Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Quick reminder, and then some Q and A.
My buddy John Wood still has some complete
12 issue sets of the 1943 run of Strength
and Health mag -- but they're going fast.
No wonder, either, because these are GREAT
vintage mags, and the whole 12 issue set
runs a mere 40 clams:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strengthandhealth1943.html
And now -- some training Q and A.
Lee Anderton sent in the following question,
which may be of interest to many readers. It
presents a very common question:
"I have a quick question about very bad
performance in a single exercise in what was
generally a good workout.
I have recently come back to training after a 15
year lay-off. My goal is to get back to where I
was previously and then push on from there. I am
38 years old but still with the mental energy of
a 20 year old if you know what I mean. My question
is this.
I have been performing really well with what I
consider good solid progress in bench, bent over
row, deadlifts, curls, standing press, and high
pulls. However, my squatting is really suffering
and if anything it feels like it is getting worse.
I am resting 3 - 4 days between workouts and make
progress on every exercise in every workout apart
from squats. I recently performed 6 reps with 120
kg (265 lbs.), but 5 days later could only get 2
reps with the same weight. However, all the other
exercises were stronger than the previous session.
I was on my feet all day and it was extremely humid
so I was sweating most of the day and may not have
had enough fluids. Could it simply be that I was
dehydrated and it was just the big whole body
lift of squats that suffered because my legs were
tired? Do I just put this down to a bad day and
suck it up and push on?
Lee"
Hi Lee -- Thanks for your email, and good job on
getting back to the iron. At age 38, you have many
years of great lifting ahead of you -- and you can
look ahead to being stronger than ever when you hit
the big 4-0!
As for your question, I think you answered it -- it
is very hard to squat heavy if you've been on your
feet all day, and that goes double or triple in
extremely hot weather.
Do this:
1. Drink lots of fluids (water) and get hydrated to
the max.
2. Eat lots of fresh green veggies, carrots, potatoes
sweet potatoes, bananas, oranges and other fruits for
the mineral content. Be sure your calcium intake is
high as well (dairy products). Remember, when you sweat,
you lose both water and minerals. So you need to be
sure to replace both of them.
3. If you drink coffee or tea -- or beer or wine -- you
are actually dehydrating yourself, so for every glass
of same have an extra glass of water.
4. For your squats, I want you to back off a bit and
build back up. Get your groove and your confidence back.
Use this simple progression:
a. 100 kilos (220 lbs.) for 1 x 5
b. 100 kilos (220 lbs.) for 2 x 5
c. 100 kilos (220 lbs. for 3 x 5
d. 102.5 kilos (225 lbs.) for 1 x 5
e. 102.5 kilos (225 lbs.) for 2 x 5
f. 102.5 kilos (225 lbs.) for 3 x 5
g. 105 kilos (231 lbs.) for 1 x 5
And so on from there, following the above pattern. This
gives you three workouts at each weight level, adding one
5 rep set per session. It helps build your confidence, and
assures that you are always eager to go out and hit it
hard.
As for those long days on your feet -- if it happens
again, skip a workout or divide it into upper and lower
body and save the squats for another day.
Remember -- drink water. Stay super-hydrated!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. At age 38, Lee is ready for Gray Hair and Black Iron --
and so are many of the rest of you. It lays out EXACTLY what
works for an older lifter, and details over 50 different
workouts for Dinos age 35 and up. If you don't have a copy
grab one now:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 Younger readers should grab Dinosaur Training, Chalk
and Sweat and Strength, Muscle and Power -- 3 killer books
with killer training programs for strength and muscle. You
can find them here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. I keep saying it, because it's important. Keep drinking
lots of water!
The 100 Word Q and A Challenge!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's another hot one, so grab something cold
and refreshing and see if I can answer TEN
training questions in a total of 100 words
or less. Meaning an average of 10 words per
answer.
1. What's the best protein for gaining weight?
A. Heavy compound exercises and good food.
2. How do I train when it's hot?
A. Early or late, water, abbreviated workouts.
3. What does your current training program look
like?
A. Front squats, snatches, clean and jerk -- doubles
and singles. 3x per week.
4. What assistance exercises do you do?
A. See above.
[Note: Just saved a lot of words. We're at 26 now.]
5. Can you give me a good program for building
muscle mass?
A. Squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses,
rowing, and pull-ups. 5 x 5. Divided workouts.
See Strength, Muscle and Power for details.
6. I'm really dragging in this hot weather. What
can I do?
A. Water and minerals -- as in, green veggies,
potatoes, sweet potatoes, dairy products, lean
protein.
[Note: That's 59 words so far . . . ]
7. Did the old-time strongmen really lift heavy
awkward objects like sandbags and barrels and anvils?
A. Yep.
8. What's the best exercise for grip strength?
A. Thick bar DL and timed holds, overhand grip.
[Note: 68 . . .]
9. Is it true that John Grimek built up on the squats
and milk program?
A. Squats yes (plus other exercises and WL training),
milk no.
[Note 78 . . . ]
10. Who was the greatest Heavyweight lifter of all time?
A. Pound for pound, longest win streak, most Olympic and
World championships, John Davis. Best form, most Olympic
medals, Schemansky.
Ha! 97 words! I did it!
Hope you enjoyed it -- and keep those questions coming!
We'll do it again sometime.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. To learn more about divided workout schedules and
abbreviated training, grab a copy of STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 To learn more about John Davis -- my pick for the
top Heavyweight lifter of all time -- grab BLACK IRON,
THE JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3 Remember, keep drinking that water -- stay hydrated!
It's another hot one, so grab something cold
and refreshing and see if I can answer TEN
training questions in a total of 100 words
or less. Meaning an average of 10 words per
answer.
1. What's the best protein for gaining weight?
A. Heavy compound exercises and good food.
2. How do I train when it's hot?
A. Early or late, water, abbreviated workouts.
3. What does your current training program look
like?
A. Front squats, snatches, clean and jerk -- doubles
and singles. 3x per week.
4. What assistance exercises do you do?
A. See above.
[Note: Just saved a lot of words. We're at 26 now.]
5. Can you give me a good program for building
muscle mass?
A. Squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses,
rowing, and pull-ups. 5 x 5. Divided workouts.
See Strength, Muscle and Power for details.
6. I'm really dragging in this hot weather. What
can I do?
A. Water and minerals -- as in, green veggies,
potatoes, sweet potatoes, dairy products, lean
protein.
[Note: That's 59 words so far . . . ]
7. Did the old-time strongmen really lift heavy
awkward objects like sandbags and barrels and anvils?
A. Yep.
8. What's the best exercise for grip strength?
A. Thick bar DL and timed holds, overhand grip.
[Note: 68 . . .]
9. Is it true that John Grimek built up on the squats
and milk program?
A. Squats yes (plus other exercises and WL training),
milk no.
[Note 78 . . . ]
10. Who was the greatest Heavyweight lifter of all time?
A. Pound for pound, longest win streak, most Olympic and
World championships, John Davis. Best form, most Olympic
medals, Schemansky.
Ha! 97 words! I did it!
Hope you enjoyed it -- and keep those questions coming!
We'll do it again sometime.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. To learn more about divided workout schedules and
abbreviated training, grab a copy of STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 To learn more about John Davis -- my pick for the
top Heavyweight lifter of all time -- grab BLACK IRON,
THE JOHN DAVIS STORY:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3 Remember, keep drinking that water -- stay hydrated!
Will This Work?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A lot of people waste a lot of time
worrying about their training program.
I get emails all the time with questions
about training programs:
"Here's what I want to do. Will it work?"
"Is this enough?"
"Is this too much?"
"How does this look?"
"What will happen if I switch from bench
press to incline press (or from squat to
bottom position squat -- or from deadlifts
to high pulls)?"
"Is it okay to do some curls?"
"Can I do an extra warm-up set?"
"Is it okay to do dumbbell presses instead of
barbell presses?"
And so on.
My answer is usually pretty much the same:
1. As long as you're following a sensible
abbreviated program with the emphasis on the BIG
exercises (squat, deadlift, press, bench press,
rowing, pull-ups, high pulls, cleans, etc.).
and
2. As long as you allow enough time for recovery
and recuperation,
and
3. As long as you focus on adding weight to the
bar in a progressive fashion,
Then it's all going to work pretty well for you, and
you don't need to sweat the details.
And there's a related point.
The great thing about strength training is that it is
PROGRESSIVE. Meaning that you are always working to
improve your performance.
If you train the right way, you will improve steadily
from week to week and month to month.
If you are improving, your workout is fine.
If you stop improving, you need to tweak your program.
Perhaps you are training too often -- or doing too many
exercises -- or not putting enough effort into your leg
and back training -- or whatever.
The point is, don't worry about the details. JUST TRAIN!
And remember this. I also get tons of emails from readers
who tell me they started to train the Dino way, and now
they're making the very best progress ever -- having more
fun in their workouts than ever before -- and that they're
stronger than ever before. Which proves that it works --
and once again, it's a good reason not to sweat the little
things.
As I said before, as long as you're doing it Dino style,
it's all going to work fine for you. So just get out and
TRAIN!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If
you train today -- well, you know what to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information about productive, effective, real
world strength training and muscle building, grab these books
and courses:
1. Dinosaur Training
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
3. Gray Hair and Black Iron
4. Chalk and Sweat
5. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
You can find all of them at the Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A lot of people waste a lot of time
worrying about their training program.
I get emails all the time with questions
about training programs:
"Here's what I want to do. Will it work?"
"Is this enough?"
"Is this too much?"
"How does this look?"
"What will happen if I switch from bench
press to incline press (or from squat to
bottom position squat -- or from deadlifts
to high pulls)?"
"Is it okay to do some curls?"
"Can I do an extra warm-up set?"
"Is it okay to do dumbbell presses instead of
barbell presses?"
And so on.
My answer is usually pretty much the same:
1. As long as you're following a sensible
abbreviated program with the emphasis on the BIG
exercises (squat, deadlift, press, bench press,
rowing, pull-ups, high pulls, cleans, etc.).
and
2. As long as you allow enough time for recovery
and recuperation,
and
3. As long as you focus on adding weight to the
bar in a progressive fashion,
Then it's all going to work pretty well for you, and
you don't need to sweat the details.
And there's a related point.
The great thing about strength training is that it is
PROGRESSIVE. Meaning that you are always working to
improve your performance.
If you train the right way, you will improve steadily
from week to week and month to month.
If you are improving, your workout is fine.
If you stop improving, you need to tweak your program.
Perhaps you are training too often -- or doing too many
exercises -- or not putting enough effort into your leg
and back training -- or whatever.
The point is, don't worry about the details. JUST TRAIN!
And remember this. I also get tons of emails from readers
who tell me they started to train the Dino way, and now
they're making the very best progress ever -- having more
fun in their workouts than ever before -- and that they're
stronger than ever before. Which proves that it works --
and once again, it's a good reason not to sweat the little
things.
As I said before, as long as you're doing it Dino style,
it's all going to work fine for you. So just get out and
TRAIN!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If
you train today -- well, you know what to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information about productive, effective, real
world strength training and muscle building, grab these books
and courses:
1. Dinosaur Training
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
3. Gray Hair and Black Iron
4. Chalk and Sweat
5. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
You can find all of them at the Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Your Brain, Your Ego and Your Body
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When it comes to strength training and
muscle building, you have to pay attention
to your brain, your ego and your body.
The three need to work together -- not work
against each other.
Let me explain what I mean.
Your ego is your sense of self. It's what
motivated you to start training in the first
place. Your ego decided, "I want you to be
strong, healthy, muscular and in great shape."
Your ego also said, "If HE can do it, so can
YOU!"
Then, after you started to get good results,
your ego said "I like this! Keep doing it!"
Your brain is your command central. It tells
your body what to do.
Your brain determines what exercises to do, how
much to lift, how heavy to go, how many sets and
reps to do, and how many days per week to train.
And hopefully, your brain studies GOOD sources of
training advice -- such as Dinosaur Training and
my other training books -- and works hard to put
together the best and most effective training
programs you can follow.
It's your brain that asks questions like, "Is this
working? Am I getting stronger? Do I feel strong
and energetic -- or weak and lethargic? Am I training
enough? Am I overtraining? Do I stick with what I've
been doing, or make some changes?"
Your body does all the heavy lifting -- and hopefully,
gives your brain some feedback about the process.
When your ego, your brain and your body work together,
good things happen.
But when they work against each other, bad things
happen.
I'll give you a simple example.
Guy goes to the gym to train. So far, so good.
Guy is scheduled to do 385 x 5 for his final set of
deadlifts.
Guy sees another lifter do 455 x 5, and he thinks, "I
gotta put more weight on the bar!"
And that's where the problem starts.
His ego is taking over the job of programming.
Instead of his brain telling him what to do (in this
case, 385 x 5), he lets his ego tell him what to do.
So he tries 405, and does 2 good reps, followed by three
lousy reps where he bounces the bar off the floor. The
last rep ends with an ugly, slow motion pull where he
loses his form and rounds his back and gets way out of
position, and almost kills himself to make the rep.
His back says "NO!" all the way (that's his body talking),
but his mind is asleep at the wheel and ignores the
message -- and the ego doesn't care, because the ego
thinks he did GREAT!
So the next time he goes to the gym, his ego tells him
to try 415 x 5 -- and you can guess what happens from
there.
Bounced reps, lousy form, rounded back, and then -- BAM!
A severe muscle pull.
He's off for six weeks, and when he comes back, he's using
315 x 3 and he ends up spending three months just getting
back to that 385 x 5.
So do this -- always be sure your brain, your ego and your
body work together -- with each of them doing its proper
job.
Together, the three can work miracles. Just give it some time
and some sensible training, and see what happens!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Sensible training is all about doing the right amount of
work -- not too much and not too little. Hard enough, but not
impossible. You can learn more about sensible, effective, real
world strength training in any of my books and courses:
1. Dinosaur Training
2. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (details John Davis'
actual training programs)
4. Strength, Muscle and Power
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron
6. Legacy of Iron (details the famous York training programs
and how the champs trained "back in the day")
7. Chalk and Sweat
You can find them right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
When it comes to strength training and
muscle building, you have to pay attention
to your brain, your ego and your body.
The three need to work together -- not work
against each other.
Let me explain what I mean.
Your ego is your sense of self. It's what
motivated you to start training in the first
place. Your ego decided, "I want you to be
strong, healthy, muscular and in great shape."
Your ego also said, "If HE can do it, so can
YOU!"
Then, after you started to get good results,
your ego said "I like this! Keep doing it!"
Your brain is your command central. It tells
your body what to do.
Your brain determines what exercises to do, how
much to lift, how heavy to go, how many sets and
reps to do, and how many days per week to train.
And hopefully, your brain studies GOOD sources of
training advice -- such as Dinosaur Training and
my other training books -- and works hard to put
together the best and most effective training
programs you can follow.
It's your brain that asks questions like, "Is this
working? Am I getting stronger? Do I feel strong
and energetic -- or weak and lethargic? Am I training
enough? Am I overtraining? Do I stick with what I've
been doing, or make some changes?"
Your body does all the heavy lifting -- and hopefully,
gives your brain some feedback about the process.
When your ego, your brain and your body work together,
good things happen.
But when they work against each other, bad things
happen.
I'll give you a simple example.
Guy goes to the gym to train. So far, so good.
Guy is scheduled to do 385 x 5 for his final set of
deadlifts.
Guy sees another lifter do 455 x 5, and he thinks, "I
gotta put more weight on the bar!"
And that's where the problem starts.
His ego is taking over the job of programming.
Instead of his brain telling him what to do (in this
case, 385 x 5), he lets his ego tell him what to do.
So he tries 405, and does 2 good reps, followed by three
lousy reps where he bounces the bar off the floor. The
last rep ends with an ugly, slow motion pull where he
loses his form and rounds his back and gets way out of
position, and almost kills himself to make the rep.
His back says "NO!" all the way (that's his body talking),
but his mind is asleep at the wheel and ignores the
message -- and the ego doesn't care, because the ego
thinks he did GREAT!
So the next time he goes to the gym, his ego tells him
to try 415 x 5 -- and you can guess what happens from
there.
Bounced reps, lousy form, rounded back, and then -- BAM!
A severe muscle pull.
He's off for six weeks, and when he comes back, he's using
315 x 3 and he ends up spending three months just getting
back to that 385 x 5.
So do this -- always be sure your brain, your ego and your
body work together -- with each of them doing its proper
job.
Together, the three can work miracles. Just give it some time
and some sensible training, and see what happens!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Sensible training is all about doing the right amount of
work -- not too much and not too little. Hard enough, but not
impossible. You can learn more about sensible, effective, real
world strength training in any of my books and courses:
1. Dinosaur Training
2. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (details John Davis'
actual training programs)
4. Strength, Muscle and Power
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron
6. Legacy of Iron (details the famous York training programs
and how the champs trained "back in the day")
7. Chalk and Sweat
You can find them right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
The Gotta Do It All Guy
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday we talked about the Program Hopper.
Today, let's talk about the Gotta Do It All
Guy.
When I was a kid, the muscle comics catered to
the Gotta Do It All Guy. In fact, they helped
create him.
The Gotta Do It All Guy is obsessed with hitting
his muscles from every possible angle -- performing
every exercise under the sun -- and doing everything
he can to insure he hits every single fiber in
his body in every single workout he does.
Thus, you have the guy who trains by body-parts --
and every body-part gets at least half a dozen
different exercises.
For example -- a typical Gotta Do It All chest
program might look like this:
1. Bench press
2. DB bench press
3. Incline press
4. DB incline press
5. Dips
6. Decline flyes
7. Flat bench flyes
8. Incline flyes
9. Cable cross-overs
10. Cross bench pullovers with
one DB
I was a Gotta Do It All Guy for awhile. And
it got me nowhere. Nowhere but tired and run
down and weak and skinny and puny.
Then I tried a different approach.
Instead of doing every exercise under the sun, I
began to concentrate on a small number of truly
productive movements.
Basic compound exercises:
1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Presses
4. Bench presses
5. Curls
6. Bent over rowing
7. Pull-ups
8. Gut work
And THAT'S when I started to make some progress.
You see, when you do every exercise under the sun,
you never really do justice to any of them. You spread
yourself too thin. You do lots and lots of work (high
volume) but you never really work hard. It SOUNDS like
a hard way to train. Actually, it's ten times harder to
do LESS but work the heck out of everything you do.
Ten times more productive, too. If you don't believe me,
try it and see.
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 about getting great results by focusing on
a small number of truly productive exercises, grab a copy
of any of the following books or courses:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron
3. Strength Muscle and Power
4. Chalk and Sweat
You can find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Yesterday we talked about the Program Hopper.
Today, let's talk about the Gotta Do It All
Guy.
When I was a kid, the muscle comics catered to
the Gotta Do It All Guy. In fact, they helped
create him.
The Gotta Do It All Guy is obsessed with hitting
his muscles from every possible angle -- performing
every exercise under the sun -- and doing everything
he can to insure he hits every single fiber in
his body in every single workout he does.
Thus, you have the guy who trains by body-parts --
and every body-part gets at least half a dozen
different exercises.
For example -- a typical Gotta Do It All chest
program might look like this:
1. Bench press
2. DB bench press
3. Incline press
4. DB incline press
5. Dips
6. Decline flyes
7. Flat bench flyes
8. Incline flyes
9. Cable cross-overs
10. Cross bench pullovers with
one DB
I was a Gotta Do It All Guy for awhile. And
it got me nowhere. Nowhere but tired and run
down and weak and skinny and puny.
Then I tried a different approach.
Instead of doing every exercise under the sun, I
began to concentrate on a small number of truly
productive movements.
Basic compound exercises:
1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Presses
4. Bench presses
5. Curls
6. Bent over rowing
7. Pull-ups
8. Gut work
And THAT'S when I started to make some progress.
You see, when you do every exercise under the sun,
you never really do justice to any of them. You spread
yourself too thin. You do lots and lots of work (high
volume) but you never really work hard. It SOUNDS like
a hard way to train. Actually, it's ten times harder to
do LESS but work the heck out of everything you do.
Ten times more productive, too. If you don't believe me,
try it and see.
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 about getting great results by focusing on
a small number of truly productive exercises, grab a copy
of any of the following books or courses:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron
3. Strength Muscle and Power
4. Chalk and Sweat
You can find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Feedback from 5 Iron Game Legends!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
If your ears are burning, it's a sure sign
that people are talking about you.
And if books had ears, BLACK IRON: THE JOHN
DAVIS STORY, would be on fire.
Over the past couple of days, there's been
a ton of buzz about BLACK IRON -- and it's
coming from some of the biggest names in the
Iron Game.
Frank Spellman, a teammate and training partner
of John Davis -- and a gold medal winner at the
1948 Olympic games -- said this about BLACK IRON:
"I received the book on Saturday and was finished
reading it on Sunday. It should be a very popular
book. You did a wonderful job with it. I particularly
enjoyed it because I lived with the hero and was
a part of the story. So thank you, and this one is
special to me."
Another of John's teammates -- Tommy Kono, who won
the Olympic Gold medal in 1952 and 1956 -- said:
"Your latest book, Black Iron: The John Davis
Story, is a great piece of research, history and
novel all rolled up into one. I know that everyone
who knew Davis when he was at his peak will relish
reading about him, and I also know that John
appreciates the great effort you spent in putting
his story in print so his history is perpetuated.
Great work, Brooks!"
Clarence Bass of RIPPED fame -- a former over-40 Mr.
America -- said:
"Thank you for the Davis book. It will take me awhile
to read it, so I want to congratulate you now on the
Herculean effort it represents. The John Davis story
needed to be told, and you were just the man to do it.
I respect and honor your work in support of the sport
we all love."
Dr. Ken Leistner, who ranks as one of the all-time great
writers about serious, no-nonsense strength training,
kept it short and to the point -- just like his
legendary hard-core workouts:
"The Davis book looks great!"
Former U.S. National champion and World Record holder,
Clyde Emrich (yet another of John's teammates), also
kept it short and sweet:
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY is absolutely superb."
Now, between them, Frank Spellman, Tommy Kono, Clarence
Bass, Dr. Ken and Clyde Emrich represent something like
340 or 350 years in the Iron Game, and I don't know how
many championships, medals, trophies, American and World
records -- thousands of training articles -- close to a
dozen books -- and they've trained tens of thousands of
successful athletes.
So when you get all five of them jumping up and down about
one particular book -- face it, it's got to be something
pretty special -- and I think that's a pretty good description
of BLACK IRON.
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 joint the growing army of BLACK IRON fans by
grabbing a copy of the little monster right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save wampum on shipping and handling by grabbing two or
more books at one time. We have plenty of them to choose from:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 -- It's still blast furnace hot out there. Keep drinking
plenty of water! Stay hydrated!
If your ears are burning, it's a sure sign
that people are talking about you.
And if books had ears, BLACK IRON: THE JOHN
DAVIS STORY, would be on fire.
Over the past couple of days, there's been
a ton of buzz about BLACK IRON -- and it's
coming from some of the biggest names in the
Iron Game.
Frank Spellman, a teammate and training partner
of John Davis -- and a gold medal winner at the
1948 Olympic games -- said this about BLACK IRON:
"I received the book on Saturday and was finished
reading it on Sunday. It should be a very popular
book. You did a wonderful job with it. I particularly
enjoyed it because I lived with the hero and was
a part of the story. So thank you, and this one is
special to me."
Another of John's teammates -- Tommy Kono, who won
the Olympic Gold medal in 1952 and 1956 -- said:
"Your latest book, Black Iron: The John Davis
Story, is a great piece of research, history and
novel all rolled up into one. I know that everyone
who knew Davis when he was at his peak will relish
reading about him, and I also know that John
appreciates the great effort you spent in putting
his story in print so his history is perpetuated.
Great work, Brooks!"
Clarence Bass of RIPPED fame -- a former over-40 Mr.
America -- said:
"Thank you for the Davis book. It will take me awhile
to read it, so I want to congratulate you now on the
Herculean effort it represents. The John Davis story
needed to be told, and you were just the man to do it.
I respect and honor your work in support of the sport
we all love."
Dr. Ken Leistner, who ranks as one of the all-time great
writers about serious, no-nonsense strength training,
kept it short and to the point -- just like his
legendary hard-core workouts:
"The Davis book looks great!"
Former U.S. National champion and World Record holder,
Clyde Emrich (yet another of John's teammates), also
kept it short and sweet:
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY is absolutely superb."
Now, between them, Frank Spellman, Tommy Kono, Clarence
Bass, Dr. Ken and Clyde Emrich represent something like
340 or 350 years in the Iron Game, and I don't know how
many championships, medals, trophies, American and World
records -- thousands of training articles -- close to a
dozen books -- and they've trained tens of thousands of
successful athletes.
So when you get all five of them jumping up and down about
one particular book -- face it, it's got to be something
pretty special -- and I think that's a pretty good description
of BLACK IRON.
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 joint the growing army of BLACK IRON fans by
grabbing a copy of the little monster right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 -- Save wampum on shipping and handling by grabbing two or
more books at one time. We have plenty of them to choose from:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 -- It's still blast furnace hot out there. Keep drinking
plenty of water! Stay hydrated!
A Gold Medal Review for Black Iron!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
American athletes have won a total of 16
Olympic Gold medals in weightlifting.
Only three American weightlifters have won
TWO Olympic gold medals: Tommy Kono (1952
and 1956), Chuck Vinci (1956 and 1960), and
John Davis (1948 and 1952).
American athletes have won a total of 37
World championships in weightlifting.
Tommy Kono won six of those World champion-
ships -- and John Davis also won six of them.
Kono and Davis are the only American lifters
to win six World Championships and two Olympic
gold medals.
Together, the two men account for 25 percent
of the USA' Olympic gold medals in weight-
lifting -- and one third of the USA's World
championship medals.
That's one reason why I wrote a book about
John Davis.
And it's a reason why the following email is
of special importance. It's from Tommy Kono --
and it's about BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
So it's one great champion commenting on a book
about another great champion:
"Brooks,
Your latest book, BLACK IRON - THE JOHN DAVIS
STORY is a great piece of research, history and
novel all rolled into one, and I look forward
to reading it from cover to cover.
Imagine my surprise when this heavy package
was waiting to be picked up when I went to the
post office on Tuesday. I couldn't get over the
thickness and the pages of the book. It should
certainly rank as one of the most complete
coverage of any strongmen of past or present
written by anyone.
I know that everyone who knew Davis when he was
at his peak will relish reading about him, and I
also know that John appreciates the great effort
you spent putting his story in print so his history
is perpetuated. Great work, Brooks!
Tommy"
I don't know about you, by I consider that to be a
GOLD MEDAL book review.
And yes, folks -- it made my day.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
If you train today (1) drink lots of water, and (2)
make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can join Tommy Kono and hundreds of other readers
who are loving BLACK IRON by ordering a copy of the little
monster (all 496 pages of it) right here at Dino
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
American athletes have won a total of 16
Olympic Gold medals in weightlifting.
Only three American weightlifters have won
TWO Olympic gold medals: Tommy Kono (1952
and 1956), Chuck Vinci (1956 and 1960), and
John Davis (1948 and 1952).
American athletes have won a total of 37
World championships in weightlifting.
Tommy Kono won six of those World champion-
ships -- and John Davis also won six of them.
Kono and Davis are the only American lifters
to win six World Championships and two Olympic
gold medals.
Together, the two men account for 25 percent
of the USA' Olympic gold medals in weight-
lifting -- and one third of the USA's World
championship medals.
That's one reason why I wrote a book about
John Davis.
And it's a reason why the following email is
of special importance. It's from Tommy Kono --
and it's about BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY.
So it's one great champion commenting on a book
about another great champion:
"Brooks,
Your latest book, BLACK IRON - THE JOHN DAVIS
STORY is a great piece of research, history and
novel all rolled into one, and I look forward
to reading it from cover to cover.
Imagine my surprise when this heavy package
was waiting to be picked up when I went to the
post office on Tuesday. I couldn't get over the
thickness and the pages of the book. It should
certainly rank as one of the most complete
coverage of any strongmen of past or present
written by anyone.
I know that everyone who knew Davis when he was
at his peak will relish reading about him, and I
also know that John appreciates the great effort
you spent putting his story in print so his history
is perpetuated. Great work, Brooks!
Tommy"
I don't know about you, by I consider that to be a
GOLD MEDAL book review.
And yes, folks -- it made my day.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
If you train today (1) drink lots of water, and (2)
make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can join Tommy Kono and hundreds of other readers
who are loving BLACK IRON by ordering a copy of the little
monster (all 496 pages of it) right here at Dino
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Beer Kegs at 20 Paces!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I do a lot of walking for cardio training,
calorie burning and over-all health and
fitness.
I live in apart of Louisville called The
Highlands -- and it's well named. Lots and
lots of hills. Some of them very long and
very steep.
I can go 5 or 6 miles, and at least a third
of the distance is uphill. Not as good as San
Francisco, but pretty darn close. And 5 or 6
miles at a good, steady pace, with lots of
hills, is a pretty good hike every morning.
Anyhow, I was into the home-stretch, and
passed a small park, and spotted 3 young guys
(early 20's) with some video cameras and tech
stuff -- and a beer keg -- with a big, long
strap of thick webbing attached to it.
Could it be?
Were they really dragging the thing around the
park? Was this some sort of hard-core strength
workout right out of the pages of Dinosaur
Training?
Then I thought, "If these guys are out in the park
lifting a beer keg, maybe they've read Dinosaur
Training!"
"Maybe they'll ask for an autograph!"
"Maybe they'll ask for some training advice."
At my age, as a senior member of the Iron Game
fraternity, it's always important to help younger
guys get the most out of their training. And if
they're excited to meet you and want your autograph,
it's even better.
So I cut into the park and walked over to where
they were standing.
"What are you guys doing with the beer keg?" I asked.
"We're filming a video for a rock group."
"Are you lifting it?"
He laughed, as if it were a foolish question. Who in
their right mind would lift a beer keg?
"No."
"Throwing it?"
Another short laugh. He stepped backward and began to
edge away from me.
"Uh -- no."
"Pulling it around?"
He nodded.
"Yeah -- we did that and filmed it."
I nodded.
"Well, that's good, too. But lifting it's better. So is
throwing the thing."
"Uh -- yeah -- I suppose."
I figured that was as much education as I could dispense
in one morning, so I headed on home, leaving the guys in
the park with their video cameras and their beer keg.
I guess dragging it was better than nothing. But it would
have made a much better video if they had lifted the darn
thing.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover heavy, awkward objects in Dinosaur Training and
in Strength, Muscle and Power -- and I offer workouts that
combine them with barbell and dumbbell training in Chalk and
Sweat. You can find them right here:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 I also have an entire DVD devoted to training with
heavy, awkward objects -- and unlike those guys in the park,
I really do lift (and throw) heavy barrels and beer kegs.
I'm offering the little monster at a special "save some
wampum" summertime blowout -- along with 4 other Dinosaur
training DVD's. If you're interested, shoot me an email.
P.S. 3 Have a great weekend!
I do a lot of walking for cardio training,
calorie burning and over-all health and
fitness.
I live in apart of Louisville called The
Highlands -- and it's well named. Lots and
lots of hills. Some of them very long and
very steep.
I can go 5 or 6 miles, and at least a third
of the distance is uphill. Not as good as San
Francisco, but pretty darn close. And 5 or 6
miles at a good, steady pace, with lots of
hills, is a pretty good hike every morning.
Anyhow, I was into the home-stretch, and
passed a small park, and spotted 3 young guys
(early 20's) with some video cameras and tech
stuff -- and a beer keg -- with a big, long
strap of thick webbing attached to it.
Could it be?
Were they really dragging the thing around the
park? Was this some sort of hard-core strength
workout right out of the pages of Dinosaur
Training?
Then I thought, "If these guys are out in the park
lifting a beer keg, maybe they've read Dinosaur
Training!"
"Maybe they'll ask for an autograph!"
"Maybe they'll ask for some training advice."
At my age, as a senior member of the Iron Game
fraternity, it's always important to help younger
guys get the most out of their training. And if
they're excited to meet you and want your autograph,
it's even better.
So I cut into the park and walked over to where
they were standing.
"What are you guys doing with the beer keg?" I asked.
"We're filming a video for a rock group."
"Are you lifting it?"
He laughed, as if it were a foolish question. Who in
their right mind would lift a beer keg?
"No."
"Throwing it?"
Another short laugh. He stepped backward and began to
edge away from me.
"Uh -- no."
"Pulling it around?"
He nodded.
"Yeah -- we did that and filmed it."
I nodded.
"Well, that's good, too. But lifting it's better. So is
throwing the thing."
"Uh -- yeah -- I suppose."
I figured that was as much education as I could dispense
in one morning, so I headed on home, leaving the guys in
the park with their video cameras and their beer keg.
I guess dragging it was better than nothing. But it would
have made a much better video if they had lifted the darn
thing.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover heavy, awkward objects in Dinosaur Training and
in Strength, Muscle and Power -- and I offer workouts that
combine them with barbell and dumbbell training in Chalk and
Sweat. You can find them right here:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 I also have an entire DVD devoted to training with
heavy, awkward objects -- and unlike those guys in the park,
I really do lift (and throw) heavy barrels and beer kegs.
I'm offering the little monster at a special "save some
wampum" summertime blowout -- along with 4 other Dinosaur
training DVD's. If you're interested, shoot me an email.
P.S. 3 Have a great weekend!
Old School Iron
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Nowadays, everyone knows what a barbell is,
and everyone knows how to perform the basic
exercises: curls, presses, bench presses and
so on.
It's hard to imagine a time when things were
different. But not too long ago most people
had never seen a barbell -- and almost no one
had any idea what to do with one.
The first plate-loading barbells were sold in
the United States beginning about 100 years
ago. Not very many were made, and not very many
were sold -- and all through the 1920's, 30's
and 40's, barbells remained pretty rare, pretty
unusual and pretty mysterious.
And that raised an interesting issue for the
barbell manufacturers.
When they shipped the barbell, it was usually
going to someone who had absolutely no idea
what to do with it.
So when they shipped the barbell, they had to
include a course that told you (1) how to
perform the basic exercises, and (2) how to
put them together into a training program.
That's exactly what the Milo Barbell Company
did -- and later, it was what the York Barbell
Company did.
And amazingly, the men and boys (and the
occasional woman or girl) who ordered a barbell
were able to follow the course well enough to
get some pretty good results.
Take Harry Paschall, for example. Farm kid from
North Central Ohio -- orders a Milo barbell back
around 1914 or 1915 -- and gains 25 pounds of
muscle in one year. Goes on to become a lifting
champion -- and later, to write his own books
and courses about barbell training.
And there were many other similar cases. Young
men and boys who ordered a barbell, followed the
little training course that came with it -- and
gained 20, 30, 40, 50 or more pounds of muscle
and tons of strength.
In fact, the average results from barbell training
"back in the day" were little short of amazing --
and they were (get this) BETTER than the average
results achieved by modern trainees -- most of whom
never gain much of anything at all, give up in
disgust, and tell people "I tried that barbell
stuff, but it doesn't work."
I write about the old-school training methods in all
of my books and courses. There's a reason for that.
They have a long history of success. They've been
building strength, muscle and power for well over
100 years.
If you're tired of the modern stuff that just doesn't
seem to work, give old-school methods a try. You
won't regret it for a second.
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. CHALK AND SWEAT contains over 50 detailed training
programs -- 10 for beginners, 10 for intermediates, 10
for advanced men -- and 20 different programs for building
maximum strength and muscle mass. All of them old-school,
and all of them very, very effective:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses are available right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 If you'd like to learn more about the old York courses -- or grab them, in a deluxe, modern reprint edition -- go here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/bob_hoffman.html
Nowadays, everyone knows what a barbell is,
and everyone knows how to perform the basic
exercises: curls, presses, bench presses and
so on.
It's hard to imagine a time when things were
different. But not too long ago most people
had never seen a barbell -- and almost no one
had any idea what to do with one.
The first plate-loading barbells were sold in
the United States beginning about 100 years
ago. Not very many were made, and not very many
were sold -- and all through the 1920's, 30's
and 40's, barbells remained pretty rare, pretty
unusual and pretty mysterious.
And that raised an interesting issue for the
barbell manufacturers.
When they shipped the barbell, it was usually
going to someone who had absolutely no idea
what to do with it.
So when they shipped the barbell, they had to
include a course that told you (1) how to
perform the basic exercises, and (2) how to
put them together into a training program.
That's exactly what the Milo Barbell Company
did -- and later, it was what the York Barbell
Company did.
And amazingly, the men and boys (and the
occasional woman or girl) who ordered a barbell
were able to follow the course well enough to
get some pretty good results.
Take Harry Paschall, for example. Farm kid from
North Central Ohio -- orders a Milo barbell back
around 1914 or 1915 -- and gains 25 pounds of
muscle in one year. Goes on to become a lifting
champion -- and later, to write his own books
and courses about barbell training.
And there were many other similar cases. Young
men and boys who ordered a barbell, followed the
little training course that came with it -- and
gained 20, 30, 40, 50 or more pounds of muscle
and tons of strength.
In fact, the average results from barbell training
"back in the day" were little short of amazing --
and they were (get this) BETTER than the average
results achieved by modern trainees -- most of whom
never gain much of anything at all, give up in
disgust, and tell people "I tried that barbell
stuff, but it doesn't work."
I write about the old-school training methods in all
of my books and courses. There's a reason for that.
They have a long history of success. They've been
building strength, muscle and power for well over
100 years.
If you're tired of the modern stuff that just doesn't
seem to work, give old-school methods a try. You
won't regret it for a second.
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. CHALK AND SWEAT contains over 50 detailed training
programs -- 10 for beginners, 10 for intermediates, 10
for advanced men -- and 20 different programs for building
maximum strength and muscle mass. All of them old-school,
and all of them very, very effective:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses are available right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 If you'd like to learn more about the old York courses -- or grab them, in a deluxe, modern reprint edition -- go here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/bob_hoffman.html
Dino Style Cardio Training
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I've been getting a ton of questions from
readers about combining strength training
and cardio training.
That's good, because it shows that many
Dinos are doing the smart thing and working
to improve their strength and development
through their lifting -- and also working to
improve their cardiovascular condition and
help whack the lard lumps with their cardio
exercise.
It's bad, though, that so many readers still
have questions about it -- but at least they're
thinking about it, and trying to figure out
what to do.
Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to get
results and NOT doing doing much "cardio" that
you affect your strength training or your
recovery ability.
You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear and
tear on the joints.
And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of you), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of you).
I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds are
hardly going to work for a 50 year old who
weighs 220 pounds.
One of the best cardio programs for a strength
athlete is also one of the simplest.
It's something I alluded to earlier today in
another message.
It's walking.
In many respects, it's a perfect cardio exercise
for guys who do lots of heavy squatting, pulling
and pushing.
It's easy to do.
You can do it pretty much anywhere.
It doesn't require any special equipment.
You can start as easy as you want (or need) and
build up to some serious hard training over time.
It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless you
go nuts and start to really overdo it).
For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as long as
you wear good shoes and as long as you start slow
and easy and build up the speed and the distance
g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y. (Of course, if you have any kind
of health issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- or if you're over the age 40
or unusually heavy -- check w/ your doctor before
stratring a walking program.)
Important Note: "gradually" means slowly, steadily,
sensibly and progressively. It doe snot, as many believe,
mean "overnight" or "immediately."
Many doctors -- including at least one former Surgeon
General of the United States -- believe that 30 minutes
per day of walking is one of the best things you can
do for your over-all health and fitness.
Bernarr McFadden believed the very same thing. He was
such a big fan of walking that he even wrote a book
about it. I have a copy on my book shelf -- and it's
darn good reading.
There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio training that
you might want to try. I detail them in GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON. If you have a copy, re-read those chapters
tonight. If you don't have a copy, you might want to
order one. It will give you tons of tips on effective
cardio training for strength athletes.
But start by thinking about walking. It's good for you.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- as well as The
Dino Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Walking is like lifting. It works best if you take it one step at a time.
I've been getting a ton of questions from
readers about combining strength training
and cardio training.
That's good, because it shows that many
Dinos are doing the smart thing and working
to improve their strength and development
through their lifting -- and also working to
improve their cardiovascular condition and
help whack the lard lumps with their cardio
exercise.
It's bad, though, that so many readers still
have questions about it -- but at least they're
thinking about it, and trying to figure out
what to do.
Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to get
results and NOT doing doing much "cardio" that
you affect your strength training or your
recovery ability.
You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear and
tear on the joints.
And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of you), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of you).
I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds are
hardly going to work for a 50 year old who
weighs 220 pounds.
One of the best cardio programs for a strength
athlete is also one of the simplest.
It's something I alluded to earlier today in
another message.
It's walking.
In many respects, it's a perfect cardio exercise
for guys who do lots of heavy squatting, pulling
and pushing.
It's easy to do.
You can do it pretty much anywhere.
It doesn't require any special equipment.
You can start as easy as you want (or need) and
build up to some serious hard training over time.
It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless you
go nuts and start to really overdo it).
For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as long as
you wear good shoes and as long as you start slow
and easy and build up the speed and the distance
g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y. (Of course, if you have any kind
of health issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- or if you're over the age 40
or unusually heavy -- check w/ your doctor before
stratring a walking program.)
Important Note: "gradually" means slowly, steadily,
sensibly and progressively. It doe snot, as many believe,
mean "overnight" or "immediately."
Many doctors -- including at least one former Surgeon
General of the United States -- believe that 30 minutes
per day of walking is one of the best things you can
do for your over-all health and fitness.
Bernarr McFadden believed the very same thing. He was
such a big fan of walking that he even wrote a book
about it. I have a copy on my book shelf -- and it's
darn good reading.
There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio training that
you might want to try. I detail them in GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON. If you have a copy, re-read those chapters
tonight. If you don't have a copy, you might want to
order one. It will give you tons of tips on effective
cardio training for strength athletes.
But start by thinking about walking. It's good for you.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- as well as The
Dino Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Walking is like lifting. It works best if you take it one step at a time.
Hot Weather Training Tips for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Like much of the USA, we're in the middle
of a terrific heat wave -- and since
I train out in the garage -- with no air
conditioning -- it's been extra-fun.
Since many of you are in the same boat,
let's cover some hot weather training tops.
1. Dress for the heat.
This one is or should be obvious. Lightweight
clothing. Shorts or cut-off sweats and a t-shirt.
Do NOT dress in heavy sweats to "sweat off the
pounds." You'll simply sweat yourself into a
state of heat exhaustion.
2. One and off again.
I like to sweat a sweat-shirt for squats and front
squats no matter what the weather. The last thing
i want is for the bar to start rolling on my sweaty
upper back and shoulders.
So I bring a special shirt with the sleeves cut half
way off -- and put it on before each set of squats --
and then take it off in-between sets.
Colors are optional, but I like grey. It's a good
guy color.
By the way, I wear it inside out so the rough side
contacts the knurling on the bar. It helps.
3. Wear shoes.
Not things. Not flip-flops. Not sandals. Not bare
feet. Shoes.
4. Bring a Towel.
If you're training hard and heavy in the heat, you'll
be sweating buckets. bring a towel to wipe your face and
hands.
4a. Bonus tip for married guys.
Do NOT steal one of her her favorite bath towels.
5. Water, water, everywhere . . .
I hope by now everyone knows that it's very important
to drink lots and lots of water -- especially when it's
HOT!
Drink a minimum of 8 8 oz. glasses throughout the day --
including 8 to 20 oz an hour before training -- and drink
another 8 to 24 oz. (or more during your workout).
6. Water is water.
When I say water, I mean water -- not energy drinks, not
protein shakes, not chocolate milk, not beer. Water.
7. Don't skip the warm-ups.
I know it's tempting in hot weather -- but DON'T SKIP YOUR
WARM-UPS!
And don't cut them short.
If you're gonna be serious about your training, you need
to be serious about your warm-ups, as well -- and that means
even if it's super hot.
8. Chalk.
Hot weather workouts and sweaty hands mean you need to use
chalk.
9. Abbreviated Training.
It's the best way to go any time of the year, but it's extra
important in hot weather. 90 to 100 degree heat is no time
for a marathon training program.
10. Pick your time carefully.
If it's really hot, consider getting up early to train when
it's cooler -- or train a bit later in the evening.
Whatever you do, don't do it in the heat of the day.
11. Lower your reps.
High reps really take it out of you in hot weather. It's
definitely not the time for 20 rep squats.
I like singles, doubles and triples when it's blistering
hot.
12. Check your ego.
Super hot weather is no time for PR's, limit lifts, or
mega-intensity training. Hold something in back. Keep
something in reserve. The important thing is to train,
not to make it the best workout of all time.
The same is true of cardio training. If you go out for
a walk -- or a run -- or whatever -- and it's killer hot,
feel free to ease back on the throttle.
Last night I trained in the garage for over an hour. I did
split style snatches and front squats. I did lots of heavy
singles. Not maximum singles, but heavy singles.
This morning I got up early and worked in the garden for
an hour -- then went for a long walk at a good pace (for
about an hour and 15 mins) -- and then spent another 30
to 45 minutes in the garden.
None of it was maximum effort stuff, and none of it was
work yourself into the ground stuff. But it was all good
exercise.
And let me ask this -- how many 54 year old guys (other than
Dinos) are doing anything remotely similar?
Louisville is a city of over 1 million, and as far as I know,
I'm the only 54 year old guy who does Dino-style lifting out
in the garage on 90 degree days.
And that's the way to think about it -- and the way to keep
your hot weather training in proper perspective.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day. If you
train today -- well, you know what to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information about sensible, productive training
for older lifters, grab a copy of GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- including my big new
biography of lifting champion John Davis, are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Don't forget -- drink your water!
Like much of the USA, we're in the middle
of a terrific heat wave -- and since
I train out in the garage -- with no air
conditioning -- it's been extra-fun.
Since many of you are in the same boat,
let's cover some hot weather training tops.
1. Dress for the heat.
This one is or should be obvious. Lightweight
clothing. Shorts or cut-off sweats and a t-shirt.
Do NOT dress in heavy sweats to "sweat off the
pounds." You'll simply sweat yourself into a
state of heat exhaustion.
2. One and off again.
I like to sweat a sweat-shirt for squats and front
squats no matter what the weather. The last thing
i want is for the bar to start rolling on my sweaty
upper back and shoulders.
So I bring a special shirt with the sleeves cut half
way off -- and put it on before each set of squats --
and then take it off in-between sets.
Colors are optional, but I like grey. It's a good
guy color.
By the way, I wear it inside out so the rough side
contacts the knurling on the bar. It helps.
3. Wear shoes.
Not things. Not flip-flops. Not sandals. Not bare
feet. Shoes.
4. Bring a Towel.
If you're training hard and heavy in the heat, you'll
be sweating buckets. bring a towel to wipe your face and
hands.
4a. Bonus tip for married guys.
Do NOT steal one of her her favorite bath towels.
5. Water, water, everywhere . . .
I hope by now everyone knows that it's very important
to drink lots and lots of water -- especially when it's
HOT!
Drink a minimum of 8 8 oz. glasses throughout the day --
including 8 to 20 oz an hour before training -- and drink
another 8 to 24 oz. (or more during your workout).
6. Water is water.
When I say water, I mean water -- not energy drinks, not
protein shakes, not chocolate milk, not beer. Water.
7. Don't skip the warm-ups.
I know it's tempting in hot weather -- but DON'T SKIP YOUR
WARM-UPS!
And don't cut them short.
If you're gonna be serious about your training, you need
to be serious about your warm-ups, as well -- and that means
even if it's super hot.
8. Chalk.
Hot weather workouts and sweaty hands mean you need to use
chalk.
9. Abbreviated Training.
It's the best way to go any time of the year, but it's extra
important in hot weather. 90 to 100 degree heat is no time
for a marathon training program.
10. Pick your time carefully.
If it's really hot, consider getting up early to train when
it's cooler -- or train a bit later in the evening.
Whatever you do, don't do it in the heat of the day.
11. Lower your reps.
High reps really take it out of you in hot weather. It's
definitely not the time for 20 rep squats.
I like singles, doubles and triples when it's blistering
hot.
12. Check your ego.
Super hot weather is no time for PR's, limit lifts, or
mega-intensity training. Hold something in back. Keep
something in reserve. The important thing is to train,
not to make it the best workout of all time.
The same is true of cardio training. If you go out for
a walk -- or a run -- or whatever -- and it's killer hot,
feel free to ease back on the throttle.
Last night I trained in the garage for over an hour. I did
split style snatches and front squats. I did lots of heavy
singles. Not maximum singles, but heavy singles.
This morning I got up early and worked in the garden for
an hour -- then went for a long walk at a good pace (for
about an hour and 15 mins) -- and then spent another 30
to 45 minutes in the garden.
None of it was maximum effort stuff, and none of it was
work yourself into the ground stuff. But it was all good
exercise.
And let me ask this -- how many 54 year old guys (other than
Dinos) are doing anything remotely similar?
Louisville is a city of over 1 million, and as far as I know,
I'm the only 54 year old guy who does Dino-style lifting out
in the garage on 90 degree days.
And that's the way to think about it -- and the way to keep
your hot weather training in proper perspective.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day. If you
train today -- well, you know what to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information about sensible, productive training
for older lifters, grab a copy of GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses -- including my big new
biography of lifting champion John Davis, are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Don't forget -- drink your water!
A Simple System that Builds Strength and Muscle Mass
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Let's talk some more about sets and reps --
and about sensible poundage progression.
We all know (or at least, I HOPE we all know)
that to get bigger and stronger you need to
do three things:
1. Train hard enough to break down muscle fibers,
so they grow back a little bit bigger and
stronger.
2. Train progressively so you continue to tear
down muscle fibers in your workouts.
3. Use training programs that help you avoid
over-training, and that give you enough time for
recovery and recuperation between workouts.
Here's an example of a set/rep/progression system
that helps you achieve all three goals.
I'll use a single exercise -- the Trap Bar
deadlift -- to illustrate the system. Of course,
you would not limit your program to Trap Bar
deadlifts. You would do other exercises, as well.
But let's focus on the one exercise so we can
discuss sets, reps and progression.
Train your Trap Bar deadlift once per week.
In week 1, do 5 sets of 5 reps, starting with
a light weight and adding weight on each set.
Work up to a top weight that makes you work
hard but is not an all-out, maximum effort.
Thus, you will do 4 progressively heavier
warm-up sets and ONE "working" set.
In week 2, do 6 sets of 5 reps. Use the same
weights you used in week one for sets 1 - 5,
and then do a second set with your top weight.
In other words, do four x 5 progressively
heavier warm-up sets, and 2 x 5 working sets.
In week 3, do 7 x 5. In other words -- 4 x 5
progressively heavier warm-up sets and 3 x 5
working sets.
In week 4, add 5 or 10 pounds to the bar for
each set (including your warm-up sets), and
drop back to the week 1 schedule where you do
5 x 5 with only a single working set.
In week 5, do 6 x 5 -- with 2 working sets.
In week 6, do 7 x 5 -- with three working sets.
In week 7, add another 5 or 10 pounds, and drop
back to 5 x 5 with one working set.
And continue from there.
If you start with a sensible weight in week
no. 1 -- meaning a weight that makes you work, but
not a limit weight for 5 reps -- you'll be able to
continue the progression for several months. And
at the end of that time, you'll be much bigger and
much stronger than you are now.
Yeah, I know it sounds too simple to work.
But it does.
Give it a try and see for yourself.
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 specific training programs, suggested exercises,
and for other effective ways to build strength and muscle
Dino-style abbreviated workouts, try these resources:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development -- the book they call "the bible of strength
training":
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power -- 29 chapters and over
350 pages of strength training dynamite:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. The Doug Hepburn Training Course --- learn how one
of the strongest and most massively muscular men of all
time built his incredible power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
4. Gray Hair and Black Iron -- must reading for any
serious lifter over the age of 35:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
5. Chalk and Sweat -- 30 training programs running the
range from beginners to intermediates to advanced men --
plus 20 programs for maximum muscle mass:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 Be sure to visit the Dinosaur Training website to sign up for my daily email updates and training tips!
Let's talk some more about sets and reps --
and about sensible poundage progression.
We all know (or at least, I HOPE we all know)
that to get bigger and stronger you need to
do three things:
1. Train hard enough to break down muscle fibers,
so they grow back a little bit bigger and
stronger.
2. Train progressively so you continue to tear
down muscle fibers in your workouts.
3. Use training programs that help you avoid
over-training, and that give you enough time for
recovery and recuperation between workouts.
Here's an example of a set/rep/progression system
that helps you achieve all three goals.
I'll use a single exercise -- the Trap Bar
deadlift -- to illustrate the system. Of course,
you would not limit your program to Trap Bar
deadlifts. You would do other exercises, as well.
But let's focus on the one exercise so we can
discuss sets, reps and progression.
Train your Trap Bar deadlift once per week.
In week 1, do 5 sets of 5 reps, starting with
a light weight and adding weight on each set.
Work up to a top weight that makes you work
hard but is not an all-out, maximum effort.
Thus, you will do 4 progressively heavier
warm-up sets and ONE "working" set.
In week 2, do 6 sets of 5 reps. Use the same
weights you used in week one for sets 1 - 5,
and then do a second set with your top weight.
In other words, do four x 5 progressively
heavier warm-up sets, and 2 x 5 working sets.
In week 3, do 7 x 5. In other words -- 4 x 5
progressively heavier warm-up sets and 3 x 5
working sets.
In week 4, add 5 or 10 pounds to the bar for
each set (including your warm-up sets), and
drop back to the week 1 schedule where you do
5 x 5 with only a single working set.
In week 5, do 6 x 5 -- with 2 working sets.
In week 6, do 7 x 5 -- with three working sets.
In week 7, add another 5 or 10 pounds, and drop
back to 5 x 5 with one working set.
And continue from there.
If you start with a sensible weight in week
no. 1 -- meaning a weight that makes you work, but
not a limit weight for 5 reps -- you'll be able to
continue the progression for several months. And
at the end of that time, you'll be much bigger and
much stronger than you are now.
Yeah, I know it sounds too simple to work.
But it does.
Give it a try and see for yourself.
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 specific training programs, suggested exercises,
and for other effective ways to build strength and muscle
Dino-style abbreviated workouts, try these resources:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development -- the book they call "the bible of strength
training":
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power -- 29 chapters and over
350 pages of strength training dynamite:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. The Doug Hepburn Training Course --- learn how one
of the strongest and most massively muscular men of all
time built his incredible power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
4. Gray Hair and Black Iron -- must reading for any
serious lifter over the age of 35:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
5. Chalk and Sweat -- 30 training programs running the
range from beginners to intermediates to advanced men --
plus 20 programs for maximum muscle mass:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 Be sure to visit the Dinosaur Training website to sign up for my daily email updates and training tips!
A Strength and Muscle Building Secret for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of the most important keys to success for
any lifter, of any age, is to find the right
balance between training too much.
When you train, you tear down muscle fibers
and impose tremendous stress on your nervous
system, your tendons and ligaments, your heart
and lungs and internal organs.
In the 48 to 72 hour period after your workout,
your body goes into overdrive to repair the
damage done during your workout -- and to add
a little bit of extra cushion so it won't be so
hard and so demanding the next time you do it.
Arthur Jones called the body's ability to repair
the damage done during a hard workout "recovery
ability" - and that's as good a term as any, so
let's use it.
Now, here's the important thing. Pay attention,
because this is one of the secrets of building
serious strength and muscle.
It's also one of the things that most trainees
get completely wrong.
Most people believe that the more they train,
and the more often they train, the faster they'll
build strength and muscle.
That's not true.
In fact, most people do best on what I call
"abbreviated training programs" -- programs where
you train two or three days per week, dividing
your workouts so you hit one to three exercises
per workout, and do a total of three to nine
exercises over the course of the week.
Here's an example:
Mon
1. Squats or front squats
2. Curls
Wed
1. Bench press or incline press (BB or DB)
2. Pull-downs to the chest, pull-ups or bent-over
rowing
Fri
1. Military press or standing two DB press
2.Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts
3. (Optional) The farmer's walk
Start each workout with a 10 minute warm-up. Finish
each workout with some gut, grip and neck work
(2- 3 sets of each)
Now, you may think, "That's not enough exercise to
work" -- or you may think, "That's a beginner's
program."
Well, I won't argue the point -- but I will note
that it's almost exactly the program I followed when
I was training for powerlifting and bench press
competitions. I gained over 40 pounds of muscle on
it, and got so strong that I won five National
championships in the Bench Press in drug-tested
competitions.
The exact program, sets, reps, exercises, the works,
is detailed in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER.
The program works because it allows you to maximize
your recovery ability.
You train ENOUGH -- but not TOO MUCH.
Your body recovers easily from each heavy training
session -- and there's always a little something left
over for muscular growth and strength and power
increases.
That, in a nutshell, is one of the secrets of getting
bigger and stronger.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
if you train today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab a copy of STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 Save many clams and much wampum on shipping and
handling by ordering two or more books or courses
together. We have a ton of them -- and they're all very,
very good:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Be sure to check the Dinosaur Training Blog archives
for over 200 hard-hitting posts packed with valuable training
information for Dinosaurs!
One of the most important keys to success for
any lifter, of any age, is to find the right
balance between training too much.
When you train, you tear down muscle fibers
and impose tremendous stress on your nervous
system, your tendons and ligaments, your heart
and lungs and internal organs.
In the 48 to 72 hour period after your workout,
your body goes into overdrive to repair the
damage done during your workout -- and to add
a little bit of extra cushion so it won't be so
hard and so demanding the next time you do it.
Arthur Jones called the body's ability to repair
the damage done during a hard workout "recovery
ability" - and that's as good a term as any, so
let's use it.
Now, here's the important thing. Pay attention,
because this is one of the secrets of building
serious strength and muscle.
It's also one of the things that most trainees
get completely wrong.
Most people believe that the more they train,
and the more often they train, the faster they'll
build strength and muscle.
That's not true.
In fact, most people do best on what I call
"abbreviated training programs" -- programs where
you train two or three days per week, dividing
your workouts so you hit one to three exercises
per workout, and do a total of three to nine
exercises over the course of the week.
Here's an example:
Mon
1. Squats or front squats
2. Curls
Wed
1. Bench press or incline press (BB or DB)
2. Pull-downs to the chest, pull-ups or bent-over
rowing
Fri
1. Military press or standing two DB press
2.Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts
3. (Optional) The farmer's walk
Start each workout with a 10 minute warm-up. Finish
each workout with some gut, grip and neck work
(2- 3 sets of each)
Now, you may think, "That's not enough exercise to
work" -- or you may think, "That's a beginner's
program."
Well, I won't argue the point -- but I will note
that it's almost exactly the program I followed when
I was training for powerlifting and bench press
competitions. I gained over 40 pounds of muscle on
it, and got so strong that I won five National
championships in the Bench Press in drug-tested
competitions.
The exact program, sets, reps, exercises, the works,
is detailed in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER.
The program works because it allows you to maximize
your recovery ability.
You train ENOUGH -- but not TOO MUCH.
Your body recovers easily from each heavy training
session -- and there's always a little something left
over for muscular growth and strength and power
increases.
That, in a nutshell, is one of the secrets of getting
bigger and stronger.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
if you train today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can grab a copy of STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2 Save many clams and much wampum on shipping and
handling by ordering two or more books or courses
together. We have a ton of them -- and they're all very,
very good:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3 Be sure to check the Dinosaur Training Blog archives
for over 200 hard-hitting posts packed with valuable training
information for Dinosaurs!
The Double Water Bottle Workout!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It was a hot one last night.
Like much of the USA, we're in the middle of a
severe heat wave -- with the emphasis on severe.
And when I say "wave" it's really more like a
Tsunami.
The garage was hot and stifling. It felt like an
oven when I went inside.
I opened the back, trying to give the heat a way
to escape.
A hot breeze blew in to greet me.
I turned on a small fan to try to get a little more
air circulation. I was working on the “every little
bit helps” theory.
It merely circulated the hot air.
I turned on the CD player, popped in my workout music –
the soundtrack to Rocky Balboa – and began to warm-up.
I wanted to my loose and limber for the heavy lifting
to come.
In short order, the warm-up became a HEAT UP. I was
dripping after just a minute or two.
No matter -- it was time to train.
After 10 or 15 minutes of stretching and loosening and
light drilling, I started the serious stuff
I spent the entire workout training one exercise,
which works well for an older guy -- and especially
for an older guy training in an oven.
On Sunday (three days ago), I hit front squats. That
was a good one. Do a hard session of front squats and
you'll work the heck out of pretty much everything from
your toes to your eyeballs.
Last night, it was time for snatches. I did them split
style. You know -- the kind where you start with the bar
on the platform, pull high and hard, and split your legs
fore and aft, catching the bar overhead as you drop into a
deep split position. You recover, stand tall, and lower
the bar. That’s one rep.
It’s one of the most explosive, dynamic, breathtaking
movements in all of sport – and it’s tough to do. Hard
to learn. To get the knack of it, you need to drill it
over and over. Many lifts. Each one hard and fast,
working to get your timing absolutely perfect.
Precise footwork. And above all else -- speed!
They ran tests to determine the fastest athlete at the
Olympic games in 1936, 1948 and 1952. The tested the
speed of movement of sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers,
boxers, wrestlers, gymnasts, and throwers. Each time,
the fastest of all the athletes was a weightlifter –
performing a split style snatch.
All of which makes it an interesting movement to train
hard and heavy in an oven-hot garage.
I always take a steel water bottle out to the garage.
It’s a 20 oz. bottle. I usually go through the entire
bottle during a workout.
Last night I went through two bottles.
And I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m sure that all of you
reading this message are hitting your own hard, heavy
workouts – and given the hot weather we’ve been having,
I bet that many of you are making them double water
bottle workouts.
Building strength, muscle and power the old-fashioned is
never easy. In the summer time, it’s harder than ever.
But if it were easy, there wouldn’t be much point to it.
As always, thanks for reading – and if you train today,
make it a double water bottle workout!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more tips about effective strength training for
older lifters, grab a copy of GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON. It's
been one of our most popular books ever since it hit the
market in December 2009. It's mandatory reading for anyone
over the age of 35 -- and probably qualifies as mandatory
reading for those of you who are younger, as well:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 If you enjoy the Dinosaur Training Blog, be sure to
scroll through the archives. You'll find a ton of great
information about sane, sensible, productive physical training.
It was a hot one last night.
Like much of the USA, we're in the middle of a
severe heat wave -- with the emphasis on severe.
And when I say "wave" it's really more like a
Tsunami.
The garage was hot and stifling. It felt like an
oven when I went inside.
I opened the back, trying to give the heat a way
to escape.
A hot breeze blew in to greet me.
I turned on a small fan to try to get a little more
air circulation. I was working on the “every little
bit helps” theory.
It merely circulated the hot air.
I turned on the CD player, popped in my workout music –
the soundtrack to Rocky Balboa – and began to warm-up.
I wanted to my loose and limber for the heavy lifting
to come.
In short order, the warm-up became a HEAT UP. I was
dripping after just a minute or two.
No matter -- it was time to train.
After 10 or 15 minutes of stretching and loosening and
light drilling, I started the serious stuff
I spent the entire workout training one exercise,
which works well for an older guy -- and especially
for an older guy training in an oven.
On Sunday (three days ago), I hit front squats. That
was a good one. Do a hard session of front squats and
you'll work the heck out of pretty much everything from
your toes to your eyeballs.
Last night, it was time for snatches. I did them split
style. You know -- the kind where you start with the bar
on the platform, pull high and hard, and split your legs
fore and aft, catching the bar overhead as you drop into a
deep split position. You recover, stand tall, and lower
the bar. That’s one rep.
It’s one of the most explosive, dynamic, breathtaking
movements in all of sport – and it’s tough to do. Hard
to learn. To get the knack of it, you need to drill it
over and over. Many lifts. Each one hard and fast,
working to get your timing absolutely perfect.
Precise footwork. And above all else -- speed!
They ran tests to determine the fastest athlete at the
Olympic games in 1936, 1948 and 1952. The tested the
speed of movement of sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers,
boxers, wrestlers, gymnasts, and throwers. Each time,
the fastest of all the athletes was a weightlifter –
performing a split style snatch.
All of which makes it an interesting movement to train
hard and heavy in an oven-hot garage.
I always take a steel water bottle out to the garage.
It’s a 20 oz. bottle. I usually go through the entire
bottle during a workout.
Last night I went through two bottles.
And I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m sure that all of you
reading this message are hitting your own hard, heavy
workouts – and given the hot weather we’ve been having,
I bet that many of you are making them double water
bottle workouts.
Building strength, muscle and power the old-fashioned is
never easy. In the summer time, it’s harder than ever.
But if it were easy, there wouldn’t be much point to it.
As always, thanks for reading – and if you train today,
make it a double water bottle workout!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more tips about effective strength training for
older lifters, grab a copy of GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON. It's
been one of our most popular books ever since it hit the
market in December 2009. It's mandatory reading for anyone
over the age of 35 -- and probably qualifies as mandatory
reading for those of you who are younger, as well:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 If you enjoy the Dinosaur Training Blog, be sure to
scroll through the archives. You'll find a ton of great
information about sane, sensible, productive physical training.
A Moment of Silence for a Great Athlete
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
27 years ago today, one of the greatest
athletes in the history of the world --
and one of the true legends of the Iron
Game -- passed away.
His name was John Davis.
His list of accomplishments reads like an
Honor Roll entry in the Weightlifting Hall
of Fame:
12 USA National Championships
6 World Championships
2 Olympic Championships
1 Pan American Games Championship
Numerous American, World Pan-American
and Olympic records
World Champion at age 17
The lightest Heavyweight World and
Olympic Champion in the history of
modern weightlifting
Led the USA team to more world and
Olympic team championships than any
other lifter
The only lifter to win World championships
in each of 3 different decades
The first lifter to break the 1,000 lb.
total (unofficially)
The first lifter to clean and jerk 400 pounds
(in official competition)
Clean and jerked the famed Apollon Wheels
If you follow my writing, you know I've been a
huge fan of John Davis for many years. In
Dinosaur Training, I wrote about his training --
all by himself -- with just a barbell, squat
stands, a wooden bench and a lifting platform --
in a church basement in Brooklyn.
I've written about the mental factors that led
to his success in Strength, Muscle and Power.
John is featured in the Legacy of Iron series --
my dramatization of the history of American
weightlifting and physical culture in the 30's
and 40's.
And now, of course, he's featured in a giant, full-
sized book of his own: BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS
STORY. And it's an honor he well deserves -- and
one that is long overdue.
Please take a second and join me in a moment of
silence to honor the memory of this great man,
great athlete, and great lifter.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You'll find DINOSAUR TRAINING, BLACK IRON, the
LEGACY OF IRON books, and all of my other books and
courses right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
27 years ago today, one of the greatest
athletes in the history of the world --
and one of the true legends of the Iron
Game -- passed away.
His name was John Davis.
His list of accomplishments reads like an
Honor Roll entry in the Weightlifting Hall
of Fame:
12 USA National Championships
6 World Championships
2 Olympic Championships
1 Pan American Games Championship
Numerous American, World Pan-American
and Olympic records
World Champion at age 17
The lightest Heavyweight World and
Olympic Champion in the history of
modern weightlifting
Led the USA team to more world and
Olympic team championships than any
other lifter
The only lifter to win World championships
in each of 3 different decades
The first lifter to break the 1,000 lb.
total (unofficially)
The first lifter to clean and jerk 400 pounds
(in official competition)
Clean and jerked the famed Apollon Wheels
If you follow my writing, you know I've been a
huge fan of John Davis for many years. In
Dinosaur Training, I wrote about his training --
all by himself -- with just a barbell, squat
stands, a wooden bench and a lifting platform --
in a church basement in Brooklyn.
I've written about the mental factors that led
to his success in Strength, Muscle and Power.
John is featured in the Legacy of Iron series --
my dramatization of the history of American
weightlifting and physical culture in the 30's
and 40's.
And now, of course, he's featured in a giant, full-
sized book of his own: BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS
STORY. And it's an honor he well deserves -- and
one that is long overdue.
Please take a second and join me in a moment of
silence to honor the memory of this great man,
great athlete, and great lifter.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You'll find DINOSAUR TRAINING, BLACK IRON, the
LEGACY OF IRON books, and all of my other books and
courses right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
"The Dude Abides!"
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Something strange and bizarre happened last
Thursday, and I thought you might like to hear
about it.
Now, before I go any further -- you need to
know that we have a huge Festival in Louisville
every year devoted to one of the great cult
movies of all time: THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
You've probably seen it. Stars Jeff Bridges as
THE DUDE, and delivers some of the wildest and
most memorable lines in movie history.
The festival offices are a few blocks away
from the post office we use -- a fact that will
become important later in the story.
To set the scene -- we were right in the middle
of packing and shipping the pre-publication
orders for BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY,
so things were complete chaos and bedlam here
at Dino HQ.
One of my jobs was to run boxes and envelopes
over to the post-office. We usually send about
150 to 200 pieces on each run.
With that many pieces to ship, the local branch
of the post office (which knows us pretty well
by now), let's us bring everything to the back
instead of bringing it into the post office and
standing in line for ten minutes waiting to get
to the counter.
So I go over and go inside and wave and say, "I have
150 - 200 pieces -- can I bring them to the
back?"
And the guy at the counter says, "Sure -- I'll open
the door in a minute."
So I go back to the parking lot and unload the
stuff and carry it over to the back door (which is
always locked, of course).
And I stand there waiting for them to open the door.
And I wait a little longer.
It's crazy hot, and I'm standing in the sun, and the
sweat is running down my face like I'm on rep number
10 in a 20 rep death set.
But still -- no one opens the door.
So I wait a few minutes, and then I figure they've
forgotten me -- so I ring the bell.
For a minute or two, nothing happens.
Then I hear footsteps walking toward the door -- and
then someone unlocks it -- and opens it -- and one of
the other postal workers pops her head around the side
of the door and looks at me curiously.
"Are you with the Lebowski Festival?" she asks.
"No, I'm with Dinosaur Training," I reply.
Wrong answer!
The door slams shut, and I'm left out in the parking
lot, sweltering in the 95 degree heat.
Then I hear another sound from inside the post office.
Someone is rolling a big cart toward the back door.
The door opens, and another postal worker pushes the
cart through the door and we fill it up with packages.
"So what's the deal with the Lewbowski Festival?" I ask
him.
"They drop all their mail off over here," he said. "And
they always just ring the bell and leave, so we have to
carry it in."
"I guess I confused your co-worker."
"Yeah. She couldn't understand why someone in the Lebowski
Festival was standing around and waiting."
So now I know an important rule for the next time I'm
dropping off the mail:
If someone asks you if you're with the Lebowski Festival,
the correct answer is -- "THE DUDE ABIDES!"
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. The best seller this week is BLACK IRON: THE JOHN
DAVIS STORY. You can find it right here at Dino Central:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses are available right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Something strange and bizarre happened last
Thursday, and I thought you might like to hear
about it.
Now, before I go any further -- you need to
know that we have a huge Festival in Louisville
every year devoted to one of the great cult
movies of all time: THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
You've probably seen it. Stars Jeff Bridges as
THE DUDE, and delivers some of the wildest and
most memorable lines in movie history.
The festival offices are a few blocks away
from the post office we use -- a fact that will
become important later in the story.
To set the scene -- we were right in the middle
of packing and shipping the pre-publication
orders for BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY,
so things were complete chaos and bedlam here
at Dino HQ.
One of my jobs was to run boxes and envelopes
over to the post-office. We usually send about
150 to 200 pieces on each run.
With that many pieces to ship, the local branch
of the post office (which knows us pretty well
by now), let's us bring everything to the back
instead of bringing it into the post office and
standing in line for ten minutes waiting to get
to the counter.
So I go over and go inside and wave and say, "I have
150 - 200 pieces -- can I bring them to the
back?"
And the guy at the counter says, "Sure -- I'll open
the door in a minute."
So I go back to the parking lot and unload the
stuff and carry it over to the back door (which is
always locked, of course).
And I stand there waiting for them to open the door.
And I wait a little longer.
It's crazy hot, and I'm standing in the sun, and the
sweat is running down my face like I'm on rep number
10 in a 20 rep death set.
But still -- no one opens the door.
So I wait a few minutes, and then I figure they've
forgotten me -- so I ring the bell.
For a minute or two, nothing happens.
Then I hear footsteps walking toward the door -- and
then someone unlocks it -- and opens it -- and one of
the other postal workers pops her head around the side
of the door and looks at me curiously.
"Are you with the Lebowski Festival?" she asks.
"No, I'm with Dinosaur Training," I reply.
Wrong answer!
The door slams shut, and I'm left out in the parking
lot, sweltering in the 95 degree heat.
Then I hear another sound from inside the post office.
Someone is rolling a big cart toward the back door.
The door opens, and another postal worker pushes the
cart through the door and we fill it up with packages.
"So what's the deal with the Lewbowski Festival?" I ask
him.
"They drop all their mail off over here," he said. "And
they always just ring the bell and leave, so we have to
carry it in."
"I guess I confused your co-worker."
"Yeah. She couldn't understand why someone in the Lebowski
Festival was standing around and waiting."
So now I know an important rule for the next time I'm
dropping off the mail:
If someone asks you if you're with the Lebowski Festival,
the correct answer is -- "THE DUDE ABIDES!"
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. The best seller this week is BLACK IRON: THE JOHN
DAVIS STORY. You can find it right here at Dino Central:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 My other books and courses are available right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Reader Feedback on Black Iron: The John Davis Story!
Hail to the dinosaurs!
We’ve been shipping my big new book, BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY as fast as we can to everyone who reserved a copy during our big pre-publication special, and the little monster is landing all over the place.
If you've not already placed your order, do it now -- because readers are LOVING this book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Did I say readers love it? That's an understatement! Here’s some feedback from readers who have rec’d their copy of the book. Just see what they have to say:
“I was down the Jersey Shore this weekend laughing at all the wanna-be's with their showy, useless beach muscles and when I got home on Sunday I was elated to find a large envelope lying on my front steps. Knowing exactly what was inside the envelope I approached it with laser like focus and proceeded to clean the little monster to the shoulder and carry it inside. The book looks GREAT as do the great photos that came along with it. You weren't kidding, this thing is huge! I'm sure it reads as good as it looks! Keep up the great work!” -- Mike Bandini aka Ban-Dino!!!
“That was fast! I received the Dino files Friday and Black Iron today. With regard to Black iron -- I feel bad for our mail carriers. I've been following the emails but was still pleasantly surprised by the size of this book. I haven't had a chance to start it yet but I thought the special bonus photo(s) was quite impressive. I definitely have something to look forward to in the coming week. I can hardly wait to learn more about this giant of the weightlifting world.” -- Bill Marchese
“Brooks, I received THE BOOK on John Davis yesterday (Saturday), flipped through it and looked at all the pictures/captions. Thanks for signing, and for the two pictures of John to add to my weightroom wall collection. Looks like several great weeks of reading in this one!” -- Brian DeLong,
“I got my copy of BLACK IRON yesterday. I'm already 60 pages in and enjoying every bit of it! You have done it again.” -- Steve Lofe
“Went out to check my mail this morning and found all my junk mail hanging out of
the mailbox. I opened the lid and found out why -- the big book has arrived.” -- Steve Bermeo
I just received Black Iron in the mail. It’s a beauty. The pictures are great. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a note and autograph it. Carl Windle
“Black Iron landed in southern CA yesterday! I plan on doing a review at my blog once I'm done reading this little monster. I'll let you know when I've finished.” -- Muata Kamdibe
“I received the John Davis book today. It Looks great. I plan to start reading it tonight. Thanks for making this available to us.” -- Tommy King
“Got it (Black Iron) yesterday (July 9). Looks great!” -- Ed Terlik
“I just picked up the book an hour ago and it is tremendous in more ways than one. I look forward to reading it cover to cover.” -- Paul Moody
“I GOT MY COPY OF BLACK IRON SATURDAY, 07-09-11 AROUND 10:30AM. IT'S AWESOME!” -- Ed Spera
“Wanted to drop a quick note that on Sat I received the John Davis book with the special bonus. What a great weekend, first the other day received my Dino Files now today the long awaited John Davis book. I couldn't read the whole book, but what I have read, it is a great book.” -- Joe DeSena
“Received the book and photo and look forward to reading it. Great job!” -- Steve Speyrer
“I got it. The pictures are fantastic. No time to say more; I am beginning the book.” -- Bill Norman
“I received Black Iron yesterday, and I can only say "Excellent!" I am already half way done with your very thick tome, because I am having a difficult time putting it down. It is an easy, interesting read, and I must congratulate you on your fine work. This book is a must for iron game enthusiasts.” -- Larry Aumann
“Brooks, book came today – it is FANTASTIC!” -- Joe Tarach
“Black Iron arrived today. Awesome job, thanks for signing it for me as well.” -- Patrick Shead
“Received Black Iron in the mail today. I've already started it and it looks like I will really enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to sign it. I had hoped for years that someone would do a book on John Davis. Some I know said it would never happen but thankfully they were wrong. My Dad used to tell me about weight lifting, saying that “John Davis is the best we have.” Dad is now long gone and I'm past 75 myself but now I'll get to know more about this great champion who was admired by two generations in my family. Thanks for all the hard work and research, not becoming discouraged and seeing it thru to the completion of the fine book it is.” -- Bob Hornick
“I just got Black Iron in the mail. If the contents are as good as the appearance and layout, it should be great. And I expect it to be. Thanks for your continuing contribution to the Iron Game.” -- Ben Oldham
“Black Iron hit Zanesville today. One monster of a book! Looking forward to reading this one.” -- Don Graham
“My mail just arrived and Black Iron was in the box! I can't wait to start reading! I have been lifting since 1960 and remember seeing references to Mr. Davis in the Hoffman books and magazines back then. Thanks for doing the research on this champion.” -- Carmen Caputo
“Hi Brooks, I received BLACK IRON today. It looks to be an awesome read, I will be starting on it as soon as I finish this email to you.” -- Robert McNall
“It is hot here on Long Island and it just got hotter. Yes, Black Iron has arrived and the photos alone are worth the price of the book. Really going to enjoy this one. Thanks for doing this the right way, you know what I mean.” -- Peter Yates
“I just got back from my mailbox and am happy to report that Black Iron has arrived! It looks great and I'm about to dive into it.” -- Mike McAleenan
“The Beast has arrived! Black Iron, a cold beer and a hot afternoon -- it's a trifecta!” Mark Smallwood
So the bottom line is – the book is GREAT – it’s bigger, thicker an dheavier than anyone imagined – the photos are terrific – and readers are going crazy about it.
BLACK IRON is in stock, and we’re all caught up on the pre-publication orders – so we’re now filling every order we receive on the day we receive it or within 24 hiours if we get the order during the night or on the weekend.
This is the Iron Game event of the year --- a book like nothing you’ve ever seen before – and a real treat for anyone who ever touched a barbell and dreamed of lifting glory.
You can order your copy of BLACK IRON right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.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
P.S. Here’s the link again:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
We’ve been shipping my big new book, BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY as fast as we can to everyone who reserved a copy during our big pre-publication special, and the little monster is landing all over the place.
If you've not already placed your order, do it now -- because readers are LOVING this book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Did I say readers love it? That's an understatement! Here’s some feedback from readers who have rec’d their copy of the book. Just see what they have to say:
“I was down the Jersey Shore this weekend laughing at all the wanna-be's with their showy, useless beach muscles and when I got home on Sunday I was elated to find a large envelope lying on my front steps. Knowing exactly what was inside the envelope I approached it with laser like focus and proceeded to clean the little monster to the shoulder and carry it inside. The book looks GREAT as do the great photos that came along with it. You weren't kidding, this thing is huge! I'm sure it reads as good as it looks! Keep up the great work!” -- Mike Bandini aka Ban-Dino!!!
“That was fast! I received the Dino files Friday and Black Iron today. With regard to Black iron -- I feel bad for our mail carriers. I've been following the emails but was still pleasantly surprised by the size of this book. I haven't had a chance to start it yet but I thought the special bonus photo(s) was quite impressive. I definitely have something to look forward to in the coming week. I can hardly wait to learn more about this giant of the weightlifting world.” -- Bill Marchese
“Brooks, I received THE BOOK on John Davis yesterday (Saturday), flipped through it and looked at all the pictures/captions. Thanks for signing, and for the two pictures of John to add to my weightroom wall collection. Looks like several great weeks of reading in this one!” -- Brian DeLong,
“I got my copy of BLACK IRON yesterday. I'm already 60 pages in and enjoying every bit of it! You have done it again.” -- Steve Lofe
“Went out to check my mail this morning and found all my junk mail hanging out of
the mailbox. I opened the lid and found out why -- the big book has arrived.” -- Steve Bermeo
I just received Black Iron in the mail. It’s a beauty. The pictures are great. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a note and autograph it. Carl Windle
“Black Iron landed in southern CA yesterday! I plan on doing a review at my blog once I'm done reading this little monster. I'll let you know when I've finished.” -- Muata Kamdibe
“I received the John Davis book today. It Looks great. I plan to start reading it tonight. Thanks for making this available to us.” -- Tommy King
“Got it (Black Iron) yesterday (July 9). Looks great!” -- Ed Terlik
“I just picked up the book an hour ago and it is tremendous in more ways than one. I look forward to reading it cover to cover.” -- Paul Moody
“I GOT MY COPY OF BLACK IRON SATURDAY, 07-09-11 AROUND 10:30AM. IT'S AWESOME!” -- Ed Spera
“Wanted to drop a quick note that on Sat I received the John Davis book with the special bonus. What a great weekend, first the other day received my Dino Files now today the long awaited John Davis book. I couldn't read the whole book, but what I have read, it is a great book.” -- Joe DeSena
“Received the book and photo and look forward to reading it. Great job!” -- Steve Speyrer
“I got it. The pictures are fantastic. No time to say more; I am beginning the book.” -- Bill Norman
“I received Black Iron yesterday, and I can only say "Excellent!" I am already half way done with your very thick tome, because I am having a difficult time putting it down. It is an easy, interesting read, and I must congratulate you on your fine work. This book is a must for iron game enthusiasts.” -- Larry Aumann
“Brooks, book came today – it is FANTASTIC!” -- Joe Tarach
“Black Iron arrived today. Awesome job, thanks for signing it for me as well.” -- Patrick Shead
“Received Black Iron in the mail today. I've already started it and it looks like I will really enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to sign it. I had hoped for years that someone would do a book on John Davis. Some I know said it would never happen but thankfully they were wrong. My Dad used to tell me about weight lifting, saying that “John Davis is the best we have.” Dad is now long gone and I'm past 75 myself but now I'll get to know more about this great champion who was admired by two generations in my family. Thanks for all the hard work and research, not becoming discouraged and seeing it thru to the completion of the fine book it is.” -- Bob Hornick
“I just got Black Iron in the mail. If the contents are as good as the appearance and layout, it should be great. And I expect it to be. Thanks for your continuing contribution to the Iron Game.” -- Ben Oldham
“Black Iron hit Zanesville today. One monster of a book! Looking forward to reading this one.” -- Don Graham
“My mail just arrived and Black Iron was in the box! I can't wait to start reading! I have been lifting since 1960 and remember seeing references to Mr. Davis in the Hoffman books and magazines back then. Thanks for doing the research on this champion.” -- Carmen Caputo
“Hi Brooks, I received BLACK IRON today. It looks to be an awesome read, I will be starting on it as soon as I finish this email to you.” -- Robert McNall
“It is hot here on Long Island and it just got hotter. Yes, Black Iron has arrived and the photos alone are worth the price of the book. Really going to enjoy this one. Thanks for doing this the right way, you know what I mean.” -- Peter Yates
“I just got back from my mailbox and am happy to report that Black Iron has arrived! It looks great and I'm about to dive into it.” -- Mike McAleenan
“The Beast has arrived! Black Iron, a cold beer and a hot afternoon -- it's a trifecta!” Mark Smallwood
So the bottom line is – the book is GREAT – it’s bigger, thicker an dheavier than anyone imagined – the photos are terrific – and readers are going crazy about it.
BLACK IRON is in stock, and we’re all caught up on the pre-publication orders – so we’re now filling every order we receive on the day we receive it or within 24 hiours if we get the order during the night or on the weekend.
This is the Iron Game event of the year --- a book like nothing you’ve ever seen before – and a real treat for anyone who ever touched a barbell and dreamed of lifting glory.
You can order your copy of BLACK IRON right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.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
P.S. Here’s the link again:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Weekend Updates for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Here at Dino HQ, we're still in the major
pack and ship mode as we continue to fill
orders for my new book, BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY.
Luckily, Trudi gave me a few minutes off
from stacking, packing and signing books
to bring you a few updates, news and notes.
1. World Premier Book review
Rob Drucker did a very thorough review of
BLACK IRON and posted it on his website. He
used my advance copy from the printer, so
he is the second person in the world (me
being the first) to read the book. Go here
to read his world premier review:
http://www.musclesofiron.com/articles/review-of-black-iron/
2. Pre-Publication Special Ending Soon!
It ends at 12:00 EST TODAY! So if you plan to
order BLACK IRON, do it the second you get this
email and grab the special bonus photo along
with the book.
3. The July Dino Files . . .
has a new format and a new look, with tons of
great photos. It's really a small magazine now. If
you subscribe to The Dino Files, let me know how
you like the new format.
4. When BLACK IRON arrives . . .
If you ordered BLACK IRON, let me know when you
get the little monster.
So far, no one has emailed to say, "I got it!"
I'm interested to see who will be the first.
5. Dinosaur Training on SuperHuman Radio
SuperHuman Radio interviewed me on Wednesday and
we did an hour long show on John Davis. This was a
GREAT show, with tons of Iron game history, and
some of the very interesting story about the
research I did for the book and how I uncovered
so much information about John Davis and his
fellow lifters and teammates from the 1930's,
40's and 50's.
If you missed the live broadcast, go to the
SuperHuman Radio site and listen to the podcast
as soon as you can. It's in the archives, and you
can listen for free.
6. Next Wednesday . . .
I'll be doing another SuperHuman Radio interview on
Wednesday at 12:00 noon. Topic to be announced later.
7. Signed copies of books
I'm always happy to sign your book for you -- but
you need to ask. Make the request in the special
comments section of the on-line order form.
8. Still open for business!
Even though we're slammed with orders for BLACK IRON
this weekend, we're still very much open for business
if you want to order anything else.
9. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
If you purchased and used my old course on Dino-style
bodyweight training, please shoot me an email and let
me know how it worked for you.
Likewise, if you missed the course the first time
around but you'd like to see it again -- reissued in
revised, book format -- perhaps in 8 1/2 x 11 format --
selling for not too many clams or wampum -- then shoot
me an email.
If there's enough interest, I'll do it.
10. Dinosaur DVD's!
If you ordered my old Dinosaur Training DVD's that I
offered last month, pls shoot me some feedback and let me
know how you like them!
I'm preparing new [ages for them on the website and I'd
love to use some testimonials from the Dino Army!
And otherwise -- have a great weekend. If you train
today, do it Dino style: hard, heavy and serious!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the link to order BLACK IRON:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 For all other Dinosaur Training products, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Here at Dino HQ, we're still in the major
pack and ship mode as we continue to fill
orders for my new book, BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY.
Luckily, Trudi gave me a few minutes off
from stacking, packing and signing books
to bring you a few updates, news and notes.
1. World Premier Book review
Rob Drucker did a very thorough review of
BLACK IRON and posted it on his website. He
used my advance copy from the printer, so
he is the second person in the world (me
being the first) to read the book. Go here
to read his world premier review:
http://www.musclesofiron.com/articles/review-of-black-iron/
2. Pre-Publication Special Ending Soon!
It ends at 12:00 EST TODAY! So if you plan to
order BLACK IRON, do it the second you get this
email and grab the special bonus photo along
with the book.
3. The July Dino Files . . .
has a new format and a new look, with tons of
great photos. It's really a small magazine now. If
you subscribe to The Dino Files, let me know how
you like the new format.
4. When BLACK IRON arrives . . .
If you ordered BLACK IRON, let me know when you
get the little monster.
So far, no one has emailed to say, "I got it!"
I'm interested to see who will be the first.
5. Dinosaur Training on SuperHuman Radio
SuperHuman Radio interviewed me on Wednesday and
we did an hour long show on John Davis. This was a
GREAT show, with tons of Iron game history, and
some of the very interesting story about the
research I did for the book and how I uncovered
so much information about John Davis and his
fellow lifters and teammates from the 1930's,
40's and 50's.
If you missed the live broadcast, go to the
SuperHuman Radio site and listen to the podcast
as soon as you can. It's in the archives, and you
can listen for free.
6. Next Wednesday . . .
I'll be doing another SuperHuman Radio interview on
Wednesday at 12:00 noon. Topic to be announced later.
7. Signed copies of books
I'm always happy to sign your book for you -- but
you need to ask. Make the request in the special
comments section of the on-line order form.
8. Still open for business!
Even though we're slammed with orders for BLACK IRON
this weekend, we're still very much open for business
if you want to order anything else.
9. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
If you purchased and used my old course on Dino-style
bodyweight training, please shoot me an email and let
me know how it worked for you.
Likewise, if you missed the course the first time
around but you'd like to see it again -- reissued in
revised, book format -- perhaps in 8 1/2 x 11 format --
selling for not too many clams or wampum -- then shoot
me an email.
If there's enough interest, I'll do it.
10. Dinosaur DVD's!
If you ordered my old Dinosaur Training DVD's that I
offered last month, pls shoot me some feedback and let me
know how you like them!
I'm preparing new [ages for them on the website and I'd
love to use some testimonials from the Dino Army!
And otherwise -- have a great weekend. If you train
today, do it Dino style: hard, heavy and serious!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the link to order BLACK IRON:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 For all other Dinosaur Training products, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
A World Premier Review of BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We spent all day yesterday packing and shipping
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY -- and we got
about 90% of the orders out the door.
We'll get the remaining orders out the door today.
So some of you in the USA --- close to Louisville --
may get your copy of BLACK IRON today -- or tomorrow.
Most of them will probably arrive (if you live in the
USA) on Monday or Tuesday. Int'l orders will take a
little bit longer.
When you get your book, pls shoot me an email and let
me know that you rec'd it -- and be sure to follow up
with comments and feedback when you get it.
And now -- as promised -- the very first review of
BLACK IRON. Right now, there are only three people
in the entire world who have read the little monster
from cover to cover.
One of them is me.
One of them is Trudi.
One of them is Rob Drucker. Rob is along time lifter and
lifting fan who writes great articles for the Dinosaur
Files newsletter and who runs a great little website
called MUSCLES OF IRON.
Rob volunteered to do a world premier book review if I
could get him an advance copy of the book. I did that --
and here's his review:
http://www.musclesofiron.com/articles/review-of-black-iron/
(I think the above link will take you directly to the review,
but if not, look under ARTICLES on Rob's website. The review
is the first article.)
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 order BLACK IRON right here at the Dinosaur Training
website. Note that the pre-publication special will end at noon
on Saturday -- so order now and get the special bonus photo:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 Don't forget -- let me know when your book arrives -- and
let me know how you like it! I want to hear from you!
We spent all day yesterday packing and shipping
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY -- and we got
about 90% of the orders out the door.
We'll get the remaining orders out the door today.
So some of you in the USA --- close to Louisville --
may get your copy of BLACK IRON today -- or tomorrow.
Most of them will probably arrive (if you live in the
USA) on Monday or Tuesday. Int'l orders will take a
little bit longer.
When you get your book, pls shoot me an email and let
me know that you rec'd it -- and be sure to follow up
with comments and feedback when you get it.
And now -- as promised -- the very first review of
BLACK IRON. Right now, there are only three people
in the entire world who have read the little monster
from cover to cover.
One of them is me.
One of them is Trudi.
One of them is Rob Drucker. Rob is along time lifter and
lifting fan who writes great articles for the Dinosaur
Files newsletter and who runs a great little website
called MUSCLES OF IRON.
Rob volunteered to do a world premier book review if I
could get him an advance copy of the book. I did that --
and here's his review:
http://www.musclesofiron.com/articles/review-of-black-iron/
(I think the above link will take you directly to the review,
but if not, look under ARTICLES on Rob's website. The review
is the first article.)
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 order BLACK IRON right here at the Dinosaur Training
website. Note that the pre-publication special will end at noon
on Saturday -- so order now and get the special bonus photo:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2 Don't forget -- let me know when your book arrives -- and
let me know how you like it! I want to hear from you!
The First Feedback on BLACK IRON!
Hail to the dinosaurs!
We're in the middle of a feeding frenzy
here at Dino HQ -- and I'm not talking
about lunchtime.
We have the entire first floor of the
house turned into a gigantic stacking
and packing and labeling and taping and
shipping operation.
There's also a book-signing operation,
which is my job. I even have a separate
room for it.
Then there's the "Dash to the Post Office
Department" (also my job) -- so it's been
pretty crazy.
But we're working as hard as we can and as
fast as we can to get all the pre-publication
copies of BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY
out the door to everyone who stepped up and
reserved a copy.
And that means that some of you may be getting
the little monster in the mail as early as
tomorrow -- and others will be getting your
copy on Saturday or Monday.
Please shoot me an email when you get your copy,
and also -- very important, and a very big
favor -- please let me know how you like it.
A fellow Iron Game writer -- a contributor
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter -- has read
the final "ready to print" manuscript and has
prepared a detailed book review. If all goes
well, you'll see it tomorrow.
But I'll gave you a bit of a preview right now.
He sent me the following email yesterday:
"BLACK IRON is absolutely fantastic, and it is
now my favorite weightlifting book.
I enjoyed reading it tremendously, and the story
is very gripping.
Your new book surpasses DINOSAUR TRAINING, some-
thing that I thought could never be done."
So that's the very first feedback on BLACK IRON --
and now you can see why I'm so excited about this
book -- and why I've been saying, "You gotta get
it, you're gonna love it!"
Back to work. Lots to do. Over and out.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can order your copy of BLACK IRON right
here -- and if you act fast, we may even get it out
in the mail today:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
We're in the middle of a feeding frenzy
here at Dino HQ -- and I'm not talking
about lunchtime.
We have the entire first floor of the
house turned into a gigantic stacking
and packing and labeling and taping and
shipping operation.
There's also a book-signing operation,
which is my job. I even have a separate
room for it.
Then there's the "Dash to the Post Office
Department" (also my job) -- so it's been
pretty crazy.
But we're working as hard as we can and as
fast as we can to get all the pre-publication
copies of BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY
out the door to everyone who stepped up and
reserved a copy.
And that means that some of you may be getting
the little monster in the mail as early as
tomorrow -- and others will be getting your
copy on Saturday or Monday.
Please shoot me an email when you get your copy,
and also -- very important, and a very big
favor -- please let me know how you like it.
A fellow Iron Game writer -- a contributor
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter -- has read
the final "ready to print" manuscript and has
prepared a detailed book review. If all goes
well, you'll see it tomorrow.
But I'll gave you a bit of a preview right now.
He sent me the following email yesterday:
"BLACK IRON is absolutely fantastic, and it is
now my favorite weightlifting book.
I enjoyed reading it tremendously, and the story
is very gripping.
Your new book surpasses DINOSAUR TRAINING, some-
thing that I thought could never be done."
So that's the very first feedback on BLACK IRON --
and now you can see why I'm so excited about this
book -- and why I've been saying, "You gotta get
it, you're gonna love it!"
Back to work. Lots to do. Over and out.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can order your copy of BLACK IRON right
here -- and if you act fast, we may even get it out
in the mail today:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Black Iron Madness at Dino Headquarters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
BLACK IRON arrived today -- one day early --
and is sitting safe and sound in many, many
boxes piled throughout the first floor of the
house, a/k/a The Shipping Dept.
The dinner table is off limits because I'm
sitting there signing books for readers who
asked for an autographed copy.
The book looks GREAT!
The photos came out terrific -- and that's good,
because we have some killer photos in the book,
including many that have never been seen before.
And at 7 x 10 (bigger than any of my other books),
and close to 500 pages in total, it's a fitting
tribute to the man who rules the world of weight-
lifting for 15 grand and glorious years.
As look would have it, I was interviewed today
on SuperHuman Radio, and we covered John Davis
and some of the back story about how I put the
book together -- and about some of the research
for it. If you missed the live broadcast, be sure
visit the SuperHuman Radio website and listen to
the podcast. I think you'll really enjoy it --
and you may even hear just a little bit of
enthusiasm when I talk about John Davis and
his remarkable career.
Yes, I have to admit it. I'm a John Davis fan.
And I feel very lucky to have been able to write
a book that serves as a wonderful tribute to this
great athlete.
So, the bottom line is this:
1. The books are here, they're being packed, and
we'll send out as many as we can tomorrow -- and
the rest of them on Friday.
2. The book looks GREAT!
3. I'm keeping the pre-publication special open until
12:00 noon on Saturday so that those who learn about
it via the SuperHuman Radio show can order a copy and
get the bonus photograph of John Davis.
You can order right BLACK IRON here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
And now, it's time to sign some more books!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
BLACK IRON arrived today -- one day early --
and is sitting safe and sound in many, many
boxes piled throughout the first floor of the
house, a/k/a The Shipping Dept.
The dinner table is off limits because I'm
sitting there signing books for readers who
asked for an autographed copy.
The book looks GREAT!
The photos came out terrific -- and that's good,
because we have some killer photos in the book,
including many that have never been seen before.
And at 7 x 10 (bigger than any of my other books),
and close to 500 pages in total, it's a fitting
tribute to the man who rules the world of weight-
lifting for 15 grand and glorious years.
As look would have it, I was interviewed today
on SuperHuman Radio, and we covered John Davis
and some of the back story about how I put the
book together -- and about some of the research
for it. If you missed the live broadcast, be sure
visit the SuperHuman Radio website and listen to
the podcast. I think you'll really enjoy it --
and you may even hear just a little bit of
enthusiasm when I talk about John Davis and
his remarkable career.
Yes, I have to admit it. I'm a John Davis fan.
And I feel very lucky to have been able to write
a book that serves as a wonderful tribute to this
great athlete.
So, the bottom line is this:
1. The books are here, they're being packed, and
we'll send out as many as we can tomorrow -- and
the rest of them on Friday.
2. The book looks GREAT!
3. I'm keeping the pre-publication special open until
12:00 noon on Saturday so that those who learn about
it via the SuperHuman Radio show can order a copy and
get the bonus photograph of John Davis.
You can order right BLACK IRON here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
And now, it's time to sign some more books!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
Black Iron in Louisville!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Things are going crazy here at Dino Head-
quarters, so I'm going to have to make this
message short.
1. BLACK IRON has arrived in Louisville. The
freight company should deliver the books in
1 - 2 hours.
1A. My workout today is lugging and loading
and carrying all the boxes of books -- there
are many, many boxes, and the book is BIG --
the biggest book I've ever done.
2. My buddy Bill Hinbern rec'd his shipment
of BLACK IRON and is going nuts over the book.
I've been telling him for months that it was
going to be really big and really impressive
looking -- and really good -- but the first
sight of the little monster still knocked his
socks off.
2A. If you're on Bill's email list, you've
probably seen his message about the book, so
you know he's pretty excited. I think the
proper term is "fired up!"
3. I'll be on SuperHuman Radio at 12:00 EST
today -- talking about (what else?) John Davis!
Catch the show live or download it later on.
4. Since the books are here a day early, we'll
start packing them today and mail as many as we
can tomorrow. We should have all of them out the
door by Saturday.
4A. The pre-publication special is ending very
soon. I would end it today, since the books are
here, but they're a day early so I'll keep it
open for another 24 hours or so.
4B. If you order during the pre-publication
special, you get a special bonus -- an 8 1/2
x 11 copy of a great photo of John Davis from
December, 1940. I got it from his training
partner, and it's never been published before.
So it's a real piece of Iron game history.
5. As always, I am honored to autograph your
book for you -- but you need to ask for an
autograph. If you want your copy autographed,
and you haven't already asked me to do it, send
an email asap.
6. If you have moved or changed address since
you reserved your copy of BLACK IRON, pls let me
know by email asap.
7. Final note -- a fellow lifter is doing a review
of BLACK IRON, using the final printer's proof as
an advance copy. I just heard from him, and he is
3/4 of the way through it and LOVES it.
And that's not surprising. I think everyone is
going to love this book.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you haven't already reserved your copy of
BLACK IRON, do it NOW so that you get the special
bonus photo:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Things are going crazy here at Dino Head-
quarters, so I'm going to have to make this
message short.
1. BLACK IRON has arrived in Louisville. The
freight company should deliver the books in
1 - 2 hours.
1A. My workout today is lugging and loading
and carrying all the boxes of books -- there
are many, many boxes, and the book is BIG --
the biggest book I've ever done.
2. My buddy Bill Hinbern rec'd his shipment
of BLACK IRON and is going nuts over the book.
I've been telling him for months that it was
going to be really big and really impressive
looking -- and really good -- but the first
sight of the little monster still knocked his
socks off.
2A. If you're on Bill's email list, you've
probably seen his message about the book, so
you know he's pretty excited. I think the
proper term is "fired up!"
3. I'll be on SuperHuman Radio at 12:00 EST
today -- talking about (what else?) John Davis!
Catch the show live or download it later on.
4. Since the books are here a day early, we'll
start packing them today and mail as many as we
can tomorrow. We should have all of them out the
door by Saturday.
4A. The pre-publication special is ending very
soon. I would end it today, since the books are
here, but they're a day early so I'll keep it
open for another 24 hours or so.
4B. If you order during the pre-publication
special, you get a special bonus -- an 8 1/2
x 11 copy of a great photo of John Davis from
December, 1940. I got it from his training
partner, and it's never been published before.
So it's a real piece of Iron game history.
5. As always, I am honored to autograph your
book for you -- but you need to ask for an
autograph. If you want your copy autographed,
and you haven't already asked me to do it, send
an email asap.
6. If you have moved or changed address since
you reserved your copy of BLACK IRON, pls let me
know by email asap.
7. Final note -- a fellow lifter is doing a review
of BLACK IRON, using the final printer's proof as
an advance copy. I just heard from him, and he is
3/4 of the way through it and LOVES it.
And that's not surprising. I think everyone is
going to love this book.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you haven't already reserved your copy of
BLACK IRON, do it NOW so that you get the special
bonus photo:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
World Class Strength and Muscle
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I hope everyone had a great weekend -- and I
hope you're ready for one heck of a Dino-sized
week.
Things are going to be very busy and very
exciting for Dinos. We're mailing the July
issue of the Dinosaur Files newsletter to
subscribers today -- and getting my new book,
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY, from the
printer on 7/7 or 7/8 -- and mailing it out
asap to everyone who reserved a copy during
our big pre-publication special.
That means, of course, that the pre-publication
special for BLACK IRON is ending this week. So
if you've been sitting on the fencing, dilly-
dallying, reserve your copy now. Remember, if
you order during the pre-publication special you
get a special bonus photo of John Davis hoisting
some heavy iron.
The bonus photo shows John Davis pressing 285
pounds at an exhibition meet at the Young Men's
Hebrew Association Meet in Philadelphia way
back in 1940.
His training partner at the time was the Meet
Director. He took the photo, framed it, and saved
it ever since. It's never been published before.
I interviewed him by phone, and he invited me to
visit him and look at that and other photos. So I
did. It was around trip of several thousand miles,
but every mile and every minute was well worth it.
He loaned me the photo, and it's one of the many great
photos you'll see in the book. You'll also get an
8 1/2 x 11 copy of it if you take advantage of the
pre-publication special.
When the photo was taken, John Davis weighed right
around 198 to 200 pounds. He had just defeated Steve
Stanko in an epic battle, and was acknowledged as the
strongest man in the world. On the Hoffman Formula,
he ranked as the best weightlifter in the world on a
pound for pound basis. Not just the best Heavyweight.
The best lifter in any weight class. In the entire
world. That takes in a lot of men and a lot of
territory.
John's muscular development at this stage of his
career was remarkable. Peary Rader always said that
the 200 pound John Davis had one of the very best
physiques he ever saw. In fact, Rader rated him as
second to only one man -- John Grimek -- in muscular
development.
That's amazing for a Heavyweight lifter. I mean, think
about it. There have been many great Heavyweights over
the years, but how many of them rival John Grimek in
the physique department?
But you can see what Peary meant when you see the photo.
John's physique is tremendous, with thick, powerful
muscles and razor-sharp definition. He's so lean and hard
he looks as if his muscles are going to pop through
his skin.
And remember, he wasn't a bodybuilder. He was a weight-
lifter. His appearance was the by-product of his weight-
lifting.
Yes, the very same training that made John Davis the best
weightlifter in the entire world ALSO made him one of the
most muscular and best developed men in the world.
And that's where I'm going to stop this morning -- because
it's something to think about.
If the kind of training they did back in the 1930's and
1940's could simultaneously build world-class strength AND
world-class muscular development, why would you want to do
anything else?
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 reserve your copy of BLACK IRON (and grab a copy
of the bonus photo) right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. You can learn much more about Old School strength training
in any of my books and courses -- and in the Dinosaur Files
newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I hope everyone had a great weekend -- and I
hope you're ready for one heck of a Dino-sized
week.
Things are going to be very busy and very
exciting for Dinos. We're mailing the July
issue of the Dinosaur Files newsletter to
subscribers today -- and getting my new book,
BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY, from the
printer on 7/7 or 7/8 -- and mailing it out
asap to everyone who reserved a copy during
our big pre-publication special.
That means, of course, that the pre-publication
special for BLACK IRON is ending this week. So
if you've been sitting on the fencing, dilly-
dallying, reserve your copy now. Remember, if
you order during the pre-publication special you
get a special bonus photo of John Davis hoisting
some heavy iron.
The bonus photo shows John Davis pressing 285
pounds at an exhibition meet at the Young Men's
Hebrew Association Meet in Philadelphia way
back in 1940.
His training partner at the time was the Meet
Director. He took the photo, framed it, and saved
it ever since. It's never been published before.
I interviewed him by phone, and he invited me to
visit him and look at that and other photos. So I
did. It was around trip of several thousand miles,
but every mile and every minute was well worth it.
He loaned me the photo, and it's one of the many great
photos you'll see in the book. You'll also get an
8 1/2 x 11 copy of it if you take advantage of the
pre-publication special.
When the photo was taken, John Davis weighed right
around 198 to 200 pounds. He had just defeated Steve
Stanko in an epic battle, and was acknowledged as the
strongest man in the world. On the Hoffman Formula,
he ranked as the best weightlifter in the world on a
pound for pound basis. Not just the best Heavyweight.
The best lifter in any weight class. In the entire
world. That takes in a lot of men and a lot of
territory.
John's muscular development at this stage of his
career was remarkable. Peary Rader always said that
the 200 pound John Davis had one of the very best
physiques he ever saw. In fact, Rader rated him as
second to only one man -- John Grimek -- in muscular
development.
That's amazing for a Heavyweight lifter. I mean, think
about it. There have been many great Heavyweights over
the years, but how many of them rival John Grimek in
the physique department?
But you can see what Peary meant when you see the photo.
John's physique is tremendous, with thick, powerful
muscles and razor-sharp definition. He's so lean and hard
he looks as if his muscles are going to pop through
his skin.
And remember, he wasn't a bodybuilder. He was a weight-
lifter. His appearance was the by-product of his weight-
lifting.
Yes, the very same training that made John Davis the best
weightlifter in the entire world ALSO made him one of the
most muscular and best developed men in the world.
And that's where I'm going to stop this morning -- because
it's something to think about.
If the kind of training they did back in the 1930's and
1940's could simultaneously build world-class strength AND
world-class muscular development, why would you want to do
anything else?
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 reserve your copy of BLACK IRON (and grab a copy
of the bonus photo) right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. You can learn much more about Old School strength training
in any of my books and courses -- and in the Dinosaur Files
newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Greetings -- and a Request -- from Dino HQ!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's a Holiday weekend here in the USA, so
to all of our American Dinos -- including our
many Dinos in the military -- Happy Fourth of
July!
And to our Canadian Dinos -- Happy Canada Day
(one day late -- sorry about that).
And to everyone else -- as always, best wishes
for your strength, health and happiness!
I have a quick request for the Dinos:
If you have a copy of my old bodyweight training
course -- DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING -- please
shoot me an email with your thoughts, comments
and feedback about the course.
I found some old emails and letters from guys who
tried and loved the program --one reader even said
it saved his life after heart surgery (because he
had to lose weight and get into good condition as
fast as possible) -- and I thought I'd get feedback
from the rest of you.
I issued the original course in a three-ring notebook,
with the design and layout -- and the printing -- done
for me by people here in Louisville. It was killer
expensive to produce, difficult and costly to ship,
and it would have been much better to have done it in
book form.
If enough folks think the course is of benefit, and if
other readers are interested (and please let me know if
you are), I'll touch base with my new layout and design
folks and my new printer and see if we can bring it back
in book form.
It would like good (and ship easily) as an 8 1/2 x 11
perfect bound book of perhaps 160 to 200 pages.
At least, that's what I think. But let me here form the
rest of you.
And remember --
1. Have a great Fourth of July Weekend!
2. If you train today (or tomorrow or Monday), make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Our special Holiday hours are EVERY MINUTE OF THE
DAY -- so feel free to celebrate the Holiday by grabbing
any of our books, courses, or DVD's -- or a subscription
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 -- Remember to send me an email with feedback
on the Dinosaur Bodyweight Training course! If you used
it, what kind of results did you get? If you missed it the
first time around but you'd like to see it, let me know!
It's a Holiday weekend here in the USA, so
to all of our American Dinos -- including our
many Dinos in the military -- Happy Fourth of
July!
And to our Canadian Dinos -- Happy Canada Day
(one day late -- sorry about that).
And to everyone else -- as always, best wishes
for your strength, health and happiness!
I have a quick request for the Dinos:
If you have a copy of my old bodyweight training
course -- DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING -- please
shoot me an email with your thoughts, comments
and feedback about the course.
I found some old emails and letters from guys who
tried and loved the program --one reader even said
it saved his life after heart surgery (because he
had to lose weight and get into good condition as
fast as possible) -- and I thought I'd get feedback
from the rest of you.
I issued the original course in a three-ring notebook,
with the design and layout -- and the printing -- done
for me by people here in Louisville. It was killer
expensive to produce, difficult and costly to ship,
and it would have been much better to have done it in
book form.
If enough folks think the course is of benefit, and if
other readers are interested (and please let me know if
you are), I'll touch base with my new layout and design
folks and my new printer and see if we can bring it back
in book form.
It would like good (and ship easily) as an 8 1/2 x 11
perfect bound book of perhaps 160 to 200 pages.
At least, that's what I think. But let me here form the
rest of you.
And remember --
1. Have a great Fourth of July Weekend!
2. If you train today (or tomorrow or Monday), make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Our special Holiday hours are EVERY MINUTE OF THE
DAY -- so feel free to celebrate the Holiday by grabbing
any of our books, courses, or DVD's -- or a subscription
to the Dinosaur Files newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 -- Remember to send me an email with feedback
on the Dinosaur Bodyweight Training course! If you used
it, what kind of results did you get? If you missed it the
first time around but you'd like to see it, let me know!
Happy Fourth of July Weekend to the Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We're heading into a big Holiday weekend here
in the USA, so I wanted to wish everyone a very
Happy and Fun-Filled Fourth of July Weekend!
Here at Dino HQ we are doing 77 million different
things for you -- so we're "busy." Here's an
update, along with some questions and requests
for feedback.
1. The Dinosaur Files newsletter will be mailed
on Saturday or on Tuesday, July 5. I wanted to
mail it today but our printer is having tech
problems. More specifically -- their printer is
broken!
1A. I knew I should have just carved this month's
issue on stone tablets and mailed those out to
subscribers.
2. The John Davis book ships to me on Tuesday of
next week -- and as soon as I have the little
monster (probably 7/7 or 7/8) we'll fill all of
the pre-publication orders.
2A. If you ordered the book and you want me to
autograph your copy, pls let me know asap!
3. If you read and followed my old bodyweight
training course from five or six years ago, shoot
me an email and let me know how it worked for
you and how you liked it.
4. I've reissued my old strength training DVD's:
a. The Lost Art of Dumbbell training
b. Bags, barrels and Beyond
c. Power Rack training
d. Olympic Lifting Fundamentals
e. Strength training Basics
I have not had time to get the order pages for them
up on the website, but if you'd like more info and
want to grab them, shoot me an email and I'll tell
you how to do it.
5. Legacy of Iron fans -- do not despair, there will
be more books in the series! No. 6 should be out later
in the year, perhaps around the Holidays. We have lots
more to cover! (Heck, we're not even out of World War
Two yet!)
6. And yes, in between everything else, I'm working on
another book. Something about building strength and
muscle and getting into top condition, and old-time
physical culture and much fun stuff for Dinos.
7. Oh, did I mention we're going to have a BIG
ANNOUNCEMENT later in the month? Well, we are -- so
keep an eye on my email messages and updates!
Anyhow, as you can see, we're going to have a busy
weekend here at Dino HQ.
Happy weekend, Dinos!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We'll be open for business all weekend long --
so you can grab anything you'd like from the Dino
Shop:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Remember -- if you're interested in grabbing
those old DVD's, shoot me an email!
We're heading into a big Holiday weekend here
in the USA, so I wanted to wish everyone a very
Happy and Fun-Filled Fourth of July Weekend!
Here at Dino HQ we are doing 77 million different
things for you -- so we're "busy." Here's an
update, along with some questions and requests
for feedback.
1. The Dinosaur Files newsletter will be mailed
on Saturday or on Tuesday, July 5. I wanted to
mail it today but our printer is having tech
problems. More specifically -- their printer is
broken!
1A. I knew I should have just carved this month's
issue on stone tablets and mailed those out to
subscribers.
2. The John Davis book ships to me on Tuesday of
next week -- and as soon as I have the little
monster (probably 7/7 or 7/8) we'll fill all of
the pre-publication orders.
2A. If you ordered the book and you want me to
autograph your copy, pls let me know asap!
3. If you read and followed my old bodyweight
training course from five or six years ago, shoot
me an email and let me know how it worked for
you and how you liked it.
4. I've reissued my old strength training DVD's:
a. The Lost Art of Dumbbell training
b. Bags, barrels and Beyond
c. Power Rack training
d. Olympic Lifting Fundamentals
e. Strength training Basics
I have not had time to get the order pages for them
up on the website, but if you'd like more info and
want to grab them, shoot me an email and I'll tell
you how to do it.
5. Legacy of Iron fans -- do not despair, there will
be more books in the series! No. 6 should be out later
in the year, perhaps around the Holidays. We have lots
more to cover! (Heck, we're not even out of World War
Two yet!)
6. And yes, in between everything else, I'm working on
another book. Something about building strength and
muscle and getting into top condition, and old-time
physical culture and much fun stuff for Dinos.
7. Oh, did I mention we're going to have a BIG
ANNOUNCEMENT later in the month? Well, we are -- so
keep an eye on my email messages and updates!
Anyhow, as you can see, we're going to have a busy
weekend here at Dino HQ.
Happy weekend, Dinos!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We'll be open for business all weekend long --
so you can grab anything you'd like from the Dino
Shop:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Remember -- if you're interested in grabbing
those old DVD's, shoot me an email!
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