Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I finished the July issue of The Dinosaur
Files yesterday, and it looks pretty darn
good.
I've changed the format a bit in this issue,
making it look more like a magazine than a
newsletter. We have way more photos in this
issue than in previous issues. Most of them
are photos of old-time champions. I like to
use them to show readers the kind of strength
and muscle men built "back in the day" -- on
nothing but heavy iron, hard work, regular
training, and a healthy diet of good, whole-
some foods. No drugs, no protein powder, and no
supplements. They didn't need them.
The cover photo features two great BEFORE and
AFTER photos from the 1920's. It shows a man
who weighed 97 lbs. at age 21 -- who then built
himself up to 120 lbs. (which we see in photo
no. 1) -- and then all the way up to 193 lbs.
That's a gain of nearly 100 lbs. of muscle --
way back in the 1920's.
We also have photos of:
The German Colossus, Hermann Goerner
Sig Klein and a classic globe barbell
Weightlifting Champ Ron Walker
Otto Arco in his 50's -- looking better than most
men half his age!
John Davis and 400 lbs. of iron and steel
John Grimek -- and all I can say is WOW!
Geraldine Baillargeon -- one of the strongest women
of her generation
Paul Anderson hitting a super heavy press
Weightlifter and World Record Holder, Clyde Emrich
George Hackenschmidt -- looking like he was carved
out of solid marble
And much more! 26 photos total!
We'll drop the July issue in the mail on Friday or
Saturday, so be looking for it soon!
And yes, you can still subscribe to The Dinosaur Files!
Start your subscription now and we'll send May 2011,
June 2011 and July 2011 in one package -- and then send
you one issue per month thru April, 2012. That way, you'll
get all 12 issues for the 2011 - 2012 subscription year.
We also have all of the back issues for the 2010 - 2011
subscription year.
Remember, the Dinosaur Files is NOT available by email. It
is an old-fashioned, printed on paper, mailed to you in an
envelope, postman delivers it monthly magazine -- and you
have to subscribe to receive it.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. To grab a 12 issue subscription to the Dinosaur Files,
(May 2011 - April 2012), go here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
To grab the complete set of 12 back issues from May 2010 to
April 2011, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
The Magic Pound A Day Weight Gaining Drink!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was in junior high and high school,
the muscle magazines sold something called
Crash Weight Gain Formula No. 7. I always
wondered what happened to Formulas 1 - 6,
and why they stopped at 7 instead of going
on to Formula No. 8, No. 9 and so on.
According to the advertisements, you were
supposed to gain a pound of muscle a day by
chugging the stuff.
It came pre-mixed in little cans, so all you
had to do was pop the top and enjoy a "great
tasting" drink. It came in chocolate, straw-
berry and vanilla if memory serves correctly.
It sounded great, and at 82 pounds of scrawny
skinniness, I was desperate to try the stuff.
The problem was, it cost a whole clam -- meaning
a deer with antlers on his head -- otherwise
known as a green-back -- for just one can. So
drinking 3 or 4 cans a day was out of the
question.
About 10 years later, the same magazines still
sold the stuff -- or something similar -- but
they also ran articles saying that the maximum
amount of muscle you could gain in one year was
(get this) -- THREE measly little pounds!
So my friends and I were mucho confused. One the
one hand, we all knew that if we spent tons of
wampum on cans of the magic weight-gaining drink,
we'd all gain a pound a day and look like Mr.
America, and strut around Muscle Beach and have
pretty girls in bikinis squeezing our biceps
all day long (just like the guys in the muscle
mags) -- but now we were told that we'd only be
able to gain THREE pounds a year, which worked
out to only 13.1 percent of ONE OZ. of muscle
per day -- and that included birthdays, Thanks-
giving Day and Christmas, when everyone always
ate a lot.
Three pounds per year meant that it would
take TEN YEARS to gain 30 pounds -- and none of
us could wait that long. We wanted big muscles
now!
I thought about it a long time -- and I finally
decided that someone (I wasn't sure who) was
selling me a bill of goods.
Later on, I learned how to gain some serious
muscle. I did it by following the types of training
programs detailed in my various books and courses.
There was nothing fancy about the process -- nothing
exotic -- and nothing mysterious. It was all about
intelligently applied hard work on the RIGHT exercises
and the RIGHT kind of training programs.
I eventually ended up weighing 225 pounds. And I never
drank a single sip of Crash Weight Gain Formula No.7 --
and I got there a wee bit faster than 3 pounds a year.
You may or may not be looking to add some serious muscle.
If you are, Dinosaur Training can get you there -- and
it can do it very, very fast.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Doug Hepburn was one of the biggest, thickest, most
massively developed men who ever lived -- and one of the
very strongest. That's why I've prepared a 36 page training
course that covers his life, his diet and his training --
with 12 different programs for you modeled on Doug Hepburn's
actual training programs. If you want to add some serious
strength and size, this course will do the job:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
When I was in junior high and high school,
the muscle magazines sold something called
Crash Weight Gain Formula No. 7. I always
wondered what happened to Formulas 1 - 6,
and why they stopped at 7 instead of going
on to Formula No. 8, No. 9 and so on.
According to the advertisements, you were
supposed to gain a pound of muscle a day by
chugging the stuff.
It came pre-mixed in little cans, so all you
had to do was pop the top and enjoy a "great
tasting" drink. It came in chocolate, straw-
berry and vanilla if memory serves correctly.
It sounded great, and at 82 pounds of scrawny
skinniness, I was desperate to try the stuff.
The problem was, it cost a whole clam -- meaning
a deer with antlers on his head -- otherwise
known as a green-back -- for just one can. So
drinking 3 or 4 cans a day was out of the
question.
About 10 years later, the same magazines still
sold the stuff -- or something similar -- but
they also ran articles saying that the maximum
amount of muscle you could gain in one year was
(get this) -- THREE measly little pounds!
So my friends and I were mucho confused. One the
one hand, we all knew that if we spent tons of
wampum on cans of the magic weight-gaining drink,
we'd all gain a pound a day and look like Mr.
America, and strut around Muscle Beach and have
pretty girls in bikinis squeezing our biceps
all day long (just like the guys in the muscle
mags) -- but now we were told that we'd only be
able to gain THREE pounds a year, which worked
out to only 13.1 percent of ONE OZ. of muscle
per day -- and that included birthdays, Thanks-
giving Day and Christmas, when everyone always
ate a lot.
Three pounds per year meant that it would
take TEN YEARS to gain 30 pounds -- and none of
us could wait that long. We wanted big muscles
now!
I thought about it a long time -- and I finally
decided that someone (I wasn't sure who) was
selling me a bill of goods.
Later on, I learned how to gain some serious
muscle. I did it by following the types of training
programs detailed in my various books and courses.
There was nothing fancy about the process -- nothing
exotic -- and nothing mysterious. It was all about
intelligently applied hard work on the RIGHT exercises
and the RIGHT kind of training programs.
I eventually ended up weighing 225 pounds. And I never
drank a single sip of Crash Weight Gain Formula No.7 --
and I got there a wee bit faster than 3 pounds a year.
You may or may not be looking to add some serious muscle.
If you are, Dinosaur Training can get you there -- and
it can do it very, very fast.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Doug Hepburn was one of the biggest, thickest, most
massively developed men who ever lived -- and one of the
very strongest. That's why I've prepared a 36 page training
course that covers his life, his diet and his training --
with 12 different programs for you modeled on Doug Hepburn's
actual training programs. If you want to add some serious
strength and size, this course will do the job:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
Lucky 7 for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
They say that 7 is a lucky number.
They also say that July 7 -- 7-7 --
is a lucky day.
I don't know whether that's true, but
i do know this -- 7-7 is going to be a
lucky day for Dinosaurs because that's
probably going to be the day I receive
the shipment of my new book, BLACK IRON:
THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
If I don't get them on 7-8, I'll get them
on 7-8. So we'll call THAT a lucky day!
As soon as I have the shipment, I'll fill
all orders for Dinos who reserved a copy
during our pre-publication special.
Everyone who grabs a copy of the book
during the pre-publication special gets
a special bonus -- an 8 1/2 x 10 copy of
a killer photo of John Davis hoisting some
heavy iron back in the day. It's from 1940,
and to my knowledge, it's never been
published before -- so it's going to be
a real collector's item.
The pre-publication bonus is coming to an
end very soon -- so if you've been thinking
about ordering the book, do it now and grab
the special bonus as well!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the order page for BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save some wampum on s&h -- order two or
more of my books at one time:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
They say that 7 is a lucky number.
They also say that July 7 -- 7-7 --
is a lucky day.
I don't know whether that's true, but
i do know this -- 7-7 is going to be a
lucky day for Dinosaurs because that's
probably going to be the day I receive
the shipment of my new book, BLACK IRON:
THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
If I don't get them on 7-8, I'll get them
on 7-8. So we'll call THAT a lucky day!
As soon as I have the shipment, I'll fill
all orders for Dinos who reserved a copy
during our pre-publication special.
Everyone who grabs a copy of the book
during the pre-publication special gets
a special bonus -- an 8 1/2 x 10 copy of
a killer photo of John Davis hoisting some
heavy iron back in the day. It's from 1940,
and to my knowledge, it's never been
published before -- so it's going to be
a real collector's item.
The pre-publication bonus is coming to an
end very soon -- so if you've been thinking
about ordering the book, do it now and grab
the special bonus as well!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the order page for BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save some wampum on s&h -- order two or
more of my books at one time:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Strength, Muscle and Power for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I mentioned Strength, Muscle
and Power, and a number of you sent email
messages asking me what in the heck I was
talking about.
Now, whenever I get flooded in emails with
more or less the same question, I assume
that there are way more of you out there
who have the same question but didn't send
an email. So let me respond to everyone --
because this may be one of the best kept
secrets in the Iron Game.
For some reason, no one seems to know about
it.
In April of 2010 I published a book called
Strength, Muscle and Power. It has over 350
pages and 29 chapters.
It's a collection of articles I wrote for a
variety of magazines back in the 1990's. I've
collected my favorite articles, updated, edited,
revised, and expanded them -- and I've added
commentary to help you understand how the article
fits into my over-all philosophy of strength
training.
Some of the articles pre-date Dinosaur Training
(which was published in 1996) and some come later.
The book gives you tons of different training
programs, and covers a wide variety of topics --
many of which have never been covered in other
books or have been given only passing treatment.
But I cover them in detail.
Topics include:
Abbreviated Training and how it helped me gain
50 lbs. of muscle and become a lifting champion
My training for bench press comps (meaning how I
trained to win five national championships in the
bench press)
My training for powerlifting comps
How to design an effective training program --
with many examples of result-producing programs
Power rack training for advanced gains -- the
secret of success for so many lifters
Sensible training for advanced lifters and how
to keep those gains coming!
Rest-pause training for strength and bulk
Body-part specialization -- what works, and what
doesn't
Mind-power and motivation
Iron Game history
Strength training programs for cellar dwellers and
garage gorillas
Heavy sandbag training
Training with barrels
Finishers
Heavy awkward objects
The one-hand deadlift
Barbell-only grip blasters that will build hands like
iron claws
How to strengthen your tendons and ligaments
Ultra-abbreviated strength training programs
One-exercise training programs
And much more!
Everyone seems to know about Dinosaur Training --
and I assume ("Ahem!") that if you're reading this,
you already have a copy of DT -- but you may not
know about Strength, Muscle and Power, and if you
don't have it on your book shelf, you're missing a
very good, very informative, very important book.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day -- and if you train today (as I will) make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab Strength, Muscle and Power right here
at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 -- Save much wampum on s&h by ordering 2 or
more books or courses at the same time -- at last count,
I think we have 12 of them now, so there's lots to choose
from:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Yesterday I mentioned Strength, Muscle
and Power, and a number of you sent email
messages asking me what in the heck I was
talking about.
Now, whenever I get flooded in emails with
more or less the same question, I assume
that there are way more of you out there
who have the same question but didn't send
an email. So let me respond to everyone --
because this may be one of the best kept
secrets in the Iron Game.
For some reason, no one seems to know about
it.
In April of 2010 I published a book called
Strength, Muscle and Power. It has over 350
pages and 29 chapters.
It's a collection of articles I wrote for a
variety of magazines back in the 1990's. I've
collected my favorite articles, updated, edited,
revised, and expanded them -- and I've added
commentary to help you understand how the article
fits into my over-all philosophy of strength
training.
Some of the articles pre-date Dinosaur Training
(which was published in 1996) and some come later.
The book gives you tons of different training
programs, and covers a wide variety of topics --
many of which have never been covered in other
books or have been given only passing treatment.
But I cover them in detail.
Topics include:
Abbreviated Training and how it helped me gain
50 lbs. of muscle and become a lifting champion
My training for bench press comps (meaning how I
trained to win five national championships in the
bench press)
My training for powerlifting comps
How to design an effective training program --
with many examples of result-producing programs
Power rack training for advanced gains -- the
secret of success for so many lifters
Sensible training for advanced lifters and how
to keep those gains coming!
Rest-pause training for strength and bulk
Body-part specialization -- what works, and what
doesn't
Mind-power and motivation
Iron Game history
Strength training programs for cellar dwellers and
garage gorillas
Heavy sandbag training
Training with barrels
Finishers
Heavy awkward objects
The one-hand deadlift
Barbell-only grip blasters that will build hands like
iron claws
How to strengthen your tendons and ligaments
Ultra-abbreviated strength training programs
One-exercise training programs
And much more!
Everyone seems to know about Dinosaur Training --
and I assume ("Ahem!") that if you're reading this,
you already have a copy of DT -- but you may not
know about Strength, Muscle and Power, and if you
don't have it on your book shelf, you're missing a
very good, very informative, very important book.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day -- and if you train today (as I will) make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab Strength, Muscle and Power right here
at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 -- Save much wampum on s&h by ordering 2 or
more books or courses at the same time -- at last count,
I think we have 12 of them now, so there's lots to choose
from:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A Top 10 List for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Everyone loves top 10 lists, so let's
start the week with the top 10 giveaways
that someone doesn't know what he's talking
about when it comes to strength training:
10. No lifting shoes.
9. He doesn't own a jock-strap.
8. "Squats? No one does squats any more!"
7. "Those work much better if you stand on a
Swiss ball when you do them!"
6. "I read about it in last month's issue of
[fill in blank with any muscle comic]."
5. "We're gonna start you off with a 20 x 20
hypertrophy phase for four weeks."
4. "Power cleans? I already have a dish-washer!"
3. (Pointing to the power rack): "It's the
only safe way to do curls!"
2. "OMG, it's five minutes past the time to take
my amino acids -- I'm shrinking!"
1. "John Grimek -- who was John Grimek?"
Of course, the number one way to know that someone
really does know what's he's talking about is to
look in his gym bag or on his bookshelf. If there's
a dog-eared copy of Dinosaur Training, you know he
knows the score.
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. Over the past week I've had questions about one
hand deadlifts, grip strength, thick bar training, arm
specialization, power rack training, tendon and ligament
strength, abbreviated strength training, gaining muscular
bodyweight, how to design an effective training program
and how to train for maximum strength and power. I answer
every single one of those questions -- and much more --
in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Everyone loves top 10 lists, so let's
start the week with the top 10 giveaways
that someone doesn't know what he's talking
about when it comes to strength training:
10. No lifting shoes.
9. He doesn't own a jock-strap.
8. "Squats? No one does squats any more!"
7. "Those work much better if you stand on a
Swiss ball when you do them!"
6. "I read about it in last month's issue of
[fill in blank with any muscle comic]."
5. "We're gonna start you off with a 20 x 20
hypertrophy phase for four weeks."
4. "Power cleans? I already have a dish-washer!"
3. (Pointing to the power rack): "It's the
only safe way to do curls!"
2. "OMG, it's five minutes past the time to take
my amino acids -- I'm shrinking!"
1. "John Grimek -- who was John Grimek?"
Of course, the number one way to know that someone
really does know what's he's talking about is to
look in his gym bag or on his bookshelf. If there's
a dog-eared copy of Dinosaur Training, you know he
knows the score.
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. Over the past week I've had questions about one
hand deadlifts, grip strength, thick bar training, arm
specialization, power rack training, tendon and ligament
strength, abbreviated strength training, gaining muscular
bodyweight, how to design an effective training program
and how to train for maximum strength and power. I answer
every single one of those questions -- and much more --
in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
More Real World Strength Standards!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Let's continue to talk about re world strength
standards for drug free trainees.
Again, these are taken from the 1956 book WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS by Jim Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. I use the 1950's as a starting point
because we had (1) no drugs, and (2) no support
gear. So these are good standards for RAW lifters
and for those who (wisely) have opted to train
drug-free.
To recap:
1. The Two Hands Military Press with Barbell
Pressing a barbell equal to your own body
weight for one rep is rated as SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
Body weight plus 50 lbs. is rated as UNUSUAL
strength.
Body weight plus 100 pounds is rated as WORLD CLASS.
Note that we're talking about STRICT pressing. No
leg drive, no knee kick, no back bend. Just stand
on your feet and push the bar overhead with arm and
shoulder power.
2. The Two hands Barbell Curl
These are the standards for the STRICT barbell curl.
(STRICT! -- no cheating.)
One rep with 80 pounds under body weight is rated
as RESPECTABLE.
One rep with 50 to 30 pounds under body weight is
rated as SUPERIOR.
One rep with anything approaching body weight is
rated as WORLD CLASS.
Note: WORLD CLASS means as strong as the World and
Olympic champions in weightlifting. John Davis, for
example, curled 205 pounds at a body weight of about
220 pounds.
3. The Bench Press
Once again, we're talking strict. No bouncing. A pause
at the bottom. No raising the hips. No back arch.
Body weight plus 50 lbs. -- SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
Body weight plus 100 lbs. -- the goal of an ADVANCED
lifter.
Body weight plus 200 pounds -- WORLD CLASS.
Marvin Eder, weighing 195 lbs., bench pressed 480
lbs.
Chuck Vinci, a two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner,
pressed 325 lbs. at a weight of only 125 lbs.
Remember, these were RAW lifts!
4. The Squat
No knee wraps. No super suits. No bouncing. Strict
style all the way.
One rep with body weight -- achievable by any man.
50 lbs. over body weight -- starting to develop
superior strength.
100 lbs. over body weight -- your goal to work toward.
This should be achievable with hard work.
200 to 300 lbs. over body weight -- WORLD CLASS.
5. The Deadlift
Body weight plus 150 lbs. is rated as being within
anyone's reach.
200 lbs. over body weight is rated as SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
300 lbs. over body weight is rated as ADVANCED LIFTER
status.
400 to 500 lbs. over body weight is rated as WORLD
CLASS.
I hope that gives you food for thought and helps with
setting real-world goals for strength and power
training!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses are available right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Let's continue to talk about re world strength
standards for drug free trainees.
Again, these are taken from the 1956 book WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS by Jim Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. I use the 1950's as a starting point
because we had (1) no drugs, and (2) no support
gear. So these are good standards for RAW lifters
and for those who (wisely) have opted to train
drug-free.
To recap:
1. The Two Hands Military Press with Barbell
Pressing a barbell equal to your own body
weight for one rep is rated as SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
Body weight plus 50 lbs. is rated as UNUSUAL
strength.
Body weight plus 100 pounds is rated as WORLD CLASS.
Note that we're talking about STRICT pressing. No
leg drive, no knee kick, no back bend. Just stand
on your feet and push the bar overhead with arm and
shoulder power.
2. The Two hands Barbell Curl
These are the standards for the STRICT barbell curl.
(STRICT! -- no cheating.)
One rep with 80 pounds under body weight is rated
as RESPECTABLE.
One rep with 50 to 30 pounds under body weight is
rated as SUPERIOR.
One rep with anything approaching body weight is
rated as WORLD CLASS.
Note: WORLD CLASS means as strong as the World and
Olympic champions in weightlifting. John Davis, for
example, curled 205 pounds at a body weight of about
220 pounds.
3. The Bench Press
Once again, we're talking strict. No bouncing. A pause
at the bottom. No raising the hips. No back arch.
Body weight plus 50 lbs. -- SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
Body weight plus 100 lbs. -- the goal of an ADVANCED
lifter.
Body weight plus 200 pounds -- WORLD CLASS.
Marvin Eder, weighing 195 lbs., bench pressed 480
lbs.
Chuck Vinci, a two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner,
pressed 325 lbs. at a weight of only 125 lbs.
Remember, these were RAW lifts!
4. The Squat
No knee wraps. No super suits. No bouncing. Strict
style all the way.
One rep with body weight -- achievable by any man.
50 lbs. over body weight -- starting to develop
superior strength.
100 lbs. over body weight -- your goal to work toward.
This should be achievable with hard work.
200 to 300 lbs. over body weight -- WORLD CLASS.
5. The Deadlift
Body weight plus 150 lbs. is rated as being within
anyone's reach.
200 lbs. over body weight is rated as SUPERIOR STRENGTH.
300 lbs. over body weight is rated as ADVANCED LIFTER
status.
400 to 500 lbs. over body weight is rated as WORLD
CLASS.
I hope that gives you food for thought and helps with
setting real-world goals for strength and power
training!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses are available right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A Heavy Package Just Arrived at Dino Headquarters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I just rec'd a great big package from
the UPS delivery guy.
It's the final pre-flight proofs for
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
Now, that was kind of amazing, because
we had a terrible storm last night with
something like four or five tornadoes.
They came out of nowhere, with no
warning, while lots of people were
out on the roads, so it was a scary
night for many Louisvillians.
The first tornado hit some of the stables
at Churchill Downs (home of the world-famous
Kentucky Derby), as well as the University of
Louisville campus (home of the world-
famous Louisville Cardinals) -- and one
of them managed to scare all of us when
it came out of nowhere and touched down
close enough to my daughter in law that
she could see it while driving home.
The step-son (her husband) happened to be
over here, and it was a tense couple of
minutes when she called him to say, "Hey,
I'm on the expressway and I see a tornado."
Especially when her cell phone then clicked
off right after she said it.
Luckily, it moved past her and away --
and I think that was the one that hit
Churchill Downs.
The UPS hub was close to all the action,
and over a period of two or three hours
it had four or five tornadoes go over,
around or close to it.
But nothing hit the UPS hub -- and even if
it had, my package would have been okay.
How do I know?
Because it's so darn HEAVY!
Nothing would have blown it away.
This is my 10th book, and I'm very familiar
with the printing process and the pre-flight
proofs and what they look and feel like -- and
this one is a MONSTER.
7 x 10, with 496 pages.
That includes 16 pages of photos -- many of them
never published before.
And for everyone who orders during the pre-publication
special, the package will also include a special bonus:
an 8 1/2 x 11 copy of a photo of John Davis handling
some very serious iron -- from way back in December,
1940. It's never been published before, and it's a
real collector's item.
The printer will ship the books to me on JULY 7.
I should get them on JULY 9 or JULY 10 -- and as soon
as I do, we'll fill all orders.
So, it won't be long now -- and this is going to be
something very, very special.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Yes, you can still reserve a copy of BLACK IRON
and get the bonus photo -- but do it NOW:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save some wampum on s&h -- order two or more
books, one of them being BLACK IRON, and ask us to
ship everything in one package when BLACK IRON ships.
I just rec'd a great big package from
the UPS delivery guy.
It's the final pre-flight proofs for
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
Now, that was kind of amazing, because
we had a terrible storm last night with
something like four or five tornadoes.
They came out of nowhere, with no
warning, while lots of people were
out on the roads, so it was a scary
night for many Louisvillians.
The first tornado hit some of the stables
at Churchill Downs (home of the world-famous
Kentucky Derby), as well as the University of
Louisville campus (home of the world-
famous Louisville Cardinals) -- and one
of them managed to scare all of us when
it came out of nowhere and touched down
close enough to my daughter in law that
she could see it while driving home.
The step-son (her husband) happened to be
over here, and it was a tense couple of
minutes when she called him to say, "Hey,
I'm on the expressway and I see a tornado."
Especially when her cell phone then clicked
off right after she said it.
Luckily, it moved past her and away --
and I think that was the one that hit
Churchill Downs.
The UPS hub was close to all the action,
and over a period of two or three hours
it had four or five tornadoes go over,
around or close to it.
But nothing hit the UPS hub -- and even if
it had, my package would have been okay.
How do I know?
Because it's so darn HEAVY!
Nothing would have blown it away.
This is my 10th book, and I'm very familiar
with the printing process and the pre-flight
proofs and what they look and feel like -- and
this one is a MONSTER.
7 x 10, with 496 pages.
That includes 16 pages of photos -- many of them
never published before.
And for everyone who orders during the pre-publication
special, the package will also include a special bonus:
an 8 1/2 x 11 copy of a photo of John Davis handling
some very serious iron -- from way back in December,
1940. It's never been published before, and it's a
real collector's item.
The printer will ship the books to me on JULY 7.
I should get them on JULY 9 or JULY 10 -- and as soon
as I do, we'll fill all orders.
So, it won't be long now -- and this is going to be
something very, very special.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Yes, you can still reserve a copy of BLACK IRON
and get the bonus photo -- but do it NOW:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save some wampum on s&h -- order two or more
books, one of them being BLACK IRON, and ask us to
ship everything in one package when BLACK IRON ships.
Real World Strength Standards
Hail to the dinosaurs!
Let's continue yesterday's theme about
what constitutes real world, no nonsense
strength training goals for a drug-free
lifter -- and again, let's do it by looking
at the standards in the 1956 classic, WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS.
Yesterday we talked about the two hands
military press with barbell. One rep with
a barbell equal to your own body weight is
rated as superior. 50 pounds over your body
weight is unusual. 100 pounds over your body
weight is world class -- as in, that would
put you up there with World champions in
Olympic weightlifting in the 1950's.
Let's move on to the bench press -- and pls
remember, these are based on standards from
the mid 1950's, so we're talking about drug-
free lifters, no support gear, and strict
performance.
Benching a barbell equal to your own body
weight is good.
50 pounds over body weight is superior.
100 pounds over body weight is an excellent
performance.
200 pounds over your own body weight puts you
up there with the very strongest men in the
world.
What about barbell curls -- as in, a single
STRICT curl (using 2 hands)?
Remember -- we're not talking cheat curls,
swing curls, power curls or anything else that
looks like a walrus trying to do a back flip.
A single lift in the 2 hands barbell curl with
a barbell loaded to 80 pounds under your own
body weight is respectable.
50 pounds under body weight is superior.
Anything close to your own body weight for one
rep in the STRICT barbell curl ranks you among
the strongest men in the world.
We'll cover squats and deadlifts tomorrow -- so
be looking for my Thursday morning email!
As always, have a great day, and if you hit the
iron, hit it hard and heavy!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You want to know about STRONG? Then reserve
your copy of BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY --
the big (496 page) new book from Dinosaur Training.
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- and subscriptions
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Let's continue yesterday's theme about
what constitutes real world, no nonsense
strength training goals for a drug-free
lifter -- and again, let's do it by looking
at the standards in the 1956 classic, WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS.
Yesterday we talked about the two hands
military press with barbell. One rep with
a barbell equal to your own body weight is
rated as superior. 50 pounds over your body
weight is unusual. 100 pounds over your body
weight is world class -- as in, that would
put you up there with World champions in
Olympic weightlifting in the 1950's.
Let's move on to the bench press -- and pls
remember, these are based on standards from
the mid 1950's, so we're talking about drug-
free lifters, no support gear, and strict
performance.
Benching a barbell equal to your own body
weight is good.
50 pounds over body weight is superior.
100 pounds over body weight is an excellent
performance.
200 pounds over your own body weight puts you
up there with the very strongest men in the
world.
What about barbell curls -- as in, a single
STRICT curl (using 2 hands)?
Remember -- we're not talking cheat curls,
swing curls, power curls or anything else that
looks like a walrus trying to do a back flip.
A single lift in the 2 hands barbell curl with
a barbell loaded to 80 pounds under your own
body weight is respectable.
50 pounds under body weight is superior.
Anything close to your own body weight for one
rep in the STRICT barbell curl ranks you among
the strongest men in the world.
We'll cover squats and deadlifts tomorrow -- so
be looking for my Thursday morning email!
As always, have a great day, and if you hit the
iron, hit it hard and heavy!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You want to know about STRONG? Then reserve
your copy of BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY --
the big (496 page) new book from Dinosaur Training.
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- and subscriptions
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Mustard, Catch-Up and Heavy Iron!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Couple of quick catch-ups, and then some
heavy iron talk.
1. Yesterday we mailed a bunch of big
envelopes out to everyone who donated
to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fund. There
are a bunch of goodies inside -- including
a letter from Harry, a copy of some original
Harry Paschall art (a real collector's item),
a postcard from Bosco and a big color photo of
the marker we bought for Harry's grave.
2. We are caught up on all back-orders for
Dinosaur training DVD's. If you ordered one
or more of them, you should already have it
(or them). If you didn't see my earlier emails
on the 5 Dino Training DVD's and they sound good
to you shoot me an email for details.
3. Due to the mail strike in Canada, the U.S.
Postal Service is NOT accepting mail to Canada.
So we re holding all Canadian orders for the
time being. Hopefully, things will be resolved
soon.
4. My new book on John Davis -- all 496 pages
of it - is at the printer now. I should have a
printing schedule today or tomorrow, and will
let you know when I expect to get them. It won't
be long -- and man oh man, is this book ever
woth waiting for! You've never seen anything like
this.
And now -- some iron talk.
Yesterday I talked about phony claims that people
make in the muscle mags.
So let's talk about some real world poundages, and
what's actually possible for a drug-free lifter.
A great little book published in 1956 -- WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS -- gives us some good data:
"Certain performances will rate as outstanding. A
man able to perform a single [military] press with
a barbell equal to his own weight has developed
superior strength.
Fifty pounds in excess of body weight is unusual,
and approximately 100 pounds over body weight puts
a man in the same class for strength with the world
champions."
So there's one basic measure of real world, NO BULL
strength and power -- how much can you military press
with a barbell? Can you make the "superior" standard?
Can you go higher?
I'll continue this topic tomorrow -- be looking for it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Some great resources for increasing your pressing
strength:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. History's Strongest men and How they Trained: Vol. 1 --
Doug Hepburn (a former World record holder in the press):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
3. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
4. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
5. The Dinosaur Training DVD's -- shoot me an email if
interested!
Couple of quick catch-ups, and then some
heavy iron talk.
1. Yesterday we mailed a bunch of big
envelopes out to everyone who donated
to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fund. There
are a bunch of goodies inside -- including
a letter from Harry, a copy of some original
Harry Paschall art (a real collector's item),
a postcard from Bosco and a big color photo of
the marker we bought for Harry's grave.
2. We are caught up on all back-orders for
Dinosaur training DVD's. If you ordered one
or more of them, you should already have it
(or them). If you didn't see my earlier emails
on the 5 Dino Training DVD's and they sound good
to you shoot me an email for details.
3. Due to the mail strike in Canada, the U.S.
Postal Service is NOT accepting mail to Canada.
So we re holding all Canadian orders for the
time being. Hopefully, things will be resolved
soon.
4. My new book on John Davis -- all 496 pages
of it - is at the printer now. I should have a
printing schedule today or tomorrow, and will
let you know when I expect to get them. It won't
be long -- and man oh man, is this book ever
woth waiting for! You've never seen anything like
this.
And now -- some iron talk.
Yesterday I talked about phony claims that people
make in the muscle mags.
So let's talk about some real world poundages, and
what's actually possible for a drug-free lifter.
A great little book published in 1956 -- WEIGHT
TRAINING IN ATHLETICS -- gives us some good data:
"Certain performances will rate as outstanding. A
man able to perform a single [military] press with
a barbell equal to his own weight has developed
superior strength.
Fifty pounds in excess of body weight is unusual,
and approximately 100 pounds over body weight puts
a man in the same class for strength with the world
champions."
So there's one basic measure of real world, NO BULL
strength and power -- how much can you military press
with a barbell? Can you make the "superior" standard?
Can you go higher?
I'll continue this topic tomorrow -- be looking for it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Some great resources for increasing your pressing
strength:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. History's Strongest men and How they Trained: Vol. 1 --
Doug Hepburn (a former World record holder in the press):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
3. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
4. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
5. The Dinosaur Training DVD's -- shoot me an email if
interested!
Iron or Balsa Wood?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A friend of mine spotted a great gag gift
not very long ago.
A pair of super-heavy dumbbells made out of
balsa wood, and painted grey so they look
exactly like metal dumbbells.
He thought it was funny, so he bought them
and brought them home -- and now they occupy
a place of honor in his study.
But guess this -- two weeks later, he sees
a photo of a great big, heavily muscled
bodybuilder, veins popping, sweat dripping
and fibers bulging as he does some super-
heavy dumbbell curls.
And the dumbbells the "champ" is using look
exactly the same as the wooden ones.
Were they real -- or were they wood?
Who knows?
But I think a lot of the stuff you see in the
magazines (and on the internet) is about as
"real" as wooden dumbbells.
I recall reading a muscle mag when I was in
high school, and it said a top bodybuilder
trained his shoulders by doing seated presses
with (get this) 150 pound dumbbells for 6
sets of 6 reps.
That was interesting, because I had read the
very same article several years earlier --
written by the same author, and appearing in
the same magazine -- and it said the same guy
used (read carefully) 90 pound dumbbells for
6 x 6 in the seated dumbbell press.
By then, the guy had retired from competition,
and may not even have been training, so it's
not like he had gotten stronger.
Someone had decided 90 pound dumbbells weren't
heavy enough.
To make the champ sound like a Superman, they
needed to say he was using heavier dumbbells.
Like -- 150 pound dumbbells.
I mean, just try it and see. After your next
workout, go home and tell your wife or girl-
friend that you used 150 pound dumbbells for
6 sets of 6 reps in the seated dumbbell press.
She may or may not have any idea what you're
talking about, but just saying "I lift 150
pound dumbbells" will make you feel like a
Superman.
Or not. It depends on your honest quotient.
But all kidding aside, there's a serious problem
with inflated in muscle magazines and on the
internet.
Inflated claims, whether they are about sets, reps,
weights, workouts or measurements, make it
difficult or impossible for the average trainee
to understand what "good development," "good
measurements," and "good lifting" really is.
Too many young kids believe that Mr. Muscles
really handles 150 pound dumbbells for 6 x 6 --
and feels downright puny when he can only manage
one top set of six reps with 60 or 70 or 80
pounds.
So it's a problem -- and it's been a problem for
a long time -- and it's probably getting worse,
not better.
Tomorrow, I'll give you some realistic lifting
so you can see how you measure up to honest
weights and honest lifting. Be looking for it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you want to lift balsa wood, there's a lot
of it out there. If you want to lift heavy iron,
grab any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A friend of mine spotted a great gag gift
not very long ago.
A pair of super-heavy dumbbells made out of
balsa wood, and painted grey so they look
exactly like metal dumbbells.
He thought it was funny, so he bought them
and brought them home -- and now they occupy
a place of honor in his study.
But guess this -- two weeks later, he sees
a photo of a great big, heavily muscled
bodybuilder, veins popping, sweat dripping
and fibers bulging as he does some super-
heavy dumbbell curls.
And the dumbbells the "champ" is using look
exactly the same as the wooden ones.
Were they real -- or were they wood?
Who knows?
But I think a lot of the stuff you see in the
magazines (and on the internet) is about as
"real" as wooden dumbbells.
I recall reading a muscle mag when I was in
high school, and it said a top bodybuilder
trained his shoulders by doing seated presses
with (get this) 150 pound dumbbells for 6
sets of 6 reps.
That was interesting, because I had read the
very same article several years earlier --
written by the same author, and appearing in
the same magazine -- and it said the same guy
used (read carefully) 90 pound dumbbells for
6 x 6 in the seated dumbbell press.
By then, the guy had retired from competition,
and may not even have been training, so it's
not like he had gotten stronger.
Someone had decided 90 pound dumbbells weren't
heavy enough.
To make the champ sound like a Superman, they
needed to say he was using heavier dumbbells.
Like -- 150 pound dumbbells.
I mean, just try it and see. After your next
workout, go home and tell your wife or girl-
friend that you used 150 pound dumbbells for
6 sets of 6 reps in the seated dumbbell press.
She may or may not have any idea what you're
talking about, but just saying "I lift 150
pound dumbbells" will make you feel like a
Superman.
Or not. It depends on your honest quotient.
But all kidding aside, there's a serious problem
with inflated in muscle magazines and on the
internet.
Inflated claims, whether they are about sets, reps,
weights, workouts or measurements, make it
difficult or impossible for the average trainee
to understand what "good development," "good
measurements," and "good lifting" really is.
Too many young kids believe that Mr. Muscles
really handles 150 pound dumbbells for 6 x 6 --
and feels downright puny when he can only manage
one top set of six reps with 60 or 70 or 80
pounds.
So it's a problem -- and it's been a problem for
a long time -- and it's probably getting worse,
not better.
Tomorrow, I'll give you some realistic lifting
so you can see how you measure up to honest
weights and honest lifting. Be looking for it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you want to lift balsa wood, there's a lot
of it out there. If you want to lift heavy iron,
grab any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
My Dad's Barbell
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When he was 40 years old, my dad bought
a 110 pound barbell set and began training
out in the back-yard.
It changed his life.
In less than a year, he added 20 pounds of
muscle and doubled or even tripled his strength.
I still remember how big he looked with his
20 pounds of new muscle - and I remember how
impressed I was when he bought a pair of (to me)
HUGE 25 pound plates so he could use 160 pounds
in his exercises.
That 110 pound barbell set ended up doing more
than merely change my dad's life.
It changed mine, as well.
Because it got me interested in weight training.
A few years later I began training - and I've been
training ever since. For just about 45 years now.
I also write about strength training. I've been doing
it for over 20 years -- and tens of thousands of
trainees have read and benefited from my articles,
books, courses and manuals. And all of them owe it
to one person - to my dad - because he's the one who
started the whole thing.
Happy Father's Day, dad - and THANK YOU!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can mind my books and courses right here.
My dad's read them all - and he thinks they're pretty
darn good:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
When he was 40 years old, my dad bought
a 110 pound barbell set and began training
out in the back-yard.
It changed his life.
In less than a year, he added 20 pounds of
muscle and doubled or even tripled his strength.
I still remember how big he looked with his
20 pounds of new muscle - and I remember how
impressed I was when he bought a pair of (to me)
HUGE 25 pound plates so he could use 160 pounds
in his exercises.
That 110 pound barbell set ended up doing more
than merely change my dad's life.
It changed mine, as well.
Because it got me interested in weight training.
A few years later I began training - and I've been
training ever since. For just about 45 years now.
I also write about strength training. I've been doing
it for over 20 years -- and tens of thousands of
trainees have read and benefited from my articles,
books, courses and manuals. And all of them owe it
to one person - to my dad - because he's the one who
started the whole thing.
Happy Father's Day, dad - and THANK YOU!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can mind my books and courses right here.
My dad's read them all - and he thinks they're pretty
darn good:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Speed Writing, Part Two -- The Challenge!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Everyone loved yesterday's Speed
Writing email -- 10 one sentence
questions from readers and 10 one
sentence answers.
All except one reader.
Some nameless smart-alec said my answers
were TOO LONG!
He wrote (and I quote):
"Mr. Kubik -- Anyone can answer a question
in one sentence, but it takes real talent
to answer a question in one word? Frankly,
I don't think you can do it. But I'd sure
like to see you try."
Gosh, that sounds like a challenge.
Well, I accept.
And so, to make our nameless smart-alec
feel better (and not to burden his mind
with "too much reading"), here we go --
10 questions, and 10 one word answers.
See how I do.
1. What is the best supplement for gaining
strength and muscle mass?
A. Squats.
2. I've heard that Indian clubs are good
for loosening your shoulders, and warming
up before your your heavy lifting -- do
you agree?
A. Absolutely!
3. I heard Bill Hinbern has reprinted an old
book written by the English strongman,
Thomas Inch (the man with the world-famous
Unliftable Dumbbell), and I was thinking
about getting a copy. What do you think?
A. Geddit!
4. I know you write about training for strength
and power, and I know you like home gyms and old-
fashioned black iron gyms with nothing but the
basics, but if you owned a modern gym and wanted
the best and most up to date equipment for a
modern day clientele that was interested in
sculpting, toning and bodybuilding, what would
you put in first?
A. Alligator-pit.
5. Which is better: squats or deadlifts?
A. Both.
6. Which is better: presses or push presses?
A. Both.
8. At what age should a lifter start slowing down
and taking it easy?
A. 107.
9. You've been writing quite a bit about warm-up
sets lately, and you seem to stress doing a fairly
long, thorough, and complete warm-up. Are warm-ups
really that important?
A. Yes.
10. Did you really mean that about a lifter not
slowing down and taking it easy until he's 107 years
old?
A. YES!3x&ifhe'sDino-toughhecankeepgoing4longerthanthat!
There you are -- and I hope our unnamed smart-alec is
happy! How did I do?
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We're being flooded in DVD orders. For
information on how to order all 5 Dino DVD's
as a set (which will save you some major
wampum), shoot me an email. For all other
Dino Products, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Everyone loved yesterday's Speed
Writing email -- 10 one sentence
questions from readers and 10 one
sentence answers.
All except one reader.
Some nameless smart-alec said my answers
were TOO LONG!
He wrote (and I quote):
"Mr. Kubik -- Anyone can answer a question
in one sentence, but it takes real talent
to answer a question in one word? Frankly,
I don't think you can do it. But I'd sure
like to see you try."
Gosh, that sounds like a challenge.
Well, I accept.
And so, to make our nameless smart-alec
feel better (and not to burden his mind
with "too much reading"), here we go --
10 questions, and 10 one word answers.
See how I do.
1. What is the best supplement for gaining
strength and muscle mass?
A. Squats.
2. I've heard that Indian clubs are good
for loosening your shoulders, and warming
up before your your heavy lifting -- do
you agree?
A. Absolutely!
3. I heard Bill Hinbern has reprinted an old
book written by the English strongman,
Thomas Inch (the man with the world-famous
Unliftable Dumbbell), and I was thinking
about getting a copy. What do you think?
A. Geddit!
4. I know you write about training for strength
and power, and I know you like home gyms and old-
fashioned black iron gyms with nothing but the
basics, but if you owned a modern gym and wanted
the best and most up to date equipment for a
modern day clientele that was interested in
sculpting, toning and bodybuilding, what would
you put in first?
A. Alligator-pit.
5. Which is better: squats or deadlifts?
A. Both.
6. Which is better: presses or push presses?
A. Both.
8. At what age should a lifter start slowing down
and taking it easy?
A. 107.
9. You've been writing quite a bit about warm-up
sets lately, and you seem to stress doing a fairly
long, thorough, and complete warm-up. Are warm-ups
really that important?
A. Yes.
10. Did you really mean that about a lifter not
slowing down and taking it easy until he's 107 years
old?
A. YES!3x&ifhe'sDino-toughhecankeepgoing4longerthanthat!
There you are -- and I hope our unnamed smart-alec is
happy! How did I do?
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We're being flooded in DVD orders. For
information on how to order all 5 Dino DVD's
as a set (which will save you some major
wampum), shoot me an email. For all other
Dino Products, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A Very Special Lifter, a Very Special Book!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A few minutes ago I finished the final
proofing and edits on my book about
legendary weightlifting champion, John
Davis.
It comes in at 496 pages -- including 16
pages of photos, many of which have never
been published before.
And the very final edit was -- get this --
deleting an extra period in an ellipsis.
I thought the book was going to be finished
a month ago. One of the folks working on
the layout and design had unexpected surgery,
so they lost quite a bit of time. But now
it's done -- just as soon as they get rid of
the worrisome little period -- and then it's
off to the printer.
I'll let you know as soon as I have a
production schedule and delivery date from
the printer.
In the meantime, you can still take advantage
of the pre-publication special -- meaning that
if you order now, I'll include a special bonus
when we ship your order -- an 8 1/2 x 11 copy
of a previously unpublished photo of John Davis
lifting some heavy iron. It's going to be an
overnight collector's item -- and it's yours at
zero zippo nada no charge if your order now.
For those who do not know anything at all about
John Davis, consider this:
1. He was the youngest World champion in history
when he won his first World weightlifting
championship.
2. He won his first World championship at age 17 --
after less than two years of training.
3. He was undefeated in international competition
from 1938 through 1952.
4. He won World championships in TWO different weight
classes and (get this) THREE different decades.
5. At one time, he held all of the American, World
and Olympic records in the Heavyweight class.
6. He may have been the only World and Olympic
Heavyweight champion who could perform one arm
pull-ups.
7. He dominated the Heavyweight division for many
years, while weighing only 215 to 235 pounds.
8. He did much of his training alone -- often in
the basement of a neighborhood church -- with nothing
other than a barbell, homemade squat stands, a homemade
lifting wooden bench and a homemade lifting platform.
9. As the top Heavyweight in the world, he powered
the USA to SIX team titles at the World championships
and the Olympic Games. (Without him, the USA won only
one additional team title -- and that was almost 50
years ago.)
10. He followed a unique training system of his own
design -- and in the book, I give it to EXACTLY as John
Davis performed it. I got this from his 94-year old
training partner, and it's never been published before.
But it's a heck of a program!
There's more -- much more -- and it's all there in a
GIANT book that weighs in at 496 pages.
Do I sound excited? I sure feel excited. This is a very
special book -- just as John Davis was a very special
lifter.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's how to reserve your copy of BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
A few minutes ago I finished the final
proofing and edits on my book about
legendary weightlifting champion, John
Davis.
It comes in at 496 pages -- including 16
pages of photos, many of which have never
been published before.
And the very final edit was -- get this --
deleting an extra period in an ellipsis.
I thought the book was going to be finished
a month ago. One of the folks working on
the layout and design had unexpected surgery,
so they lost quite a bit of time. But now
it's done -- just as soon as they get rid of
the worrisome little period -- and then it's
off to the printer.
I'll let you know as soon as I have a
production schedule and delivery date from
the printer.
In the meantime, you can still take advantage
of the pre-publication special -- meaning that
if you order now, I'll include a special bonus
when we ship your order -- an 8 1/2 x 11 copy
of a previously unpublished photo of John Davis
lifting some heavy iron. It's going to be an
overnight collector's item -- and it's yours at
zero zippo nada no charge if your order now.
For those who do not know anything at all about
John Davis, consider this:
1. He was the youngest World champion in history
when he won his first World weightlifting
championship.
2. He won his first World championship at age 17 --
after less than two years of training.
3. He was undefeated in international competition
from 1938 through 1952.
4. He won World championships in TWO different weight
classes and (get this) THREE different decades.
5. At one time, he held all of the American, World
and Olympic records in the Heavyweight class.
6. He may have been the only World and Olympic
Heavyweight champion who could perform one arm
pull-ups.
7. He dominated the Heavyweight division for many
years, while weighing only 215 to 235 pounds.
8. He did much of his training alone -- often in
the basement of a neighborhood church -- with nothing
other than a barbell, homemade squat stands, a homemade
lifting wooden bench and a homemade lifting platform.
9. As the top Heavyweight in the world, he powered
the USA to SIX team titles at the World championships
and the Olympic Games. (Without him, the USA won only
one additional team title -- and that was almost 50
years ago.)
10. He followed a unique training system of his own
design -- and in the book, I give it to EXACTLY as John
Davis performed it. I got this from his 94-year old
training partner, and it's never been published before.
But it's a heck of a program!
There's more -- much more -- and it's all there in a
GIANT book that weighs in at 496 pages.
Do I sound excited? I sure feel excited. This is a very
special book -- just as John Davis was a very special
lifter.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's how to reserve your copy of BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Speed Writing Q and A for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I sent you a l-o-n-g post yesterday
about warming-up. Really, it was a full
length article.
So today, I'm going to switch to speed
writing mode and do 10 questions and
answers. One sentence per question and
one sentence per answer. And yes, these
are actual questions from readers -- I
get some of them once a week, and some
of them more often than that.
So get ready -- you're going to need to
do some speed reading!
1. How can I train my upper/inner/outer,
lower/middle/frontal/lateral (select one)
delts, pecs, traps, triceps, biceps, etc.
(select one)?
Train the basic exercises hard and heavy
and progressively, and all the upper/outer/
inner etc. muscle fibers will do just fine.
2. What do you think of (insert name of high
priced super supplement)?
Food is better for you.
3. Is it possible to make good gains without
taking steroids?
Absolutely -- that's one reason I write about
old-timers who made GREAT GAINS in strength,
muscle and power long before drugs hit the
scene.
4. I'm making good gains on my current program,
but I thought I might try (fill in the blank) --
what do you think?
If you're making good gains, stick with your
current program; if your gains slow down, make
changes then.
5. What do you think about (fill in blank with
anything featured in an infomercial).
I don't think it works.
6. Can you give me a good training program?
I don't write personal programs, but my books,
courses and DVD's have hundreds of programs in
them -- and we always have a couple of good
programs in each issue of the DINOSAUR FILES
newsletter.
7. Which is better, squats or deadlifts?
They're both excellent exercises, so train both
of them (unless you have an injury that limits you,
such as a knee injury).
8. I heard you have to do high reps for bulk --
is that true?
No, it's bunk -- weightlifters and powerlifters
build tremendous muscular size with low reps and
heavy weights.
9. Old time weightlifters were FAT -- why would
anyone look like that?
Some old-time heavyweight lifters like Louis Cyr
and Karl Swaboda were hugely strong and hugely BIG,
but other old-timers like Eugene Sandow, Bobby
Pandour, John Y. Smith, Sig Klein, Staff Sgt. Moss,
George Hackenschmidt, Maxick, and John Grimek were
heavily muscled but amazingly lean and defined --
why would anyone in their right mind not want to
look like one of them?
10. Which of your books is best for a beginner or
someone who's making a comeback after not training
for many years?
CHALK AND SWEAT, and if you're over the age of 35,
add GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON.
There you are -- speed writing from Dino Headquarters!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For Dinosaur Training books, courses, DVD's, and
shirts -- and to subscribe to the Dinosaur Files
newsletter -- go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I sent you a l-o-n-g post yesterday
about warming-up. Really, it was a full
length article.
So today, I'm going to switch to speed
writing mode and do 10 questions and
answers. One sentence per question and
one sentence per answer. And yes, these
are actual questions from readers -- I
get some of them once a week, and some
of them more often than that.
So get ready -- you're going to need to
do some speed reading!
1. How can I train my upper/inner/outer,
lower/middle/frontal/lateral (select one)
delts, pecs, traps, triceps, biceps, etc.
(select one)?
Train the basic exercises hard and heavy
and progressively, and all the upper/outer/
inner etc. muscle fibers will do just fine.
2. What do you think of (insert name of high
priced super supplement)?
Food is better for you.
3. Is it possible to make good gains without
taking steroids?
Absolutely -- that's one reason I write about
old-timers who made GREAT GAINS in strength,
muscle and power long before drugs hit the
scene.
4. I'm making good gains on my current program,
but I thought I might try (fill in the blank) --
what do you think?
If you're making good gains, stick with your
current program; if your gains slow down, make
changes then.
5. What do you think about (fill in blank with
anything featured in an infomercial).
I don't think it works.
6. Can you give me a good training program?
I don't write personal programs, but my books,
courses and DVD's have hundreds of programs in
them -- and we always have a couple of good
programs in each issue of the DINOSAUR FILES
newsletter.
7. Which is better, squats or deadlifts?
They're both excellent exercises, so train both
of them (unless you have an injury that limits you,
such as a knee injury).
8. I heard you have to do high reps for bulk --
is that true?
No, it's bunk -- weightlifters and powerlifters
build tremendous muscular size with low reps and
heavy weights.
9. Old time weightlifters were FAT -- why would
anyone look like that?
Some old-time heavyweight lifters like Louis Cyr
and Karl Swaboda were hugely strong and hugely BIG,
but other old-timers like Eugene Sandow, Bobby
Pandour, John Y. Smith, Sig Klein, Staff Sgt. Moss,
George Hackenschmidt, Maxick, and John Grimek were
heavily muscled but amazingly lean and defined --
why would anyone in their right mind not want to
look like one of them?
10. Which of your books is best for a beginner or
someone who's making a comeback after not training
for many years?
CHALK AND SWEAT, and if you're over the age of 35,
add GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON.
There you are -- speed writing from Dino Headquarters!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For Dinosaur Training books, courses, DVD's, and
shirts -- and to subscribe to the Dinosaur Files
newsletter -- go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
!2 Tips for Effective Warm-Ups!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Several of our older Dinos have asked me
about warming up properly.
"What exactly do YOU do?" they ask.
So here's the answer.
Now, please note:
1. I'm 54 now, and at age 54, I do much more
in the way of a warm-up than I did when I was
younger.
1A. You younger guys keep reading! You'll be
my age someday -- and besides, you just might
learn something useful from an old man.
2. I am currently doing 100 percent Olympic
weightlifting (OL -- snatch, clean and jerk),
so I structure my warm-ups for OL training.
2A. Olympic lifting is gymnastics with a barbell
in your hands. Very athletic. It requires a
different training approach than many other types
of strength training. HOWEVER, even if you don't
do OL, keep reading. You'll find things that apply
to you no matter what you do.
2A. OL training requires great flexibility --
picture the low position of a squat snatch --
so warmups and flexibility work are extra
important.
3. As an older lifter, I try to ease into things
slowly, work up a good sweat, and not jump into
the heavy stuff. That's not good for an older
guy's muscles -- or his joints -- or his heart.
You want to take the time to get everything revved
up slowly, including your cardiovascular system.
4. I base each day's workout on how my warm-ups
feel. If the warm-ups go well, I usually end up
going heavier on my work sets. If they don't go
as well as they should, that's a signal to back
off and not go too heavy.
4A. Fluid movement, good form, and speed are what
I look for in warm-ups. If I'm too tight and stiff
to hit the proper positions with a broomstick or
an empty bar, that means I haven't recovered from
my last workout. And as Tommy Kono says, if you
can't do it in perfect form with an empty bar,
adding weight is not going to improve the situation.
4B. Grip strength! if my grip is strong, I know I am
fully recovered and can go heavy. NOTE: this is a
very good reason not to use lifting straps to hold
onto the bar.
5. I always structure my warm-up to the exercise or
exercises I will be doing. If I am training squat
snatches, which require great mobility in the
shoulders, I spend more time loosening my shoulders.
If I train front squats, I spend more time stretching
and loosening my wrists (so i can hold the bar in the
proper position).
6. I currently do NOT do any sort of light cardio to
get warmed up for lifting -- but I've done this in the
past with good results. It's especially useful in the
winter, when the garage is really cold.
6A. If you do cardio as a general warm-up, start light
and easy and build up slowly. Don't begin with full-
bore or full-speed cardio. Start slow and easy and
build up. See point no. 3 above.
6B. For anyone over age 40, doing a cardio cool-down
at the end of each workout is a very good idea.
7. Step no. 1 -- simple movements and stretches. I do
very slow, easy stretches and simple movements like
deep knee bends and shoulder windmills to start getting
loose. I stretch my low back and hamstrings by holding
a broomstick and slowly going through the mid-range of a
a snatch pull or clean pull, keeping my back flat and
keeping tension on the hamstrings. These are not static
stretches -- they are slow moving stretches.
7A. I do front squats and overhead squats with a broom-
stick. After these slower, easier movements, I perform
squat snatches with a broomstick -- slowly at first, and
then faster.
7B. Yes, I did say "a broomstick."
7B. When you warm-up, start with a light weight and ALSO
start by moving slowly. You can't move at top speed with
a broomstick, and empty bar or a light weight. You'll hurt
yourself. One of the secrets of a successful warm-up is to
gradually increase your speed as you add weight to the bar.
8. Check your ego. Yes, you can walk by and watch and laugh
at the old guy lifting the broomstick and then the empty
barbell. (And you can come back 30 minutes later and see if
you can handle the weights he uses later in his workout.)
9. Low reps and singles. I usually use low reps and singles
in my warm-ups. I don't try to generate body heat by doing
reps. My goal in a warm-up is to prepare my body for heavier
weights in athletic-style lifting. It's all about form,
technique and gradually increasing speed of movement.
10. Do what you need to do. I don't get hing up on any sort
of predetermined sets, reps, weights, or movements. I go by
feel, and if I need to do more than usual, I do it.
10A. Many guys do 5 x 5 but feel like they need a few more
warm-up sets. They ask me, "Can I do 6 x 5 or 7 x 5 or 8 x 5?"
The answer is -- of course! Do whatever you need to do in order
to handle heavy weights in your work sets.
11. You go faster, with shorter rests during your warm-up
sets. As the weights get heavier, your rest periods increase.
12. Rule of thumb: Under age 30, take at least a 10 minute
warm-up. Over age 40, take 10 to 15 minutes on your warm-ups.
Over age 50, take 15 to 20 minutes.
And the bottom line is this: every minute of quality warm-up
time will add immeasurably to the value of your workout.
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. For more important tips on warm-ups and on effective
training for older lifters, grab Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Several of our older Dinos have asked me
about warming up properly.
"What exactly do YOU do?" they ask.
So here's the answer.
Now, please note:
1. I'm 54 now, and at age 54, I do much more
in the way of a warm-up than I did when I was
younger.
1A. You younger guys keep reading! You'll be
my age someday -- and besides, you just might
learn something useful from an old man.
2. I am currently doing 100 percent Olympic
weightlifting (OL -- snatch, clean and jerk),
so I structure my warm-ups for OL training.
2A. Olympic lifting is gymnastics with a barbell
in your hands. Very athletic. It requires a
different training approach than many other types
of strength training. HOWEVER, even if you don't
do OL, keep reading. You'll find things that apply
to you no matter what you do.
2A. OL training requires great flexibility --
picture the low position of a squat snatch --
so warmups and flexibility work are extra
important.
3. As an older lifter, I try to ease into things
slowly, work up a good sweat, and not jump into
the heavy stuff. That's not good for an older
guy's muscles -- or his joints -- or his heart.
You want to take the time to get everything revved
up slowly, including your cardiovascular system.
4. I base each day's workout on how my warm-ups
feel. If the warm-ups go well, I usually end up
going heavier on my work sets. If they don't go
as well as they should, that's a signal to back
off and not go too heavy.
4A. Fluid movement, good form, and speed are what
I look for in warm-ups. If I'm too tight and stiff
to hit the proper positions with a broomstick or
an empty bar, that means I haven't recovered from
my last workout. And as Tommy Kono says, if you
can't do it in perfect form with an empty bar,
adding weight is not going to improve the situation.
4B. Grip strength! if my grip is strong, I know I am
fully recovered and can go heavy. NOTE: this is a
very good reason not to use lifting straps to hold
onto the bar.
5. I always structure my warm-up to the exercise or
exercises I will be doing. If I am training squat
snatches, which require great mobility in the
shoulders, I spend more time loosening my shoulders.
If I train front squats, I spend more time stretching
and loosening my wrists (so i can hold the bar in the
proper position).
6. I currently do NOT do any sort of light cardio to
get warmed up for lifting -- but I've done this in the
past with good results. It's especially useful in the
winter, when the garage is really cold.
6A. If you do cardio as a general warm-up, start light
and easy and build up slowly. Don't begin with full-
bore or full-speed cardio. Start slow and easy and
build up. See point no. 3 above.
6B. For anyone over age 40, doing a cardio cool-down
at the end of each workout is a very good idea.
7. Step no. 1 -- simple movements and stretches. I do
very slow, easy stretches and simple movements like
deep knee bends and shoulder windmills to start getting
loose. I stretch my low back and hamstrings by holding
a broomstick and slowly going through the mid-range of a
a snatch pull or clean pull, keeping my back flat and
keeping tension on the hamstrings. These are not static
stretches -- they are slow moving stretches.
7A. I do front squats and overhead squats with a broom-
stick. After these slower, easier movements, I perform
squat snatches with a broomstick -- slowly at first, and
then faster.
7B. Yes, I did say "a broomstick."
7B. When you warm-up, start with a light weight and ALSO
start by moving slowly. You can't move at top speed with
a broomstick, and empty bar or a light weight. You'll hurt
yourself. One of the secrets of a successful warm-up is to
gradually increase your speed as you add weight to the bar.
8. Check your ego. Yes, you can walk by and watch and laugh
at the old guy lifting the broomstick and then the empty
barbell. (And you can come back 30 minutes later and see if
you can handle the weights he uses later in his workout.)
9. Low reps and singles. I usually use low reps and singles
in my warm-ups. I don't try to generate body heat by doing
reps. My goal in a warm-up is to prepare my body for heavier
weights in athletic-style lifting. It's all about form,
technique and gradually increasing speed of movement.
10. Do what you need to do. I don't get hing up on any sort
of predetermined sets, reps, weights, or movements. I go by
feel, and if I need to do more than usual, I do it.
10A. Many guys do 5 x 5 but feel like they need a few more
warm-up sets. They ask me, "Can I do 6 x 5 or 7 x 5 or 8 x 5?"
The answer is -- of course! Do whatever you need to do in order
to handle heavy weights in your work sets.
11. You go faster, with shorter rests during your warm-up
sets. As the weights get heavier, your rest periods increase.
12. Rule of thumb: Under age 30, take at least a 10 minute
warm-up. Over age 40, take 10 to 15 minutes on your warm-ups.
Over age 50, take 15 to 20 minutes.
And the bottom line is this: every minute of quality warm-up
time will add immeasurably to the value of your workout.
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. For more important tips on warm-ups and on effective
training for older lifters, grab Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Something New and Awesome from Bill Hinbern!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I just got an email message with some
big breaking news from my buddy Bill
Hinbern.
He has a great new book out.
It's a modern-day reprint of a CLASSIC
training text by the great old-time
strongman, Thomas Inch.
Thomas Inch. You know -- the man who
owned the world-famous INCH DUMBELL.
The thick handled 172 pound monster
that NO ONE ELSE could lift.
The dumbbell that defied the efforts of
three generations of strongmen.
THAT Thomas Inch.
So follow the link and take a look -- and
grab this baby while the grabbing is good:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/inch_on_strength.html
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
I just got an email message with some
big breaking news from my buddy Bill
Hinbern.
He has a great new book out.
It's a modern-day reprint of a CLASSIC
training text by the great old-time
strongman, Thomas Inch.
Thomas Inch. You know -- the man who
owned the world-famous INCH DUMBELL.
The thick handled 172 pound monster
that NO ONE ELSE could lift.
The dumbbell that defied the efforts of
three generations of strongmen.
THAT Thomas Inch.
So follow the link and take a look -- and
grab this baby while the grabbing is good:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/inch_on_strength.html
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
READER FEEDBACK ON OLD SCHOOL GYMS
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We rec'd a ton of responses to yesterday's email
about old-school gyms around the world, and how
great it would be (or would have been) to train
at them.
Here's some of your feedback:
A GREAT GYM IN BORNEO
"Great stuff, Brooks! With names like those you
just know they would have been great places to
train. I remember being in the capital of
Borneo (Kota Kinabalu) in the 1980's. I was
looking for a martial arts school. You can
imagine my surprise and joy to find a sign
above a doorway proclaiming PHYSICAL CULTURE
INSTITUTE OF KOTA KINABALU. In addition to
teaching martial arts, the gym had a wide
variety of training equipment -- mostly home-
made, such as concrete weights, but fully
functional and plenty of it. Had some great
workouts there."-- Peter Yates
ANOTHER GREAT NAME!
"I used to train at a place called THE JUNGLE
GYM." -- Lenny Frisaro
A SACRED PLACE
"I have always maintained that for a certain few,
the gym has always represented a house of worship.
A truly sacred place where once you step inside a
higher being and level of acceptance comes into
play." -- Frank Tirelli
ZUVER'S -- THE LEGEND!
"You forgot one old gym. It's Zuver's Gym in Costa
Mesa, Calif. It's no longer there, but it was ultra
cool and one of a kind." -- John MacWillie
"SPEND MANY CLAMS CHROME AND FERN FITNESS"
Great email and great gym names. You don't see those
around much any more. The current gym names always
tend to have some sort of PROFIT-NESS in them!" --
Mark Lario
A MODERN CLASSIC
"Sadly, it's not a gym that I train at (due to
relocation), but a modern classic is the NEW YORK
BARBELL CLUB." -- Colin McAllister
JIM SCHMITZ' DUNGEON
"Jim Schmitz' gym in the basement of something
called Physique Magnifique is known generally as
THE DUNGEON."
VIC TANNY's GYM
"I heard they called Tanny's Gym THE DUNGEON. This
is from some of the old-timers I know in the L.A.
area." -- Jeffrey Aguirre
More feedback later on. But for now, it's time to
sign off and get back to the current BIG BIG BIG
Dino project!
Remember:
1. Father's Day is on Sat so order asap if you want
something.
2. We're getting a ton of DVD's this afternoon and will
fill all DVD orders tomorrow.
3. If you donated to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fun,
you should be getting a package from me in the very near
future, probbaly sometime next week.
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. Dinosaur Training books, courses, newsletters,
t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are all available
right here -- for info on our Dinosaur DVD's, shoot
me an email:
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We rec'd a ton of responses to yesterday's email
about old-school gyms around the world, and how
great it would be (or would have been) to train
at them.
Here's some of your feedback:
A GREAT GYM IN BORNEO
"Great stuff, Brooks! With names like those you
just know they would have been great places to
train. I remember being in the capital of
Borneo (Kota Kinabalu) in the 1980's. I was
looking for a martial arts school. You can
imagine my surprise and joy to find a sign
above a doorway proclaiming PHYSICAL CULTURE
INSTITUTE OF KOTA KINABALU. In addition to
teaching martial arts, the gym had a wide
variety of training equipment -- mostly home-
made, such as concrete weights, but fully
functional and plenty of it. Had some great
workouts there."-- Peter Yates
ANOTHER GREAT NAME!
"I used to train at a place called THE JUNGLE
GYM." -- Lenny Frisaro
A SACRED PLACE
"I have always maintained that for a certain few,
the gym has always represented a house of worship.
A truly sacred place where once you step inside a
higher being and level of acceptance comes into
play." -- Frank Tirelli
ZUVER'S -- THE LEGEND!
"You forgot one old gym. It's Zuver's Gym in Costa
Mesa, Calif. It's no longer there, but it was ultra
cool and one of a kind." -- John MacWillie
"SPEND MANY CLAMS CHROME AND FERN FITNESS"
Great email and great gym names. You don't see those
around much any more. The current gym names always
tend to have some sort of PROFIT-NESS in them!" --
Mark Lario
A MODERN CLASSIC
"Sadly, it's not a gym that I train at (due to
relocation), but a modern classic is the NEW YORK
BARBELL CLUB." -- Colin McAllister
JIM SCHMITZ' DUNGEON
"Jim Schmitz' gym in the basement of something
called Physique Magnifique is known generally as
THE DUNGEON."
VIC TANNY's GYM
"I heard they called Tanny's Gym THE DUNGEON. This
is from some of the old-timers I know in the L.A.
area." -- Jeffrey Aguirre
More feedback later on. But for now, it's time to
sign off and get back to the current BIG BIG BIG
Dino project!
Remember:
1. Father's Day is on Sat so order asap if you want
something.
2. We're getting a ton of DVD's this afternoon and will
fill all DVD orders tomorrow.
3. If you donated to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fun,
you should be getting a package from me in the very near
future, probbaly sometime next week.
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. Dinosaur Training booksm courses, newsletters,
t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are all available
right here -- for info on our Dinosaur DVD's, shoot
me an email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
We rec'd a ton of responses to yesterday's email
about old-school gyms around the world, and how
great it would be (or would have been) to train
at them.
Here's some of your feedback:
A GREAT GYM IN BORNEO
"Great stuff, Brooks! With names like those you
just know they would have been great places to
train. I remember being in the capital of
Borneo (Kota Kinabalu) in the 1980's. I was
looking for a martial arts school. You can
imagine my surprise and joy to find a sign
above a doorway proclaiming PHYSICAL CULTURE
INSTITUTE OF KOTA KINABALU. In addition to
teaching martial arts, the gym had a wide
variety of training equipment -- mostly home-
made, such as concrete weights, but fully
functional and plenty of it. Had some great
workouts there."-- Peter Yates
ANOTHER GREAT NAME!
"I used to train at a place called THE JUNGLE
GYM." -- Lenny Frisaro
A SACRED PLACE
"I have always maintained that for a certain few,
the gym has always represented a house of worship.
A truly sacred place where once you step inside a
higher being and level of acceptance comes into
play." -- Frank Tirelli
ZUVER'S -- THE LEGEND!
"You forgot one old gym. It's Zuver's Gym in Costa
Mesa, Calif. It's no longer there, but it was ultra
cool and one of a kind." -- John MacWillie
"SPEND MANY CLAMS CHROME AND FERN FITNESS"
Great email and great gym names. You don't see those
around much any more. The current gym names always
tend to have some sort of PROFIT-NESS in them!" --
Mark Lario
A MODERN CLASSIC
"Sadly, it's not a gym that I train at (due to
relocation), but a modern classic is the NEW YORK
BARBELL CLUB." -- Colin McAllister
JIM SCHMITZ' DUNGEON
"Jim Schmitz' gym in the basement of something
called Physique Magnifique is known generally as
THE DUNGEON."
VIC TANNY's GYM
"I heard they called Tanny's Gym THE DUNGEON. This
is from some of the old-timers I know in the L.A.
area." -- Jeffrey Aguirre
More feedback later on. But for now, it's time to
sign off and get back to the current BIG BIG BIG
Dino project!
Remember:
1. Father's Day is on Sat so order asap if you want
something.
2. We're getting a ton of DVD's this afternoon and will
fill all DVD orders tomorrow.
3. If you donated to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fun,
you should be getting a package from me in the very near
future, probbaly sometime next week.
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. Dinosaur Training books, courses, newsletters,
t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are all available
right here -- for info on our Dinosaur DVD's, shoot
me an email:
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We rec'd a ton of responses to yesterday's email
about old-school gyms around the world, and how
great it would be (or would have been) to train
at them.
Here's some of your feedback:
A GREAT GYM IN BORNEO
"Great stuff, Brooks! With names like those you
just know they would have been great places to
train. I remember being in the capital of
Borneo (Kota Kinabalu) in the 1980's. I was
looking for a martial arts school. You can
imagine my surprise and joy to find a sign
above a doorway proclaiming PHYSICAL CULTURE
INSTITUTE OF KOTA KINABALU. In addition to
teaching martial arts, the gym had a wide
variety of training equipment -- mostly home-
made, such as concrete weights, but fully
functional and plenty of it. Had some great
workouts there."-- Peter Yates
ANOTHER GREAT NAME!
"I used to train at a place called THE JUNGLE
GYM." -- Lenny Frisaro
A SACRED PLACE
"I have always maintained that for a certain few,
the gym has always represented a house of worship.
A truly sacred place where once you step inside a
higher being and level of acceptance comes into
play." -- Frank Tirelli
ZUVER'S -- THE LEGEND!
"You forgot one old gym. It's Zuver's Gym in Costa
Mesa, Calif. It's no longer there, but it was ultra
cool and one of a kind." -- John MacWillie
"SPEND MANY CLAMS CHROME AND FERN FITNESS"
Great email and great gym names. You don't see those
around much any more. The current gym names always
tend to have some sort of PROFIT-NESS in them!" --
Mark Lario
A MODERN CLASSIC
"Sadly, it's not a gym that I train at (due to
relocation), but a modern classic is the NEW YORK
BARBELL CLUB." -- Colin McAllister
JIM SCHMITZ' DUNGEON
"Jim Schmitz' gym in the basement of something
called Physique Magnifique is known generally as
THE DUNGEON."
VIC TANNY's GYM
"I heard they called Tanny's Gym THE DUNGEON. This
is from some of the old-timers I know in the L.A.
area." -- Jeffrey Aguirre
More feedback later on. But for now, it's time to
sign off and get back to the current BIG BIG BIG
Dino project!
Remember:
1. Father's Day is on Sat so order asap if you want
something.
2. We're getting a ton of DVD's this afternoon and will
fill all DVD orders tomorrow.
3. If you donated to the Harry Paschall Memorial Fun,
you should be getting a package from me in the very near
future, probbaly sometime next week.
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. Dinosaur Training booksm courses, newsletters,
t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are all available
right here -- for info on our Dinosaur DVD's, shoot
me an email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
10 Great Old School Gyms!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm what you could call a real junkie when it
comes to old school strength training and old
school gyms. And if you're reading this, I bet
you are as well.
Anyhow, I was looking at a list of old school
gyms, and I was struck by their names. Today,
all the big chains have "Fitness" in their
name. Back then, things were different.
Consider some of the following names of what
must have been GREAT places to train:
1. Lucien Luki Marcel's Healthorium
This one was in Atlantic City. It sounds like
they placed an emphasis on HEALTH.
2. Moss's School of Physical Training
This was run by Staff Sgt. Moss in St. Leonards
on Sea, in England. I like the sound of this one.
In his day, Staff Sgt. Moss rivaled Sandow's
development.
3. William Oliphant Barbell Academy
In Toronto. Leave aside the elephant jokes, and
focus on the phrase "Barbell Academy." Sounds like
a good place to learn heavy barbell lifting.
4. Bowman Jones' House of Health
In St. Louis (where I won my first National Bench
Press Championship). "House of health" is very cool.
We had a"House of Health" in Dayton when I was a
kid -- great gym, with tons of black iron.
5. The Long Island Weightlifting Club
There were many old-school gyms that had "Weight-
lifting Club" in their name. Again, it's a name
that says it all.
6. Ray Van Cleef's Gateway to Health
In San Jose. One of the best names ever for a gym.
7. Eugene Sandow School
In London. Another great gym with "school" or "academy"
in the title. Shows an emphasis on teaching -- and on
being a student of the Iron Game. Also, emphasizes
the idea of a healthy mind in a healthy body.
8. The Adonis Health Institute
Hy Schaeffer's Club in Brooklyn. This one pulls together
the Greek model of physical culture, the importance of
training for HEALTH, and the idea of going to an
"institute" -- meaning, I suppose, a school or academy.
Olympic Gold Medalist Isaac Berger got his start here.
9. The American College of Modern Weightlifting
Akron, Ohio. What a terrific name! The Barnholth brothers
operated an old-school gym in their garage -- and it
was there that they trained and coached the legendary
George brothers. Their star lifter, Pete George, went on
to become an Olympic Gold Medalist and five-time World
champion.
10. The Cave
Awesome name! This was Vic Tanny's gym in Santa Monica.
Oh, to have trained there in the 40's and 50's!
That ends the trip down memory lane! Hope you enjoyed it --
and I hope it inspires you to hit the iron hard and heavy
the next time you train!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik,
P.S. Father's Day is right around the corner, so if you
want something for your dad -- or if someone is placing a
Father's Day order for you, get it in today!
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I'm what you could call a real junkie when it
comes to old school strength training and old
school gyms. And if you're reading this, I bet
you are as well.
Anyhow, I was looking at a list of old school
gyms, and I was struck by their names. Today,
all the big chains have "Fitness" in their
name. Back then, things were different.
Consider some of the following names of what
must have been GREAT places to train:
1. Lucien Luki Marcel's Healthorium
This one was in Atlantic City. It sounds like
they placed an emphasis on HEALTH.
2. Moss's School of Physical Training
This was run by Staff Sgt. Moss in St. Leonards
on Sea, in England. I like the sound of this one.
In his day, Staff Sgt. Moss rivaled Sandow's
development.
3. William Oliphant Barbell Academy
In Toronto. Leave aside the elephant jokes, and
focus on the phrase "Barbell Academy." Sounds like
a good place to learn heavy barbell lifting.
4. Bowman Jones' House of Health
In St. Louis (where I won my first National Bench
Press Championship). "House of health" is very cool.
We had a"House of Health" in Dayton when I was a
kid -- great gym, with tons of black iron.
5. The Long Island Weightlifting Club
There were many old-school gyms that had "Weight-
lifting Club" in their name. Again, it's a name
that says it all.
6. Ray Van Cleef's Gateway to Health
In San Jose. One of the best names ever for a gym.
7. Eugene Sandow School
In London. Another great gym with "school" or "academy"
in the title. Shows an emphasis on teaching -- and on
being a student of the Iron Game. Also, emphasizes
the idea of a healthy mind in a healthy body.
8. The Adonis Health Institute
Hy Schaeffer's Club in Brooklyn. This one pulls together
the Greek model of physical culture, the importance of
training for HEALTH, and the idea of going to an
"institute" -- meaning, I suppose, a school or academy.
Olympic Gold Medalist Isaac Berger got his start here.
9. The American College of Modern Weightlifting
Akron, Ohio. What a terrific name! The Barnholth brothers
operated an old-school gym in their garage -- and it
was there that they trained and coached the legendary
George brothers. Their star lifter, Pete George, went on
to become an Olympic Gold Medalist and five-time World
champion.
10. The Cave
Awesome name! This was Vic Tanny's gym in Santa Monica.
Oh, to have trained there in the 40's and 50's!
That ends the trip down memory lane! Hope you enjoyed it --
and I hope it inspires you to hit the iron hard and heavy
the next time you train!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik,
P.S. Father's Day is right around the corner, so if you
want something for your dad -- or if someone is placing a
Father's Day order for you, get it in today!
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
The Strongest Man in the World!
Hail the the Dinosaurs!
Dr. Ken Leistner used to say the strongest
man in the world lives in Cleveland and
trains in an old, unheated garage. He never
enters contests, and no one knows anything
about him.
The point is two-fold:
1. There are an awful lot of really, really
strong men (and women) that no one knows about.
2. You can get really big and really strong
training in your garage, basement or back yard,
and using nothing but basic equipment and plenty
of iron.
Those themes dominate much of my writing. My books
and courses are written for the guys who like to
hit the heavy iron -- some of whom train in gyms,
but many of whom train in their garage, their
basement or their backyard.
You can call them cellar-dwellers, garage gorillas
or yard apes. Or you can call them dinosaurs.
But they all end up with one thing in common --
they all end up being seriously, seriously strong.
Many of them end up freaky strong. And some of them
end up scary strong.
You don't need very much to get there. In no particular
order, all it requires is:
1. Hard work
2. Discipline
3. Commitment
4. The iron will to succeed
5. Determination
6. Heavy iron
7. The right kin d of training program
Now, I can't can't give you numbers 1 thru 5. They
come from within. You're the one who has to bring
them.
And I don't sell equipment, so you need to get the
iron somewhere else.
But what I can give is this -- the very best, most
productive and effective, no-nonsense, real world
strength training information on the planet.
And I'm going to tell you this. If the strongest man
in the world really does train in an unheated garage
in Cleveland, he trains Dino-style. Guaranteed.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day --
and a great weekend! if you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The Backyard Barbell and Heavy Stuff Back Blaster
is one of my favorite training programs. You can find
it (and 49 other hard-hitting workouts) in CHALK AND
SWEAT:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
Dr. Ken Leistner used to say the strongest
man in the world lives in Cleveland and
trains in an old, unheated garage. He never
enters contests, and no one knows anything
about him.
The point is two-fold:
1. There are an awful lot of really, really
strong men (and women) that no one knows about.
2. You can get really big and really strong
training in your garage, basement or back yard,
and using nothing but basic equipment and plenty
of iron.
Those themes dominate much of my writing. My books
and courses are written for the guys who like to
hit the heavy iron -- some of whom train in gyms,
but many of whom train in their garage, their
basement or their backyard.
You can call them cellar-dwellers, garage gorillas
or yard apes. Or you can call them dinosaurs.
But they all end up with one thing in common --
they all end up being seriously, seriously strong.
Many of them end up freaky strong. And some of them
end up scary strong.
You don't need very much to get there. In no particular
order, all it requires is:
1. Hard work
2. Discipline
3. Commitment
4. The iron will to succeed
5. Determination
6. Heavy iron
7. The right kin d of training program
Now, I can't can't give you numbers 1 thru 5. They
come from within. You're the one who has to bring
them.
And I don't sell equipment, so you need to get the
iron somewhere else.
But what I can give is this -- the very best, most
productive and effective, no-nonsense, real world
strength training information on the planet.
And I'm going to tell you this. If the strongest man
in the world really does train in an unheated garage
in Cleveland, he trains Dino-style. Guaranteed.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day --
and a great weekend! if you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The Backyard Barbell and Heavy Stuff Back Blaster
is one of my favorite training programs. You can find
it (and 49 other hard-hitting workouts) in CHALK AND
SWEAT:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
Barbells vs. Mouthwash!
I was gargling with a popular brand of mouthwash
this morning, and I noticed that the bottle said
it had 33 uses.
That surprised me, because I use mouthwash to
gargle, and I can't think of anything else to
use it for.
It wouldn't work very well as barbecue sauce,
salad dressing or soup stock -- and if you can
use it as oven or window cleaner, I'm not sure
I want to be gargling with it.
Then, I thought, "The guys who make mouthwash
probably think they're pretty smart to find so
many ways to use it."
And then I thought -- "Barbells are better."
Think of how many different ways you can use a
barbell.
You can do heavy power rack training, as I teach
in Dinosaur Training and in Strength, Muscle and
Power.
You can use a barbell for all kinds of different
cardio training -- as covered in Gray Hair and
Black Iron.
You can use a barbell to lift heavy weights for
many sets of low reps -- and for singles -- as
detailed in History's Strongest Men and How They
Trained (Vol. 1) Doug Hepburn.
You can use the old York Courses, and the Simplified
System of Training, as described in the Legacy of
Iron books.
You can use a barbell to build crushing grip-power
and fingers like iron claws -- and I give you the
step by step, how to do it in Strength, Muscle and
Power.
You can do John Grimek's special leg training program
(a barbell only program) and build strength and
power faster than a heard of elephants can stomp a
mud hut into last year's vacation photo -- and I
tell you how in Chalk and Sweat.
33 uses for mouthwash?
Phooie!
Barbells have them beat hands down!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I don't sell barbells, but I do offer the very
best books and courses about how to use them. They're
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
this morning, and I noticed that the bottle said
it had 33 uses.
That surprised me, because I use mouthwash to
gargle, and I can't think of anything else to
use it for.
It wouldn't work very well as barbecue sauce,
salad dressing or soup stock -- and if you can
use it as oven or window cleaner, I'm not sure
I want to be gargling with it.
Then, I thought, "The guys who make mouthwash
probably think they're pretty smart to find so
many ways to use it."
And then I thought -- "Barbells are better."
Think of how many different ways you can use a
barbell.
You can do heavy power rack training, as I teach
in Dinosaur Training and in Strength, Muscle and
Power.
You can use a barbell for all kinds of different
cardio training -- as covered in Gray Hair and
Black Iron.
You can use a barbell to lift heavy weights for
many sets of low reps -- and for singles -- as
detailed in History's Strongest Men and How They
Trained (Vol. 1) Doug Hepburn.
You can use the old York Courses, and the Simplified
System of Training, as described in the Legacy of
Iron books.
You can use a barbell to build crushing grip-power
and fingers like iron claws -- and I give you the
step by step, how to do it in Strength, Muscle and
Power.
You can do John Grimek's special leg training program
(a barbell only program) and build strength and
power faster than a heard of elephants can stomp a
mud hut into last year's vacation photo -- and I
tell you how in Chalk and Sweat.
33 uses for mouthwash?
Phooie!
Barbells have them beat hands down!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I don't sell barbells, but I do offer the very
best books and courses about how to use them. They're
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A Big Treat for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
The June issue of The Dinosaur Files went
out the door on Friday.
It's another great issue. Many of you have been
asking what the Dino Files is like -- so here's
a detailed report on this month's issue:
June 2011 Dinosaur Files
1. Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This is my monthly editorial. Motivating
and inspiring. Not recommended for pumpers,
toners and guys who spend 90% of their gym
time in front of the mirror. ditto for
synthol users.
2. Jurassic Jottings (Short Topics):
A. Gold Medal Feedback
Guess which two-time Olympic Gold medalist
subscribes to the Dino Files and LOVES them!
B. A Rule of Success
Something Important from Bob Hoffman. Way
too many guys forget about this -- and that's
why they fail to make good gains.
C. Weightlifting in Sweden - 1952 Style
If only we did this here in the USA!
D. The Three Big Mistakes
In the 1950's and 60's, he had a pair of the
biggest arms in the world. But before that
happened, he was spinning his wheels, going
nowhere fast. Don't make the 3 mistakes he
made!
E. Gironda Strikes Gold!
A Vince Gironda story you never heard before --
and a workout that would flatten all but the
toughest lifters!
F. A Pocket Hercules
Match yourself against this 108 pound power-house!
G. Weightlifters Get No respect!
The New York Times makes TWO very big mistakes,
and John Davis and John Grimek are NOT happy.
H. It's a Small World
He corresponded with harry Paschall way back in
1952 -- and now he's reading The Dinosaur Files!
I. Harry Paschall's Marker
A World premier exclusive -- the first photo of
harry Paschall's marker.
3. Mesozoic Mail
Feedback from Dinos, plus a Bosco cartoon by Harry
Paschall.
4. Measuring Your Progress as You Grow Older
I wrote this one exclusively for The Dino Files,
and it has some critical info for older lifters.
If you want to avoid tons of aches, pains and
frustration, read this!
5. Cardio Training for Dinosaurs
By Jim Duggan. Dino-style cardio training by one
of the strongest and best conditioned men in the
world - he happens to be a Captain in the NYC Fire
Dept. So this is coming from a man whose life
literally depends on being in GREAT shape. good stuff.
6. Fitting Up the Strength Gym
A classic article by Mark Berry, printed with the
original illustrations. Do you think trainees didn't
have much equipment back in the 20's and 30's. Think
again!
7. Don't Neglect your Neck Training!
By Mark Lario. Yes, it really can save your life --
and here are some great tips on how to build a
strong, thick, massive neck and traps that rise
higher and thicker than the Rocky Mountains.
8. Stand Up and train!
A hard-hitting article by Joe Tarach. Joe is a 52
year old Dino who handles close to 1,000 pounds in
the quarter squat. Wanna get strong? Here's how
to do it!
9. The Training Program of an Olympic Champion
Another of my articles. He shocked the world back in
1928 -- and he went on to clean and jerk 360 pounds
at a bodyweight of only 225 pounds. I give you the
story behind his gold medal victory -- and his EXACT
training program.
10. The Wrap-up
Closing words from Dino Headquarters.
Plus tons of photos and rare illustrations.
If you subscribe, you've got a treat coming to
you -- and if you don't, you're missing something
very special. Won't you join us?
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. To subscribe to the 2011 Dino Files (12 issues
running from May 2011 to April 2012), go here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
To get the complete set of back issues from 2010 (12
issues running from May 2010 to April 2011), go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
The June issue of The Dinosaur Files went
out the door on Friday.
It's another great issue. Many of you have been
asking what the Dino Files is like -- so here's
a detailed report on this month's issue:
June 2011 Dinosaur Files
1. Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This is my monthly editorial. Motivating
and inspiring. Not recommended for pumpers,
toners and guys who spend 90% of their gym
time in front of the mirror. ditto for
synthol users.
2. Jurassic Jottings (Short Topics):
A. Gold Medal Feedback
Guess which two-time Olympic Gold medalist
subscribes to the Dino Files and LOVES them!
B. A Rule of Success
Something Important from Bob Hoffman. Way
too many guys forget about this -- and that's
why they fail to make good gains.
C. Weightlifting in Sweden - 1952 Style
If only we did this here in the USA!
D. The Three Big Mistakes
In the 1950's and 60's, he had a pair of the
biggest arms in the world. But before that
happened, he was spinning his wheels, going
nowhere fast. Don't make the 3 mistakes he
made!
E. Gironda Strikes Gold!
A Vince Gironda story you never heard before --
and a workout that would flatten all but the
toughest lifters!
F. A Pocket Hercules
Match yourself against this 108 pound power-house!
G. Weightlifters Get No respect!
The New York Times makes TWO very big mistakes,
and John Davis and John Grimek are NOT happy.
H. It's a Small World
He corresponded with harry Paschall way back in
1952 -- and now he's reading The Dinosaur Files!
I. Harry Paschall's Marker
A World premier exclusive -- the first photo of
harry Paschall's marker.
3. Mesozoic Mail
Feedback from Dinos, plus a Bosco cartoon by Harry
Paschall.
4. Measuring Your Progress as You Grow Older
I wrote this one exclusively for The Dino Files,
and it has some critical info for older lifters.
If you want to avoid tons of aches, pains and
frustration, read this!
5. Cardio Training for Dinosaurs
By Jim Duggan. Dino-style cardio training by one
of the strongest and best conditioned men in the
world - he happens to be a Captain in the NYC Fire
Dept. So this is coming from a man whose life
literally depends on being in GREAT shape. good stuff.
6. Fitting Up the Strength Gym
A classic article by Mark Berry, printed with the
original illustrations. Do you think trainees didn't
have much equipment back in the 20's and 30's. Think
again!
7. Don't Neglect your Neck Training!
By Mark Lario. Yes, it really can save your life --
and here are some great tips on how to build a
strong, thick, massive neck and traps that rise
higher and thicker than the Rocky Mountains.
8. Stand Up and train!
A hard-hitting article by Joe Tarach. Joe is a 52
year old Dino who handles close to 1,000 pounds in
the quarter squat. Wanna get strong? Here's how
to do it!
9. The Training Program of an Olympic Champion
Another of my articles. He shocked the world back in
1928 -- and he went on to clean and jerk 360 pounds
at a bodyweight of only 225 pounds. I give you the
story behind his gold medal victory -- and his EXACT
training program.
10. The Wrap-up
Closing words from Dino Headquarters.
Plus tons of photos and rare illustrations.
If you subscribe, you've got a treat coming to
you -- and if you don't, you're missing something
very special. Won't you join us?
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. To subscribe to the 2011 Dino Files (12 issues
running from May 2011 to April 2012), go here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
To get the complete set of back issues from 2010 (12
issues running from May 2010 to April 2011), go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
Muscle Mag Memories
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Many Dinos are too young to remember
this, but when I was a kid (and before
that, as older guys have told me), it
was a real pain in the you know what to
find a muscle magazine.
In those days, our parents were usually
dead set against ordering things by mail.
It somehow seemed suspicious.
It didn't matter if I thought Bob Hoffman
and Peary Rader were the greatest guys in
the world. They weren't doing business in
a shop around the corner, and to my mom and
dad, that made them suspicious characters.
To make matters worse, many of the places
that carried magazines back then put the
muscle mags on a special rack way in the
back of the store, right next to the
Playboy's and other "questionable"
magazines.
You had to be an adult to go back into that
section. So at age 12, even if I was perfectly
willing to walk right past this month's issue
of Playboy (and maybe even look at it) in order
to get a copy of Strength and Health, Muscular
Development or Iron Man -- they wouldn't let me
do it.
The best bet was a local health food store. I
could go over there and buy protein powder and
liver-iron-B12 tablets (for weight gaining),
and grab my muscle magazines at the same time.
The problem was, the closest Health Food Store
was 20 miles away, and I wasn't driving yet. So
I had to wait until the weekend and talk my folks
into taking me.
Twenty miles was a big trip back then, and you
only made big trips on the weekends.
It was sheer bloody torture when the magazines
arrived at the Health food Store (which I knew,
because I would call and find out) and I had to
wait until Saturday to go buy them.
Finally, mom and dad relented and let me subscribe
to my beloved York mags and to Iron Man. Then all
I had to do was wait "patiently" for each monthly
issue of Strength and Health and Muscular
Development, and each bi-monthly issue of Iron
Man.
And when the magazines arrived in the mail -- wow,
what a great day that was!
The sad part is this: all the magazines I loved as
a kid are long gone.
Right now, there's only one monthly magazine available
for serious, hard core lifters -- garage gorillas,
cellar dwellers and Dinosaurs.
It's called The Dinosaur Files. I publish and edit it,
and write many of the articles for it, and it's 20
pages of high-powered Dino-riffic content. And it
even has photos.
The Dino Files is a hard-copy magazine, just like
the good old days -- not an e-zine, but a real magazine
printed on real paper. I mail it to subscribers around
the first of every month. That way, everyone gets to
enjoy the thrill of getting the envelope in the
mail, ripping it open, locking the door, taking the
phone off the hook, turning off the cell phone, and
reading the little monster from cover to cover as fast
as you can.
You can grab a Dino Files subscription (12 issues) running
from May 2011 to April 2012 right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
For the complete set of back issues (12 issues) for the May
201o to April 2011 subscription year, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
Many Dinos are too young to remember
this, but when I was a kid (and before
that, as older guys have told me), it
was a real pain in the you know what to
find a muscle magazine.
In those days, our parents were usually
dead set against ordering things by mail.
It somehow seemed suspicious.
It didn't matter if I thought Bob Hoffman
and Peary Rader were the greatest guys in
the world. They weren't doing business in
a shop around the corner, and to my mom and
dad, that made them suspicious characters.
To make matters worse, many of the places
that carried magazines back then put the
muscle mags on a special rack way in the
back of the store, right next to the
Playboy's and other "questionable"
magazines.
You had to be an adult to go back into that
section. So at age 12, even if I was perfectly
willing to walk right past this month's issue
of Playboy (and maybe even look at it) in order
to get a copy of Strength and Health, Muscular
Development or Iron Man -- they wouldn't let me
do it.
The best bet was a local health food store. I
could go over there and buy protein powder and
liver-iron-B12 tablets (for weight gaining),
and grab my muscle magazines at the same time.
The problem was, the closest Health Food Store
was 20 miles away, and I wasn't driving yet. So
I had to wait until the weekend and talk my folks
into taking me.
Twenty miles was a big trip back then, and you
only made big trips on the weekends.
It was sheer bloody torture when the magazines
arrived at the Health food Store (which I knew,
because I would call and find out) and I had to
wait until Saturday to go buy them.
Finally, mom and dad relented and let me subscribe
to my beloved York mags and to Iron Man. Then all
I had to do was wait "patiently" for each monthly
issue of Strength and Health and Muscular
Development, and each bi-monthly issue of Iron
Man.
And when the magazines arrived in the mail -- wow,
what a great day that was!
The sad part is this: all the magazines I loved as
a kid are long gone.
Right now, there's only one monthly magazine available
for serious, hard core lifters -- garage gorillas,
cellar dwellers and Dinosaurs.
It's called The Dinosaur Files. I publish and edit it,
and write many of the articles for it, and it's 20
pages of high-powered Dino-riffic content. And it
even has photos.
The Dino Files is a hard-copy magazine, just like
the good old days -- not an e-zine, but a real magazine
printed on real paper. I mail it to subscribers around
the first of every month. That way, everyone gets to
enjoy the thrill of getting the envelope in the
mail, ripping it open, locking the door, taking the
phone off the hook, turning off the cell phone, and
reading the little monster from cover to cover as fast
as you can.
You can grab a Dino Files subscription (12 issues) running
from May 2011 to April 2012 right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
For the complete set of back issues (12 issues) for the May
201o to April 2011 subscription year, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
Update -- The Harry Paschall Memorial Fund
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Last Fall I was doing research for book no.
5 in the Legacy of Iron series -- and I
suddenly found a clue about where Harry
Paschall was buried.
Now, if you're not familiar with Harry
Paschall, let me give you some background.
Harry was born in 1897 in North Central Ohio.
As a boy, he saw Arthur Saxon perform his
legendary strongman act. That prompted him to
save his pennies and buy a barbell set from
the Milo barbell Company.
He trained in secret -- in his bedroom --
following the old Milo courses to the letter.
In one year, he gained 25 pounds of muscle and
became a strongman in his own right.
he had some photos taken and sent them in to
Strength magazine -- and when they were published,
young Harry became world famous.
Later, he moved to New York City, where he trained
with Mark Berry and Sig Klein at Klein's famous
gymnasium.
Harry was an artist by trade, and he created the
wonderful BOSCO, a superhuman strongman modeled
(sort of) on Arthur Saxon.
Harry started writing for the muscle mags in the
1920's -- at the same time he was competing in lifting
contests and setting National records in his favorite
lift, the two hand snatch.
He wrote several terrific training books and courses.
You can get them from my good buddy, Bill Hinbern:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/harry_paschall.html
Harry always taught sane, sensible, Physical Culture. He
hated the "lumps at any cost" mentality. He wanted his
readers to be strong, healthy, well-conditioned, lean,
hard and muscular. His ideal was John Grimek -- who
was one of his close friends -- and he offered many
insights into John Grimek in his books and articles.
Harry is one of the main characters in my Legacy of Iron
books -- and when you read the books, you'll learn plenty
about Harry Paschall and his pals (Bob Hoffman, John
Grimek, Steve Stanko, Tony Terlazzo and the rest of the
gang).
Anyhow -- last Fall, I discovered where Harry is buried.
It's not in York, as I would have suspected. It was in
an old country cemetery in North central Ohio.
So Trudi and I drove up to pay our respects.
When we got there, we found that Harry was lying in an
unmarked grave.
We found his mother's grave - his father's grave -- his
brother's grave -- and they all had markers -- but Harry
lay next to them in an unmarked grave.
Well, that wasn't going to work. So when I got home, I
sent an email and called for donations to a special Harry
Paschall Memorial Fund.
The Dinos answered the call -- and in just a couple of days
we had enough money for a nice marker.
So here's the update.
Last week, the marker was set in place on Harry's grave. It's
black marble, it's big, and it's a work of art -- literally,
because it includes a large Bosco drawing carved right in the
center.
I have a photo of it, and I'm going to send a color copy of
the photo -- along with another special bonus -- to everyone
who contributed to the memorial Fund.
So to everyone who answered the call, and stood up and took
action -- I thank you, Harry thanks you, and Bosco thanks you!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. There are five books in the Legacy of Iron series.
You can find them right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
Book No. 1. Legacy of Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
Book No. 2 -- Clouds of War:
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
Book No. 3 -- The 1,000 Pound Total
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
Book No. 4 -- York Goes to War!
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
Book No. 5 -- Barbells in the Pacific
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
Last Fall I was doing research for book no.
5 in the Legacy of Iron series -- and I
suddenly found a clue about where Harry
Paschall was buried.
Now, if you're not familiar with Harry
Paschall, let me give you some background.
Harry was born in 1897 in North Central Ohio.
As a boy, he saw Arthur Saxon perform his
legendary strongman act. That prompted him to
save his pennies and buy a barbell set from
the Milo barbell Company.
He trained in secret -- in his bedroom --
following the old Milo courses to the letter.
In one year, he gained 25 pounds of muscle and
became a strongman in his own right.
he had some photos taken and sent them in to
Strength magazine -- and when they were published,
young Harry became world famous.
Later, he moved to New York City, where he trained
with Mark Berry and Sig Klein at Klein's famous
gymnasium.
Harry was an artist by trade, and he created the
wonderful BOSCO, a superhuman strongman modeled
(sort of) on Arthur Saxon.
Harry started writing for the muscle mags in the
1920's -- at the same time he was competing in lifting
contests and setting National records in his favorite
lift, the two hand snatch.
He wrote several terrific training books and courses.
You can get them from my good buddy, Bill Hinbern:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/harry_paschall.html
Harry always taught sane, sensible, Physical Culture. He
hated the "lumps at any cost" mentality. He wanted his
readers to be strong, healthy, well-conditioned, lean,
hard and muscular. His ideal was John Grimek -- who
was one of his close friends -- and he offered many
insights into John Grimek in his books and articles.
Harry is one of the main characters in my Legacy of Iron
books -- and when you read the books, you'll learn plenty
about Harry Paschall and his pals (Bob Hoffman, John
Grimek, Steve Stanko, Tony Terlazzo and the rest of the
gang).
Anyhow -- last Fall, I discovered where Harry is buried.
It's not in York, as I would have suspected. It was in
an old country cemetery in North central Ohio.
So Trudi and I drove up to pay our respects.
When we got there, we found that Harry was lying in an
unmarked grave.
We found his mother's grave - his father's grave -- his
brother's grave -- and they all had markers -- but Harry
lay next to them in an unmarked grave.
Well, that wasn't going to work. So when I got home, I
sent an email and called for donations to a special Harry
Paschall Memorial Fund.
The Dinos answered the call -- and in just a couple of days
we had enough money for a nice marker.
So here's the update.
Last week, the marker was set in place on Harry's grave. It's
black marble, it's big, and it's a work of art -- literally,
because it includes a large Bosco drawing carved right in the
center.
I have a photo of it, and I'm going to send a color copy of
the photo -- along with another special bonus -- to everyone
who contributed to the memorial Fund.
So to everyone who answered the call, and stood up and took
action -- I thank you, Harry thanks you, and Bosco thanks you!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. There are five books in the Legacy of Iron series.
You can find them right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
Book No. 1. Legacy of Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
Book No. 2 -- Clouds of War:
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
Book No. 3 -- The 1,000 Pound Total
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
Book No. 4 -- York Goes to War!
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
Book No. 5 -- Barbells in the Pacific
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
Knife, Fork, Elephant!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
There's a really bad joke that's been
around for years. It contains an important
message for lifters, so I thought I'd share
it with you.
Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One bite at a time.
In strength training, the question and answer
is different, but the message is ALWAYS the
same.
It might go like this:
Q. How do you squat 500 pounds?
A. One pound at a time.
Or this:
Q. How do you 20 reps in the squat with 300
pounds?
A. One rep at a time.
Or like this:
Q. How do I carry this heavy sandbag all the way
around the block and back?
A. One step at a time.
There are countless variations, but I'm sure you
get the idea.
Now, here's the important part.
That very first step is always the most important.
Not the final step. Not the day you hit that 500
pound squat. It's the day you START.
And if you started awhile back but you've been
drifting along and not really going anywhere, do this.
Start over.
Make today the very first day of your training career.
Elephant. Knife. Fork. Start now.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day --
and if you train today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Get started with Chalk and Sweat. You can find it
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
There's a really bad joke that's been
around for years. It contains an important
message for lifters, so I thought I'd share
it with you.
Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One bite at a time.
In strength training, the question and answer
is different, but the message is ALWAYS the
same.
It might go like this:
Q. How do you squat 500 pounds?
A. One pound at a time.
Or this:
Q. How do you 20 reps in the squat with 300
pounds?
A. One rep at a time.
Or like this:
Q. How do I carry this heavy sandbag all the way
around the block and back?
A. One step at a time.
There are countless variations, but I'm sure you
get the idea.
Now, here's the important part.
That very first step is always the most important.
Not the final step. Not the day you hit that 500
pound squat. It's the day you START.
And if you started awhile back but you've been
drifting along and not really going anywhere, do this.
Start over.
Make today the very first day of your training career.
Elephant. Knife. Fork. Start now.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day --
and if you train today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Get started with Chalk and Sweat. You can find it
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
Older Lifter Makes Great Gains!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Ray Elmy is a 46 year old Dino who's been
training on one of the workouts in Gray Hair
and Black Iron for exactly one year.
Today, he sent me his progress report, and I
want to share it with you.
Now, SOME people say that the basics don't build
muscle.
SOME people say that doing low reps -- like the
5 x 5 system, 5/4/3/2/1 or heavy singles -- won't
build mass or they'll "burn out" your CNS.
And SOME people say that it's impossible for a man
over the age of 40 to gain strength and muscle mass.
SOME people say you can't make gains training 2x
per week.
But Ray didn't listen to those people. He followed
one of the twice a week workouts in Gray Hair and
Black Iron -- stuck to the basics -- used 5 x 5 on
all of his exercises, and worked hard to add weight
to the bar on a regular basis.
Did it work?
Well, you tell me.
In one year, Ray went from 158 pounds to 181 pounds.
That's a gain of 23 pounds of muscle.
His squat went from 250 x 5 to 330 x 5. That's 80
pounds.
His deadlift went from 220 x 5 to 305 x 5. That's a
gain of 85 pounds.
Personally, I think it worked.
And I think Ray did one heck of a job -- and deserves
a big round of applause from all the Dinos!
So if you're asking, "Does it work?" -- the answer is,
"Yes, it does."
And if you're wondering whether you're too old to make
good gains, the answer is NO. All it take sis the right
kind of program -- and some solid effort.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab YOUR copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron
right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Ray Elmy is a 46 year old Dino who's been
training on one of the workouts in Gray Hair
and Black Iron for exactly one year.
Today, he sent me his progress report, and I
want to share it with you.
Now, SOME people say that the basics don't build
muscle.
SOME people say that doing low reps -- like the
5 x 5 system, 5/4/3/2/1 or heavy singles -- won't
build mass or they'll "burn out" your CNS.
And SOME people say that it's impossible for a man
over the age of 40 to gain strength and muscle mass.
SOME people say you can't make gains training 2x
per week.
But Ray didn't listen to those people. He followed
one of the twice a week workouts in Gray Hair and
Black Iron -- stuck to the basics -- used 5 x 5 on
all of his exercises, and worked hard to add weight
to the bar on a regular basis.
Did it work?
Well, you tell me.
In one year, Ray went from 158 pounds to 181 pounds.
That's a gain of 23 pounds of muscle.
His squat went from 250 x 5 to 330 x 5. That's 80
pounds.
His deadlift went from 220 x 5 to 305 x 5. That's a
gain of 85 pounds.
Personally, I think it worked.
And I think Ray did one heck of a job -- and deserves
a big round of applause from all the Dinos!
So if you're asking, "Does it work?" -- the answer is,
"Yes, it does."
And if you're wondering whether you're too old to make
good gains, the answer is NO. All it take sis the right
kind of program -- and some solid effort.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab YOUR copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron
right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
5 x 5 for Strength and Mass!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Ever since I wrote about the 5 x 5 system in
Dinosaur Training -- which was way back in 1996 --
I've gotten questions about it.
And the questions are always the same.
They go something like this:
"Which is better?
1. TWO progressively heavier warmup sets and THREE
work sets?
2. THREE progressively heavier warmup sets and TWO
work sets?
3. FOUR progressively heavier warmup sets and ONE
work set?"
So here's the answer: They all work. They're all good.
They all build strength and muscle. BUT -- they are
different, and what works best for one lifter may not
work best for another lifter.
The benefit of doing three work sets is that it forces
you to stay at the same weight until you have fully
mastered it before you add more plates to the bar.
That can be a very good thing, especially for the
impatient types who try to force progress by adding
weight before they're really ready for it. Then they
end up gutting the weight up in lousy form, cutting
depth on squats, bouncing their deadlifts, arching
on their bench presses, swinging their curls, etc.
If you catch yourself doing that, you're a good
candidate for doing three work sets.
Older lifters with stiffer joints and lower recovery
ability often do best by performing five progressively
heavier sets and a single work set.
Also note that there's no magic about 5 x 5. If you need
to start really light and do more warmup sets, then feel
free to do 6 x 5 or 7 x 5. That's what I do -- and it's
what many older lifters NEED to do.
Two more quick points -- and again, these are in
response to common questions.
First, don't get hung up on percentages. There's no magic
number to use to determine the "best" weight on each set
in the series.
Second, 5 rep sets WILL build muscle mass. Don't ever listen
to anyone who says you need to do "high reps for muscle mass."
You can get seriously big and strong and thick with low rep
training.
By the way, did you know that Reg Park built up on five rep
sets?
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 learn more about effective training for strength and
mass in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Ever since I wrote about the 5 x 5 system in
Dinosaur Training -- which was way back in 1996 --
I've gotten questions about it.
And the questions are always the same.
They go something like this:
"Which is better?
1. TWO progressively heavier warmup sets and THREE
work sets?
2. THREE progressively heavier warmup sets and TWO
work sets?
3. FOUR progressively heavier warmup sets and ONE
work set?"
So here's the answer: They all work. They're all good.
They all build strength and muscle. BUT -- they are
different, and what works best for one lifter may not
work best for another lifter.
The benefit of doing three work sets is that it forces
you to stay at the same weight until you have fully
mastered it before you add more plates to the bar.
That can be a very good thing, especially for the
impatient types who try to force progress by adding
weight before they're really ready for it. Then they
end up gutting the weight up in lousy form, cutting
depth on squats, bouncing their deadlifts, arching
on their bench presses, swinging their curls, etc.
If you catch yourself doing that, you're a good
candidate for doing three work sets.
Older lifters with stiffer joints and lower recovery
ability often do best by performing five progressively
heavier sets and a single work set.
Also note that there's no magic about 5 x 5. If you need
to start really light and do more warmup sets, then feel
free to do 6 x 5 or 7 x 5. That's what I do -- and it's
what many older lifters NEED to do.
Two more quick points -- and again, these are in
response to common questions.
First, don't get hung up on percentages. There's no magic
number to use to determine the "best" weight on each set
in the series.
Second, 5 rep sets WILL build muscle mass. Don't ever listen
to anyone who says you need to do "high reps for muscle mass."
You can get seriously big and strong and thick with low rep
training.
By the way, did you know that Reg Park built up on five rep
sets?
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 learn more about effective training for strength and
mass in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
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