Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I received a question from Bill K., a hard
training Dino who I believe is in his 50's.
It's a common question, so I thought I'd
share the answer with everyone. See if this
sounds familiar -- aside from the part about
calling me a Guru!
"Hi Brooks,
I am in a bit of a conflict and could use some
input. My workouts have been going very good.
Strength is up on everything (except biceps),
but I am feeling totally beat up. Only training
four days and keeping super basic, so I don't
think I am over-training. Just feel wore out.
Debating taking a few days off. I am not sure,
as my strength seems to be going up on a nice
constant basis and I am afraid of losing the
momentum. The last time I was this heavy (205),
I was carrying a lot more body fat, so i know
I am on the right track. I think I am having
difficulty keeping my enthusiasm in check.
Advise me, oh Guru of Things Heavy and Iron.
Bill K."
As I said, that's a very common question. I
get different variations of it all the time.
So here's my response to Bill and perhaps
10,000 other Dinos out there:
"Hi Bill,
Thanks for your email and the update on your
training. I don't think I'm a Guru, but here's
the answer to your question:
1. If you are making good gains, getting
stronger, getting more muscular, losing fat,
and adding muscle mass -- at 50-plus years
of age -- then you are doing better than 99.99
percent of the folks your age (or any age),
and that means you need to keep doing what
you're doing. You've obviously found the
right combination of exercises, sets, reps,
etc., that works best for you.
2. That being said, it sounds like you have
been making such great progress that it almost
makes you nervous. Reg Park once wrote about
squatting 600 pounds for the first time --
back when that was close to the world record --
and he said it was like looking down from the
top of a very tall building. In a way, it was
almost scary. Sounds to me like you're doing
the same thing.
3. This is where cycling becomes important --
especially for advanced older lifters. You need
to give your body and mind a break -- and frankly,
it may be more important to give your mind a break.
4. So take a short break -- four to seven days.
No weight training. You can and should do other
things (cardio work, walking, swimming, etc.) --
and stretching, flexibility and mobility work --
but lay off the weights.
5. When you come back to the iron, drop your
weights a bit, take some light workouts, concentrate
on perfect form, training fast, and training with
perfect confidence.
6. Add weight to the bar in a progressive, systematic
fashion, and over the course of two to four weeks,
work back up to your current weights, sets and reps.
When you get there, push into new poundage territory,
stay there awhile, and then repeat the entire process.
Keep it up over a period of years and you won't
believe your results!
7. Good luck, and keep me posted on your training and
your progress!
Brooks"
And as I said, that should help many of you. For more
details about successful training for older lifters,
grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Successful training doesn't happen by accident.
You need to follow the right program -- and you need
to fine-tune your training the Dino way. These
books and courses will save you years of frustration:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
d. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- Dinosaur t-shirts,
sweatshirts and hoodies -- Dinosaur Training DVD's --
and the world-famous Dinosaur Files newsletter, are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "A great workout is
yours forever." -- Brooks Kubik
