to 100 reps in Hindu
squats and Hindu pushups, and 15 reps in
pull-ups.

Also, Bruno urged trainees to include some
running or jogging -- perhaps a mile or two
a couple of times a week. he said this was
particularly important if you were trying out
for a high school sports team.

Now, a couple of quick notes, so don't flood
me with emails:

1. I would suggest adding a heavy pulling
movement such as deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts.

2. Older lifters will probably find that this is
too much work for them. Consider training one day,
resting the next, and so on. Weights in one
session, bodyweight in the next.

2A. Older lifters often find that jogging or
running is too hard on their knees, ankles, hips
and feet. Other forms of conditioning work that
spread the load and protect the joints work better
for them. See GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON for some
ideas on conditioning work that is better suited
to older guys.

2B. Walking is good. Don't underestimate the
benefit of walking.

2C. The above also applies to younger trainees
who are carrying 200 pounds or more. Even if
it's muscle, it's a lot of weight to be carrying
for a 2 mile run. Lifters are not long distance
runners, and they need to train accordingly.

3. After you get past the beginner stage, most
of you will do better with divided workouts, as
I describe in DINOSAUR TRAINING, CHALK AND
SWEAT, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON, and STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER.

4. The pull-up and pushup variations in DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING -- as well as the bridging
exercises and rope squats -- would work well
on the bodyweight days.

5. Be careful with press behind neck -- I'd
suggest military presses instead.

6. Ditto for behind neck pull-ups -- they're
tough on the shoulders. Do pull-ups to the chest.

7. Bruno emphasized that the key to getting good
results was to STICK WITH YOUR TRAINING. He noted
that many of his friends started training -- but
then quit. Bruno didn't quit. He stuck with it.
That was the secret to his success.

All in all, this was a basic, simple course for
beginners -- back when weight training was new
to most people -- and it did an excellent job
of getting young guys started the right way.

I don't know how many guys got into training as
a result of this little course -- and I don't
know how many tons of muscle it built or how
much lifting power it developed -- or how
many star athletes it created -- but I bet
the results would surprise us!

Oh, and before I forget -- my buddy Jan Dellinger
got started with this very same course "back in
the day." He covers it in detail in a chapter
in THE DELLINGER FILES, VOL. I. You can find
it here:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/dellinger-files-volume-i-0

As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. if you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can find DINOSAUR TRAINING, DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON,
CHALK AND SWEAT, and STRENGTH MUSCLE AND POWER
right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

2. Go here to grab a copy of THE DINOSAUR
MILITARY PRESS AND SHOULDER POWER COURSE:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

3. The DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING COURSE is one of
our best-sellers -- and it's right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: ""I could go on
infinitely offering more reasons why weight
lifting is beneficial for men and women of all
ages." -- Bob Hoffman

Two Men Standing!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick things.

Thing No. 1 -- we're down to TWO copies
of the bonus photo for the Military Press
Course, so if you want one, take
immediate action. They're a bonus
item, so once they're gone, that's it:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

Thing No. 2 -- in response to numerous
questions, yes, I am doing seminars this
year in the USA. If you'd like to attend
a Dino Training seminar, do this:

1. Send me an email with your name, age,
where you live and what cities are close
enough to travel to to see a seminar.

2. Let me know what topics you'd like me
to cover.

3. Let me know of any good gyms to hold a
seminar at.

I'm compiling responses, and I'll plan to go
to the places where there's the highest
response, so if the idea of a seminar sounds
good to you (and it sure sounds good to
me --- I want to meet as many Dinos as I
can) -- then step up and let me hear from
you asap!

Thing No. 3. Yes, yes, yes -- I'll give you
some more info about the Bruno Sammartino
course I mentioned in an email message over
the weekend.

Be looking for it tomorrow!

Dino Man over and out.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My books, courses, DVD's, and other Dino
goodies are in the usual place:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

Feedback on the Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder Power Course!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We're almost out of the special bonus
photo I was giving to readers who ordered
the Dinosaur Military Press Course.

As in, we have just six of them left.

So if you want one -- well, you know what
I'm going to say. Something like "Move
faster than Tommy Kono hitting a World
record snatch!" -- or "Move faster than
Bruno Sammartino drop kicking Killer
Kowalski -- or "Move faster than dinner
disappearing when John Grimek sat down
at the table after a heavy workout!"

Seriously, the pre-pub special is over,
but I still have six of the bonus photos,
and I need to find homes for them -- so it's
first come, first served, order the course,
ask for the bonus photo, and as long as I
have them, I'll shoot them out with the
courses.

To order the course, go here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

Speaking of the new course, here's more
feedback from readers who already received
their copy:

"Received the shoulder course in noon mail!
Plan to make Dino Strength Athletes out of
my two 13 year old grandsons. Thanks for
helping us to get away from the bomb, blast,
blitz nonsense." -- Ben Mitcham

"All photos were great, but the photo of your
back on page 26 (doing the handstand pushup)
is one of the best back shots I have ever
seen. I'm not into bodybuilding but that one
is a classic. This is one more visual
demonstration that Dinosaur techniques work."
-- Ben Oldham

"Got mine today, finished already, going to
use it as my next program." -- Nick Montgomery

"Rec'd the course yesterday and I am quite
pleased (as usual) with the content and
quality of the course. The course (along
with your Going Strong at 54 DVD) has helped
clarify some questions I had regarding proper
form. The bonus photo of Grimek is great (I'm
gonna put it up in my office), and thanks for
the inspiring note and autograph!" -- Geoffrey
Smith

"I rec'd the Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course today. All I can say is -- Wow,
and Thank You!" -- Rick Helley

"I got my package of goodies today. Thanks
for taking the time to sign the course. Mr.
Grimek looks very solid and hard and not
baloony (is that a word?) like the modern
chumps -- sorry, I mean champs. What a guy!"
-- Larry Garcia

"The Dinosaur Military Press Course hit
Zanesville today. This is great stuff, and
the photo of Grimek is first class. Thanks
for the autograph." -- Don Graham

"I rec'd the Military Press Course on Sat. I
particularly liked the input from Kono, Berger,
Anderson, and Vinci." -- Chris Driver

So, as you can see, the course is a big hit.

That's great, of course, and makes me feel
like a very proud papa. But it does raise a
question -- what do I do next?

What do the Dinos want to see next?

Any suggestions? Shoot in your ideas to
Dino HQ!

As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. As I said, we're down to SIX bonus photos --
so if you want one, move FAST:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

P.S. 2. Save clams on s&h by combining orders --
go here to see all the various Dino goodies:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The athlete, in
projecting his total body strength in competitive
situations, must mold the strength of localized
muscle areas into a total coordinated body
effort." -- John Jesse

Old-School Training with Bruno Sammartino!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of
pro wrestling. I bought all the wrestling
magazines I could find (Wrestling review
and The Ring Wrestler were favorites),
and I watched the AWA matches on UHF
TV.

I saw Crusher and Bruiser, Verne Gagne,
Billy Red Lyons, Red Bastien, Luis Martinez,
Wilbur Snyder, Prince Pullens, Yukon Moose
Cholak and Eduardo Carpontier. I cheered
for all of them.

But I never saw my favorite wrestler on
TV. I only read about him in the magazines.

He was Bruno Sammartino, the Italian
Strongman who ruled the WWWF (the predecessor
to the WWE) for many long and glorious years.

Bruno was a thickly muscled weightlifter
and powerlifter, who had set a world record
in the bench press with a whopping 565 pounds.

They said he was the strongest man in wrestling,
and he sure looked like it.

One day, I was reading a wrestling magazine,
and I spotted an ad for a training course that
Bruno had written. Needless to say, I ordered
the little monster immediately.

The course was great. It combined weight training
and bodyweight exercises. You lifted three times
per week and did the bodyweight course on two other
days.

Bruno also suggested that you do some running if
you planned to go out for any high school sports.

For a teenager, that was pretty good advice.

An older trainee would find it tough to hit three
weight training workouts, two bodyweight workouts
AND do some running. It would work better to do
2 weight training workouts and one bodyweight
workout -- or to train three times per week or
every other day and alternate between weight work
and bodyweight work. The running (or other cardio)
could come in on off days or (better) after the
weight training or bodyweight sessions.

Of course, another way of doing things is to
combine weight work and bodyweight training in the
same workout. You can do this by selecting one or
two barbell or dumbbell exercises and one or two
bodyweight exercises. Use a divided workout
schedule so you have three different workouts,
using different exercises in each of them, and
rotate between them.

I was thinking about this because so many Dinos
have ordered Dinosaur Bodyweight Training -- and
many of them have been combining bodyweight
workouts with weight training workouts.

I go into more detail on how to do it in
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training -- and I even
include a special bonus that gives you step
by step instruction on how to combine the two
training methods.

So I guess we're carrying on a time-tested and
time-honored tradition -- one that goes back to
the original Bruno Sammartino Course (and even
earlier).

Serious iron. Serious bodyweight training. They're
both great. Put them together, and you have
something that's double great.

As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can grab Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
right here. If you'd like me to autograph your
copy, just include a request in the special
instructions section of the on-line order form:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. My other books, courses and DVD's are right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Wrestlers need a
particular kind of strength. They require all-
round development." -- George Hackenschmidt

Squats, Deadlifts and More!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Couple of quick notes, and then we'll talk
about training.

1. The printer is finishing up the last batch
of copies of the new Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course -- so the pre0publication special
is coming to a close very soon. If you want to
grab a copy and get the special bonus photo (a
great photo of John Grimek doing some seriously
heavy lifting), do it now:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

2. If you need to wait until payday or you want
to send a ck or money order, shoot me an email
and I'll put you on the pre-publication list --
but you need to let me know TODAY!

3. Some of you may already have rec'd your course
and bonus photo -- or you may get them in today's
mail. When that happens, shoot me an email and let
me know how you like the little monster!

On the training front, several readers have asked
about doing the 20-rep breathing squat program with
deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts instead of squats.

"Will it work?"they ask.

Of course it will!

The squat and the deadlift are very similar exercises.
They both work the legs, hips and back -- they both
allow you to use lots of weight -- and they both
cause plenty of puffing and panting. So yes, the
deadlift works well as a substitute for the
breathing squat. Ditto for the Trap Bar deadlift.

The disadvantage of the deadlift and the Trap Bar
deadlift is that you can't hold onto the bar for
20 reps and take 5 or 6 deep breaths in-between
reps unless you have a super strong grip and
you're using a relatively light weight on the
bar.

Instead, most lifters do a rep, place the bar
on the floor and take take their 5 or 6 deep
breaths -- and then do another rep, lower the
bar, and repeat.

Another option is to do a rep, hold onto the
bar and do the breathing -- and then lower the
bar -- let go -- pause and shake your hands for
a few seconds (to get the blood flowing a bit
and to loosen the fingers up -- then grab the
bar and do another rep. If you have a good grip,
you'll be able to do 20 reps with a decent
amount of weight.

Still another option is to do five non-stop reps
(and the breathing on each rep) -- and then pause
and shake your hands -- and then do another five
non-stop reps and breathing -- and repeat the
process until you've done 20 reps.

I once did a program where I would do 100 reps in
the Trap Bar deadlift with 315 pounds. I did them
in "sets" of five, with a short pause between "sets."
And yes -- it was a tough workout!

And remember -- after your deadlifts or Trap Bar
deadlifts, do one or two sets of light breathing
pullovers to stretch the rib-cage!

As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Remember -- if you want to grab the Military
Press course and get the special bonus photo, do
it now:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

P.S. 2. For more bulk and power programs -- including
breathing squat programs and other specialization
programs to build maximum muscle mass as fast as
possible, grab a copy of CHALK AND SWEAT:

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Will-power is necessary
to keep in perfect health, and will-power can only be
developed in a truly healthy body." -- Dr. Walter
LaBerge

Massive Madness at Dino HQ!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It was a wild and crazy day at Dino
Headquarters yesterday.

First of all, we rec'd the January issue
of the Dinosaur Files newsletter (which
ran a bit late this month -- sorry about
that!) -- and so it was nonstop envelope
stuffing for yours truly. You'd have
laughed to see me sitting at the table
in the breakfast room, fighting with the
tape dispenser when it jammed up!

Next, we got a late in the day call from
the printer -- some but not all of the
copies of the new Dinosaur Military Press
Course were ready to be picked up -- so
Trudi and I hopped in the car
and drove over to get them.

On the way back, we stopped at the office
supply store for more tape -- and then it
was right back into packing mode for Trudi
and autographing courses for the folks who
want their course autographed. (Many do,
and I ended up with double writer's cramp.)

The course looks GREAT -- as does the special
bonus photo. If you ordered a copy, you're
really in for a treat.

So here's the deal for today.

We're going to continue to autograph courses,
pack them up and ship them out.

When the printer has more courses ready, we'll
go grab them and continue the drill.

The final batch of courses probably won't be
ready until tomorrow morning -- but when they
are, we'll go get them and pack them and ship
them.

The pre-publication special for the Military
Press course ends when the courses are printed --
but since the last course won't be printed and
in my hands until sometime tomorrow, we'll
keep the pre-publication special open until
that happens.

That's good for anyone who's been sitting on the
fence, because you can still order and get the
special bonus photo featuring John Grimek and
some serious iron. It's one of the all-time
GREAT lifting photos -- and it will look great
on the wall of your home gym (or anywhere else
you'd like to hang some serious motivation and
inspiration).

The other thing I'm going to do is shoot you a
second email with some interesting Iron Game
history. Grip gorillas will be particularly
interested in this one.

Okay, back to work for me! As always, thanks for
reading and have a great day. If you train today,
make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can grab your copy of the Dinosaur
Military Press Course -- and the bonus photo --
right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

P.S. 2. My other books, courses, DVD's, and the
world famous Dinosaur Files newsletter are available
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Hail to the Dinosaurs! --
Brooks Kubik

Time to Call the Printer!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As soon as I finish this message, I'm going
to proof the final draft of the Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course, review two photos that we rescanned
to sharpen them up -- review the special
bonus photo (one of the best John Grimek
photos of all time) -- and then call the
printer with any final changes.

If there are no final changes, I'm going to
call the printer and say, "Go ahead and print
the little monster!"

So that means we're just about ready to
roll -- and it also means the pre-publication
special is just about over. The bonus photo
is only available during the pre-publication
special so if you want the bonus, you need to
take immediate action.

You can reserve your copy of the Military Press
course right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

I'll follow up with another post a bit later in
the day, but right now I need to go proof that
final draft -- and then call the printer!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Several readers are saving on s&h by ordering
other products with their Military Press Course. It
packages well with the Doug Hepburn Training Course
and the Dinosar Arm Training Course -- and it also
packs well with Dinosaur Bodyweight Training. But we
can use a different size box and ship the little
monster with anything you'd like. So if you want
to make it Christmas in January, head on over to
Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html