Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Doug Hepburn may have had the strongest
arms and shoulders of all time.
Consider the following feats:
1. Right hand military press with
DB 175 lbs.
2. Two hands military press off
rack 440 lbs.
3. Two hands military press with
two DB's 350 lbs. (2 x 175 lb. DB's)
4. Press behind neck 350 lbs.
5. Two hands strict curl 260 lbs.
6. Two hands strict curl for reps
(get this!) 235 lbs x 5 reps
7. Two hands strict curl with 135 lbs.
35 reps
That's what I was thinking about when I wrote
DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING.
I wasn't thinking about the muscle pumpers,
the guys with the "big guns", the Mr. This
or That winners, or the guys with the
(alleged) 24 inch upper arms, the "triple
horse-shoe triceps" or the "quadruple peaked
baseball biceps."
I was thinking about Doug Hepburn -- lifting
some very heavy iron back in the 1950's --
and building what may very well have been the
strongest arms and shoulders of all time.
If you're wondering what you'll find in DINOSAUR
ARM TRAINING, here's the answer -- you might find
something very similar to the way Doug Hepburn
trained.
Or the way John Grimek trained -- or the way
Reg Park trained -- or the way Bruno Sammartino
trained -- or the way John Davis trained.
Arm training is way more than muscle pumping --
and it's way more than bombing, blasting and
blitzing -- and it's way more than posing all
day in front of a mirror.
If you don't believe me, just ask Doug Hepburn.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We're in the middle of a huge pre-publication
special for DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING -- and you can
reserve your copy right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 2. For more information about Doug Hepburn
and how he trained, grab my Doug Hepburn Training
Course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 3. You can find my other books and courses right
here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Dinosaur Arm Training!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I have some very BIG NEWS for Dinos!
I've just finished a new Dino-style
training course -- and I think you're
really going to like it.
The title is DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING.
And as you might guess, it teaches you
how to build BIG, STRONG and RUGGED arms.
Arms that are big, thick, muscular and
powerful looking -- and every bit as
strong as they look.
It's going to be a BIG course --
8 1/2 x 11, minimum of 32 pages
(perhaps more) -- with photos of old
timers from my personal collection.
You can reserve your copy of the little
monster right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is a pre-publication special.
DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING will be printed and
ready to ship on or before 9/30 (hopefully
sooner, but you know how how printers can
be). I'll fill all orders in the order in
which I receive them -- and all if you take
advantage of the pre-publication special,
I'll include a special bonus when I fill
your order -- a great looking 8 1/2 x 11
mini-poster featuring one of my favorite
Golden Age photos. It will look great
on your wall -- or on the wall of your gym.
ALSO -- if you want me to autograph your
copy of DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, include a
note in the SPECIAL COMMENTS box of the
on-line order form. I'm always happy to do
that for you, but you need to ask!
So that's the BIG NEWS -- and now you know
how to step up, jump to the head of the
line and reserve your copy of DINOSAUR ARM
TRAINING.
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 for DINOSAUR ARM
TRAINING:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 2 -- To order my other Dinosaur Training
books and courses, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I have some very BIG NEWS for Dinos!
I've just finished a new Dino-style
training course -- and I think you're
really going to like it.
The title is DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING.
And as you might guess, it teaches you
how to build BIG, STRONG and RUGGED arms.
Arms that are big, thick, muscular and
powerful looking -- and every bit as
strong as they look.
It's going to be a BIG course --
8 1/2 x 11, minimum of 32 pages
(perhaps more) -- with photos of old
timers from my personal collection.
You can reserve your copy of the little
monster right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is a pre-publication special.
DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING will be printed and
ready to ship on or before 9/30 (hopefully
sooner, but you know how how printers can
be). I'll fill all orders in the order in
which I receive them -- and all if you take
advantage of the pre-publication special,
I'll include a special bonus when I fill
your order -- a great looking 8 1/2 x 11
mini-poster featuring one of my favorite
Golden Age photos. It will look great
on your wall -- or on the wall of your gym.
ALSO -- if you want me to autograph your
copy of DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, include a
note in the SPECIAL COMMENTS box of the
on-line order form. I'm always happy to do
that for you, but you need to ask!
So that's the BIG NEWS -- and now you know
how to step up, jump to the head of the
line and reserve your copy of DINOSAUR ARM
TRAINING.
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 for DINOSAUR ARM
TRAINING:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 2 -- To order my other Dinosaur Training
books and courses, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
An Important Question for the Dino Nation!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One quick correction, and a very important
question for you:
1. Correction
The link to Ben Bergman's Power and Might
Blog was broken in yesterday's email.
Try this instead:
http://powerandmight.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-review-of-legacy-of-iron-series.html
If that doesn't work, go to his home page and
look for his blog post on the Legacy of Iron
series:
http://powerandmight.blogspot.com/
Sorry for the problem with yesterday's link! As
a Dino, I am a T-Rex, not a Tek-o-saurus.
2. Question for Dinos
As I mentioned, my birthday is coming up soon --
as on September 9. And I wanted to do some things
to celebrate -- things that involve doing stuff
for the Dino community.
So let me know if any of these ideas interest you
(and pls respond even if the answer is "sorry, not
interested" -- there are many things I can do, and
I'd like to do something that MANY of you want to
see or read):
a. A special b'day training DVD showing the old
guy (that would be me) hitting the iron out in the
garage on his 54th b'day.
I could film an actual current workout from start
to finish, and explain what I am doing and why.
And if you'd like I could include some step by
step instruction on the lifts I'm doing at present
(old-school split cleans and split jerks, and old-
school split snatches). So it would be a two for
one DVD -- the b'day workout PLUS some instruction
on old-school lifting.
b. A short book or course consisting of answers to
your training questions.
Here's how it would work -- I'll put up a special
page to pre-order the book.course -- and then you
would place a pre-publication order, and include ONE
brief training question with your order. It could be
anything from "can you give me a good program for
gaining muscle" to "how can I increase my press?"
to "What do you know about [name of famous old-time
lifter]" to "Who is your favorite old-time lifter
and why?" to "What is the greatest feat of strength
of all time?" to -- well, pretty much anything.
I'd take the first 100 orders and the questions that
are asked, and work at warm-speed (that's a Tek term)
to get them into a book or course. And then we'd get
the little monster formatted and laid out, add some
photos, work up a cover, get it printed, and shoot it
out the door to you.
This would NOT be limited to 100 purchasers -- the
first 10 purchasers are the ones who get their questions
answered, but I won't limit the number of copies to 100.
Everyone will get a chance to grab the little monster.
If you like the book, I could do a second volume with
questions that didn't make it into the first one.
I like the idea because I see that so many readers have
the same or similar questions, and that means that even
if YOUR question wasn't answered, you'd find answers to
tons of other questions that have been bothering you.
And often, what seems like a very difficult or even
impossible question becomes easy when you get some
advice from a guy who's been doing this stuff for as
long as I have (45 years now).
So I think 100 DINOSAUR TRAINING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
would be a fun and very valuable project.
But as I said, I want to know what YOU think -- so pls
shoot me an email and let me know if you like it.
c. Option 3 is that we have a big birthday bash, everyone
comes over, we all lift heavy stuff, and afterward we
gorge ourselves on grilled steak and fresh salad greens.
I like that option the best, but I think the neighbors
would complain if 10,000 Dinos crammed themselves into
the garage and back yard and started to lift heavy iron.
Heck, it might even cause the next big earthquake --
and I don't want to be responsible for triggering a
tectonic plate shift that splits North America in two.
Anyhow, thanks for reading, and please let me know what
sounds good for a Birthday Special -- and if you have
any other ideas, feel free to shoot them in!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses are ready to ship -- and I might
mention that BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY would be a
heck of a nice treat for any serious Iron Slinger and fan
of old-school lifting. And if you want an autographed copy,
just let me know!
Black Iron: The John Davis Story
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
For other Dinosaur Training books, courses, t-shirts,
the Dino Files newsletter and the Legacy of Iron books,
go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Save some wampum on s&h by ordering two or more
books, courses or other items at one time. There's no
reason to pay the post office 2x!
One quick correction, and a very important
question for you:
1. Correction
The link to Ben Bergman's Power and Might
Blog was broken in yesterday's email.
Try this instead:
http://powerandmight.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-review-of-legacy-of-iron-series.html
If that doesn't work, go to his home page and
look for his blog post on the Legacy of Iron
series:
http://powerandmight.blogspot.com/
Sorry for the problem with yesterday's link! As
a Dino, I am a T-Rex, not a Tek-o-saurus.
2. Question for Dinos
As I mentioned, my birthday is coming up soon --
as on September 9. And I wanted to do some things
to celebrate -- things that involve doing stuff
for the Dino community.
So let me know if any of these ideas interest you
(and pls respond even if the answer is "sorry, not
interested" -- there are many things I can do, and
I'd like to do something that MANY of you want to
see or read):
a. A special b'day training DVD showing the old
guy (that would be me) hitting the iron out in the
garage on his 54th b'day.
I could film an actual current workout from start
to finish, and explain what I am doing and why.
And if you'd like I could include some step by
step instruction on the lifts I'm doing at present
(old-school split cleans and split jerks, and old-
school split snatches). So it would be a two for
one DVD -- the b'day workout PLUS some instruction
on old-school lifting.
b. A short book or course consisting of answers to
your training questions.
Here's how it would work -- I'll put up a special
page to pre-order the book.course -- and then you
would place a pre-publication order, and include ONE
brief training question with your order. It could be
anything from "can you give me a good program for
gaining muscle" to "how can I increase my press?"
to "What do you know about [name of famous old-time
lifter]" to "Who is your favorite old-time lifter
and why?" to "What is the greatest feat of strength
of all time?" to -- well, pretty much anything.
I'd take the first 100 orders and the questions that
are asked, and work at warm-speed (that's a Tek term)
to get them into a book or course. And then we'd get
the little monster formatted and laid out, add some
photos, work up a cover, get it printed, and shoot it
out the door to you.
This would NOT be limited to 100 purchasers -- the
first 10 purchasers are the ones who get their questions
answered, but I won't limit the number of copies to 100.
Everyone will get a chance to grab the little monster.
If you like the book, I could do a second volume with
questions that didn't make it into the first one.
I like the idea because I see that so many readers have
the same or similar questions, and that means that even
if YOUR question wasn't answered, you'd find answers to
tons of other questions that have been bothering you.
And often, what seems like a very difficult or even
impossible question becomes easy when you get some
advice from a guy who's been doing this stuff for as
long as I have (45 years now).
So I think 100 DINOSAUR TRAINING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
would be a fun and very valuable project.
But as I said, I want to know what YOU think -- so pls
shoot me an email and let me know if you like it.
c. Option 3 is that we have a big birthday bash, everyone
comes over, we all lift heavy stuff, and afterward we
gorge ourselves on grilled steak and fresh salad greens.
I like that option the best, but I think the neighbors
would complain if 10,000 Dinos crammed themselves into
the garage and back yard and started to lift heavy iron.
Heck, it might even cause the next big earthquake --
and I don't want to be responsible for triggering a
tectonic plate shift that splits North America in two.
Anyhow, thanks for reading, and please let me know what
sounds good for a Birthday Special -- and if you have
any other ideas, feel free to shoot them in!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses are ready to ship -- and I might
mention that BLACK IRON: THE JOHN DAVIS STORY would be a
heck of a nice treat for any serious Iron Slinger and fan
of old-school lifting. And if you want an autographed copy,
just let me know!
Black Iron: The John Davis Story
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
For other Dinosaur Training books, courses, t-shirts,
the Dino Files newsletter and the Legacy of Iron books,
go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Save some wampum on s&h by ordering two or more
books, courses or other items at one time. There's no
reason to pay the post office 2x!
More Questions and Answers for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I received a ton of questions in response to
yesterday's email about balanced training
programs. I'll cover some of the more common
questions in my daily emails. I always figure
that if ten people send me the same or similar
question, many more of you have the same
question.
And please note -- this question is one I have
rec'd from many older lifters -- and the younger
readers should note, the answer is NOT to "Shut
up, be tough, and just do it!" Older lifters
need to train differently than younger lifters,
and sometimes means they need to do different
exercises.
Q. "I'm 52 and I can't do back squats any more.
They're just too hard on my back. Would front
squats be a good alternative?"
A. Absolutely! I've been using front squats as my
primary leg exercise for the past couple of
years and they work great. I really like them.
It's better to do them holding the bar at the
shoulders, as if you were doing a squat clean --
but if that's impossible for you, then use the
"crossed hands" or "bodybuilder style" of front
squats. They both work.
If you can, do full squats. All the way down.
BUT NOTE: you need to maintain an upright torso
when you do front squats. You cannot lean forward
on these.
That means, you'll need to wear shoes with a
built up heel -- as in, hiking boots with a heel,
construction boots with a heel, or Olympic lifting
shoes.
I wear the Power Perfect II weightlifting shoe.
They run 119 clams. There are more expensive OL
shoes, but I actually like these better. I got
them from Bud Charniga at the below link:
http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/
IMPORTANT: If you are an older lifter and you
want to try front squats because back squats hurt
your shoulders or your back, your flexibility is
not going to be what it was when you were younger.
That's why you need the shoes!
I'm a good case in point. I can do front squats
perfectly well in my OL shoes -- but in regular
gym shoes, I have trouble doing them with an
empty bar.
In my case, my ankles and Achilles tendons are a
little tight. And for guys over the age of 40,
that's not at all uncommon. And that's why I wear
OL shoes.
If your knees hurt, wear rubber knee bands. Tommy
Kono invented these, and he sells good ones:
http://www.tommykono.com/
For sets and reps, always remember that less is
more -- especially for an older lifter. And
remember that you need to get those warm-up sets
in. As I've said before, if you don't have time
to do your warm-ups, you don't have time to
train.
Start very light and work up with progressive
poundages. You want your knees, ankles, hips and
lower back to be well warmed up by the time you
tackle your work sets.
For older lifters, low reps are often best. Not low
reps with weights that crush you, but low reps with
weights that are challenging, but weights that you
can control.
Do NOT drop and bounce. Control the weight all the
way up and all the way down. Your knees don't like
drop and bounce lifting.
Five reps per set is your max number. Triples and
doubles are probably better. I like doubles. I usually
do doubles on my warm-up sets, and work up to my
top weight for the day, where I do 5 sets of 2 reps.
Do them once or twice a week. I like once per week.
And yes, you can wear a belt if you prefer to do that.
But if you do front squats without a belt, you get a
bonus -- you train your midsection (isometric style)
at the same time you work your legs!
For more info on effective training for older lifters,
including sets and reps (and over 50 training programs
for older lifters of different ages and different levels
of experience), grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
That's a long answer to a short question, but there
was plenty to cover. The devil is always in the
details.
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. A special note for beginners of all ages -- be sure
to grab CHALK AND SWEAT. One reason I wrote the book was
to give beginners some detailed instruction on how to get
started in the Iron Game -- so 10 of the 50 training
programs in the book are for beginners. (The other
programs are for intermediates, advanced lifters and
guys who are interested in building maximum strength
and muscle as fast as possible.) You can grab it here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
I received a ton of questions in response to
yesterday's email about balanced training
programs. I'll cover some of the more common
questions in my daily emails. I always figure
that if ten people send me the same or similar
question, many more of you have the same
question.
And please note -- this question is one I have
rec'd from many older lifters -- and the younger
readers should note, the answer is NOT to "Shut
up, be tough, and just do it!" Older lifters
need to train differently than younger lifters,
and sometimes means they need to do different
exercises.
Q. "I'm 52 and I can't do back squats any more.
They're just too hard on my back. Would front
squats be a good alternative?"
A. Absolutely! I've been using front squats as my
primary leg exercise for the past couple of
years and they work great. I really like them.
It's better to do them holding the bar at the
shoulders, as if you were doing a squat clean --
but if that's impossible for you, then use the
"crossed hands" or "bodybuilder style" of front
squats. They both work.
If you can, do full squats. All the way down.
BUT NOTE: you need to maintain an upright torso
when you do front squats. You cannot lean forward
on these.
That means, you'll need to wear shoes with a
built up heel -- as in, hiking boots with a heel,
construction boots with a heel, or Olympic lifting
shoes.
I wear the Power Perfect II weightlifting shoe.
They run 119 clams. There are more expensive OL
shoes, but I actually like these better. I got
them from Bud Charniga at the below link:
http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/
IMPORTANT: If you are an older lifter and you
want to try front squats because back squats hurt
your shoulders or your back, your flexibility is
not going to be what it was when you were younger.
That's why you need the shoes!
I'm a good case in point. I can do front squats
perfectly well in my OL shoes -- but in regular
gym shoes, I have trouble doing them with an
empty bar.
In my case, my ankles and Achilles tendons are a
little tight. And for guys over the age of 40,
that's not at all uncommon. And that's why I wear
OL shoes.
If your knees hurt, wear rubber knee bands. Tommy
Kono invented these, and he sells good ones:
http://www.tommykono.com/
For sets and reps, always remember that less is
more -- especially for an older lifter. And
remember that you need to get those warm-up sets
in. As I've said before, if you don't have time
to do your warm-ups, you don't have time to
train.
Start very light and work up with progressive
poundages. You want your knees, ankles, hips and
lower back to be well warmed up by the time you
tackle your work sets.
For older lifters, low reps are often best. Not low
reps with weights that crush you, but low reps with
weights that are challenging, but weights that you
can control.
Do NOT drop and bounce. Control the weight all the
way up and all the way down. Your knees don't like
drop and bounce lifting.
Five reps per set is your max number. Triples and
doubles are probably better. I like doubles. I usually
do doubles on my warm-up sets, and work up to my
top weight for the day, where I do 5 sets of 2 reps.
Do them once or twice a week. I like once per week.
And yes, you can wear a belt if you prefer to do that.
But if you do front squats without a belt, you get a
bonus -- you train your midsection (isometric style)
at the same time you work your legs!
For more info on effective training for older lifters,
including sets and reps (and over 50 training programs
for older lifters of different ages and different levels
of experience), grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
That's a long answer to a short question, but there
was plenty to cover. The devil is always in the
details.
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. A special note for beginners of all ages -- be sure
to grab CHALK AND SWEAT. One reason I wrote the book was
to give beginners some detailed instruction on how to get
started in the Iron Game -- so 10 of the 50 training
programs in the book are for beginners. (The other
programs are for intermediates, advanced lifters and
guys who are interested in building maximum strength
and muscle as fast as possible.) You can grab it here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
Abbreviated Does Not Mean Unbalanced!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I get lots of questions from readers asking
me to give them feedback on their Dino-style
abbreviated workout.
Let me summarize some of my responses, and see
if you notice a pattern:
1. "Why no squats?"
2. "Do you deadlifts?"
3. What do you do for your upper back?"
4. "Do you do any pressing movements?
5. "Do you do any sort of overhead pressing?"
6. "Do you do any sort of cardio work?"
7. "Are you doing gut, grip and neck work?"
I bet you see the pattern!
Too many guys interpret abbreviated training as
meaning you only do two or three exercises that
you happen to enjoy -- or that you happen to be
good at.
Thus, the guy who deadlifts a ton but has a lousy
squat will do deadlifts but no squats.
The guy with the good squat and the lousy deadlift
will skip his deadlift.
The guy with the bad pressing leverages will
"forget" to include presses.
And so on.
But there's a big difference between abbreviated
training and unbalanced training.
The way to keep everything in balance is simple.
Use the squat, pull, push formula.
Every week, you should include one squatting
exercise, one pushing (pressing) exercise, and
one pulling exercise.
If you wish, you can train 2x per week and squat,
pull and push in each workout. (Note: this works
better for guys who do Olympic style -- high bar --
squats and front squats, and Olympic style pulling
movements, e.g., high pulls, power cleans, power
snatches or classic snatches and cleans in split
or squat style. Powerlifting style (low bar) squats
and deadlifts are hard to do 2x per week if you go
heavy in each workout.)
Or you can train two primary exercises per session,
such as squat and bench or deadlift and overhead
press, and mix things up from workout to workout.
That would allow you to train 2x or 3x per week,
as you prefer.
Simple formula -- but it works. It helps keep your
training in balance.
But remember -- you also want to do some sort of
gut, grip and neck work -- and you want to do some
sort of cardio work. Remember, your heart and lungs
are as just important as any other muscle group --
and perhaps more important than any of them.
And a final note. I often write about ultra-
abbreviated training, where you may do only one
exercise per workout.
How do you balance your program?
It's easy -- you do several different workouts,
with a different exercise in each -- or you
specialize on one exercise for 6 to 8 weeks, and
then specialize on something else -- and over time,
you build balance into your program.
William Boone did that back in the 30's and 40's,
and over time built world class strength and power
in the squat, the deadlift, the bent press and the
jerk from stands -- an amazing example of all-around
development resulting from (get this) one exercise
workouts!
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, have a great (and well
balanced) workout!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information on balanced training
programs, grab CHALK AND SWEAT or STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER -- or order both books and save on s&H:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. For more information on cardio training for
strength athletes -- a very important and often
neglected topic -- grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- it has a ton of ideas on how a "heavy iron"
guy can work his heart and lungs without doing cardio
theater, "stepping" himself to death or training like
a 120 pound marathon runner:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3 My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I get lots of questions from readers asking
me to give them feedback on their Dino-style
abbreviated workout.
Let me summarize some of my responses, and see
if you notice a pattern:
1. "Why no squats?"
2. "Do you deadlifts?"
3. What do you do for your upper back?"
4. "Do you do any pressing movements?
5. "Do you do any sort of overhead pressing?"
6. "Do you do any sort of cardio work?"
7. "Are you doing gut, grip and neck work?"
I bet you see the pattern!
Too many guys interpret abbreviated training as
meaning you only do two or three exercises that
you happen to enjoy -- or that you happen to be
good at.
Thus, the guy who deadlifts a ton but has a lousy
squat will do deadlifts but no squats.
The guy with the good squat and the lousy deadlift
will skip his deadlift.
The guy with the bad pressing leverages will
"forget" to include presses.
And so on.
But there's a big difference between abbreviated
training and unbalanced training.
The way to keep everything in balance is simple.
Use the squat, pull, push formula.
Every week, you should include one squatting
exercise, one pushing (pressing) exercise, and
one pulling exercise.
If you wish, you can train 2x per week and squat,
pull and push in each workout. (Note: this works
better for guys who do Olympic style -- high bar --
squats and front squats, and Olympic style pulling
movements, e.g., high pulls, power cleans, power
snatches or classic snatches and cleans in split
or squat style. Powerlifting style (low bar) squats
and deadlifts are hard to do 2x per week if you go
heavy in each workout.)
Or you can train two primary exercises per session,
such as squat and bench or deadlift and overhead
press, and mix things up from workout to workout.
That would allow you to train 2x or 3x per week,
as you prefer.
Simple formula -- but it works. It helps keep your
training in balance.
But remember -- you also want to do some sort of
gut, grip and neck work -- and you want to do some
sort of cardio work. Remember, your heart and lungs
are as just important as any other muscle group --
and perhaps more important than any of them.
And a final note. I often write about ultra-
abbreviated training, where you may do only one
exercise per workout.
How do you balance your program?
It's easy -- you do several different workouts,
with a different exercise in each -- or you
specialize on one exercise for 6 to 8 weeks, and
then specialize on something else -- and over time,
you build balance into your program.
William Boone did that back in the 30's and 40's,
and over time built world class strength and power
in the squat, the deadlift, the bent press and the
jerk from stands -- an amazing example of all-around
development resulting from (get this) one exercise
workouts!
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, have a great (and well
balanced) workout!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more information on balanced training
programs, grab CHALK AND SWEAT or STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER -- or order both books and save on s&H:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. For more information on cardio training for
strength athletes -- a very important and often
neglected topic -- grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- it has a ton of ideas on how a "heavy iron"
guy can work his heart and lungs without doing cardio
theater, "stepping" himself to death or training like
a 120 pound marathon runner:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3 My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Enough Is Enough!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday, we covered one of the more
common training questions from reader --
the one about "the latest and greatest
super program."
Now, some of you may think I'm being
silly by even talking about the super
programs -- and some of you may wonder
why I bother -- and some of you may even
be angry at me for suggesting that (secret
of secrets) the super programs don't work.
Well, here's why I talk about them -- and
why I urge folks to avoid them.
I covered the whole super program thing in
a recent interview on SuperHuman Radio. And
after yesterday's email message, I received
an email from a lifter who had listened to
the show. Here's what he said:
"It was great to hear you address Bulgarian
daily max training on the SuperHuman Radio
show.
As I write this, I am slowly healing a
bulging disk in my back thanks to the
Bulgarian program.
I fell in love with Olympic lifting, but
instead of following a 3 day a week plan
I tried to fast track things with a daily
max program.
Now I haven't been able to lift at all in
a month and who knows when I will be better.
I found out the hard way that these programs
are for the pros who devote all their time to
lifting and probably use "supplements" as well.
When I heal up, I will be back to listening to
you and training three days a week. You were
right."
And that's the most recent email from someone
who hurt himself following one of the super
programs -- but it's not the only one I've
ever received.
If the super programs were simply misguided and
ineffective -- a waste of time -- that would be
one thing. But when they hurt people, that's when
you have to stand up and say "Enough is enough."
That's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll join me
in the battle.
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. If you're looking for a good program for a
beginner or intermediate, grab Chalk and Sweat.
(It also has programs for advanced men and sensible
programs for gaining maximum muscle mass.)
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. If you're over the age of 35, be sure to read
Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3. If you want to learn about power rack training,
rest pause training and oodles of other good stuff,
grab Dinosaur Training and Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 4. If you want to learn how the strongest men
in the world trained "back in the day" -- without
drugs and without super programs -- then grab the
Doug Hepburn Training Course and Black Iron: The John
Davis Story:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 5 -- We'll cover this in more detail in another post,
but did you note one of the big mistakes made by the reader
who hurt his back?
He was a BEGINNER at Olympic weightlifting. And instead
of using a beginner-level program, he tried a program
based on what World and Olympic class lifters are doing.
ALWAYS follow a program that is appropriate for your
current level of strength and development. If you are
not a champion, you're not ready for the champion's
program!
That's so important that it should be a BLACK BOX
WARNING on the front cover of every muscle mag in
existence -- and on every internet site, forum,
or blog that covers weight training, weightlifting,
powerlifting and bodybuilding.
Yesterday, we covered one of the more
common training questions from reader --
the one about "the latest and greatest
super program."
Now, some of you may think I'm being
silly by even talking about the super
programs -- and some of you may wonder
why I bother -- and some of you may even
be angry at me for suggesting that (secret
of secrets) the super programs don't work.
Well, here's why I talk about them -- and
why I urge folks to avoid them.
I covered the whole super program thing in
a recent interview on SuperHuman Radio. And
after yesterday's email message, I received
an email from a lifter who had listened to
the show. Here's what he said:
"It was great to hear you address Bulgarian
daily max training on the SuperHuman Radio
show.
As I write this, I am slowly healing a
bulging disk in my back thanks to the
Bulgarian program.
I fell in love with Olympic lifting, but
instead of following a 3 day a week plan
I tried to fast track things with a daily
max program.
Now I haven't been able to lift at all in
a month and who knows when I will be better.
I found out the hard way that these programs
are for the pros who devote all their time to
lifting and probably use "supplements" as well.
When I heal up, I will be back to listening to
you and training three days a week. You were
right."
And that's the most recent email from someone
who hurt himself following one of the super
programs -- but it's not the only one I've
ever received.
If the super programs were simply misguided and
ineffective -- a waste of time -- that would be
one thing. But when they hurt people, that's when
you have to stand up and say "Enough is enough."
That's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll join me
in the battle.
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. If you're looking for a good program for a
beginner or intermediate, grab Chalk and Sweat.
(It also has programs for advanced men and sensible
programs for gaining maximum muscle mass.)
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. If you're over the age of 35, be sure to read
Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3. If you want to learn about power rack training,
rest pause training and oodles of other good stuff,
grab Dinosaur Training and Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 4. If you want to learn how the strongest men
in the world trained "back in the day" -- without
drugs and without super programs -- then grab the
Doug Hepburn Training Course and Black Iron: The John
Davis Story:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 5 -- We'll cover this in more detail in another post,
but did you note one of the big mistakes made by the reader
who hurt his back?
He was a BEGINNER at Olympic weightlifting. And instead
of using a beginner-level program, he tried a program
based on what World and Olympic class lifters are doing.
ALWAYS follow a program that is appropriate for your
current level of strength and development. If you are
not a champion, you're not ready for the champion's
program!
That's so important that it should be a BLACK BOX
WARNING on the front cover of every muscle mag in
existence -- and on every internet site, forum,
or blog that covers weight training, weightlifting,
powerlifting and bodybuilding.
The "Have Your Heard About?" Question
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm not sure why, but over the past 10 days
I've been getting a ton of questions from
readers about training programs. I thought
I'd share some of the common questions, and
my responses to them. Let's begin with this
one:
1. What do you think about such and so?
"Such and so" is code for any super program you
see on the internet or in the muscle mags. You
know, the high volume, supposed super program
that is guaranteed to add 20 or 30 or 40 pounds
of muscle to your frame in six short weeks --
or add 100 pounds to your favorite lift (or
to each of your lifts) in six short weeks --
or make you look EXACTLY like Joe Superstar in
six short weeks. ("Joe Superstar" being code for
whoever is the star of the month in the muscle
mags and internet forums.)
And here's my answer:
DON'T DO IT.
The super programs are always way too high in
volume for the average lifter. They don't build
you up. They tear you down.
The super programs are ultra-advanced specialization
programs. Most of them are programs designed not to
build you up, but to burn calories so you get "cut"
or "ripped" or (if you really get into it) "shredded."
You build up -- as in, you build strength and muscle --
on 3x per week programs. Beginners should do total
body workouts and ONE set of each of 8 to 12 different
exercises.
Intermediates can do 2 or even 3 sets -- and may find
that they gain best on abbreviated training and divided
workouts.
Advanced men do best on abbreviated training and divided
workouts.
The super programs came into prominence in the 50's and
60's, when bodybuilding started to become more popular
than lifting.
The bodybuilders would train on short, heavy "mass
building" programs for much of the year -- and then
switch to a special pre-contest program for the last
6 or 8 weeks before a contest.
The purpose of the pre-contest program was NOT to
build muscle. Instead, the programs were designed for
deliberate over-training to burn as much body-fat as
possible in order to create maximum definition on
the day of the contest.
That was fine as far as it went -- but the problem was,
the writers would ask the bodybuilders to give their
training program after the contest -- and instead of
saying, "Well, I train 3x a week and do the usual stuff:
squats, presses, rowing, etc." -- the bodybuilder would
give his special pre-contest super program.
And the writer would go back home and do an article about
how Mr. Whatever built huge muscular size by training for
four hours a day six days a week.
And then the kids would read the muscle magazines, and
they'd all run out and start training four hours a day
six days a week because that's how the "champs" did it.
And of course, they never built an ounce of muscle on
the super programs. How could they? The super programs
didn't even build muscle for the champions. All they
did was burn fat. The biggest problems the champions
had was MAINTAINING muscle size when they were on the
pre-contest super program.
So how in the world could poor little Johnny use the
champs pre-contest DEFINITION program to build his
11 inch upper arms into the BIG GUNS he so desperately
wanted?
And that's how people got hooked on the idea of super
programs.
So when someone asks, "Have you heard about Such and So?"
the answer is always the same.
Yeah, I hard about it. Don't do it. It's a waste of time.
Train the right way. Hard. heavy. Abbreviated. Concentrated.
Focused. Compound exercises. Progressive poundages. The stuff
I cover in all of my books and courses, and in each issue of
the Dinosaur Files newsletter. If you want to build strength
and muscle, it's the only way to go.
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 information about serious, productive, effective
training to build strength, power and muscle mass, grab any of
my books and courses. You can find them right here -- and if
you're not sure which one to order first, send me an email and
we'll sort it out for you:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I'm not sure why, but over the past 10 days
I've been getting a ton of questions from
readers about training programs. I thought
I'd share some of the common questions, and
my responses to them. Let's begin with this
one:
1. What do you think about such and so?
"Such and so" is code for any super program you
see on the internet or in the muscle mags. You
know, the high volume, supposed super program
that is guaranteed to add 20 or 30 or 40 pounds
of muscle to your frame in six short weeks --
or add 100 pounds to your favorite lift (or
to each of your lifts) in six short weeks --
or make you look EXACTLY like Joe Superstar in
six short weeks. ("Joe Superstar" being code for
whoever is the star of the month in the muscle
mags and internet forums.)
And here's my answer:
DON'T DO IT.
The super programs are always way too high in
volume for the average lifter. They don't build
you up. They tear you down.
The super programs are ultra-advanced specialization
programs. Most of them are programs designed not to
build you up, but to burn calories so you get "cut"
or "ripped" or (if you really get into it) "shredded."
You build up -- as in, you build strength and muscle --
on 3x per week programs. Beginners should do total
body workouts and ONE set of each of 8 to 12 different
exercises.
Intermediates can do 2 or even 3 sets -- and may find
that they gain best on abbreviated training and divided
workouts.
Advanced men do best on abbreviated training and divided
workouts.
The super programs came into prominence in the 50's and
60's, when bodybuilding started to become more popular
than lifting.
The bodybuilders would train on short, heavy "mass
building" programs for much of the year -- and then
switch to a special pre-contest program for the last
6 or 8 weeks before a contest.
The purpose of the pre-contest program was NOT to
build muscle. Instead, the programs were designed for
deliberate over-training to burn as much body-fat as
possible in order to create maximum definition on
the day of the contest.
That was fine as far as it went -- but the problem was,
the writers would ask the bodybuilders to give their
training program after the contest -- and instead of
saying, "Well, I train 3x a week and do the usual stuff:
squats, presses, rowing, etc." -- the bodybuilder would
give his special pre-contest super program.
And the writer would go back home and do an article about
how Mr. Whatever built huge muscular size by training for
four hours a day six days a week.
And then the kids would read the muscle magazines, and
they'd all run out and start training four hours a day
six days a week because that's how the "champs" did it.
And of course, they never built an ounce of muscle on
the super programs. How could they? The super programs
didn't even build muscle for the champions. All they
did was burn fat. The biggest problems the champions
had was MAINTAINING muscle size when they were on the
pre-contest super program.
So how in the world could poor little Johnny use the
champs pre-contest DEFINITION program to build his
11 inch upper arms into the BIG GUNS he so desperately
wanted?
And that's how people got hooked on the idea of super
programs.
So when someone asks, "Have you heard about Such and So?"
the answer is always the same.
Yeah, I hard about it. Don't do it. It's a waste of time.
Train the right way. Hard. heavy. Abbreviated. Concentrated.
Focused. Compound exercises. Progressive poundages. The stuff
I cover in all of my books and courses, and in each issue of
the Dinosaur Files newsletter. If you want to build strength
and muscle, it's the only way to go.
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 information about serious, productive, effective
training to build strength, power and muscle mass, grab any of
my books and courses. You can find them right here -- and if
you're not sure which one to order first, send me an email and
we'll sort it out for you:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Some Gold Medal Training Advice!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I received an email this morning from
Tommy Kono, and I wanted to share some
of his thoughts with you.
Now, I assume you know who Tommy Kono is,
but for any newbies out there:
1. Two-time Olympic gold medal winner
in weightlifting
2. Silver medal winner in his third and
final Olympics (lifting with a bad knee)
3. Six-time World weightlifting champion
4. Three-time Pan-American Games champion
5. Set 26 World Records
6. Set 7 Olympic records
7. Set 8 Pan-American records
8. Won the Mr. World title and the Mr. Universe
title (3 times)
9. Set World records in FOUR different weight
classes
10. Believed by many to be the greatest Olympic
weightlifter of all time
If those aren't enough credentials for you, google
Tommy Kono and you'll find much more. I just gave
you the highlights.
In his email, Tommy stressed the importance of what
he calls QT or Quality Training.
Quality training meant 3 workouts per week -- for
about an hour to 90 minutes per workout.
It meant performing a limited number of exercises.
Back then, they did the press in competition, so
Tommy trained the press, the snatch, and the clean
and jerk. Other than squats and front squats, that
was about all he did.
Quality Training means getting the most out of
each set -- and it means not doing to many sets.
You warm-up, work up to a heavy weight, and then
go on to your next exercise.
It's not fancy, it's not high tech, and it's not
very complicated.
But guess what -- it works.
Tommy ended his email by saying that if he were
competing today, "I wouldn't train any different.
It would still be training every other day. It is
QT -- Quality Training -- that counts."
And that's some Gold Medal training advice.
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. Tommy Kono calls it Quality Training. I call
it Dino-style abbreviated training. You can read more
about it in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I received an email this morning from
Tommy Kono, and I wanted to share some
of his thoughts with you.
Now, I assume you know who Tommy Kono is,
but for any newbies out there:
1. Two-time Olympic gold medal winner
in weightlifting
2. Silver medal winner in his third and
final Olympics (lifting with a bad knee)
3. Six-time World weightlifting champion
4. Three-time Pan-American Games champion
5. Set 26 World Records
6. Set 7 Olympic records
7. Set 8 Pan-American records
8. Won the Mr. World title and the Mr. Universe
title (3 times)
9. Set World records in FOUR different weight
classes
10. Believed by many to be the greatest Olympic
weightlifter of all time
If those aren't enough credentials for you, google
Tommy Kono and you'll find much more. I just gave
you the highlights.
In his email, Tommy stressed the importance of what
he calls QT or Quality Training.
Quality training meant 3 workouts per week -- for
about an hour to 90 minutes per workout.
It meant performing a limited number of exercises.
Back then, they did the press in competition, so
Tommy trained the press, the snatch, and the clean
and jerk. Other than squats and front squats, that
was about all he did.
Quality Training means getting the most out of
each set -- and it means not doing to many sets.
You warm-up, work up to a heavy weight, and then
go on to your next exercise.
It's not fancy, it's not high tech, and it's not
very complicated.
But guess what -- it works.
Tommy ended his email by saying that if he were
competing today, "I wouldn't train any different.
It would still be training every other day. It is
QT -- Quality Training -- that counts."
And that's some Gold Medal training advice.
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. Tommy Kono calls it Quality Training. I call
it Dino-style abbreviated training. You can read more
about it in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Real World Training Advice for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This morning's post will cover another
question from a reader. This one comes
from Michael Houghton:
"I have a question for you. How often
do you skip a workout due to activities
that are very strenuous? I am building
a new garden and was removing roots with
an 8 pound ax on Monday and then a large
stump grinder last night. My back,
shoulders and arms were aching this
morning (Wed.) so I skipped my deadlifts.
I'll get back to them probably Friday."
Michael -- thanks for your excellent
question!
Let me begin by saying GOOD JOB on building
the garden. As I've said repeatedly,
gardening is good exercise -- and what in
the world could be more fun and more
functional for an in-between heavy iron
training session than building a garden
that grows plenty of fresh, healthy,
100% natural and organic veggies for the
family table?
As for your question, of course I miss
workouts from time to time due to that
big old meanie called LIFE!
I mean, seriously -- if you work for living
(and some of you work two or even three jobs),
if you're married, if you have kids, if you
have crazy bad weather emergencies, if you
go to school and you're studying for finals
or cramming for a big test or doing a big
paper, or whatever -- sometimes you end up
missing a workout.
It's unavoidable unless you live at Muscle
Beach (and someone else supports you) and all
you do is train all day and lie around in the
sun when you're not training.
But forget about Muscle Beach.Let's talk about
the real world.
From time to time EVERYONE misses a workout.
If it happens, you just hit it the next day or
the day after that. And don't worry about losing
all your strength and muscle if you miss a workout.
It's not going to happen. In fact, the extra day
of rest may allow you to come back stronger than
ever.
And in the real world, sometimes you do things
like building a garden, and you're sore and stiff
and tired as heck the next day.
If that happens, and it's a day when you're going
to do something like squats or deadlifts or heavy
Olympic lifting, you might very well want to take
a day off and come back when you're at 100%. There's
no sense having a bad workout because you're stiff
and sore.
And remember Dizzy Dean.
Dizzy Dean was a flame-throwing fast-ball pitcher
who burst into the major leagues out of nowhere
and became the fastest and most-feared pitcher in
baseball.
One day, a batter actually got some wood on the
ball and hit a low line drive that hit Dean in the
foot.
It broke or sprained his toe, I forget which.
The injury caused him to alter his throwing
pattern in a very minor, very subtle way.
And that made him throw out his arm.
He crashed and burned, and just like that, his
career was over.
And that's what can happen if LIFE steps up and
hits a hard line drive that bounces off your foot --
or if you spend all day in the garden and then try
a heavy deadlift workout the next day. Or a heavy
whatever workout.
And yes, all of the above goes double for lifters
over the age of 40, and triple for lifters over
the age of 50.
Remember, you're in this for the long haul. Your
entire life. So train with your brain, not your ego.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
I'm hitting the iron at about 6:00 or 6:30 today --
if you train today, we can train together and have
a terrific workout. If you train tomorrow, you can
have a great workout with Michael as he hits those
heavy deadlifts.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Real world training advice. No nonsense stuff.
Truth instead of fiction. Stuff that works. You can
find it right here at Dinosaur Training Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. The new Dinosaur Training muscle shirts are
flying out the door -- take a look and see:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
This morning's post will cover another
question from a reader. This one comes
from Michael Houghton:
"I have a question for you. How often
do you skip a workout due to activities
that are very strenuous? I am building
a new garden and was removing roots with
an 8 pound ax on Monday and then a large
stump grinder last night. My back,
shoulders and arms were aching this
morning (Wed.) so I skipped my deadlifts.
I'll get back to them probably Friday."
Michael -- thanks for your excellent
question!
Let me begin by saying GOOD JOB on building
the garden. As I've said repeatedly,
gardening is good exercise -- and what in
the world could be more fun and more
functional for an in-between heavy iron
training session than building a garden
that grows plenty of fresh, healthy,
100% natural and organic veggies for the
family table?
As for your question, of course I miss
workouts from time to time due to that
big old meanie called LIFE!
I mean, seriously -- if you work for living
(and some of you work two or even three jobs),
if you're married, if you have kids, if you
have crazy bad weather emergencies, if you
go to school and you're studying for finals
or cramming for a big test or doing a big
paper, or whatever -- sometimes you end up
missing a workout.
It's unavoidable unless you live at Muscle
Beach (and someone else supports you) and all
you do is train all day and lie around in the
sun when you're not training.
But forget about Muscle Beach.Let's talk about
the real world.
From time to time EVERYONE misses a workout.
If it happens, you just hit it the next day or
the day after that. And don't worry about losing
all your strength and muscle if you miss a workout.
It's not going to happen. In fact, the extra day
of rest may allow you to come back stronger than
ever.
And in the real world, sometimes you do things
like building a garden, and you're sore and stiff
and tired as heck the next day.
If that happens, and it's a day when you're going
to do something like squats or deadlifts or heavy
Olympic lifting, you might very well want to take
a day off and come back when you're at 100%. There's
no sense having a bad workout because you're stiff
and sore.
And remember Dizzy Dean.
Dizzy Dean was a flame-throwing fast-ball pitcher
who burst into the major leagues out of nowhere
and became the fastest and most-feared pitcher in
baseball.
One day, a batter actually got some wood on the
ball and hit a low line drive that hit Dean in the
foot.
It broke or sprained his toe, I forget which.
The injury caused him to alter his throwing
pattern in a very minor, very subtle way.
And that made him throw out his arm.
He crashed and burned, and just like that, his
career was over.
And that's what can happen if LIFE steps up and
hits a hard line drive that bounces off your foot --
or if you spend all day in the garden and then try
a heavy deadlift workout the next day. Or a heavy
whatever workout.
And yes, all of the above goes double for lifters
over the age of 40, and triple for lifters over
the age of 50.
Remember, you're in this for the long haul. Your
entire life. So train with your brain, not your ego.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
I'm hitting the iron at about 6:00 or 6:30 today --
if you train today, we can train together and have
a terrific workout. If you train tomorrow, you can
have a great workout with Michael as he hits those
heavy deadlifts.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Real world training advice. No nonsense stuff.
Truth instead of fiction. Stuff that works. You can
find it right here at Dinosaur Training Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. The new Dinosaur Training muscle shirts are
flying out the door -- take a look and see:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Diet and Nutrition for Dinos: Many Roads Lead to Muscle and Might!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A week or two ago I rec'd a letter from
a reader who has worked his way up to a
military press with bodyweight -- which
is pretty darn good.
The funny thing is, he follows a vegan
diet, and averages something like 60 grams
of protein a day -- which is hardly what
most of us would consider optimal for
heavy strength training.
So I shot an email out and asked readers
to share their experiences with vegan and
vegetarian diets.
I asked for feedback based on personal
experience, not on opinions, and not on
something you read somewhere. The idea was
not to get into a debate or an argument, but
simply to collect some anecdotal evidence.
So anyhow, I rec'd about a dozen responses.
Five readers have had good success with Dino
style training while on a vegetarian diet.
They included milk and other dairy products,
or milk and eggs. They said the important
thing was to get plenty of protein and lots
of calories.
Several of the younger Dinos who follow this
approach reported gains of 50 or 60 pounds of
muscle over a period of two or three years.
Several said they had tried conventional
training programs -- the muscle comic stuff --
and had made no gains -- and that the gains all
came when they started to follow abbreviated
programs based on basic, compound exercises and
heavy training.
Three different readers said, "It was the training
that made the difference, not any sort of diet."
Only one reader reported good results on a vegan
diet (all plant-based foods).
Six readers said they had tried vegetarian diets
and had made no progress in their training -- but
then they went to a meat and veggies sort of diet
and made good gains very rapidly.
Their typical comment: "I tried it, and it doesn't
work for me. It may work for other people, but not
for me."
Now, I suppose that doesn't qualify as scientific
research (although one can argue that since the
food, medical or drug industry funds all the
nutritional research, it may be of dubious value),
but it's interesting.
It does suggest that people may have different
dietary needs -- and that what works for one person
may not work for YOU!
And I'm going to throw something else into the
equation -- what works for you at age 20 or 25 may
not work for you at age 40 or 50.
So don't follow anyone's nutritional advice
blindly or without thinking. Use a process or trial
and error to determine what foods work best for you.
And remember, this may change over time.
I know it's not a simple answer, but when it comes
to diet, nutrition and good health, there may not
be any simple answers -- or any one size fits all
answers.
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. If you like the idea of training for BIG GAINS,
grab any of the following books and courses -- and
remember, you can save on s&h by ordering two or
more at the same time:
1. Chalk and Sweat -- 50 Dinosaur training workouts
for beginners, intermediates and advanced trainees,
along with special programs for maximum muscle mass.
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power -- 29 chapters that
cover abbreviated workouts, rest-pause training, power
rack training, specialization programs, grip training,
tendon and ligament strength, forgotten exercises,
and much more. Tons of great information!
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Gray Hair and Black Iron -- The only book of it's
kind. Special instruction for serious older lifters.
Includes over 50 workouts, detailed advice on programs,
cardio training for older lifters, and diet and nutrition
for older lifters. A must read for anyone over the age
of 30.
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
4. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development -- the book that started the Dinosaur
Revolution. Hailed as "the bible of strength training,"
this has been a best seller since it was published in
1996. Possibly the most motivational strength training
book ever written.
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
A week or two ago I rec'd a letter from
a reader who has worked his way up to a
military press with bodyweight -- which
is pretty darn good.
The funny thing is, he follows a vegan
diet, and averages something like 60 grams
of protein a day -- which is hardly what
most of us would consider optimal for
heavy strength training.
So I shot an email out and asked readers
to share their experiences with vegan and
vegetarian diets.
I asked for feedback based on personal
experience, not on opinions, and not on
something you read somewhere. The idea was
not to get into a debate or an argument, but
simply to collect some anecdotal evidence.
So anyhow, I rec'd about a dozen responses.
Five readers have had good success with Dino
style training while on a vegetarian diet.
They included milk and other dairy products,
or milk and eggs. They said the important
thing was to get plenty of protein and lots
of calories.
Several of the younger Dinos who follow this
approach reported gains of 50 or 60 pounds of
muscle over a period of two or three years.
Several said they had tried conventional
training programs -- the muscle comic stuff --
and had made no gains -- and that the gains all
came when they started to follow abbreviated
programs based on basic, compound exercises and
heavy training.
Three different readers said, "It was the training
that made the difference, not any sort of diet."
Only one reader reported good results on a vegan
diet (all plant-based foods).
Six readers said they had tried vegetarian diets
and had made no progress in their training -- but
then they went to a meat and veggies sort of diet
and made good gains very rapidly.
Their typical comment: "I tried it, and it doesn't
work for me. It may work for other people, but not
for me."
Now, I suppose that doesn't qualify as scientific
research (although one can argue that since the
food, medical or drug industry funds all the
nutritional research, it may be of dubious value),
but it's interesting.
It does suggest that people may have different
dietary needs -- and that what works for one person
may not work for YOU!
And I'm going to throw something else into the
equation -- what works for you at age 20 or 25 may
not work for you at age 40 or 50.
So don't follow anyone's nutritional advice
blindly or without thinking. Use a process or trial
and error to determine what foods work best for you.
And remember, this may change over time.
I know it's not a simple answer, but when it comes
to diet, nutrition and good health, there may not
be any simple answers -- or any one size fits all
answers.
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. If you like the idea of training for BIG GAINS,
grab any of the following books and courses -- and
remember, you can save on s&h by ordering two or
more at the same time:
1. Chalk and Sweat -- 50 Dinosaur training workouts
for beginners, intermediates and advanced trainees,
along with special programs for maximum muscle mass.
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power -- 29 chapters that
cover abbreviated workouts, rest-pause training, power
rack training, specialization programs, grip training,
tendon and ligament strength, forgotten exercises,
and much more. Tons of great information!
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Gray Hair and Black Iron -- The only book of it's
kind. Special instruction for serious older lifters.
Includes over 50 workouts, detailed advice on programs,
cardio training for older lifters, and diet and nutrition
for older lifters. A must read for anyone over the age
of 30.
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
4. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development -- the book that started the Dinosaur
Revolution. Hailed as "the bible of strength training,"
this has been a best seller since it was published in
1996. Possibly the most motivational strength training
book ever written.
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Food for Thought!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This morning I was reading NEANDERTHIN
by Ray Audette -- one of the first books
on what is now known as the Paleo Diet --
and the following jumped out at me.
Audette was discussing the modern-day,
mechanistic approach to health and
nutrition, which typiclaly involves
massive reliance on synthetic vitamins,
synthetic foods (e.g., margerine),
and synthetic drugs combined with a
program of what could be labeled as
synthetic exercise -- such as the typical
"workout" followed by the typical member
of any typical gym anywhere in the world.
He contrasted that approach with what he
termed "chaotic nutrition."
Audette stated:
"A chaotic nutrition and fitness program
doesn't add new variables [such as
synthetic supplements, synthetic foods or
drugs] to the equation.
Instead, a chaotic approach stresses the
REMOVAL of variables (agricultural diet,
sedentary lifestyle) that aren't part of
the body's initial conditions -- naked with
a sharp stick on the African savanna."
Now, I'm not going to debate the merits of
a Paleo Diet -- but I want to explore the
concept of REMOVING variables from your
training rather than adding them.
In a very real sense, that's what Dinosaur
Training is all about.
Do you want to get big and strong?
Start by getting rid of the chrome plated
exercise machines that force you to move in
artificial and non-functional ways.
Drop the muscle pumping. It's the epitome of an
artificial training method.
Stop trying to get bigger and stronger by doing
longer and longer and more and more frequent
workouts. That's not how the human body was
designed to grow bigger and stronger.
Think about how early humans lived.
They were wanderers. Nomads. They followed the
game trails, and they lived by hunting and
killing some really enormous (and now extinct)
animals: mammoths, mastodons, huge bears, huge
wild pigs, deer the size of a moose, and birds
the size of a small truck.
The pattern of days was something like this --
a day or two of hiking and hunting and
tracking.
A day or two of stalking.
And when the moment was right -- the attack.
A ferocious fight -- a life and death struggle
which pitted the muscles of the early humans
against the muscles of their prey. It involved
sprinting, jumping, dodging, lifting rocks and
logs, throwing rocks, logs, clubs and spears --
and often a final, all or nothing struggle.
Picture early humans armed with simple spears
going head to head with a mastodon -- or with
a cave bear.
It was a heck of a workout. Had to be. No way
around it.
Then there was the skinning and the
butchering -- more hard, heavy work.
Picture how you would skin and butcher
a mastodon with a stone knife. What kind
of workout would that be? (Picture the
grip it would build!)
Then, the small tribe stayed by the kill
until the meat was gone -- and rested --
and then the entire sequence started all
over again.
It was exactly the same as the Irregular
Training concept that Bob Hoffman taught
(which we covered in last week's emails --
see the Dinosaur Training Blog if you missed
them).
Dinosaur Training takes you back to training
methods that work the way the human body was
designed to work: short, hard, infrequent and
diverse workouts followed by enough time for
rest and recuperation.
To get there, you need to REDUCE what you are
doing, not add to it. Cut out the fluff. Get
rid of the modern day stuff you see in the
magazines. Stick to the basics. Train for
STRENGTH -- not for any sort of modern-day
"look" pushed by the muscle media and its
munchkin armed ad-men.
Remember, being strong is a survival skill.
It's how your ancestors managed to stay alive.
And training for strength is the ultimate
all-Natural way to train. It's what your body
was built to do.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn more about back to basics
strength training in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
This morning I was reading NEANDERTHIN
by Ray Audette -- one of the first books
on what is now known as the Paleo Diet --
and the following jumped out at me.
Audette was discussing the modern-day,
mechanistic approach to health and
nutrition, which typiclaly involves
massive reliance on synthetic vitamins,
synthetic foods (e.g., margerine),
and synthetic drugs combined with a
program of what could be labeled as
synthetic exercise -- such as the typical
"workout" followed by the typical member
of any typical gym anywhere in the world.
He contrasted that approach with what he
termed "chaotic nutrition."
Audette stated:
"A chaotic nutrition and fitness program
doesn't add new variables [such as
synthetic supplements, synthetic foods or
drugs] to the equation.
Instead, a chaotic approach stresses the
REMOVAL of variables (agricultural diet,
sedentary lifestyle) that aren't part of
the body's initial conditions -- naked with
a sharp stick on the African savanna."
Now, I'm not going to debate the merits of
a Paleo Diet -- but I want to explore the
concept of REMOVING variables from your
training rather than adding them.
In a very real sense, that's what Dinosaur
Training is all about.
Do you want to get big and strong?
Start by getting rid of the chrome plated
exercise machines that force you to move in
artificial and non-functional ways.
Drop the muscle pumping. It's the epitome of an
artificial training method.
Stop trying to get bigger and stronger by doing
longer and longer and more and more frequent
workouts. That's not how the human body was
designed to grow bigger and stronger.
Think about how early humans lived.
They were wanderers. Nomads. They followed the
game trails, and they lived by hunting and
killing some really enormous (and now extinct)
animals: mammoths, mastodons, huge bears, huge
wild pigs, deer the size of a moose, and birds
the size of a small truck.
The pattern of days was something like this --
a day or two of hiking and hunting and
tracking.
A day or two of stalking.
And when the moment was right -- the attack.
A ferocious fight -- a life and death struggle
which pitted the muscles of the early humans
against the muscles of their prey. It involved
sprinting, jumping, dodging, lifting rocks and
logs, throwing rocks, logs, clubs and spears --
and often a final, all or nothing struggle.
Picture early humans armed with simple spears
going head to head with a mastodon -- or with
a cave bear.
It was a heck of a workout. Had to be. No way
around it.
Then there was the skinning and the
butchering -- more hard, heavy work.
Picture how you would skin and butcher
a mastodon with a stone knife. What kind
of workout would that be? (Picture the
grip it would build!)
Then, the small tribe stayed by the kill
until the meat was gone -- and rested --
and then the entire sequence started all
over again.
It was exactly the same as the Irregular
Training concept that Bob Hoffman taught
(which we covered in last week's emails --
see the Dinosaur Training Blog if you missed
them).
Dinosaur Training takes you back to training
methods that work the way the human body was
designed to work: short, hard, infrequent and
diverse workouts followed by enough time for
rest and recuperation.
To get there, you need to REDUCE what you are
doing, not add to it. Cut out the fluff. Get
rid of the modern day stuff you see in the
magazines. Stick to the basics. Train for
STRENGTH -- not for any sort of modern-day
"look" pushed by the muscle media and its
munchkin armed ad-men.
Remember, being strong is a survival skill.
It's how your ancestors managed to stay alive.
And training for strength is the ultimate
all-Natural way to train. It's what your body
was built to do.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn more about back to basics
strength training in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
The Big Birthday Countdown!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's August 15, and that means the
big birthday countdown is beginning.
As in -- I turn 54 on September 9.
So I thought I'd try to make this one
extra special for everyone. Release a
new book or course on that day -- take
a hard workout and film it and release
it on DVD (just to show you what the old
guy is doing now) -- or, well, gosh, I
don't know what else. But something fun
for everyone.
So I thought I'd start by letting folks
know the general idea -- and then ask for
feedback with any ideas about the details.
Think about it, and shoot me an email with
your ideas!
And on a related point -- some other important
questions for Dinos:
1. Who would you like me to cover in a book or
training course?
John Grimek
Steve Stanko
Harry Paschall
Arthur Saxon
Eugene Sandow
George Hackenschmidt
Bob Hoffman
or ???
2. What do you want to see in the next couple
of Dinosaur Training courses:
Arm specialization
The Military Press
The Squat
The Bench Press
Gaining Muscular Bodyweight
Tendon and Ligament Training
Building a Classic Midsection
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
Power Rack Training for Dinos
Olympic Weightlifting for Dinos
Forearm and Grip Training
or ????
3. Are you interested in some official Dinosaur
Training posters to put on the wall of your home
gym -- with killer art, killer graphics and lots
of old-school iron?
Let me know what sounds most interesting to
you!
And let me know what we should do for the
Big Birthday Bash!
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. My books and courses are available at the
usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 The new Dinosaur Training Muscle shirts
are available here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
It's August 15, and that means the
big birthday countdown is beginning.
As in -- I turn 54 on September 9.
So I thought I'd try to make this one
extra special for everyone. Release a
new book or course on that day -- take
a hard workout and film it and release
it on DVD (just to show you what the old
guy is doing now) -- or, well, gosh, I
don't know what else. But something fun
for everyone.
So I thought I'd start by letting folks
know the general idea -- and then ask for
feedback with any ideas about the details.
Think about it, and shoot me an email with
your ideas!
And on a related point -- some other important
questions for Dinos:
1. Who would you like me to cover in a book or
training course?
John Grimek
Steve Stanko
Harry Paschall
Arthur Saxon
Eugene Sandow
George Hackenschmidt
Bob Hoffman
or ???
2. What do you want to see in the next couple
of Dinosaur Training courses:
Arm specialization
The Military Press
The Squat
The Bench Press
Gaining Muscular Bodyweight
Tendon and Ligament Training
Building a Classic Midsection
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
Power Rack Training for Dinos
Olympic Weightlifting for Dinos
Forearm and Grip Training
or ????
3. Are you interested in some official Dinosaur
Training posters to put on the wall of your home
gym -- with killer art, killer graphics and lots
of old-school iron?
Let me know what sounds most interesting to
you!
And let me know what we should do for the
Big Birthday Bash!
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. My books and courses are available at the
usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 The new Dinosaur Training Muscle shirts
are available here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
The Problem with Super Programs
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
In yesterday's radio interview on SuperHuman
Radio I answered training questions from
readers and listeners. It was a pretty good
show. If you missed it, head over to the
SuperHuman radio (or my Facebook page -- or
Carl Lanore's Facebook page) and listen to
the download.
One of the questions was from a reader who
did a Bulgarian style program where he did
a max in the squat, deadlift and overhead
press TWICE every day for five or six days
a week.
He said he did well for about five weeks,
and then he crashed and burned.
And that's a story that I've seen and heard
so many times over the past 30 or 40 years
that if I had a penny for every time I heard
it I could pile them up one on top of the
other until they reached the moon -- or
possibly even Mars.
EVERYBODY has done it. EVERYBODY has tried
some variation of the latest and greatest
super program -- and it worked great for a
short period of time and then they burned
out.
It's even happened to guys who know better.
I know a man who wrote great training articles,
with real world, no-nonsense training advice.
Lots of basic exercises, squats, deadlifts,
presses, bench presses, rowing, etc. 3x per
week programs using divided workout schedules.
For the most part, multiple sets of low reps.
Good stuff. Much like Dino training. (No, it
wasn't me -- I've made plenty of mistakes over
the years, but this story is about someone
else.)
Anyhow, when he was younger, he corresponded
(by letter -- this was before the days of
email) -- with ANOTHER top writer and expert --
and this man suggested that he train five or
six days per week on a program that included
some form of heavy pressing every day.
My friend tried that program as a young lifter.
He did standing presses, presses from eye-level
in the rack, lockout presses in the rack, incline
presses, bench presses, behind the neck presses,
close grip bench presses, dumbbell presses,
dumbbell bench presses -- you name it, if it
was a heavy duty pressing movement, he did it.
And remember -- he trained 5 or 6 days per
week -- he hit a pressing movement every day --
and he worked really hard and really heavy.
It worked great for about five weeks.
And then he crashed and burned.
Big time crash and burn. he was so stale and
burnt out that it took months to work back up
to his top lifts.
He went back to a more sensible program -- with
rest days -- and he started to feel better, and
then he started to grow again, and he started to
get bigger and stronger -- and finally, after a
number of months, he was back to where he had
been BEFORE he started the super program.
A couple of years later, he hit a plateau in his
training and remembered the super program -- so
he tried it again.
Same result. Five weeks of good progress -- and
then the crash and burn -- and then massive
staleness -- and he lost everything he had
worked so hard to gain.
Believe it or not, this happened to him
several more times.
You see, that super program SOUNDED so perfect --
so compelling -- so "It's got to work!" -- that he
kept on trying it over and over again -- even
AFTER he had tried it and failed, tried it and
failed, tried it and failed.
And that's what happens with the super programs.
They SOUND great.
But they don't work. They don't deliver. They
just burn you out.
In all of my books and courses I emphasize HARD
WORK and PROGRESSIVE POUNDAGES. I advocate the
use of the BIG exercises. There's nothing EASY
about my training methods.
But I also do something else. I give you training
programs that allow plenty of time for recovery
and recuperation. They're not super programs --
they're real world, real life training programs
for real people.
And unlike the super programs, Dino programs really
work.
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 hard, heavy but SENSIBLE strength
training and muscle building, grab any of my books and
courses -- and subscribe to the Dinosaur Files
newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 The new Dino Training muscle shirts have been
flying out the door. You can grab yours right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Seven Ways to Stay Motivated for Heavy Training!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Very quickly -- my buddy John Wood has done a
HUGE upgrade to his Oldtime Strongman site. Be
sure to check it out:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com
And now -- it's time to talk training.
I often talk about motivation and how to maintain
it. Goal setting is one of the ways. Changing your
workout around is another way.
Sometimes, a simple change of pace is the very best
thing in the world for a lifter – especially if you
are over-training or you have been pushing really
hard and are working pretty close to your limit.
Of course, when you change things around, you don’t
switch from sensible, Dino-style training to an
all-day marathon workout, to muscle magazine bunny
blasting or to similar silliness.
Here are some specific change of pace ideas for
Dinosaurs. You’ll find plenty of others in Dinosaur
Training, Strength, Muscle and Power, Gray Hair
and Black Iron and Chalk and Sweat:
1. Keep doing strength training but add some lifter-
style cardio work.
The right kind of cardio training for lifters can be
fun and enjoyable – and very, very good for you. And
by cardio work, I’m not talking about endless hours
on a cardio machine. I’m talking about PHA programs,
repetition weightlifting, breathing squats, athletic-
type training and lugging and loading drills.
In Gray Hair and Black Iron, I detail many different
ways that lifters can combine strength training and
cardio training. Get a copy, study it, and try some
of the cardio ideas.
For example: lugging and loading drills with rocks,
sandbags, assorted pieces of iron and what-not --
performed non-stop for 30 minutes.
You see -- cardio doesn't have to be sissy stuff.
Nor does it have to be dull and boring.
2. Grab some fun new equipment.
If you’re in a rut, buy a Trap Bar – grab a new grip-
blaster – make some sandbags – but do something so that
you’re using at least one new piece of equipment.
Old iron is always good - but so is new iron.
3. Change your sets and reps.
Switch from 5 x 5 to 5/4/3/2/1 or 5 x 3 or 6x 6, or
5 x 2, or 10/8/6 or anything else that feels good.
Just keep it real. No 20 x 20, for gosh sakes!
4. Change your exercises.
Switch from back squats to front squats – from deadlifts
to trap bar deadlifts – from bench press to incline
dumbbell press.
NOTE: this does NOT mean to start using the pec dec and
the glute blaster!!!
5. Drop the weight and take a few easy workouts.
Sometimes, the best “change” is to drop weight from
the bar and take some easy workouts – and then add
weight back in a progressive fashion and work back
up to your top poundages.
Note: EASY is OK once in awhile. EASY means you can
recover and recuperate and come back stronger than
ever.
6. Change the order of your exercises.
Switch things around. Do squats at the beginning of
your workout instead of at the end. Mix it up. This
helps keep you fresh.
NOTE: Whoever said "Variety is the spice of life" was
really talking about strength training.
7. Put the weights away for a while.
Sometimes, the best thing in the world is to put your
barbell away and replace it with nothing but bodyweight
training -- or sandbag training – or cable (chest
expander training).
In regard to all of the above, let me note that World
and Olympic weightlifting champion and World and Olympic
record holder Tommy Kono used to take a rest from heavy
lifting every once in awhile and do nothing but
“bodybuilding” in order to give his mind and muscles
a break from heavy lifting. (Note: Tommy’s idea of
bodybuilding was basic, compound exercises for multiple
sets of medium reps – NOT high rep pumping. And he
trained 3x per week. Very much like what I keep telling
you to do!)
Tommy’s change of pace training kept him going for a long
and illustrious career – and he ended up being both a
World and Olympic weightlifting champions AND a Mr. World
and Mr. Universe winner.
In any event – the bottom line is this: if you’re in a rut,
make some changes!
As always, thanks for reading, and if you train today, make
it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For plenty of exciting, new and different training ideas,
grab any of our Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can
find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Don't forget to check out the new and improved Oldtime
Strongman site. I GUARANTEE you'll find things there to bust
you right out of any rut!
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com
Very quickly -- my buddy John Wood has done a
HUGE upgrade to his Oldtime Strongman site. Be
sure to check it out:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com
And now -- it's time to talk training.
I often talk about motivation and how to maintain
it. Goal setting is one of the ways. Changing your
workout around is another way.
Sometimes, a simple change of pace is the very best
thing in the world for a lifter – especially if you
are over-training or you have been pushing really
hard and are working pretty close to your limit.
Of course, when you change things around, you don’t
switch from sensible, Dino-style training to an
all-day marathon workout, to muscle magazine bunny
blasting or to similar silliness.
Here are some specific change of pace ideas for
Dinosaurs. You’ll find plenty of others in Dinosaur
Training, Strength, Muscle and Power, Gray Hair
and Black Iron and Chalk and Sweat:
1. Keep doing strength training but add some lifter-
style cardio work.
The right kind of cardio training for lifters can be
fun and enjoyable – and very, very good for you. And
by cardio work, I’m not talking about endless hours
on a cardio machine. I’m talking about PHA programs,
repetition weightlifting, breathing squats, athletic-
type training and lugging and loading drills.
In Gray Hair and Black Iron, I detail many different
ways that lifters can combine strength training and
cardio training. Get a copy, study it, and try some
of the cardio ideas.
For example: lugging and loading drills with rocks,
sandbags, assorted pieces of iron and what-not --
performed non-stop for 30 minutes.
You see -- cardio doesn't have to be sissy stuff.
Nor does it have to be dull and boring.
2. Grab some fun new equipment.
If you’re in a rut, buy a Trap Bar – grab a new grip-
blaster – make some sandbags – but do something so that
you’re using at least one new piece of equipment.
Old iron is always good - but so is new iron.
3. Change your sets and reps.
Switch from 5 x 5 to 5/4/3/2/1 or 5 x 3 or 6x 6, or
5 x 2, or 10/8/6 or anything else that feels good.
Just keep it real. No 20 x 20, for gosh sakes!
4. Change your exercises.
Switch from back squats to front squats – from deadlifts
to trap bar deadlifts – from bench press to incline
dumbbell press.
NOTE: this does NOT mean to start using the pec dec and
the glute blaster!!!
5. Drop the weight and take a few easy workouts.
Sometimes, the best “change” is to drop weight from
the bar and take some easy workouts – and then add
weight back in a progressive fashion and work back
up to your top poundages.
Note: EASY is OK once in awhile. EASY means you can
recover and recuperate and come back stronger than
ever.
6. Change the order of your exercises.
Switch things around. Do squats at the beginning of
your workout instead of at the end. Mix it up. This
helps keep you fresh.
NOTE: Whoever said "Variety is the spice of life" was
really talking about strength training.
7. Put the weights away for a while.
Sometimes, the best thing in the world is to put your
barbell away and replace it with nothing but bodyweight
training -- or sandbag training – or cable (chest
expander training).
In regard to all of the above, let me note that World
and Olympic weightlifting champion and World and Olympic
record holder Tommy Kono used to take a rest from heavy
lifting every once in awhile and do nothing but
“bodybuilding” in order to give his mind and muscles
a break from heavy lifting. (Note: Tommy’s idea of
bodybuilding was basic, compound exercises for multiple
sets of medium reps – NOT high rep pumping. And he
trained 3x per week. Very much like what I keep telling
you to do!)
Tommy’s change of pace training kept him going for a long
and illustrious career – and he ended up being both a
World and Olympic weightlifting champions AND a Mr. World
and Mr. Universe winner.
In any event – the bottom line is this: if you’re in a rut,
make some changes!
As always, thanks for reading, and if you train today, make
it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For plenty of exciting, new and different training ideas,
grab any of our Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can
find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2 Don't forget to check out the new and improved Oldtime
Strongman site. I GUARANTEE you'll find things there to bust
you right out of any rut!
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com
Can You Beat these Old-time Champions?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Just how strong were lifters “back in the day”?
What kind of weights did they handle in competition?
What could men lift when they lifted 100% natural,
with no drugs, no steroids and no chemicals?
How would YOU have done if you had been lifting back
in the Golden Age of Might and Muscle?
Check out the lifting results in the two hands clean
and military press from the 1939 Senior National
Weightlifting championships – and remember, these
are ultra-strict MILITARY presses:
132 lb. class
1. John Terry – 185 lb. press
2. Mike Mungioli – 175 lb. press
3. Ralph Scull – 165 lb. press
148 lb. class
1. Tony Terlazzo – 250 lbs.
2. Eddie Harrison 200 lbs.
3. John Dama – 220 lbs.
165 lb. class
1. John Terpak – 235 lbs.
2. John Terlazzo – 220 lbs.
3. Ed Tomalonis – 220 lbs.
181 lb. class
1. John Davis – 255 lbs.
2. Frank Kay – 240 lbs.
3. Gord Venables – 210 lbs.
Heavyweight class
1. Steve Stanko – 270 lbs.
2. Louis Abele – 265 lbs.
3. Dennis Schemansky – 240 lbs.
That’s some pretty impressive lifting – and all of
it the result of basic, hard, heavy training – the
kind of training we teach here at Dinosaur
Headquarters – and the kind of training that
gets GREAT RESULTS for dinosaurs around the world!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn much more about Iron Game history –
and about the lifting champions of the 1930’s and
1940’s – and their training secrets – in the following
books and courses:
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. Black Iron: The John Davis Story
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. Legacy of Iron (and the other books in the Legacy of
Iron series)
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
Just how strong were lifters “back in the day”?
What kind of weights did they handle in competition?
What could men lift when they lifted 100% natural,
with no drugs, no steroids and no chemicals?
How would YOU have done if you had been lifting back
in the Golden Age of Might and Muscle?
Check out the lifting results in the two hands clean
and military press from the 1939 Senior National
Weightlifting championships – and remember, these
are ultra-strict MILITARY presses:
132 lb. class
1. John Terry – 185 lb. press
2. Mike Mungioli – 175 lb. press
3. Ralph Scull – 165 lb. press
148 lb. class
1. Tony Terlazzo – 250 lbs.
2. Eddie Harrison 200 lbs.
3. John Dama – 220 lbs.
165 lb. class
1. John Terpak – 235 lbs.
2. John Terlazzo – 220 lbs.
3. Ed Tomalonis – 220 lbs.
181 lb. class
1. John Davis – 255 lbs.
2. Frank Kay – 240 lbs.
3. Gord Venables – 210 lbs.
Heavyweight class
1. Steve Stanko – 270 lbs.
2. Louis Abele – 265 lbs.
3. Dennis Schemansky – 240 lbs.
That’s some pretty impressive lifting – and all of
it the result of basic, hard, heavy training – the
kind of training we teach here at Dinosaur
Headquarters – and the kind of training that
gets GREAT RESULTS for dinosaurs around the world!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn much more about Iron Game history –
and about the lifting champions of the 1930’s and
1940’s – and their training secrets – in the following
books and courses:
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. Black Iron: The John Davis Story
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. Legacy of Iron (and the other books in the Legacy of
Iron series)
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
Important Information for Older Lifters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Two quick things, and then let's talk sets
and reps.
1. The Aug issue of The Dino Files newsletter
is in the mail -- so if you subscribe, be looking
for it soon. And be sure to email when it arrives.
2. I'm doing a radio interview on SuperHuman Radio
at 1:00 EST today. I'll be covering training questions
from readers. You can go to the Superhuman Radio
website and listen live -- or download the show later
on and listen at your convenience.
2A. I'm actually going to start doing a regular show
on SuperHuman Radio (with me as the host, interviewing
other people about various physical culture, strength,
health, lifting, training, Iron game history topics,
etc.). Stay tuned for details.
And now -- sets and reps.
Here's something very important to think about.
In Masters' weightlifting, they start at age 35 and
separate the lifters into 5 year age groups. 35 - 39,
40 - 44, 45 - 49, etc.
They do that because it's very different to be age 35
and lifting heavy iron than it is to be age 42 or 43.
The extra 7 or 8 years doesn't sound like much -- but
trust me, if you're an older lifter, it is. So they
figure it's fair to have you compete against lifters
who are within 4 years of each other's age -- but no
more than that. In other words, they don't expect a
50 year old lifter to compete against 40 year olds --
even though the age difference is only 10 years.
Make a note of that. They use FIVE year age groups --
and they start at age 35, which is actually pretty
darn young.
That has some very important implications for everyone
age 30 and up, regardless of whether or not you do
Olympic weightlifting and regardless of whether or not
you compete or plan to compete in competition.
1. If you're over the age of 35 -- or perhaps age 30
for some folks -- you need to start to pay very close
attention to rest and recovery and recuperation.
1A. That means getting enough sleep every night, and
it means following abbreviated training programs. For
most men, it means using some sort of simple cycling
system or training with the Heavy/Medium/Light system.
1B. It also means you need to start to pay careful
attention to sensible diet and nutrition.
2. If you're age 35 or older, be aware that LESS TRAINING
usually works a heck of a lot better than MORE training.
2A. What worked for you at age 20 probably will not
work for you at age 35 or 40. And what worked for you
at age 40 probably will not work for you at age 50.
3. None of this means you need to stop training, it just
means you need to train smarter and more intelligently.
4. Tommy Kono is on record as saying that the biggest
danger for Master's lifters is over-training -- going
too hard, too heavy and doing too many exercises, sets
and reps.
5. If you talk with, or read about, older lifters who are
still competing and doing well nationally or internationally,
they all do very similar things:
A. They don't train very often.
B. They train sensibly and intelligently.
C. They plan their workouts very carefully.
D. They train hard, but they save their super heavy
lifting for competition.
E. They reduce their workload and volume as they get
older.
F. They use abbreviated programs and divided workout
schedules.
G. They reduce reps to save wear and tear on their
bodies.
So if you're age 30 or older, start to think about these
things. Start to train in a way that works for older lifters.
And yes, you can still scare the heck out of the neighbors when
you train outside with your farmer's walks, your bags and your
barrels -- and you can still make the younger guys drop their
jaws in amazement when they see what you can do -- and most
importantly, you can still enjoy the heck out of your lifting
and have tons of fun doing it.
You just gotta do it the right way.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. I'll be
hitting the iron at about 6:00 EST today. If you train today,
we'll train together -- and we'll have lots of fun.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more about effective strength training and muscle
building (and diet and cardio training) for older lifters,
grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Coming Soon: A Military Press Course for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I've been chained to the keyboard for the past
couple of months, pounding away on a new book
(that I think you're going to like), and a new
Dino training course (that I also think you're
going to like), not to mention the August issue
of The Dinosaur Files newsletter, which is also
pretty darn good).
Oh, and just to be clear -- I have two other
books in the works -- just starting on both of
them, but you're going to like them, as well. (One
of them is the single most requested book over the
past 12 months -- the other is the third most
requested. The second most requested is the one
that's just about finished.)
So I've been working fast and furious for awhile.
And I was thinking, "Maybe I can finish this
training course and then take a day off . . ."
But I had to do it. I had to do it.
I had to ask if the Dinos were interested in a
training course covering the grand and glorious
military press.
And bang, the responses started to flood into
Dino Headquarters -- and it turns out that
EVERYONE wants to see a military press course --
and from the rush of responses and the number
of exclamation points and the messages in all
caps and the repeated use of phrases like
"YES!!!" -- "Please do it!" -- and "Would love
to see it!" -- I realized that the military
press course needs to be a top priority.
So here's the deal.
The new book is with my layout and design team,
and we need to finish the cover and the final
proofs and edits and stuff, and get the last
photos placed (yes, it has photos -- lots of
them). So I'll get that done.
The other course I'm doing is going great guns,
so I'll finish that today or tomorrow and get
it to the printer as fast as possible.
As soon as I finish that, I'll take a 30 minute
break, rest, relax and recharge the old Dino
batteries. Heck, I may even sit on the front
porch and sip a glass of lemonade and call it a
vacation.
I'll time it so I take exactly 30 minutes, no
more and no less.
And after that, I'll get back to work and start
pounding the keyboard to knock out the military
press course.
Of course, I AM going to take time off today and
hit the iron at about 6:00 or 7:00. That doesn't
count as work because it's too much fun -- but it's
not a vacation because it's part of the regular
routine. But if I miss a workout I get cranky
and irritable. If you're reading this, you probably
know the feeling.
In any case, we have tons going -- and we're working
really hard for you -- and the military press course
that you all want is going to be coming very soon --
so stay tuned and keep the dial on the Dino Channel!
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. With new books and courses coming, we need storage
room at Dino HQ -- so help us out by grabbing some of
the current inventory: books, courses, shirts, muscle
shirts, and DVD's.
1. For t-shirts, sweat shirts, hoodies, books, courses.
the Dinosaur Files newsletter, Horatius (my novel of
ancient Rome) and the super-popular Legacy of Iron series
go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
2. For the new Dinosaur Training muscle shirts, go
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
3. For info about my 5 Dinosaur Training DVD's and how
to order them at a special save-the-clams discount, send
an email to me at Dino HQ!
I've been chained to the keyboard for the past
couple of months, pounding away on a new book
(that I think you're going to like), and a new
Dino training course (that I also think you're
going to like), not to mention the August issue
of The Dinosaur Files newsletter, which is also
pretty darn good).
Oh, and just to be clear -- I have two other
books in the works -- just starting on both of
them, but you're going to like them, as well. (One
of them is the single most requested book over the
past 12 months -- the other is the third most
requested. The second most requested is the one
that's just about finished.)
So I've been working fast and furious for awhile.
And I was thinking, "Maybe I can finish this
training course and then take a day off . . ."
But I had to do it. I had to do it.
I had to ask if the Dinos were interested in a
training course covering the grand and glorious
military press.
And bang, the responses started to flood into
Dino Headquarters -- and it turns out that
EVERYONE wants to see a military press course --
and from the rush of responses and the number
of exclamation points and the messages in all
caps and the repeated use of phrases like
"YES!!!" -- "Please do it!" -- and "Would love
to see it!" -- I realized that the military
press course needs to be a top priority.
So here's the deal.
The new book is with my layout and design team,
and we need to finish the cover and the final
proofs and edits and stuff, and get the last
photos placed (yes, it has photos -- lots of
them). So I'll get that done.
The other course I'm doing is going great guns,
so I'll finish that today or tomorrow and get
it to the printer as fast as possible.
As soon as I finish that, I'll take a 30 minute
break, rest, relax and recharge the old Dino
batteries. Heck, I may even sit on the front
porch and sip a glass of lemonade and call it a
vacation.
I'll time it so I take exactly 30 minutes, no
more and no less.
And after that, I'll get back to work and start
pounding the keyboard to knock out the military
press course.
Of course, I AM going to take time off today and
hit the iron at about 6:00 or 7:00. That doesn't
count as work because it's too much fun -- but it's
not a vacation because it's part of the regular
routine. But if I miss a workout I get cranky
and irritable. If you're reading this, you probably
know the feeling.
In any case, we have tons going -- and we're working
really hard for you -- and the military press course
that you all want is going to be coming very soon --
so stay tuned and keep the dial on the Dino Channel!
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. With new books and courses coming, we need storage
room at Dino HQ -- so help us out by grabbing some of
the current inventory: books, courses, shirts, muscle
shirts, and DVD's.
1. For t-shirts, sweat shirts, hoodies, books, courses.
the Dinosaur Files newsletter, Horatius (my novel of
ancient Rome) and the super-popular Legacy of Iron series
go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
2. For the new Dinosaur Training muscle shirts, go
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
3. For info about my 5 Dinosaur Training DVD's and how
to order them at a special save-the-clams discount, send
an email to me at Dino HQ!
Two Questions for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A couple of days ago, I rec'd an
email from a reader who can military
press his own bodyweight -- which is
pretty good.
He got there by training Dino style:
short, hard, abbreviated workouts 3x
per week.
So that got me to thinking -- are you
interested in a Dino-style Military
press course? If you are, send me an
email and let me know. If there's
enough interest, I'll put one together.
This morning I rec'd another email from
the same reader. And get this -- he's been
a vegetarian for the past six years, and
he probably averages 60 gms of protein per
day -- but he built himself up to the point
where he can military press his own body-
weight.
And regardless of what you eat, or where you
stand on diet and nutrition issues, that's
interesting.
So I thought it would be interesting to hear
from anyone else who has had either good luck
or bad luck in building strength and muscle on
a vegetarian (or vegan) diet.
So if you have tried Dino Training on a vegetarian
diet, send me a short email and let me know how it
worked for you.
I am NOT trying to get into a debate about this,
to convert anyone to any sort of diet, or to say
that any one kind of diet is better than another.
I just thought it might be interesting to see what
sort of real world, "from the trenches" reports we
can get about this topic.
I'll summarize the feedback -- whatever it turns out
to be -- in an email message so that everyone can see
the results.
So I want feedback on two topics:
1. Are you interested in a short course on the Military
Press?
2. If you've tried heavy lifting on a vegetarian diet,
how did it work for you?
So sharpen your pencils -- or put your fingers on the
keyboard -- and give me some feedback!
As always, thanks for reading and heave a great day. If
you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you missed the big announcement yesterday, we now
have Dinosaur Training Muscle Shirts. You can find them
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
P.S. 2 -- Here's something about someone who was a pretty
good military presser -- as in, a World record holder in the
military press:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 3 Here's something about another World record holder
in the Military Press -- and many Dinos say it's their
favorite book about the Iron Game:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3 Dino Riddle of the Day:
Q. What has two cannonballs, two horseshoes and bird legs?
A. A guy who does lots of heavy military presses (cannonball delts
and horse-shoe triceps) standing next to a guy who never does
squats!
A couple of days ago, I rec'd an
email from a reader who can military
press his own bodyweight -- which is
pretty good.
He got there by training Dino style:
short, hard, abbreviated workouts 3x
per week.
So that got me to thinking -- are you
interested in a Dino-style Military
press course? If you are, send me an
email and let me know. If there's
enough interest, I'll put one together.
This morning I rec'd another email from
the same reader. And get this -- he's been
a vegetarian for the past six years, and
he probably averages 60 gms of protein per
day -- but he built himself up to the point
where he can military press his own body-
weight.
And regardless of what you eat, or where you
stand on diet and nutrition issues, that's
interesting.
So I thought it would be interesting to hear
from anyone else who has had either good luck
or bad luck in building strength and muscle on
a vegetarian (or vegan) diet.
So if you have tried Dino Training on a vegetarian
diet, send me a short email and let me know how it
worked for you.
I am NOT trying to get into a debate about this,
to convert anyone to any sort of diet, or to say
that any one kind of diet is better than another.
I just thought it might be interesting to see what
sort of real world, "from the trenches" reports we
can get about this topic.
I'll summarize the feedback -- whatever it turns out
to be -- in an email message so that everyone can see
the results.
So I want feedback on two topics:
1. Are you interested in a short course on the Military
Press?
2. If you've tried heavy lifting on a vegetarian diet,
how did it work for you?
So sharpen your pencils -- or put your fingers on the
keyboard -- and give me some feedback!
As always, thanks for reading and heave a great day. If
you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you missed the big announcement yesterday, we now
have Dinosaur Training Muscle Shirts. You can find them
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
P.S. 2 -- Here's something about someone who was a pretty
good military presser -- as in, a World record holder in the
military press:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 3 Here's something about another World record holder
in the Military Press -- and many Dinos say it's their
favorite book about the Iron Game:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3 Dino Riddle of the Day:
Q. What has two cannonballs, two horseshoes and bird legs?
A. A guy who does lots of heavy military presses (cannonball delts
and horse-shoe triceps) standing next to a guy who never does
squats!
Irregular Training or Cycling -- Which to Use?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Whenever I receive a dozen questions on
the same topic, I know there are many more
folks who have the same question.
When that happens, I try to answer it in an
email message so that everyone gets the answer.
So here's the question:
"You sent a message about irregular training
and Bob Hoffman's Heavy, Medium and Light system.
Is the Heavy, Medium and Light system only for
lifters who use total body workouts, or does
it work for those who use abbreviated training
and divided workout schedules?"
Here's the answer -- and like most good training
advice, it's fairly simple. As I've said ten thousand
million times, it's not rocket science.
If you choose to use total body workouts, the Heavy,
Medium and Light system works great.
If you choose to use divided workout programs, where
you may train each exercise only once per week, it's
just as effective -- and easier -- to use a simple
cycling system such as those I describe in Gray Hair
and Black Iron.
Week No. 1 -- Light (70% of your max)
Week No. 2 -- Medium (80% of your max)
Week No. 3 -- Medium heavy (90% of your max)
Week No. 4 -- Heavy (100% of your max)
Then drop back and build back up -- but add a bit
of weight so you are finish the cycle doing 100% of
your max PLUS a little bit more.
Then drop back and repeat -- and once again, nudge
the poundages up slightly.
The idea is to incorporate the Heavy, Medium and
Light principle on a week by week basis rather than
a workout by workout basis.
Of course, there are other ways to do the same thing,
and no one way is better. Don't get hung up on the
details, just find a way that let's you change things
up a bit to help give your body a better chance to
recover from those heavy training sessions.
There, you see -- Hoffman and Kubik really ARE on
the same page.
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. Intensity cycling and Light, Medium and Heavy
training is CRITICAL for older lifters -- which is why
I cover it in Gray Hair and Black Iron, the first book
ever written about serious training for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 I'm looking for feedback and success stories
from readers. Don't be shy -- send an email and let me know
how your training is going!
Whenever I receive a dozen questions on
the same topic, I know there are many more
folks who have the same question.
When that happens, I try to answer it in an
email message so that everyone gets the answer.
So here's the question:
"You sent a message about irregular training
and Bob Hoffman's Heavy, Medium and Light system.
Is the Heavy, Medium and Light system only for
lifters who use total body workouts, or does
it work for those who use abbreviated training
and divided workout schedules?"
Here's the answer -- and like most good training
advice, it's fairly simple. As I've said ten thousand
million times, it's not rocket science.
If you choose to use total body workouts, the Heavy,
Medium and Light system works great.
If you choose to use divided workout programs, where
you may train each exercise only once per week, it's
just as effective -- and easier -- to use a simple
cycling system such as those I describe in Gray Hair
and Black Iron.
Week No. 1 -- Light (70% of your max)
Week No. 2 -- Medium (80% of your max)
Week No. 3 -- Medium heavy (90% of your max)
Week No. 4 -- Heavy (100% of your max)
Then drop back and build back up -- but add a bit
of weight so you are finish the cycle doing 100% of
your max PLUS a little bit more.
Then drop back and repeat -- and once again, nudge
the poundages up slightly.
The idea is to incorporate the Heavy, Medium and
Light principle on a week by week basis rather than
a workout by workout basis.
Of course, there are other ways to do the same thing,
and no one way is better. Don't get hung up on the
details, just find a way that let's you change things
up a bit to help give your body a better chance to
recover from those heavy training sessions.
There, you see -- Hoffman and Kubik really ARE on
the same page.
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. Intensity cycling and Light, Medium and Heavy
training is CRITICAL for older lifters -- which is why
I cover it in Gray Hair and Black Iron, the first book
ever written about serious training for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 I'm looking for feedback and success stories
from readers. Don't be shy -- send an email and let me know
how your training is going!
Brand New: Dinosaur Muscle Shirts!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Not long ago I asked if you were interested
in Dinosaur Muscle Shirts.
A huge number of you wrote in immediately to
say, "You better believe we are!"
Well, we ask -- you answer -- and we listen.
So here they are - the OFFICIAL Dinosaur Muscle
Shirts:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Save on shipping and handling by ordering
a book (or two) and a Dinosaur Muscle Shirt --
and note that you can also save by ordering 3
Muscle Shirts at a time:
Dinosaur Muscle Shirts:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Dinosaur Books and Training Courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Not long ago I asked if you were interested
in Dinosaur Muscle Shirts.
A huge number of you wrote in immediately to
say, "You better believe we are!"
Well, we ask -- you answer -- and we listen.
So here they are - the OFFICIAL Dinosaur Muscle
Shirts:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Save on shipping and handling by ordering
a book (or two) and a Dinosaur Muscle Shirt --
and note that you can also save by ordering 3
Muscle Shirts at a time:
Dinosaur Muscle Shirts:
http://www.brookskubik.com/muscle_shirts.html
Dinosaur Books and Training Courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
How to Build Herculean Super Strength with Irregular Training!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I sent out an email about irregular
training -- and got a ton of feedback. That means
it looks like the topic interests you -- so let's
continue talking about it.
In the world-famous York barbell Training Courses,
Bob Hoffman described the basis for Irregular Training:
Something has to be done to jolt the muscles out of their
regular routine. After progressive training, that is where
irregular training serves. All my life I had observed that
the only really strong workmen were usually foremen or
bosses of one sort or another who seldom used their muscles,
but occasionally would lend a hand at lifting or moving
heavy objects, or unloading heavy material. They would have
a considerable rest period, usually of day's duration, which
would then build up their muscles and be ready for severe
demands made upon them at some time in the future.
I noticed that the old time strongmen were often butchers,
perhaps sailors, or employed on beer delivery wagons. Old
time butchers would work very hard on their butchering days,
using the crudest methods. They would literally wrestle a
steer or large hog, string it up, and later carry it in
pieces or halves to the refrigerator. After this very hard
work they would have several days of little or no work which
had to be done. They would spend their time in their shops
or with their delivery wagons. Most of the great strongmen
of Vienna were butchers, from Turk, who first established
and held the world's record in lifting weights overhead, 365
pounds, to Swaboda, who jerked 448 pounds to arm's length
after several men had lifted it to his chest.
Old time sailing men would work desperately hard for days
at a time in rough weather. Then they would have days of
almost nothing to do. John Y. Smith, who won the title,
"Strongest Man in New England" at the age of sixty, was
one of these old time sailors. Workmen who worked very
hard at times, made tremendous demands on their muscles,
then had considerable rest periods, were the world's
strongest workmen.
So it is evident that great demands must at times be made
upon the body. This is done on the York heavy or "limit"
day. Moderate training must follow. This is why we advocate
training every other day, with a rest day in between, and
why the other training days are not as heavy as the "limit"
day.
Irregular Training is the way to your physical desires. You
must remember that your muscles quickly become accustomed
to a steady routine with the same weights. You must jolt
them out of their familiar rut; which is done with IRREGULAR
TRAINING."
So that's where it all started , and that's the pattern:
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Use the Light, Medium, and Heavy schedule.
3. Go to your limit on your Heavy day.
4. Train moderately hard on one of the other days (this
will be your Medium day.
5. Train lighter and easier on your Light day.
For more details, and for actual programs that take advantage
of the Irregular Training Principle, grab any or all of the
following:
1. CHALK AND SWEAT
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
3. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day -- and
a great weekend. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I usually recommend Gray Hair and Black Iron for
lifters age 35 and up -- but it covers Irregular Training,
simple cycling programs and Light, Medium and Heavy training
in detail, so it's probably a good choice for anyone, at any
age:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 If you'd like to read the COMPLETE set of the legendary
York Training courses -- including the almost impossible to find
courses 5 and 6, then you're in luck. Bill Hinbern has put them
together into a TERRIFIC modern reprint edition. You can grab it
right here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/bob_hoffman.html
P.S. 2 We're still baking in the big heat wave of 2011. Be sure to
keep drinking your water. Stay super-hydrated for those heavy
workouts!
Yesterday I sent out an email about irregular
training -- and got a ton of feedback. That means
it looks like the topic interests you -- so let's
continue talking about it.
In the world-famous York barbell Training Courses,
Bob Hoffman described the basis for Irregular Training:
Something has to be done to jolt the muscles out of their
regular routine. After progressive training, that is where
irregular training serves. All my life I had observed that
the only really strong workmen were usually foremen or
bosses of one sort or another who seldom used their muscles,
but occasionally would lend a hand at lifting or moving
heavy objects, or unloading heavy material. They would have
a considerable rest period, usually of day's duration, which
would then build up their muscles and be ready for severe
demands made upon them at some time in the future.
I noticed that the old time strongmen were often butchers,
perhaps sailors, or employed on beer delivery wagons. Old
time butchers would work very hard on their butchering days,
using the crudest methods. They would literally wrestle a
steer or large hog, string it up, and later carry it in
pieces or halves to the refrigerator. After this very hard
work they would have several days of little or no work which
had to be done. They would spend their time in their shops
or with their delivery wagons. Most of the great strongmen
of Vienna were butchers, from Turk, who first established
and held the world's record in lifting weights overhead, 365
pounds, to Swaboda, who jerked 448 pounds to arm's length
after several men had lifted it to his chest.
Old time sailing men would work desperately hard for days
at a time in rough weather. Then they would have days of
almost nothing to do. John Y. Smith, who won the title,
"Strongest Man in New England" at the age of sixty, was
one of these old time sailors. Workmen who worked very
hard at times, made tremendous demands on their muscles,
then had considerable rest periods, were the world's
strongest workmen.
So it is evident that great demands must at times be made
upon the body. This is done on the York heavy or "limit"
day. Moderate training must follow. This is why we advocate
training every other day, with a rest day in between, and
why the other training days are not as heavy as the "limit"
day.
Irregular Training is the way to your physical desires. You
must remember that your muscles quickly become accustomed
to a steady routine with the same weights. You must jolt
them out of their familiar rut; which is done with IRREGULAR
TRAINING."
So that's where it all started , and that's the pattern:
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Use the Light, Medium, and Heavy schedule.
3. Go to your limit on your Heavy day.
4. Train moderately hard on one of the other days (this
will be your Medium day.
5. Train lighter and easier on your Light day.
For more details, and for actual programs that take advantage
of the Irregular Training Principle, grab any or all of the
following:
1. CHALK AND SWEAT
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
3. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day -- and
a great weekend. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I usually recommend Gray Hair and Black Iron for
lifters age 35 and up -- but it covers Irregular Training,
simple cycling programs and Light, Medium and Heavy training
in detail, so it's probably a good choice for anyone, at any
age:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2 If you'd like to read the COMPLETE set of the legendary
York Training courses -- including the almost impossible to find
courses 5 and 6, then you're in luck. Bill Hinbern has put them
together into a TERRIFIC modern reprint edition. You can grab it
right here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/bob_hoffman.html
P.S. 2 We're still baking in the big heat wave of 2011. Be sure to
keep drinking your water. Stay super-hydrated for those heavy
workouts!
Dinosaur Q and A on the Essential Exercises!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We've been talking about the Essential Exercises
this week, and I've been getting lots of feedback
from readers.
So let's cover some of the more common questions.
Q. Why didn't Bradley J. Steiner include deadlifts
as one of the Essential exercises?
A. Steiner preferred stiff legged deadlifts. Personally,
I prefer deadlifts. I think stiff legged deadlifts are
best done with a LIGHT weight, more for stretching and
flexibility than heavy strength training. Some men (Dr.
Ken) for example, thrive on heavy stiff legged deadlifts.
I guess it depends on your body structure as much as
anything else.
Q. Why didn't you include deadlifts in your list of
All Out Total Body Exercises?
A. Because I was focusing on FAST movements -- what some
refer to as Explosive Lifting or Athletic Style Strength
Training. And note that clean grip high pulls are very
similar to a fast deadlift.
Q. Why didn't Steiner include Trap Bar Deadlifts on his
list?
A. Because the Trap Bar hadn't been invented then. If it
had been available, he might well have suggested that
readers try it. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Trap
Bar. For more info on Trap Bar training, go here:
http://www.trapbartraining.com/
Q. What about dips?
A. I know some of you are going to hate this answer, but
Steiner preferred bench press and dumbbell incline press.
So do I. Dips are a great movement for young guys, and many
do them and use added weight and really enjoy them -- but
they are very hard on the shoulder joint. I have rec'd
I don't know how many letters and emails over the years
from guys who hurt their shoulder doing heavy dips. IF
YOU MUST DO THEM, do them slow and strict with NO BOUNCING
and do NOT go too deep at the bottom. And if you're older
and heavier, skip them entirely.
Q. Steiner's list of Essential Exercises is pretty old-school.
A. Right -- that's why I like it, and why I shared it with
you.
Q. What about Nautilus machines? I know those were really big
back in the 70's and 80's.
A. They were indeed. Steiner actually thought they were pretty
good (he liked Arthur Jones one set to failure ideas), but he
also noted (as did Jones) that you could get great results with
nothing other than a barbell and squat stands.
I've shared my own experiences with Nautilus training in the
past, but to recap briefly: (1) I tore the heck out of my shoulder
on the Nautilus Pullover Torso machine, and it still bothers me
some 35 years later, and (2) Brooks after Nautilus, 165 lbs. --
Brooks after Dino Training, 225 lbs. Do the math.
Those are some of the more common questions -- I'll cover some
others later in the week.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If you train
today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Readers often ask me what book to start with. Let me offer
a suggestion. For beginners, start with CHALK AND SWEAT. For
experienced lifters, start with DINOSAUR TRAINING or with STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER. Older readers (age 35 and up) should read GRAY HAIR
and BLACK IRON. And EVERYONE should subscribe to the DINOSAUR FILES
monthly newsletter. You can find all of them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. Keep the feedback and the questions coming! I'll try to answer as much as I can in my email messages and blog posts.
We've been talking about the Essential Exercises
this week, and I've been getting lots of feedback
from readers.
So let's cover some of the more common questions.
Q. Why didn't Bradley J. Steiner include deadlifts
as one of the Essential exercises?
A. Steiner preferred stiff legged deadlifts. Personally,
I prefer deadlifts. I think stiff legged deadlifts are
best done with a LIGHT weight, more for stretching and
flexibility than heavy strength training. Some men (Dr.
Ken) for example, thrive on heavy stiff legged deadlifts.
I guess it depends on your body structure as much as
anything else.
Q. Why didn't you include deadlifts in your list of
All Out Total Body Exercises?
A. Because I was focusing on FAST movements -- what some
refer to as Explosive Lifting or Athletic Style Strength
Training. And note that clean grip high pulls are very
similar to a fast deadlift.
Q. Why didn't Steiner include Trap Bar Deadlifts on his
list?
A. Because the Trap Bar hadn't been invented then. If it
had been available, he might well have suggested that
readers try it. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Trap
Bar. For more info on Trap Bar training, go here:
http://www.trapbartraining.com/
Q. What about dips?
A. I know some of you are going to hate this answer, but
Steiner preferred bench press and dumbbell incline press.
So do I. Dips are a great movement for young guys, and many
do them and use added weight and really enjoy them -- but
they are very hard on the shoulder joint. I have rec'd
I don't know how many letters and emails over the years
from guys who hurt their shoulder doing heavy dips. IF
YOU MUST DO THEM, do them slow and strict with NO BOUNCING
and do NOT go too deep at the bottom. And if you're older
and heavier, skip them entirely.
Q. Steiner's list of Essential Exercises is pretty old-school.
A. Right -- that's why I like it, and why I shared it with
you.
Q. What about Nautilus machines? I know those were really big
back in the 70's and 80's.
A. They were indeed. Steiner actually thought they were pretty
good (he liked Arthur Jones one set to failure ideas), but he
also noted (as did Jones) that you could get great results with
nothing other than a barbell and squat stands.
I've shared my own experiences with Nautilus training in the
past, but to recap briefly: (1) I tore the heck out of my shoulder
on the Nautilus Pullover Torso machine, and it still bothers me
some 35 years later, and (2) Brooks after Nautilus, 165 lbs. --
Brooks after Dino Training, 225 lbs. Do the math.
Those are some of the more common questions -- I'll cover some
others later in the week.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If you train
today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Readers often ask me what book to start with. Let me offer
a suggestion. For beginners, start with CHALK AND SWEAT. For
experienced lifters, start with DINOSAUR TRAINING or with STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER. Older readers (age 35 and up) should read GRAY HAIR
and BLACK IRON. And EVERYONE should subscribe to the DINOSAUR FILES
monthly newsletter. You can find all of them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. Keep the feedback and the questions coming! I'll try to answer as much as I can in my email messages and blog posts.
All Out Exercises for Total Body Power!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Let's talk a bit more about "The Essential Exercises"
(a term used by Iron Man author Bradley J. Steiner
some 40 years ago).
I covered this in an email on Monday, and followed up
with another one yesterday. if you missed them, go to
the Dinosaur training Blog and check them out.
In fact, for new readers, I should note that I have
something like 250 blog posts, and you could read all
of them right here at the Dinosaur training Blog.
One of Steiner's essential exercises for the back was
the power clean.
I'd agree with having that one on the list -- but I'd
go a step further and add some similar "All Out" or
"Total Body" exercises. (A term used by John Jesse
in The Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia --
a great book that you can order from my buddy Bill
Hinbern at the link in today's P.S.)
And I'll tell you this -- I very much wish that someone
had made me focus on these exercises when I was a kid.
It would have been the best thing ever -- especially
for a kid who was as nuts about wrestling as I was!
Folks, I was a really good high school wrestling -- a
state champion in Greco-Roman wrestling -- but I would
have been ten times better if I had trained with All Out
Total Body Exercises.
1. Power cleans
2. Clean grip high pulls
3. Power Snatches
4. Snatch grip high pulls
5. The power clean and press
6. The power clean and push press
7. The power clean and jerk
8. Push presses
9. Jerks
All of the exercises listed above provide a triple
benefit. They simultaneously:
1. Build your strength and explosive power.
2. Improve your speed, balance, coordination, timing
and athleticism.
3. Train the heck out of your legs, back, hips and
shoulder girdle (which are the true keys to Herculean
super strength).
For details on how to work these movements into your
training programs, see:
1. Chalk and Sweat (50 workouts from beginners to
advanced men, with many workouts featuring Olympic
lifting):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power (29 chapters covering
a huge variety of topics, including how to add Olympic
lifting to your programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (reveals World and
Olympic champion John Davis' actual training programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course (how the 1953 World
Champion trained):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron (how older lifters can train
with Olympic lifting movements):
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
6. Legacy of Iron (a dramatic account of early lifting
and bodybuilding in the USA, with an old-school Olympic
lifting program built right into the story):
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
If you need help on how to perform the movements, I've
done a DVD that covers the basics (power cleans, power
snatches, high pulls, push presses). Shoot me an email
for more info on the DVD.
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 I promised for The Wrestling Physical
Conditioning Encyclopedia. When you order it, tell Bill Hinbern
you read about it here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/john_jesse.html
P.S. 2 I'm always looking for feedback from readers about my
books and courses -- and about how they've succeeded with
Dino-style strength. So don't be shy -- let me hear from you!
Let's talk a bit more about "The Essential Exercises"
(a term used by Iron Man author Bradley J. Steiner
some 40 years ago).
I covered this in an email on Monday, and followed up
with another one yesterday. if you missed them, go to
the Dinosaur training Blog and check them out.
In fact, for new readers, I should note that I have
something like 250 blog posts, and you could read all
of them right here at the Dinosaur training Blog.
One of Steiner's essential exercises for the back was
the power clean.
I'd agree with having that one on the list -- but I'd
go a step further and add some similar "All Out" or
"Total Body" exercises. (A term used by John Jesse
in The Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia --
a great book that you can order from my buddy Bill
Hinbern at the link in today's P.S.)
And I'll tell you this -- I very much wish that someone
had made me focus on these exercises when I was a kid.
It would have been the best thing ever -- especially
for a kid who was as nuts about wrestling as I was!
Folks, I was a really good high school wrestling -- a
state champion in Greco-Roman wrestling -- but I would
have been ten times better if I had trained with All Out
Total Body Exercises.
1. Power cleans
2. Clean grip high pulls
3. Power Snatches
4. Snatch grip high pulls
5. The power clean and press
6. The power clean and push press
7. The power clean and jerk
8. Push presses
9. Jerks
All of the exercises listed above provide a triple
benefit. They simultaneously:
1. Build your strength and explosive power.
2. Improve your speed, balance, coordination, timing
and athleticism.
3. Train the heck out of your legs, back, hips and
shoulder girdle (which are the true keys to Herculean
super strength).
For details on how to work these movements into your
training programs, see:
1. Chalk and Sweat (50 workouts from beginners to
advanced men, with many workouts featuring Olympic
lifting):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power (29 chapters covering
a huge variety of topics, including how to add Olympic
lifting to your programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (reveals World and
Olympic champion John Davis' actual training programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course (how the 1953 World
Champion trained):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron (how older lifters can train
with Olympic lifting movements):
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
6. Legacy of Iron (a dramatic account of early lifting
and bodybuilding in the USA, with an old-school Olympic
lifting program built right into the story):
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
If you need help on how to perform the movements, I've
done a DVD that covers the basics (power cleans, power
snatches, high pulls, push presses). Shoot me an email
for more info on the DVD.
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 I promised for The Wrestling Physical
Conditioning Encyclopedia. When you order it, tell Bill Hinbern
you read about it here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/john_jesse.html
P.S. 2 I'm always looking for feedback from readers about my
books and courses -- and about how they've succeeded with
Dino-style strength. So don't be shy -- let me hear from you!
Important Exercises for Forearm and Grip Strength
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday we talked about Bradley J. Steiner's
list of "the Essential exercises."
It was a pretty good list, but there are plenty of other
good exercises. So I'll go over some other possible
movements in this post and in other posts during the week.
Today, let's cover forearm and grip exercises.
Forearms and grip
1. Thick bar deadlifts (overhand deadlifts) and timed holds
with the thick bar (okay, that's really two exercises -- but
they're relaly good ones)
2. Thick bar pull-ups
3. The one-arm deadlift (regular bar or thick bar)
4. The Farmer's Walk
5. Hand-grippers (Captains of Crush, etc.)
6. Rope climbing
7. Hammer curls (esp w/ thick handled dumbbells)
8. The vertical bar lift
9. Lever bar lifting
10. Pinch grip lifting
11. Finger-tip pushups (with or without extra weight)
12. Two finger deadlifts
Now, don't run out and try to do all of these exercises
at one time. The best thing to do is to pick two or three
different exercises and train ONE of them at the end of each
workout. Rotate the exercises from workout to workout.
For example, let's say you train 3x per week on M/W/F.
For your grip work, do this:
M - Thick bar deadlifts
W - Pinch grip lifting
F - The vertical bar lift
After 6 to 8 weeks, pick three new movements and train them for
awhile. Over time, you'll get plenty of variety, without ever
overdoing things.
And who knows -- after a few years of serious, Dino-style grip
work, you may be able to make it into the Gorilla Grip Hall of
Fame.
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 tips on grip training, grab a copy of Dinosaur
Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2 I also cover some great grip training exercises in Strength,
Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Yesterday we talked about Bradley J. Steiner's
list of "the Essential exercises."
It was a pretty good list, but there are plenty of other
good exercises. So I'll go over some other possible
movements in this post and in other posts during the week.
Today, let's cover forearm and grip exercises.
Forearms and grip
1. Thick bar deadlifts (overhand deadlifts) and timed holds
with the thick bar (okay, that's really two exercises -- but
they're relaly good ones)
2. Thick bar pull-ups
3. The one-arm deadlift (regular bar or thick bar)
4. The Farmer's Walk
5. Hand-grippers (Captains of Crush, etc.)
6. Rope climbing
7. Hammer curls (esp w/ thick handled dumbbells)
8. The vertical bar lift
9. Lever bar lifting
10. Pinch grip lifting
11. Finger-tip pushups (with or without extra weight)
12. Two finger deadlifts
Now, don't run out and try to do all of these exercises
at one time. The best thing to do is to pick two or three
different exercises and train ONE of them at the end of each
workout. Rotate the exercises from workout to workout.
For example, let's say you train 3x per week on M/W/F.
For your grip work, do this:
M - Thick bar deadlifts
W - Pinch grip lifting
F - The vertical bar lift
After 6 to 8 weeks, pick three new movements and train them for
awhile. Over time, you'll get plenty of variety, without ever
overdoing things.
And who knows -- after a few years of serious, Dino-style grip
work, you may be able to make it into the Gorilla Grip Hall of
Fame.
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 tips on grip training, grab a copy of Dinosaur
Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2 I also cover some great grip training exercises in Strength,
Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
What Are "The Essential Exercises"?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was a kid, my favorite Iron Game
author was Bradley J. Steiner. His work
appeared regularly in Strength and Health,
Muscular Development, and Iron Man.
One of Steiner's classic series of articles
was a four part opus titled "The Essential
Exercises." It ran in Iron Man way back in
1969 and 1970 (if memory serves correctly).
For those of you who missed the article the
first time around, here at Bradley J. Steiner's
"Essential Exercises."
Arms and shoulders
1. Barbell curls
2. Dumbbell curls
3. Press behind neck
4. Military press
5. Dumbbell presses
Note: Steiner did not believe in doing direct
exercises for the triceps, such as french presses
or triceps extensions. He believed they put too
much stress on the elbow joints. He also believed --
as did John Grimek -- that the best triceps exercises
were overhead presses.
Chest
1. Light breathing pullovers with dumbbells
2. Bench press
3. Dumbbell incline press
Back
1. Power cleans
2. Stiff-legged deadlifts
3. The good morning exercise
4. Barbell bent-over rowing
5. Dumbbell bent-over rowing
6. Shoulder shrugs
7. Bridging (for neck development)
Legs
1. Squats
2. The straddle lift
3. Calf raises
Midsection
1. Leg raises -- preferably with iron boots
2. Dumbbell side-bends
3. Sit-ups with weight resistance -- preferably
on a sit-up board
And that was it. A total of only 21 exercises. In Steiner's
opinion the 21 best exercises. The "Essential Exercises."
You may or may not agree with Steiner's choices - but the
idea of picking a small number of basic exercises and working
them into the ground is the KEY to might and muscle.
So forget about trying to do every exercise under the sun.
Stick to the very best exercises -- and work them hard!
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 information about sane, sensible, no-nonsense
training programs -- workouts for working men -- and routines
that work for drug-free lifters -- grab any of the following
books or courses:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron: Secrets of Successful Strength
Training for Older Lifters
3. Strength, Muscle and Power
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
5. Chalk and Sweat: Dinosaur training Workouts for Beginners,
Intermediates and Advanced Lifters
6. The John Davis Story (a 496 page biography of the legendary
lifting champion, with details on his actual training programs
and workouts)
You can find them all -- and much more -- at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
When I was a kid, my favorite Iron Game
author was Bradley J. Steiner. His work
appeared regularly in Strength and Health,
Muscular Development, and Iron Man.
One of Steiner's classic series of articles
was a four part opus titled "The Essential
Exercises." It ran in Iron Man way back in
1969 and 1970 (if memory serves correctly).
For those of you who missed the article the
first time around, here at Bradley J. Steiner's
"Essential Exercises."
Arms and shoulders
1. Barbell curls
2. Dumbbell curls
3. Press behind neck
4. Military press
5. Dumbbell presses
Note: Steiner did not believe in doing direct
exercises for the triceps, such as french presses
or triceps extensions. He believed they put too
much stress on the elbow joints. He also believed --
as did John Grimek -- that the best triceps exercises
were overhead presses.
Chest
1. Light breathing pullovers with dumbbells
2. Bench press
3. Dumbbell incline press
Back
1. Power cleans
2. Stiff-legged deadlifts
3. The good morning exercise
4. Barbell bent-over rowing
5. Dumbbell bent-over rowing
6. Shoulder shrugs
7. Bridging (for neck development)
Legs
1. Squats
2. The straddle lift
3. Calf raises
Midsection
1. Leg raises -- preferably with iron boots
2. Dumbbell side-bends
3. Sit-ups with weight resistance -- preferably
on a sit-up board
And that was it. A total of only 21 exercises. In Steiner's
opinion the 21 best exercises. The "Essential Exercises."
You may or may not agree with Steiner's choices - but the
idea of picking a small number of basic exercises and working
them into the ground is the KEY to might and muscle.
So forget about trying to do every exercise under the sun.
Stick to the very best exercises -- and work them hard!
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 information about sane, sensible, no-nonsense
training programs -- workouts for working men -- and routines
that work for drug-free lifters -- grab any of the following
books or courses:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron: Secrets of Successful Strength
Training for Older Lifters
3. Strength, Muscle and Power
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course
5. Chalk and Sweat: Dinosaur training Workouts for Beginners,
Intermediates and Advanced Lifters
6. The John Davis Story (a 496 page biography of the legendary
lifting champion, with details on his actual training programs
and workouts)
You can find them all -- and much more -- at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
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