Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of the problems about strength
training programs is that it's EASY
to write a program.
What's hard is training on it --
and recovering from it.
And that's where many trainees
go wrong.
They sit down and they start writing
up a program.
They start with squats, because
everyone knows that squats are good for
you.
Then they add front squats because
someone said that those were good, too.
Overhead squats because they look
impressive, and they build lots of
strength, and they want to start doing
some Olympic lifting someday.
And there's a blog post someone wrote
about one-legged squats -- so they add
those in, as well.
Next, they include some Romanian deadlifts
for the hamstrings -- and some good mornings,
because a guy in a forum recommended them.
Plus some one legged deadlifts because you
gotta do the unilateral stuff.
And some car pushing, because they do stuff
like that in strongman comps.
Plus, some hill sprints because you want
to be fast.
Quarter squats for tendon and ligament
strength.
Depth jumps for speed strength and explosive
power.
Jumping up onto a platform to build even
more explosive power.
Breathing squats because it would be pretty
cool to gain 30 pounds of muscle in six
weeks.
Kettlebell squats because kettlebells are
fun, and you need to keep your volume up.
Some bodyweight squats for high reps on
the off days -- for active recovery.
Plus some jogging on off days because
McCallum's Uncle Harry went jogging and
Bipsy and the other girls cheered for him
when he ran his laps on the track.
Plus a whole bunch of different kinds of
calf raises, and some iron boot exercises,
and some box squats, and some zerchers
and this funky thing some guy at the
gym was doing that he said helped him
put 50 pounds on his squat in three days,
and extra work for the hamstrings, and
walking up high hills with a knapsack
or a weight vest, and walking around
with a heavy barbell on your shoulders,
and some other stuff just to be sure you
don't miss anything.
And that's just the leg work.
By the time they're finished writing up
their program, it runs several pages and
it's as complicated as heck, and it
takes about half an hour to read the
whole thing.
Then they go out and try the program,
and it's like running right into a
brick wall. Instant headache. And
they don't get anywhere.
That's because you can always write up
a program that is simply too long, too
intense, and too demanding to use.
And that's exactly what most people do.
The BEST programs are different.
They're short, sweet and simple.
I once interviewed the training partner
of World and Olympic Champion John Davis.
He showed me John Davis' actual training
program for 1940 and 1941.
It was an eight week program.
It fit on a 3 x 5 note-card.
That's right -- the strongest man of his
era -- and the greatest weightlifter of his
era -- used a program so short, simple and
basic that you could write down an 8 week
program on a 3 x 5 note-card.
And frankly, that was one of the secrets
of his success. He knew that the best
programs are short, simple and basic -
because they allow you to focus all
your effort on the exercises that really
count.
And that, my friend is a gold-medal training
secret -- from a two-time Olympic Champion
and six-time World Champion.
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. I included John Davis' actual training
program (which was previously unpublished)
in BLACK IRON, THE JOHN DAVIS STORY. You can
grab a copy right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 2. The best training programs are short,
simple, and basic. I like abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts. Learn all about them in
Dinosaur Training, Gray Hair and Black Iron,
Chalk and Sweat, and Strength, Muscle and
Power -- or in my various training courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. You also can use abbreviated workouts
with bodyweight exercises. See Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training for details:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Any fool can write
a training program that would cripple anyone who
tried it. And far too many trainees would
give it a try -- and that's a shame."
-- Brooks Kubik
Train for Strength AND Health! (Part Two)
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I wanted to follow up on yesterday's
message about training to build
both your strength AND your health.
Weight training came into prominence
in the United States back in the 1920's
and 1930's.
Back then, a man had to work for a
living, and that often meant he worked
a manual labor job.
A man had to support his family.
There was no health insurance, no Medicare,
no Medicaid, no disability, no worker's
compensation, and no Social Security.
You HAD to be healthy to make a living and
to provide for your family.
Case in point -- my grandfather.
He was an immigrant from Slovakia. He came
the the United States when he was 16 years
old, and he ended up working in steel mills.
Hard, hot, heavy, sweaty, back-breaking
work.
He wasn't a big man by modern standards.
He weighed around 165 pounds. But he was
strong as an ox.
One day, a huge steel beam was hanging
overhead from a heavy chain. Without any
warning, the chain snapped. The beam came
smashing down on the workers below.
Somehow, they managed to get out of the
way.
All but one.
My grandfather.
The beam hit him on the side of the face,
broke his jaw, smashed his nose, crushed
his eye socket, knocked his eye out of his
head, and shattered his teeth.
There was no doctor or nursing station at
the steel plant. No ambulance. Not even a
stretcher.
His coworkers placed my grandfather on a
wooden board and carried him to a doctor's
office a couple of miles away.
The doctor said there was nothing he could
do.
So the men carried him home -- on the same
wooden board. They figured that's where he
would want to be when he died.
My dad was a kid then. He was playing ball
in the street with his friends when he
saw them carry his father home. He still
remembers it.
So it looked like my grandfather would
die, and what would happen to the family
was anybody's guess. Without the
breadwinner, things would be tough.
But then a miracle happened. At least, it
seemed like a miracle.
My grandfather lived.
He carried the scars of that accident for
the rest of his life -- but he lived. And
he even managed to go back to work at the
steel mill.
That's how it was back then.
That's why weight training in America was
always about training for strength AND health.
You had to be strong AND healthy. There was
no other way.
The desire to be healthy and strong led
tens of thousands of boys and men to physical
training. It's what put weightlifting on the
map in this country.
Health and strength. It was a good reason to
train back then -- and it's a good reason to
train today!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses (and my Dinosaur
Training DVD's) are available right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. The Legacy of Iron books cover the
history of the Iron Game in the United States.
If you're interested in learning more about
weight training and weightlifting "back in
the day," grab them:
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
P.S. 3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story covers
the career of one of America's greatest lifters
and gives you a detailed, behind the scenes look
at lifting in the 1930's, 40's and 50's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The more you move,
the more you work, the more exercise your
internal works receive." -- Bob Hoffman
I wanted to follow up on yesterday's
message about training to build
both your strength AND your health.
Weight training came into prominence
in the United States back in the 1920's
and 1930's.
Back then, a man had to work for a
living, and that often meant he worked
a manual labor job.
A man had to support his family.
There was no health insurance, no Medicare,
no Medicaid, no disability, no worker's
compensation, and no Social Security.
You HAD to be healthy to make a living and
to provide for your family.
Case in point -- my grandfather.
He was an immigrant from Slovakia. He came
the the United States when he was 16 years
old, and he ended up working in steel mills.
Hard, hot, heavy, sweaty, back-breaking
work.
He wasn't a big man by modern standards.
He weighed around 165 pounds. But he was
strong as an ox.
One day, a huge steel beam was hanging
overhead from a heavy chain. Without any
warning, the chain snapped. The beam came
smashing down on the workers below.
Somehow, they managed to get out of the
way.
All but one.
My grandfather.
The beam hit him on the side of the face,
broke his jaw, smashed his nose, crushed
his eye socket, knocked his eye out of his
head, and shattered his teeth.
There was no doctor or nursing station at
the steel plant. No ambulance. Not even a
stretcher.
His coworkers placed my grandfather on a
wooden board and carried him to a doctor's
office a couple of miles away.
The doctor said there was nothing he could
do.
So the men carried him home -- on the same
wooden board. They figured that's where he
would want to be when he died.
My dad was a kid then. He was playing ball
in the street with his friends when he
saw them carry his father home. He still
remembers it.
So it looked like my grandfather would
die, and what would happen to the family
was anybody's guess. Without the
breadwinner, things would be tough.
But then a miracle happened. At least, it
seemed like a miracle.
My grandfather lived.
He carried the scars of that accident for
the rest of his life -- but he lived. And
he even managed to go back to work at the
steel mill.
That's how it was back then.
That's why weight training in America was
always about training for strength AND health.
You had to be strong AND healthy. There was
no other way.
The desire to be healthy and strong led
tens of thousands of boys and men to physical
training. It's what put weightlifting on the
map in this country.
Health and strength. It was a good reason to
train back then -- and it's a good reason to
train today!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books and courses (and my Dinosaur
Training DVD's) are available right here at
Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. The Legacy of Iron books cover the
history of the Iron Game in the United States.
If you're interested in learning more about
weight training and weightlifting "back in
the day," grab them:
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
P.S. 3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story covers
the career of one of America's greatest lifters
and gives you a detailed, behind the scenes look
at lifting in the 1930's, 40's and 50's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The more you move,
the more you work, the more exercise your
internal works receive." -- Bob Hoffman
Build Your Strength to Build Your Health!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I did an interview on SuperHuman Radio
last week where we talked about workouts
that build health and workouts that don't.
(If you missed the live show, check it out
in the SHR archives -- it's show no. 976.)
Anyhow, it was an interesting show, and it
got me thinking.
In the old days, there was no difference
between training for strength and training
for health.
Look at the top magazine in the United
States. What was the title?
Strength and Health.
Look at the top magazine in England. What
was the title?
Health and Strength.
Back then, the leaders in the Iron Game
wanted you to train for both. Train for
strength -- and train for health.
And they believed that barbell training
was as effective for building health as
it was for building strength.
It was so effective that Bob Hoffman, the
editor and publisher of Strength and Health,
referred to barbells as IRON PILLS.
Hoffman had a theory about it. He believed
that a hard workout did two things: (1) it
provided exercise for the muscles (which
led to increases in strength), and (20 it
provided exercise for the internal organs
(the heart, lungs, digestive system, etc.)
and stimulated the body's glandular and
hormonal processes (which led to
improvements in overall health).
Hoffman made the point that you cannot do
a specific exercise for your internal organs.
Instead, you have to get them involved by
exercising the skeletal muscles. And in his
writing he made very clear that the most
important beneficial aspect of strength
training was its effect on the internal
organs.
The exercises that do the most to strengthen
your internal organs -- and thus, to build
your health -- also happen to be the best
all-around strength and muscle builders:
squats, deadlifts, cleans, clean and press,
snatches, etc. The BIG exercises. The ones
that make you do plenty of "puffing, panting
and perspiring." (Another Hoffman term --
and a good one.)
I have to admit it. I side with Bob Hoffman
on this one. To me, there's no difference
between training for strength and training
for health. If you train right, your
workouts will build both.
I don't care which one you put first. It can
be strength and health -- or it can be health
and strength. The important word is AND. It's
not OR. It's AND. They go together.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. if you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength (and health),
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Old school strength training is the number
one way to build strength and health -- and you
can learn all about it in Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, Strength, Muscle and Power,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, and my other
books, courses and DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the day: "Good health
is your most valuable asset -- and every
workout should add to your strength and
health savings account." -- Brooks Kubik
I did an interview on SuperHuman Radio
last week where we talked about workouts
that build health and workouts that don't.
(If you missed the live show, check it out
in the SHR archives -- it's show no. 976.)
Anyhow, it was an interesting show, and it
got me thinking.
In the old days, there was no difference
between training for strength and training
for health.
Look at the top magazine in the United
States. What was the title?
Strength and Health.
Look at the top magazine in England. What
was the title?
Health and Strength.
Back then, the leaders in the Iron Game
wanted you to train for both. Train for
strength -- and train for health.
And they believed that barbell training
was as effective for building health as
it was for building strength.
It was so effective that Bob Hoffman, the
editor and publisher of Strength and Health,
referred to barbells as IRON PILLS.
Hoffman had a theory about it. He believed
that a hard workout did two things: (1) it
provided exercise for the muscles (which
led to increases in strength), and (20 it
provided exercise for the internal organs
(the heart, lungs, digestive system, etc.)
and stimulated the body's glandular and
hormonal processes (which led to
improvements in overall health).
Hoffman made the point that you cannot do
a specific exercise for your internal organs.
Instead, you have to get them involved by
exercising the skeletal muscles. And in his
writing he made very clear that the most
important beneficial aspect of strength
training was its effect on the internal
organs.
The exercises that do the most to strengthen
your internal organs -- and thus, to build
your health -- also happen to be the best
all-around strength and muscle builders:
squats, deadlifts, cleans, clean and press,
snatches, etc. The BIG exercises. The ones
that make you do plenty of "puffing, panting
and perspiring." (Another Hoffman term --
and a good one.)
I have to admit it. I side with Bob Hoffman
on this one. To me, there's no difference
between training for strength and training
for health. If you train right, your
workouts will build both.
I don't care which one you put first. It can
be strength and health -- or it can be health
and strength. The important word is AND. It's
not OR. It's AND. They go together.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. if you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength (and health),
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Old school strength training is the number
one way to build strength and health -- and you
can learn all about it in Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, Strength, Muscle and Power,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, and my other
books, courses and DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the day: "Good health
is your most valuable asset -- and every
workout should add to your strength and
health savings account." -- Brooks Kubik
A Dinosaur Training Program for Great Gains!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of my readers wanted some tips on
starting a 5 x 5 program with a two-
way divided workout.
He's in his late twenties, and wants
to build his program around the basic,
compound exercises that Dinos know and
love.
So here's what he needs to do:
1. Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat. If you prefer, twice a week
will work fine.
2. Use two workouts -- Workout A and
Workout B. (See below for the workouts.)
Alternate back and forth from workout
to workout.
3. For the first month, do two to four
progressively heavier warm-up sets on
each exercises, followed by 3 x 5
working sets.
Note: Yes, I know this means you may
be doing 6 x 5 or 7 x 5, but that's
fine. Don't get hung up on 5 x 5. Take
your time and do the warm-up sets and
work up to the 3 x 5. The important
part of the workout is the 3 x 5, so
do whatever needs to be done to be
ready for those sets.
4. For the second month, do the same
progressively heavier warm-up sets
followed by 2 x 5 working sets.
Note: Your working sets will be heavier
now, so feel free to do an additional
warm-up set.
5. For the third month, do the same
progressively heavier warm-up sets
followed by 1 x 5 working sets.
Note: Again, with heavier work sets
you may want to add a warm-up set.
6. Here are the workouts:
Workout A
1. Squats or front squats
2. Bench press or dumbbell incline press
or dumbbell bench press
3. Pull-ups or barbell bent-over rowing
or one-arm dumbbell rowing
4. Gut, grip and neck work for a couple
of sets each
Workout B
1. Bent-legged deadlift with barbell or
Trap Bar
2. Military press, push press or dumbbell
press
3. Barbell or dumbbell curls
4. Optional: close grip bench press
5. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as in
Workout A
7. Since our lifter is new to 5 x 5, he should
start light and add weight in a progressive
fashion. With the right weight selection and
intelligent (brain driven rather than ego
driven) weight increases, he should not miss
a single rep during the first month of the
program -- or perhaps over the entire three
month program.
8. Intense concentration and mental focus will
double your results on this program -- see
Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training for details about the all-important
mental aspects of strength training.
9. Use the visualization techniques described
in Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training, as well. They make an incredible
difference.
10. Keep your mind filled with positive energy.
Read everything you can find about the old-time,
drug-free champions. My Legacy of Iron books,
my History's Strongest Men Training Courses,
and my huge -- almost 500 page -- biography of
World and Olympic Champion John Davis will do
the trick pretty darn well. You want to immerse
yourself in a world where men dare to dream
great dreams -- and then go out and achieve
them.
Okay, deep breath. That's a heck of a lot of
information. Go back and read it again -- or
read it later. Points 8, 9 and 10 are
particularly important.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. Volumes one and two of History's Strongest
Men and How They Trained are here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. My Legacy of Iron books are here:
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
P.S. 4. Black Iron: The John Davis Story, is right
here -- and it weighs in at close to 500 pages
of unbelievable lifting by one of the greatest
champions who ever lived:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "Train your mind the
same way you train your body. You have to do both."
-- Brooks Kubik
One of my readers wanted some tips on
starting a 5 x 5 program with a two-
way divided workout.
He's in his late twenties, and wants
to build his program around the basic,
compound exercises that Dinos know and
love.
So here's what he needs to do:
1. Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat. If you prefer, twice a week
will work fine.
2. Use two workouts -- Workout A and
Workout B. (See below for the workouts.)
Alternate back and forth from workout
to workout.
3. For the first month, do two to four
progressively heavier warm-up sets on
each exercises, followed by 3 x 5
working sets.
Note: Yes, I know this means you may
be doing 6 x 5 or 7 x 5, but that's
fine. Don't get hung up on 5 x 5. Take
your time and do the warm-up sets and
work up to the 3 x 5. The important
part of the workout is the 3 x 5, so
do whatever needs to be done to be
ready for those sets.
4. For the second month, do the same
progressively heavier warm-up sets
followed by 2 x 5 working sets.
Note: Your working sets will be heavier
now, so feel free to do an additional
warm-up set.
5. For the third month, do the same
progressively heavier warm-up sets
followed by 1 x 5 working sets.
Note: Again, with heavier work sets
you may want to add a warm-up set.
6. Here are the workouts:
Workout A
1. Squats or front squats
2. Bench press or dumbbell incline press
or dumbbell bench press
3. Pull-ups or barbell bent-over rowing
or one-arm dumbbell rowing
4. Gut, grip and neck work for a couple
of sets each
Workout B
1. Bent-legged deadlift with barbell or
Trap Bar
2. Military press, push press or dumbbell
press
3. Barbell or dumbbell curls
4. Optional: close grip bench press
5. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as in
Workout A
7. Since our lifter is new to 5 x 5, he should
start light and add weight in a progressive
fashion. With the right weight selection and
intelligent (brain driven rather than ego
driven) weight increases, he should not miss
a single rep during the first month of the
program -- or perhaps over the entire three
month program.
8. Intense concentration and mental focus will
double your results on this program -- see
Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training for details about the all-important
mental aspects of strength training.
9. Use the visualization techniques described
in Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training, as well. They make an incredible
difference.
10. Keep your mind filled with positive energy.
Read everything you can find about the old-time,
drug-free champions. My Legacy of Iron books,
my History's Strongest Men Training Courses,
and my huge -- almost 500 page -- biography of
World and Olympic Champion John Davis will do
the trick pretty darn well. You want to immerse
yourself in a world where men dare to dream
great dreams -- and then go out and achieve
them.
Okay, deep breath. That's a heck of a lot of
information. Go back and read it again -- or
read it later. Points 8, 9 and 10 are
particularly important.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. Volumes one and two of History's Strongest
Men and How They Trained are here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. My Legacy of Iron books are here:
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
P.S. 4. Black Iron: The John Davis Story, is right
here -- and it weighs in at close to 500 pages
of unbelievable lifting by one of the greatest
champions who ever lived:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "Train your mind the
same way you train your body. You have to do both."
-- Brooks Kubik
The Squat Rack Guy
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I rec'd a ton of feedback in response to
yesterday's post about bench press safety,
and thought I'd share some of it with you.
First of all -- half a dozen Dinos admitted
that they had gotten stuck under the bar
while benching alone at some time in
their career. Most of them were using a
bar without plates, so they tipped it and
let the plates slide off.
So, yes, this really does happen!
Second -- Dustin Winnekens sent in a winner
of an email. Check this out:
"I sold fitness equipment for five years,
and would routinely get the father and son
looking at weights. Often it was benches.
"Gotta get ready for football, gotta bulk
up, etc."
Based on that, I would show them a squat
rack. They would repeat that they wanted
a bench, and I would explain the benefits
of squats.
I would tell the boy, "Drink a lot of milk
and squat. You will grow."
I would demonstrate the wide variety of
exercises they could do on the rack. Then
I would get serious about safety. I would
show them how to set the safety bars. The
racks had numbers on them, and I would
write them on the back of my card for
their reference.
Withe the sale closed, I had one last
demonstration -- because it is generally
the last thing you do that sticks with
them. I would load the bar without
collars. I would lie on the bench and
act like I was struggling with the
weight on my chest. Then I would roll
to one side, and the weights would fall
off, and the bar would fly off my chest.
I would point to the son and say, "That
is how you will save your life."
Some people would say that the plates
would slide off if you lifted without
collars. I would tell them, "After each
set, look at the plates. That will tell
you where to work with auxiliary
exercises -- and it will tell
you how to improve your form."
I sold a lot of squat racks in my time.
People would come in and say, "I'm
looking for the squat rack guy."
Dustin"
Thanks for sharing that, Dustin! Sounds
like you steered plenty of kids in the
right direction -- and maybe you even
saved some kid's life!
By the way, I have a feeling that Dustin
is not the only Dino who's helped steer
newbies in the right direction -- straight
to the squat rack!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The top sellers this month are Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training, Dinosaur Training, Gray
Hair and Black Iron and my new John Grimek
Training course. You can find them right
here, along with my other books, courses and
DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. For more detail on power rack training,
grab a copy of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Everyone wants to
bench, but everyone needs to squat." --
Brooks Kubik
I rec'd a ton of feedback in response to
yesterday's post about bench press safety,
and thought I'd share some of it with you.
First of all -- half a dozen Dinos admitted
that they had gotten stuck under the bar
while benching alone at some time in
their career. Most of them were using a
bar without plates, so they tipped it and
let the plates slide off.
So, yes, this really does happen!
Second -- Dustin Winnekens sent in a winner
of an email. Check this out:
"I sold fitness equipment for five years,
and would routinely get the father and son
looking at weights. Often it was benches.
"Gotta get ready for football, gotta bulk
up, etc."
Based on that, I would show them a squat
rack. They would repeat that they wanted
a bench, and I would explain the benefits
of squats.
I would tell the boy, "Drink a lot of milk
and squat. You will grow."
I would demonstrate the wide variety of
exercises they could do on the rack. Then
I would get serious about safety. I would
show them how to set the safety bars. The
racks had numbers on them, and I would
write them on the back of my card for
their reference.
Withe the sale closed, I had one last
demonstration -- because it is generally
the last thing you do that sticks with
them. I would load the bar without
collars. I would lie on the bench and
act like I was struggling with the
weight on my chest. Then I would roll
to one side, and the weights would fall
off, and the bar would fly off my chest.
I would point to the son and say, "That
is how you will save your life."
Some people would say that the plates
would slide off if you lifted without
collars. I would tell them, "After each
set, look at the plates. That will tell
you where to work with auxiliary
exercises -- and it will tell
you how to improve your form."
I sold a lot of squat racks in my time.
People would come in and say, "I'm
looking for the squat rack guy."
Dustin"
Thanks for sharing that, Dustin! Sounds
like you steered plenty of kids in the
right direction -- and maybe you even
saved some kid's life!
By the way, I have a feeling that Dustin
is not the only Dino who's helped steer
newbies in the right direction -- straight
to the squat rack!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The top sellers this month are Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training, Dinosaur Training, Gray
Hair and Black Iron and my new John Grimek
Training course. You can find them right
here, along with my other books, courses and
DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. For more detail on power rack training,
grab a copy of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Everyone wants to
bench, but everyone needs to squat." --
Brooks Kubik
How to Save Your Life
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Several days ago a young lifter was training
alone and got pinned under a bench press bar.
He died.
Unfortunately, that kind of thing happens more
often than you would imagine. And sometimes it
happens to some pretty strong, pretty experienced
lifters.
Heck, it almost happened to me once. I was
lifting by myself in a college weight room one
Saturday afternoon -- and I was hitting what I
thought were some "easy" benches -- but I missed
my last rep with 295 or 305 pounds pounds, and
I got pinned under the bar.
Luckily, I was able to roll it down to my
hips and sit-up -- and wrestle it to the
floor. But my upper body was black and blue
for weeks -- and it could have been much
worse.
I was 22 or 23 at the time -- old enough to
know better -- but I didn't.
And I'm not the only guy who's had that
experience. I can think of half a dozen
Dinos who are strong, serious, dedicated
and intelligent lifters -- who made the
same mistake. (Most of them got out from
under the bar by tipping it to let the
plates side off one side. Good thing they
weren't using collars!)
So let me throw out some suggestions that
just might save your life someday:
1. NEVER bench alone without a spotter unless
you use a power rack or safety bars set to
catch the weight at your chest if you miss.
1A. NEVER means "never."
2. If you don't have a power rack or safety
bars, then do dumbbell bench presses.
2A, Reg Park did lots of heavy dumbbell bench
presses. Worked for him -- and they'll work
for you.
3. If you don't like dumbbell bench presses,
try incline dumbbell bench presses.
3A. Favorite exercise of Clancy Ross and
George Eiferman -- and they had pretty good
chest development!
4. If it's too hard to clean a pair of heavy
dumbbells and get into position for dumbbell
bench presses or dumbbell incline presses, try
a one arm version of either exercise. Use two
hands to lift the dumbbell into position and
use one hand to do the presses. Then use two
hands to return it to the floor. Alternate
arms from set to set.
5. Do pushups. No one ever died doing pushups
without a spotter.
5A. See Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for tons
of great pushup variations:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
5B. Don't do dips. They're too hard on the
shoulders. Do pushups instead. I get plenty
of emails from readers who hurt their shoulders
doing dips -- and some of these have been pretty
bad injuries that took a l-o-n-g time to heal.
6. Skip the benches and do overhead presses
or push presses.
7. Skip the benches and do some extra leg or
back work.
8. Important: even with a spotter, don't bench
with a thumbless grip. It's too easy for the bar
to roll out of your hands. I've seen this happen
at National Powerlifting Championships -- and once
it happened so fast (to a National Champion and
American Record Holder) that the spotters didn't
catch it.
8A. Related point -- same reason -- never do
bench presses to the neck. if the bar falls on
your chest, that's bad. If it falls on your neck,
that's real bad.
9. Also important: the typical guy at the gym
is almost as bad as no spotter at all. Always
lift with a spotter you know and trust.
10. And finally: Thick bar benches are great,
but ONLY if you do them in a power rack or with
safety bars. Why? Because your spotter is not
going to be able to catch a falling thick bar
if it's loaded with a heavy weight.
10A. Think about it. Does your spotter really
have that strong of a grip?
This is important stuff, so feel free to share
it. Let's get the word out. It saves lives.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The power rack is not only a safety device,
it's a terrific piece of training equipment. See
Strength, Muscle and Power and Dinosaur Training
for details on how to incorporate rack work into
your training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Rule number one in
training is not to kill yourself. Rule number two
is not to hurt yourself. Rule number three is to
train hard but intelligently. Most people have
never heard of any of these rules." -- Brooks
Kubik
Several days ago a young lifter was training
alone and got pinned under a bench press bar.
He died.
Unfortunately, that kind of thing happens more
often than you would imagine. And sometimes it
happens to some pretty strong, pretty experienced
lifters.
Heck, it almost happened to me once. I was
lifting by myself in a college weight room one
Saturday afternoon -- and I was hitting what I
thought were some "easy" benches -- but I missed
my last rep with 295 or 305 pounds pounds, and
I got pinned under the bar.
Luckily, I was able to roll it down to my
hips and sit-up -- and wrestle it to the
floor. But my upper body was black and blue
for weeks -- and it could have been much
worse.
I was 22 or 23 at the time -- old enough to
know better -- but I didn't.
And I'm not the only guy who's had that
experience. I can think of half a dozen
Dinos who are strong, serious, dedicated
and intelligent lifters -- who made the
same mistake. (Most of them got out from
under the bar by tipping it to let the
plates side off one side. Good thing they
weren't using collars!)
So let me throw out some suggestions that
just might save your life someday:
1. NEVER bench alone without a spotter unless
you use a power rack or safety bars set to
catch the weight at your chest if you miss.
1A. NEVER means "never."
2. If you don't have a power rack or safety
bars, then do dumbbell bench presses.
2A, Reg Park did lots of heavy dumbbell bench
presses. Worked for him -- and they'll work
for you.
3. If you don't like dumbbell bench presses,
try incline dumbbell bench presses.
3A. Favorite exercise of Clancy Ross and
George Eiferman -- and they had pretty good
chest development!
4. If it's too hard to clean a pair of heavy
dumbbells and get into position for dumbbell
bench presses or dumbbell incline presses, try
a one arm version of either exercise. Use two
hands to lift the dumbbell into position and
use one hand to do the presses. Then use two
hands to return it to the floor. Alternate
arms from set to set.
5. Do pushups. No one ever died doing pushups
without a spotter.
5A. See Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for tons
of great pushup variations:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
5B. Don't do dips. They're too hard on the
shoulders. Do pushups instead. I get plenty
of emails from readers who hurt their shoulders
doing dips -- and some of these have been pretty
bad injuries that took a l-o-n-g time to heal.
6. Skip the benches and do overhead presses
or push presses.
7. Skip the benches and do some extra leg or
back work.
8. Important: even with a spotter, don't bench
with a thumbless grip. It's too easy for the bar
to roll out of your hands. I've seen this happen
at National Powerlifting Championships -- and once
it happened so fast (to a National Champion and
American Record Holder) that the spotters didn't
catch it.
8A. Related point -- same reason -- never do
bench presses to the neck. if the bar falls on
your chest, that's bad. If it falls on your neck,
that's real bad.
9. Also important: the typical guy at the gym
is almost as bad as no spotter at all. Always
lift with a spotter you know and trust.
10. And finally: Thick bar benches are great,
but ONLY if you do them in a power rack or with
safety bars. Why? Because your spotter is not
going to be able to catch a falling thick bar
if it's loaded with a heavy weight.
10A. Think about it. Does your spotter really
have that strong of a grip?
This is important stuff, so feel free to share
it. Let's get the word out. It saves lives.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The power rack is not only a safety device,
it's a terrific piece of training equipment. See
Strength, Muscle and Power and Dinosaur Training
for details on how to incorporate rack work into
your training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Rule number one in
training is not to kill yourself. Rule number two
is not to hurt yourself. Rule number three is to
train hard but intelligently. Most people have
never heard of any of these rules." -- Brooks
Kubik
Special Advice for Older Lifters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I want to begin by thanking everyone
who shot in a response to my question
about a book (or a book and DVD) on
Dumbbell Training.
I try to make my books and courses as
interesting and useful as possible --
so it really helps to get your thoughts
and feedback.
And there's been some GREAT feedback.
One reader suggested that I talk about
a particular lifter who was famous for
his dumbbell lifting many and many years
ago. I probably wouldn't have included
him -- but now I will. So that's how it
works. (Thanks, Bill!)
Another reader suggested a particular
twist on an old-school exercise. Once
again, it was something that probably
wouldn't have made it in -- but it was
a good exercise, a good suggestion, and
it's going to go in. Again, that's how
it works. (Thanks, Don!)
And even if you didn't suggest anything
particular for the book, your feedback
was very important. When I ask if you're
interested in something, I really need
to know. There are so many different
things I could be covering that I need
to know what YOU want -- and so I ask --
and I pay close attention to the
responses.
If there's a lot of interest, we'll do
it -- and if there's not, we'll do
something else.
So to everyone who shot in a response about
the Dumbbell book (or DVD) -- THANK YOU!
On the training front, I've been getting
lots of questions about training for older
lifters. For some reason, many of them have
been something along the lines of "Is it
possible to build strength and muscle
after age 40 (or 50, or 60, or whatever)?"
Here's the honest answer:
1. The bad news: The older you are, the harder
it is to build strength and muscle.
2. The good news: The older you are, the more
your training will improve and enhance your
life.
2A. You don't need to be an Olympic class
athlete at age 50 or 60. You need to be strong,
lean, healthy and fit. Regular training and a
good diet is what will get you there -- and
keep you there.
3. If you are a newbie, no matter what your age,
you can make some very very good gains.
4. If you are an experienced lifter -- with 20,
30, 40 or 50 years of training under your
belt -- you're not going to make spectacular
gains. But you ARE going to find it relatively
easy to stay in great shape with regular workouts.
5. Very important: Most older lifters find that
they enjoy their workouts more and more as they
get older. I'm not sure why that is. It may be
that as you get older you tend to realize that
some things in life (such as training) are
more important than other things (such as
chasing wampum or trying to one-up the
neighbors). Or maybe it's just fun to be
stronger and better conditioned than most
men half your age.
Thirty years ago, when I was a young lawyer,
I had a case against an older lawyer who was
in his late 80's or early 90's. He had been
trying cases for more than 60 years. he could
have retired two or three decades earlier, but
he enjoyed trying cases and so he kept on doing
it.
I remember what he said to me one day:
"I'd rather try a case to a jury than eat
steak."
That's how many (perhaps most) older lifters feel
about their training.
"I'd rather hit the iron (or a hard bodyweight
workout) than eat steak."
Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
You can go out and train and then treat yourself
to a nice rare steak (with a fresh salad and some
cooked veggies). And yes, that will DEFINITELY
help keep you young!
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the numero uno
book for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Older trainees (or trainees of any age)
who want to include bodyweight exercises should
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. If you want to see how I celebrated my
54th birthday -- by hitting the iron -- grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. For older beginners (or beginners of any
age), nothing beats the beginner's programs in
Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "The iron never
worries about a little rust. Neither should you."
-- Brooks Kubik
I want to begin by thanking everyone
who shot in a response to my question
about a book (or a book and DVD) on
Dumbbell Training.
I try to make my books and courses as
interesting and useful as possible --
so it really helps to get your thoughts
and feedback.
And there's been some GREAT feedback.
One reader suggested that I talk about
a particular lifter who was famous for
his dumbbell lifting many and many years
ago. I probably wouldn't have included
him -- but now I will. So that's how it
works. (Thanks, Bill!)
Another reader suggested a particular
twist on an old-school exercise. Once
again, it was something that probably
wouldn't have made it in -- but it was
a good exercise, a good suggestion, and
it's going to go in. Again, that's how
it works. (Thanks, Don!)
And even if you didn't suggest anything
particular for the book, your feedback
was very important. When I ask if you're
interested in something, I really need
to know. There are so many different
things I could be covering that I need
to know what YOU want -- and so I ask --
and I pay close attention to the
responses.
If there's a lot of interest, we'll do
it -- and if there's not, we'll do
something else.
So to everyone who shot in a response about
the Dumbbell book (or DVD) -- THANK YOU!
On the training front, I've been getting
lots of questions about training for older
lifters. For some reason, many of them have
been something along the lines of "Is it
possible to build strength and muscle
after age 40 (or 50, or 60, or whatever)?"
Here's the honest answer:
1. The bad news: The older you are, the harder
it is to build strength and muscle.
2. The good news: The older you are, the more
your training will improve and enhance your
life.
2A. You don't need to be an Olympic class
athlete at age 50 or 60. You need to be strong,
lean, healthy and fit. Regular training and a
good diet is what will get you there -- and
keep you there.
3. If you are a newbie, no matter what your age,
you can make some very very good gains.
4. If you are an experienced lifter -- with 20,
30, 40 or 50 years of training under your
belt -- you're not going to make spectacular
gains. But you ARE going to find it relatively
easy to stay in great shape with regular workouts.
5. Very important: Most older lifters find that
they enjoy their workouts more and more as they
get older. I'm not sure why that is. It may be
that as you get older you tend to realize that
some things in life (such as training) are
more important than other things (such as
chasing wampum or trying to one-up the
neighbors). Or maybe it's just fun to be
stronger and better conditioned than most
men half your age.
Thirty years ago, when I was a young lawyer,
I had a case against an older lawyer who was
in his late 80's or early 90's. He had been
trying cases for more than 60 years. he could
have retired two or three decades earlier, but
he enjoyed trying cases and so he kept on doing
it.
I remember what he said to me one day:
"I'd rather try a case to a jury than eat
steak."
That's how many (perhaps most) older lifters feel
about their training.
"I'd rather hit the iron (or a hard bodyweight
workout) than eat steak."
Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
You can go out and train and then treat yourself
to a nice rare steak (with a fresh salad and some
cooked veggies). And yes, that will DEFINITELY
help keep you young!
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the numero uno
book for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Older trainees (or trainees of any age)
who want to include bodyweight exercises should
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. If you want to see how I celebrated my
54th birthday -- by hitting the iron -- grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. For older beginners (or beginners of any
age), nothing beats the beginner's programs in
Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "The iron never
worries about a little rust. Neither should you."
-- Brooks Kubik
A Dinosaur Tidal Wave -- and a Superman from 1905!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Last Friday I sent an email with a
question for the Dinosaurs.
I asked whether you'd be interested
in a book or course on Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- or perhaps a
book or course combined with a DVD
to show EXACTLY how to do the
different exercises.
I said that if enough of you were
interested, I'd tackle the project.
So you're probably wondering what
happened . . .
Well, it was a little like one of
those disaster movies where there's
a tidal wave and a huge flood and it
washes everything away.
There was a HUGE response. My in-box
was flooded.
So now I've added a Dumbbell book and
DVD to the "Things to Do" list.
In fact, I've started on it.
Right now, I'm researching some great
dumbbell lifters of the past.
And catch this -- over 100 years ago,
there was a strongman who lived in
Vienna, Austria.
His name was Josef Steinbach. He won
the World Weightlifting Championship
in the Heavyweight class in 1904, 1905
and 1906.
Back then, they used heavy dumbbells
in their training -- and sometimes,
they included heavy dumbbell lifts in
their competitions.
How heavy?
Well, consider Steinbach's two dumbbell
clean and jerk way back on September 19,
1905.
Three hundred and thirty-five pounds.
That's a pair of 167.5 pound dumbbells.
One in each hand.
First he wrestles them up to his
shoulders -- and then he jerks them
overhead.
That's the kind of lifter I'm researching --
and that's the kind of strength and power
that you can build with the right kind of
dumbbell training.
Anyhow, I'm jamming and slamming -- working
on the Dumbbell book, the Diet and Nutrition
book, and the next issue of The Dinosaur Files
newsletter. So things are as busy as a bear
in a honey tree -- or a bundle of beavers --
or, well, pick your metaphor, you know what
I'm trying to say.
Thanks to everyone who shot in a response,
and I'll keep you posted on my progress.
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 the very best in real world, super
effective strength training and muscle
building, grab any of my Dinosaur Training
books, courses or DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. I'll be on SuperHuman Radio today
at 1:00 EST -- catch the live broadcast or
listen to the download later on. We'll be
talking about workouts that hurt you more
than they help you. It's an important topic,
especially for older Dinos, so don't miss
it:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train smart,
and train smarter as you get older."
-- Brooks Kubik
Last Friday I sent an email with a
question for the Dinosaurs.
I asked whether you'd be interested
in a book or course on Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- or perhaps a
book or course combined with a DVD
to show EXACTLY how to do the
different exercises.
I said that if enough of you were
interested, I'd tackle the project.
So you're probably wondering what
happened . . .
Well, it was a little like one of
those disaster movies where there's
a tidal wave and a huge flood and it
washes everything away.
There was a HUGE response. My in-box
was flooded.
So now I've added a Dumbbell book and
DVD to the "Things to Do" list.
In fact, I've started on it.
Right now, I'm researching some great
dumbbell lifters of the past.
And catch this -- over 100 years ago,
there was a strongman who lived in
Vienna, Austria.
His name was Josef Steinbach. He won
the World Weightlifting Championship
in the Heavyweight class in 1904, 1905
and 1906.
Back then, they used heavy dumbbells
in their training -- and sometimes,
they included heavy dumbbell lifts in
their competitions.
How heavy?
Well, consider Steinbach's two dumbbell
clean and jerk way back on September 19,
1905.
Three hundred and thirty-five pounds.
That's a pair of 167.5 pound dumbbells.
One in each hand.
First he wrestles them up to his
shoulders -- and then he jerks them
overhead.
That's the kind of lifter I'm researching --
and that's the kind of strength and power
that you can build with the right kind of
dumbbell training.
Anyhow, I'm jamming and slamming -- working
on the Dumbbell book, the Diet and Nutrition
book, and the next issue of The Dinosaur Files
newsletter. So things are as busy as a bear
in a honey tree -- or a bundle of beavers --
or, well, pick your metaphor, you know what
I'm trying to say.
Thanks to everyone who shot in a response,
and I'll keep you posted on my progress.
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 the very best in real world, super
effective strength training and muscle
building, grab any of my Dinosaur Training
books, courses or DVD's:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. I'll be on SuperHuman Radio today
at 1:00 EST -- catch the live broadcast or
listen to the download later on. We'll be
talking about workouts that hurt you more
than they help you. It's an important topic,
especially for older Dinos, so don't miss
it:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train smart,
and train smarter as you get older."
-- Brooks Kubik
A Question for the Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
You guys like to keep me busy!
Here I am working on my diet and
nutrition book -- and getting ready
for my London seminar in June -- and
training like heck out in the
garage -- and I send a post about
some of the new things I'm going
to be teaching in London about
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training --
-- and the next thing you know, I'm
flooded with emails and Facebook posts
from Dinos who want to see a book or
a course or a DVD covering the latest
in Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.
I've always believed in asking you
want you'd like to see me cover --
and in covering it if enough Dinos
are interested.
So I need to ask the question:
Would you like to see a book or course
covering the latest developments in
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training?
Old exercises.
New exercises.
Some really cool exercise combinations.
Dumbbell workouts for Dinos.
Step by step "how to do it" instruction.
All exercises illustrated with photos
where I show you the movement from start
to finish.
Photos and stories of the great old-time
champions and some of their incredible
dumbbell lifts.
We could even do a DVD and offer the book
or course along with the DVD.
If this sounds interesting, shoot me an
email, and let me know!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training, Gray Hair and Black Iron and my
other books and courses are right here at
Dino Headquarters -- and they're your
number one ticket to strength, muscle
and might:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save major clams on s&h by ordering
two or more books or courses together!
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Never stop
learning. The more you learn about training,
the better." -- Brooks Kubik
You guys like to keep me busy!
Here I am working on my diet and
nutrition book -- and getting ready
for my London seminar in June -- and
training like heck out in the
garage -- and I send a post about
some of the new things I'm going
to be teaching in London about
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training --
-- and the next thing you know, I'm
flooded with emails and Facebook posts
from Dinos who want to see a book or
a course or a DVD covering the latest
in Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.
I've always believed in asking you
want you'd like to see me cover --
and in covering it if enough Dinos
are interested.
So I need to ask the question:
Would you like to see a book or course
covering the latest developments in
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training?
Old exercises.
New exercises.
Some really cool exercise combinations.
Dumbbell workouts for Dinos.
Step by step "how to do it" instruction.
All exercises illustrated with photos
where I show you the movement from start
to finish.
Photos and stories of the great old-time
champions and some of their incredible
dumbbell lifts.
We could even do a DVD and offer the book
or course along with the DVD.
If this sounds interesting, shoot me an
email, and let me know!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training, Gray Hair and Black Iron and my
other books and courses are right here at
Dino Headquarters -- and they're your
number one ticket to strength, muscle
and might:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save major clams on s&h by ordering
two or more books or courses together!
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Never stop
learning. The more you learn about training,
the better." -- Brooks Kubik
How to Stay Two Steps Ahead of Father Time!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of our older (age 60 or so) Dinos
had a question.
He's been training for pretty much his
entire life, he's in good health, and
he's always been pretty strong. He's
still pretty strong -- for example,
he pulls 405 pounds for two sets of
five reps in the deadlift.
He asked if he can expect BIG GAINS
given his current strength level, his
forty-plus years of training and his
age.
The answer depends on what you mean by
BIG GAINS.
If you're talking about adding fifty
pounds of muscle and hundreds of pounds
to your squat, bench press, and deadlift
(and fifty or more pounds to your press),
then, no, it's not going to happen.
Not after forty or fifty years of training.
The younger guys -- especially the newbies
or the guys who are new to serious Dino-style
training -- can do it. But the veterans have
already made those kind of fast, flashy
gains. They did it when they were coming
up the ladder.
An older lifter with many years of lifting
experience can make good gains, but they'll
be slower.
But for an older lifter, slow but steady
progress is pretty impressive.
Why?
Because most people stop training in their
teens or twenties. If you keep on training,
you are doing way better than most -- and
by age 50 or 60 you'll be so far ahead of
the other guys your age that's not even a
close contest.
I mean, just look at the other guys.
You look down, see a heavy barbell, and lift
it.
They look down, see nothing but a big belly,
and waddle off to the dinner table for a
couple of Blimpo Burgers, a double order of
Triple Size Me Fries and some sort of death
by sugar cola drink.
If they're SKINNY older guys instead of FAT
older guys, then the difference is this:
You toss heavy iron around like it was made
out of feathers.
They'd struggle to lift the feathers.
That's a pretty big difference -- and it's a
pretty good reason to keep on training. Your
training is what got you where you are today
(light years ahead of your peers), and it's
what's going to keep you there.
In my book, the gains you make in your fifties
and sixties -- or beyond -- are the ones that
count the most.
So whatever your age, keep on lifting -- and
keep on staying strong!
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 best book ever written about
serious strength training and muscle building
for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older trainees like to combine
weight training and bodyweight training -- and
they love the bodyweight exercises and workouts
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The best way to stay
ahead of Father Time is to outlift him." -- Brooks
Kubik
One of our older (age 60 or so) Dinos
had a question.
He's been training for pretty much his
entire life, he's in good health, and
he's always been pretty strong. He's
still pretty strong -- for example,
he pulls 405 pounds for two sets of
five reps in the deadlift.
He asked if he can expect BIG GAINS
given his current strength level, his
forty-plus years of training and his
age.
The answer depends on what you mean by
BIG GAINS.
If you're talking about adding fifty
pounds of muscle and hundreds of pounds
to your squat, bench press, and deadlift
(and fifty or more pounds to your press),
then, no, it's not going to happen.
Not after forty or fifty years of training.
The younger guys -- especially the newbies
or the guys who are new to serious Dino-style
training -- can do it. But the veterans have
already made those kind of fast, flashy
gains. They did it when they were coming
up the ladder.
An older lifter with many years of lifting
experience can make good gains, but they'll
be slower.
But for an older lifter, slow but steady
progress is pretty impressive.
Why?
Because most people stop training in their
teens or twenties. If you keep on training,
you are doing way better than most -- and
by age 50 or 60 you'll be so far ahead of
the other guys your age that's not even a
close contest.
I mean, just look at the other guys.
You look down, see a heavy barbell, and lift
it.
They look down, see nothing but a big belly,
and waddle off to the dinner table for a
couple of Blimpo Burgers, a double order of
Triple Size Me Fries and some sort of death
by sugar cola drink.
If they're SKINNY older guys instead of FAT
older guys, then the difference is this:
You toss heavy iron around like it was made
out of feathers.
They'd struggle to lift the feathers.
That's a pretty big difference -- and it's a
pretty good reason to keep on training. Your
training is what got you where you are today
(light years ahead of your peers), and it's
what's going to keep you there.
In my book, the gains you make in your fifties
and sixties -- or beyond -- are the ones that
count the most.
So whatever your age, keep on lifting -- and
keep on staying strong!
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 best book ever written about
serious strength training and muscle building
for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older trainees like to combine
weight training and bodyweight training -- and
they love the bodyweight exercises and workouts
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The best way to stay
ahead of Father Time is to outlift him." -- Brooks
Kubik
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I did some heavy dumbbell training.
It was a hot day, and the sweat was flying.
And so were the dumbbells!
My approach to dumbbell training is 100 percent
old school. The old-timers used dumbbells for a
variety of different lifts -- mainly overhead
lifts.
Some of the favorites were:
1. One-hand dumbbell swings
2. Two dumbbell swings
3. The one-dumbbell clean and press
4. The two dumbbell clean and press
5. Dumbbell bent presses
6. The one-dumbbell clean and jerk
7. The two-dumbbell clean and jerk
8. The one-hand dumbbell snatch (using
a single dumbbell)
9. The two-dumbbell snatch
10. Dumbbell side presses
11. The two dumbbell clean and alternate
(or see-saw style) press
12. Overhead squats performed with one
dumbbell
13. Overhead squats performed with two
dumbbells
14. The two dumbbell curl and press
15. Dumbbell deadlifts using two dumbbells
Today, many trainees have never even heard
of these exercises, much less seen them --
and hardly anyone uses them.
That's a shame, because the old-school
dumbbell lifts build serious strength and
muscle.
Fifteen years ago I followed a special program
of all-dumbbell training two days a week, and
one workout where I did squats. It was a great
program. The dumbbell training and the squats
were a perfect combination for building
strength and muscle.
One of my readers asked how to perform a two
dumbbell clean and press. He said he had never
seen anyone do it. That led me to film my first
training video, The Lost Art of Dumbbell
Training.
Like me, it was old-school. We filmed it in the
original Dino Dungeon, and there's chalk flying
everywhere, and tons and tons of heavy lifting.
I work up to 151 pounds in the one-hand dumbbell
swing and the one-hand dumbbell clean and push
press -- and that's a lot of weight to toss over
your head with one hand. Fun stuff!
Anyhow, yesterday was dumbbell day -- and it
was a great workout!
Give dumbbells a try. You'll like them!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I transferred the Dumbbell Training
video to DVD -- and you can find it (along
with my other DVD's right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. I also have a set of seven killer
DVD's that cover Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.
I haven't had time to put a link up on the
website, but if you're interested, shoot me
an email and I'll tell you how to order
them! Of course, the Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training book is also available -- and it's
one of our most popular books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Dumbbell training
is fun -- and effective!" -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday I did some heavy dumbbell training.
It was a hot day, and the sweat was flying.
And so were the dumbbells!
My approach to dumbbell training is 100 percent
old school. The old-timers used dumbbells for a
variety of different lifts -- mainly overhead
lifts.
Some of the favorites were:
1. One-hand dumbbell swings
2. Two dumbbell swings
3. The one-dumbbell clean and press
4. The two dumbbell clean and press
5. Dumbbell bent presses
6. The one-dumbbell clean and jerk
7. The two-dumbbell clean and jerk
8. The one-hand dumbbell snatch (using
a single dumbbell)
9. The two-dumbbell snatch
10. Dumbbell side presses
11. The two dumbbell clean and alternate
(or see-saw style) press
12. Overhead squats performed with one
dumbbell
13. Overhead squats performed with two
dumbbells
14. The two dumbbell curl and press
15. Dumbbell deadlifts using two dumbbells
Today, many trainees have never even heard
of these exercises, much less seen them --
and hardly anyone uses them.
That's a shame, because the old-school
dumbbell lifts build serious strength and
muscle.
Fifteen years ago I followed a special program
of all-dumbbell training two days a week, and
one workout where I did squats. It was a great
program. The dumbbell training and the squats
were a perfect combination for building
strength and muscle.
One of my readers asked how to perform a two
dumbbell clean and press. He said he had never
seen anyone do it. That led me to film my first
training video, The Lost Art of Dumbbell
Training.
Like me, it was old-school. We filmed it in the
original Dino Dungeon, and there's chalk flying
everywhere, and tons and tons of heavy lifting.
I work up to 151 pounds in the one-hand dumbbell
swing and the one-hand dumbbell clean and push
press -- and that's a lot of weight to toss over
your head with one hand. Fun stuff!
Anyhow, yesterday was dumbbell day -- and it
was a great workout!
Give dumbbells a try. You'll like them!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I transferred the Dumbbell Training
video to DVD -- and you can find it (along
with my other DVD's right here:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. I also have a set of seven killer
DVD's that cover Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.
I haven't had time to put a link up on the
website, but if you're interested, shoot me
an email and I'll tell you how to order
them! Of course, the Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training book is also available -- and it's
one of our most popular books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Dumbbell training
is fun -- and effective!" -- Brooks Kubik
Try this Old-School Workout!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A quick note, and then I'm going to
share a really nice workout with you.
QUICK NOTE:
I'm going to be interviewed on SuperHuman
Radio at 1:00 p.m. EST today. Catch it
live or listen later on the download
at the SHR website.
THE WORKOUT:
Here's a short, sweet but effective
workout from one of my favorite books:
Weight Training in Athletics, written
by Jim Murray and Dr. Peter Karpovich
and published way back in 1956.
It's a training program for shot putters,
but it makes a pretty good all-around
strength and power program. Not perfect,
but pretty good.
I'll give you the workout first, and then
some comments.
1. Light clean and press -- 1 x 10
Note: This is your warm-up exercise.
Keep it light.
2. Alternate dumbbell press, performing
five reps with each hand -- 4 x 5
Note: Start light and add weight on each
set. The final set should be hard and
heavy.
3. Squat 4 x 5
Note: Same weight progression as the
dumbbell presses.
4. Light pullover -- 1 x 10
Note: This is a breathing exercise, so
keep it light.
5. Twisting sit-up, knees bent -- 1 x 20
Note: Use an abdominal board if possible,
and add weight when you can.
6. Incline press -- 4 x 5
Note: Same weight progression as dumbbell
presses and squats.
Some comments:
1. The program needs a heavy back exercise.
Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts would work
well. So would power cleans, high pulls or
power snatches.
2. The program is designed as a three day
per week program. It might would work better
use a divided workout schedule, especially if
you add a back exercise. For example, try doing
the dumbbell presses, squats and pullovers in
one workout, and do your back exercise, incline
presses and sit-ups another day.
3. This program would work well as a strength
and muscle mass program.
4. Some grip work would be a nice addition.
5. If you prefer to do 5 x 5 or 6 x 5 or even
7 x 5, that's fine.
6. If you do power cleans, high pulls or power
snatches, you may do better by using lower reps.
Triples, doubles and singles would work well.
7. Note that the program is short enough to
include your choice of a finisher, or some
sprints or other cardio work, at the end of
the workout.
All in all, this is an excellent program.
Give it a try and see how you like it!
For other super-effective, Dino-style
workouts, see Dinosaur Training, Chalk
and Sweat, and Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Older trainees (age 35 and up) can find over
50 killer workouts in Gray Hair and Black Iron --
which is mandatory reading for older lifters:
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. For other old-school workouts, grab my
Dinosaur Training Courses:
1. Dinosaur Arm Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
2. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 1, Doug Hepburn
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
3. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 2, John Grimek
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
4. The Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
Note: Save wampum on shipping and handling by
ordering two or more books or courses together.
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Effective training is
like a knockout punch: short and hard." -- Brooks
Kubik
A quick note, and then I'm going to
share a really nice workout with you.
QUICK NOTE:
I'm going to be interviewed on SuperHuman
Radio at 1:00 p.m. EST today. Catch it
live or listen later on the download
at the SHR website.
THE WORKOUT:
Here's a short, sweet but effective
workout from one of my favorite books:
Weight Training in Athletics, written
by Jim Murray and Dr. Peter Karpovich
and published way back in 1956.
It's a training program for shot putters,
but it makes a pretty good all-around
strength and power program. Not perfect,
but pretty good.
I'll give you the workout first, and then
some comments.
1. Light clean and press -- 1 x 10
Note: This is your warm-up exercise.
Keep it light.
2. Alternate dumbbell press, performing
five reps with each hand -- 4 x 5
Note: Start light and add weight on each
set. The final set should be hard and
heavy.
3. Squat 4 x 5
Note: Same weight progression as the
dumbbell presses.
4. Light pullover -- 1 x 10
Note: This is a breathing exercise, so
keep it light.
5. Twisting sit-up, knees bent -- 1 x 20
Note: Use an abdominal board if possible,
and add weight when you can.
6. Incline press -- 4 x 5
Note: Same weight progression as dumbbell
presses and squats.
Some comments:
1. The program needs a heavy back exercise.
Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts would work
well. So would power cleans, high pulls or
power snatches.
2. The program is designed as a three day
per week program. It might would work better
use a divided workout schedule, especially if
you add a back exercise. For example, try doing
the dumbbell presses, squats and pullovers in
one workout, and do your back exercise, incline
presses and sit-ups another day.
3. This program would work well as a strength
and muscle mass program.
4. Some grip work would be a nice addition.
5. If you prefer to do 5 x 5 or 6 x 5 or even
7 x 5, that's fine.
6. If you do power cleans, high pulls or power
snatches, you may do better by using lower reps.
Triples, doubles and singles would work well.
7. Note that the program is short enough to
include your choice of a finisher, or some
sprints or other cardio work, at the end of
the workout.
All in all, this is an excellent program.
Give it a try and see how you like it!
For other super-effective, Dino-style
workouts, see Dinosaur Training, Chalk
and Sweat, and Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Older trainees (age 35 and up) can find over
50 killer workouts in Gray Hair and Black Iron --
which is mandatory reading for older lifters:
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. For other old-school workouts, grab my
Dinosaur Training Courses:
1. Dinosaur Arm Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
2. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 1, Doug Hepburn
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
3. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 2, John Grimek
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
4. The Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
Note: Save wampum on shipping and handling by
ordering two or more books or courses together.
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Effective training is
like a knockout punch: short and hard." -- Brooks
Kubik
Sitting Here Shaking my Head . . .
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm sitting here shaking my head as I
type this.
I'm looking at a training program that
appeared in an old magazine back in
the 1950's. It was written by a top
bodybuilder.
For the legs -- two sets of leg presses
and three sets of calf raises. Nothing
else. No squats. No front squats.
For the back -- one arm dumbbell rowing
and shoulder shrugs. No deadlifts. No
power cleans. No power snatches. Nothing
at all for the lower back muscles.
Twice as much upper arm work as leg
training.
Wow!
And mind you, this workout came form one
of the GOOD magazines -- not one of the
goofball magazines for muscle pumpers.
If I were advising a beginner -- or anyone
else -- about his training, I'd suggest a
slightly different approach:
1. Do squats.
2. If you don't do squats, do front squats.
3. Do deadlifts.
4. If you don't do deadlifts, do power
cleans, high pulls or power snatches. If
you prefer to use dumbbells, try the exercises
on my Dumbbell Training DVD -- they'll work the
heck out of your lower back:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
5. Specialize on your legs and lower back, NOT
on your upper body.
Remember, leg and back training is what
triggers big gains throughout the entire
body. To succeed, you MUST do plenty of leg
and back training -- and over time, you need
to work up to heavy weights in your leg and
back exercises. There's no other way to do it.
And that's why I'm scratching my head. Two
sets of leg presses? No deadlifts? No lower
back training? Sorry, but this workout gets
two thumbs-down from Dino Headquarters!
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 some workouts that include plenty
of leg and back training, grab a copy of
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat or
Strength, Muscle and Power -- and take
a step on the road to BIG GAINS:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. To see my other books and courses -- and
my Dinosaur Training DVD's -- go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Whatever the question,
leg and back training is the answer." -- Brooks Kubik
I'm sitting here shaking my head as I
type this.
I'm looking at a training program that
appeared in an old magazine back in
the 1950's. It was written by a top
bodybuilder.
For the legs -- two sets of leg presses
and three sets of calf raises. Nothing
else. No squats. No front squats.
For the back -- one arm dumbbell rowing
and shoulder shrugs. No deadlifts. No
power cleans. No power snatches. Nothing
at all for the lower back muscles.
Twice as much upper arm work as leg
training.
Wow!
And mind you, this workout came form one
of the GOOD magazines -- not one of the
goofball magazines for muscle pumpers.
If I were advising a beginner -- or anyone
else -- about his training, I'd suggest a
slightly different approach:
1. Do squats.
2. If you don't do squats, do front squats.
3. Do deadlifts.
4. If you don't do deadlifts, do power
cleans, high pulls or power snatches. If
you prefer to use dumbbells, try the exercises
on my Dumbbell Training DVD -- they'll work the
heck out of your lower back:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
5. Specialize on your legs and lower back, NOT
on your upper body.
Remember, leg and back training is what
triggers big gains throughout the entire
body. To succeed, you MUST do plenty of leg
and back training -- and over time, you need
to work up to heavy weights in your leg and
back exercises. There's no other way to do it.
And that's why I'm scratching my head. Two
sets of leg presses? No deadlifts? No lower
back training? Sorry, but this workout gets
two thumbs-down from Dino Headquarters!
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 some workouts that include plenty
of leg and back training, grab a copy of
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat or
Strength, Muscle and Power -- and take
a step on the road to BIG GAINS:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. To see my other books and courses -- and
my Dinosaur Training DVD's -- go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Whatever the question,
leg and back training is the answer." -- Brooks Kubik
Revealed -- My Dad's Secret Exercise!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm not sure how it happened, but sometime
when I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad got
interested in canoeing.
We lived in the Chicago suburbs back then,
and we were close enough to "the country"
to find some places that had canoe rentals
on various streams and small rivers. So we
did a fair amount of canoeing on the
weekends. And we had some family vacations
in Minnesota, where we were able to canoe
in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area between
the USA and Canada.
Dad even came up with a special exercise to
help his canoe paddling.
Here's what he did.
He loaded a five foot exercise bar at the
bottom end only -- with about 40 or 50 pounds
of plates -- and then he held the bar as if
he were holding a canoe paddle, with the
weighted end down (i.e., closest to the
ground) -- and then he would perform a canoe
paddling movement for 10 or 20 reps.
In his first set, he'd hold the bar with his
left hand high and his right hand low -- and
he'd "paddle" so that the bar passed his
right side one each rep.
When he finished his set, he'd rest a minute,
and then reverse his grip so his right hand
was high and his left hand was low -- and he'd
"paddle" so that the bar passed his left side
on each rep.
It was a lever bar exercise, although he didn't
call it that. I'm not sure he ever heard of a
lever bar. But he enjoyed his special exercise,
and he found that it helped his canoeing -- and
it sure as heck worked the heck out of his
triceps. (I know, because I did it, too, and
it hammered the tri's!)
There are lots of other interesting things you
can do with a lever bar. Steve Justa used to
do a shoveling movement with a lever bar. Try
it some time. It's tough.
Remember, if you try my dad's canoe paddling
exercise, or if you try Steve Justa's shoveling
exercise, you don't need much weight. The long
lever provides the resistance. So start light
and learn the movement -- and add weight slowly
and in small increments.
Of course, you also can do leverage bar movements
with a dumbbell bar that's loaded at one end only.
Simple wrist curl movements work great. Hold the
lever bar as if it were a hammer, with your arm
hanging straight down at your side, and lever
the bar up and down with wrist power alone. Then
do a second set with the weighted end of the
lever bar behind you. Rest briefly, and then
repeat with the other hand.
Short lever bars also work great for a variety
of different circular movements. They make great
finishers to end your forearm and grip work.
My dad is 85, and he doesn't canoe anymore, but
he still trains. I'll have to ask him if he still
does his canoe paddling exercise.
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 unique forearm and
grip exercises -- and other new and unusual, and
highly effective exercises -- grab a copy of
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development and a copy of Strength, Muscle and
Power. They'll give you plenty of great ideas:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. For dozens of great bodyweight exercises,
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other Dinosaur Training books and courses
(and DVD's) are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "One new exercise can
energize your entire workout." -- Brooks Kubik
I'm not sure how it happened, but sometime
when I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad got
interested in canoeing.
We lived in the Chicago suburbs back then,
and we were close enough to "the country"
to find some places that had canoe rentals
on various streams and small rivers. So we
did a fair amount of canoeing on the
weekends. And we had some family vacations
in Minnesota, where we were able to canoe
in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area between
the USA and Canada.
Dad even came up with a special exercise to
help his canoe paddling.
Here's what he did.
He loaded a five foot exercise bar at the
bottom end only -- with about 40 or 50 pounds
of plates -- and then he held the bar as if
he were holding a canoe paddle, with the
weighted end down (i.e., closest to the
ground) -- and then he would perform a canoe
paddling movement for 10 or 20 reps.
In his first set, he'd hold the bar with his
left hand high and his right hand low -- and
he'd "paddle" so that the bar passed his
right side one each rep.
When he finished his set, he'd rest a minute,
and then reverse his grip so his right hand
was high and his left hand was low -- and he'd
"paddle" so that the bar passed his left side
on each rep.
It was a lever bar exercise, although he didn't
call it that. I'm not sure he ever heard of a
lever bar. But he enjoyed his special exercise,
and he found that it helped his canoeing -- and
it sure as heck worked the heck out of his
triceps. (I know, because I did it, too, and
it hammered the tri's!)
There are lots of other interesting things you
can do with a lever bar. Steve Justa used to
do a shoveling movement with a lever bar. Try
it some time. It's tough.
Remember, if you try my dad's canoe paddling
exercise, or if you try Steve Justa's shoveling
exercise, you don't need much weight. The long
lever provides the resistance. So start light
and learn the movement -- and add weight slowly
and in small increments.
Of course, you also can do leverage bar movements
with a dumbbell bar that's loaded at one end only.
Simple wrist curl movements work great. Hold the
lever bar as if it were a hammer, with your arm
hanging straight down at your side, and lever
the bar up and down with wrist power alone. Then
do a second set with the weighted end of the
lever bar behind you. Rest briefly, and then
repeat with the other hand.
Short lever bars also work great for a variety
of different circular movements. They make great
finishers to end your forearm and grip work.
My dad is 85, and he doesn't canoe anymore, but
he still trains. I'll have to ask him if he still
does his canoe paddling exercise.
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 unique forearm and
grip exercises -- and other new and unusual, and
highly effective exercises -- grab a copy of
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development and a copy of Strength, Muscle and
Power. They'll give you plenty of great ideas:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. For dozens of great bodyweight exercises,
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other Dinosaur Training books and courses
(and DVD's) are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "One new exercise can
energize your entire workout." -- Brooks Kubik
The Exercise Police Hate This Workout!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Peter Yates is a 60-year old Dinosaur,
life-long lifter and martial artist,
and frequent contributor to the Dino
Files newsletter. As an older Dino,
Peter's been adding some of the things
that make a difference for the guys past
the half-century mark, including Tommy
Kono knee wraps, the Dave Draper Top
Squat, John Wood's Indian Clubs for the
shoulders, lots of attention to warm-ups,
a super nutritious diet and (the most
important of all) SMART training.
Over the past year, Peter's been following
one of the programs from CHALK AND SWEAT,
and he's been making regular and steady
progress as he works toward 300 x 20 in
the squat.
He just sent me a workout report that
was so great, I just had to share it
with you -- but be warned, the Exercise
Police won't like this one. You may even
end up on "the List" just for reading
about it:
"Hi Brooks,
Had a great workout yesterday. Was worried
in case the Exercise Police were snooping
around and caught me doing 'dangerous'
exercises such as front squat, push press
off racks, high pulls and dumbbell snatch.
Worked my core pretty good, so I omitted
the 'safe' abdominal crunches.
Interesting thing about heavy compounds
creating a need for more nutrition. Usually
the day of and the day after a workout I am
ravenous and can put away extra food with no
effort. Then my appetite goes back to normal
until after the next workout. A good example
of the body naturally filling a demand.
Anyhow, I am continuing to gain strength
slowly and steadily. May never get back
to where I once was, but I am very happy
to have made the progress I have.
Peter"
Here's my response:
"Peter,
That's another great workout for you, and
yes, you're going to have to watch out for
the Exercise Police. They don't like the
stand on your feet and train stuff, and
they sure as heck don't like heavy compound
exercises with barbells and dumbbells.
And yes, I bet you DID get a heck of a
core workout -- without doing bunny crunches.
Those heavy compound exercises work the heck
out of your midsection. That's one of the
reasons the old-time strongmen had such
great development in the abdominals and
obliques.
In fact, they used to write articles and
courses where exercises like one arm
military presses, front squats and one
hand snatches were used to build the
muscles of the midsection!
On the diet and nutrition front, I expect
you'll be plenty hungry today. I recommend
a grilled steak and a big salad loaded with
fresh greens. The Food Police won't like
that very much, but what the heck -- you're
already on the List!"
And yes, if you've read this message, then
you, too, are ON THE LIST. So watch out for
the Exercise Cops. You may want to do a couple
of quick sets with two-pound purple dumbbells
to throw them off the trail!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day -- and if you train today, make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Peter has had great success with the leg
and back workouts in CHALK AND SWEAT and with
the workouts and training tips in GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON. He says they're mandatory reading
for older lifters -- and I agree! You can find
them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You're never too old
to start, but you're already too old to stop."
-- Brooks Kubik
Peter Yates is a 60-year old Dinosaur,
life-long lifter and martial artist,
and frequent contributor to the Dino
Files newsletter. As an older Dino,
Peter's been adding some of the things
that make a difference for the guys past
the half-century mark, including Tommy
Kono knee wraps, the Dave Draper Top
Squat, John Wood's Indian Clubs for the
shoulders, lots of attention to warm-ups,
a super nutritious diet and (the most
important of all) SMART training.
Over the past year, Peter's been following
one of the programs from CHALK AND SWEAT,
and he's been making regular and steady
progress as he works toward 300 x 20 in
the squat.
He just sent me a workout report that
was so great, I just had to share it
with you -- but be warned, the Exercise
Police won't like this one. You may even
end up on "the List" just for reading
about it:
"Hi Brooks,
Had a great workout yesterday. Was worried
in case the Exercise Police were snooping
around and caught me doing 'dangerous'
exercises such as front squat, push press
off racks, high pulls and dumbbell snatch.
Worked my core pretty good, so I omitted
the 'safe' abdominal crunches.
Interesting thing about heavy compounds
creating a need for more nutrition. Usually
the day of and the day after a workout I am
ravenous and can put away extra food with no
effort. Then my appetite goes back to normal
until after the next workout. A good example
of the body naturally filling a demand.
Anyhow, I am continuing to gain strength
slowly and steadily. May never get back
to where I once was, but I am very happy
to have made the progress I have.
Peter"
Here's my response:
"Peter,
That's another great workout for you, and
yes, you're going to have to watch out for
the Exercise Police. They don't like the
stand on your feet and train stuff, and
they sure as heck don't like heavy compound
exercises with barbells and dumbbells.
And yes, I bet you DID get a heck of a
core workout -- without doing bunny crunches.
Those heavy compound exercises work the heck
out of your midsection. That's one of the
reasons the old-time strongmen had such
great development in the abdominals and
obliques.
In fact, they used to write articles and
courses where exercises like one arm
military presses, front squats and one
hand snatches were used to build the
muscles of the midsection!
On the diet and nutrition front, I expect
you'll be plenty hungry today. I recommend
a grilled steak and a big salad loaded with
fresh greens. The Food Police won't like
that very much, but what the heck -- you're
already on the List!"
And yes, if you've read this message, then
you, too, are ON THE LIST. So watch out for
the Exercise Cops. You may want to do a couple
of quick sets with two-pound purple dumbbells
to throw them off the trail!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day -- and if you train today, make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Peter has had great success with the leg
and back workouts in CHALK AND SWEAT and with
the workouts and training tips in GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON. He says they're mandatory reading
for older lifters -- and I agree! You can find
them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You're never too old
to start, but you're already too old to stop."
-- Brooks Kubik
A Food Supplement Question for Dinosaurs!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm pounding away on the keyboard, working
on a new book covering diet and nutrition
for Dinosaurs, and I wanted to ask the Dino
Nation a question:
"Have you ever taken a food supplement of any
sort -- protein powder, amino acid, metabolic
optimizer, creatine, or whatever -- and seen
significant and measurable results in strength
and muscle mass that you attribute to the food
supplement alone?"
If you have, please shoot me a short email and
let me know what you were taking and what
results you achieved.
But remember -- I'm looking for results that
were significant and measurable -- and that
can reasonably be attributed to the food
supplement alone. If you changed your diet
or your workout, we can't know whether your
results were from the change in diet, the
change in workout or the new supplement.
So think back over your training career, and
if let me know if you can say with 100 percent
certainty that a particular supplement brought
you some specific good results.
By the way, and for what it's worth -- I've
thought about my own 40-plus years of training,
and I can't think of any occasion that I added
a particular supplement to my diet and got any
sort of specific and measurable increases in
strength or muscle mass.
I think that fish oil supplements have had a
beneficial effect, but I can't point to any
increase in strength or muscle mass as a result
of taking them.
I made the standard blender bombers with protein
powder and other stuff when I was a kid, and I
got bigger and stronger, but I also started
serious training, so who knows if the protein
powder actually did any good? I probably would
have done just as well without it -- and in fact,
I did, because I couldn't afford to take the stuff
all the time, so there were long stretches where
I relied on nothing but training and food -- and
I still made progress.
Anyhow, I'd be interested in your feedback!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We're getting tons of terrific feedback on
my new John Grimek training course. If you don't
already have a copy, you're missing a real treat.
You can grab the little monster right here:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Save some clams on s&h by ordering two or
more books and courses at one time -- or by adding
back issues of The Dinosaur Files newsletter or
some Dinosaur Training DVD's to your order. You
can find everything right here at Dino
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "A barbell lasts a
lot longer than a box of protein powder." (Or
words to that effect.) -- Arthur Jones
Thoroughbred Legs and Gorilla Muscle Mass!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A couple of days ago my step-daughter met the
greatest athlete in the world immediately after
his greatest victory.
She even had her photo taken right next to him.
he was still breathing hard, and the sweat was
still dripping.
It was at the Kentucky Derby -- and the athlete
in question was the Kentucky Derby winner.
My step-daughter had been invited to the Derby
by a friend who had two backside passes. Backside
is the best place to be at the Derby. It's where
the horses and jockeys and trainers are. You can
see all the final preparations for the race, watch
the race, and then see everything that happens
after the race.
And if you're lucky, you just might get your
photo taken with the Derby winner.
It reminded me of a famous bodybuilder who was at
the top of the heap when I was a kid. He actually
came to town once (I lived in Dayton, Ohio then),
and a reporter from the local newspaper went out
to interview him.
The bodybuilder had just finished his workout, and
was wearing gym shorts and a tank-top, and he was
breathing hard and dripping sweat. He was bigger
than a house.
And remember, this was back in the day when most
people had never seen a photo of an advanced
bodybuilder, much less ever met a top champion
in person. So it was a bit of a shock.
The reporter took one look, and his eyes popped out
of his head and fell onto the floor, bounced several
times and rolled across the room.
The reporter went back to the newspaper office,
sat down, and wrote an article where he described
the bodybuilder as having "legs like a Kentucky
thoroughbred."
Legs like that take a lot of work to develop. But
the rewards are enormous. Heavy leg work stimulates
gains in strength and muscle mass throughout your
entire body.
Do you want to gain many pounds of muscular
bodyweight -- with strength and power to match?
Heavy leg training is the way to do it.
Build thoroughbred legs and you'll develop gorilla-
size muscle mass from head to toe -- guaranteed.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one --
and work those legs!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover leg specialization programs in detail
in CHALK AND SWEAT. There are ten different leg
specialization programs -- and forty other
hard-hitting, Dino-style workouts to help
you build maximum strength and muscle mass.
It can take you to the next level -- fast --
and you can grab a copy right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train right, eat
right, and grow!" -- Brooks Kubik
A couple of days ago my step-daughter met the
greatest athlete in the world immediately after
his greatest victory.
She even had her photo taken right next to him.
he was still breathing hard, and the sweat was
still dripping.
It was at the Kentucky Derby -- and the athlete
in question was the Kentucky Derby winner.
My step-daughter had been invited to the Derby
by a friend who had two backside passes. Backside
is the best place to be at the Derby. It's where
the horses and jockeys and trainers are. You can
see all the final preparations for the race, watch
the race, and then see everything that happens
after the race.
And if you're lucky, you just might get your
photo taken with the Derby winner.
It reminded me of a famous bodybuilder who was at
the top of the heap when I was a kid. He actually
came to town once (I lived in Dayton, Ohio then),
and a reporter from the local newspaper went out
to interview him.
The bodybuilder had just finished his workout, and
was wearing gym shorts and a tank-top, and he was
breathing hard and dripping sweat. He was bigger
than a house.
And remember, this was back in the day when most
people had never seen a photo of an advanced
bodybuilder, much less ever met a top champion
in person. So it was a bit of a shock.
The reporter took one look, and his eyes popped out
of his head and fell onto the floor, bounced several
times and rolled across the room.
The reporter went back to the newspaper office,
sat down, and wrote an article where he described
the bodybuilder as having "legs like a Kentucky
thoroughbred."
Legs like that take a lot of work to develop. But
the rewards are enormous. Heavy leg work stimulates
gains in strength and muscle mass throughout your
entire body.
Do you want to gain many pounds of muscular
bodyweight -- with strength and power to match?
Heavy leg training is the way to do it.
Build thoroughbred legs and you'll develop gorilla-
size muscle mass from head to toe -- guaranteed.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one --
and work those legs!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover leg specialization programs in detail
in CHALK AND SWEAT. There are ten different leg
specialization programs -- and forty other
hard-hitting, Dino-style workouts to help
you build maximum strength and muscle mass.
It can take you to the next level -- fast --
and you can grab a copy right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train right, eat
right, and grow!" -- Brooks Kubik
An Old-School Training Secret that Really Works!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This morning I was reading a book that
described an old Apache warrior named
Stalking Wolf, and how he prepared for
a hunt.
He would begin by stepping outside his
small earth-shelter, and breathing
deeply, filling his lungs with fresh,
clean air.
He would close his eyes and focus on
the scents and the smells of the
morning.
For long minutes, he would stand
silent, his chest rising and falling
with every precious breath.
His breathing was slow and deep. It
sharpened his senses, and prepared
him for the hunt.
I was struck by the similarity between
Stalking Wolf's breathing exercise (for
that's what it was) and the breathing
exercises I've used in my training and
lifting for many years.
In the old days -- and I'm talking about
the period from 1890 through 1930 or
1940 -- every physical culture book
or course talked about the importance
of deep breathing and taught the student
special breathing exercises. There were
even some courses that consisted of
nothing but breathing exercises. That's
how important it was.
The big exercise breakthrough of the
1930's was The Breathing Squat -- and
note it's name.
Not "the high rep squat."
Not the "20 rep squat."
"The breathing squat."
That gives you some idea of the importance
they placed on deep breathing back in the
old days.
Bob Hoffman believed in the value of deep
breathing in-between sets. He practiced the
Hoffman Walk, where he paced back and forth
across the gym, in-between his sets, filling
his lungs with breath after breath of life-
giving air as he did so. he believed that
the Hoffman Walk helped to energize his body
and prepare it for the next set or the next
exercise.
It must have worked pretty well, because Bob
Hoffman had one of the most enormous chest
expansions of the era -- and in some of his
weightlifting workouts, he would perform up
to twenty or more single attempts with his
top weight in the snatch or clean and jerk.
It takes a real Iron Man to train like
that -- and if you asked him, Hoffman said
the secret was deep breathing in-between
his attempts.
So if you're looking for a simple way to
increase your training intensity and kick
your strength and power into maximum over-
drive, give the Hoffman Walk a try.
Practice deep breathing as you visualize
your workout.
Start your workout by closing your eyes
and doing some breathing drills. You'll
be amazed at how this simple technique
improves your training.
Deep breathing clears your head. It helps
you focus. It grounds you. And it energizes
and strengthens your body.
It worked for Stalking Wolf. It worked for
Bob Hoffman. It works for me. And if you
give it a try, it will work for you!
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. Old-school physical culture is much
more than sets and reps -- and you can
learn the the training secrets that built
the greatest all-natural physiques and the
strongest men in human history in Dinosaur
Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
Strength, Muscle and Power and my other
books and courses -- including my new John
Grimek training course. You can find them
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The air we
breathe is life itself -- and so is the
iron we lift." -- Brooks Kubik
This morning I was reading a book that
described an old Apache warrior named
Stalking Wolf, and how he prepared for
a hunt.
He would begin by stepping outside his
small earth-shelter, and breathing
deeply, filling his lungs with fresh,
clean air.
He would close his eyes and focus on
the scents and the smells of the
morning.
For long minutes, he would stand
silent, his chest rising and falling
with every precious breath.
His breathing was slow and deep. It
sharpened his senses, and prepared
him for the hunt.
I was struck by the similarity between
Stalking Wolf's breathing exercise (for
that's what it was) and the breathing
exercises I've used in my training and
lifting for many years.
In the old days -- and I'm talking about
the period from 1890 through 1930 or
1940 -- every physical culture book
or course talked about the importance
of deep breathing and taught the student
special breathing exercises. There were
even some courses that consisted of
nothing but breathing exercises. That's
how important it was.
The big exercise breakthrough of the
1930's was The Breathing Squat -- and
note it's name.
Not "the high rep squat."
Not the "20 rep squat."
"The breathing squat."
That gives you some idea of the importance
they placed on deep breathing back in the
old days.
Bob Hoffman believed in the value of deep
breathing in-between sets. He practiced the
Hoffman Walk, where he paced back and forth
across the gym, in-between his sets, filling
his lungs with breath after breath of life-
giving air as he did so. he believed that
the Hoffman Walk helped to energize his body
and prepare it for the next set or the next
exercise.
It must have worked pretty well, because Bob
Hoffman had one of the most enormous chest
expansions of the era -- and in some of his
weightlifting workouts, he would perform up
to twenty or more single attempts with his
top weight in the snatch or clean and jerk.
It takes a real Iron Man to train like
that -- and if you asked him, Hoffman said
the secret was deep breathing in-between
his attempts.
So if you're looking for a simple way to
increase your training intensity and kick
your strength and power into maximum over-
drive, give the Hoffman Walk a try.
Practice deep breathing as you visualize
your workout.
Start your workout by closing your eyes
and doing some breathing drills. You'll
be amazed at how this simple technique
improves your training.
Deep breathing clears your head. It helps
you focus. It grounds you. And it energizes
and strengthens your body.
It worked for Stalking Wolf. It worked for
Bob Hoffman. It works for me. And if you
give it a try, it will work for you!
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. Old-school physical culture is much
more than sets and reps -- and you can
learn the the training secrets that built
the greatest all-natural physiques and the
strongest men in human history in Dinosaur
Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
Strength, Muscle and Power and my other
books and courses -- including my new John
Grimek training course. You can find them
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The air we
breathe is life itself -- and so is the
iron we lift." -- Brooks Kubik
Strength Training Research -- Is It Helpful?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I was flipping through an issue of
Strength and Health from back in the
1960's, and I spotted an article that
summarized the then-current research
on building strength and muscle.
It was written by Dr. Richard A. Berger
of Texas Technological College, so if you
disagree with any of his conclusions,
complain to him, not to me!
Anyhow, Dr. Berger made the following
conclusions based on the state of the
research in 1965:
1. Two sub-maximal workouts per week
and one maximal training session per
week work just as well as three maximal
sessions per week.
(Note: In other words, the old Light,
Medium and Heavy system works.)
(Second note: These were total body
workouts, not divided workout programs.)
(Third note: These were based on studies
of previously untrained college students,
and in most cases the studies lasted no
longer than 12 weeks.)
2. Training with sub-maximal loads of
two-thirds max for one set, three times
per week will NOT increase strength.
(Note: Some of you will disagree with
this.)
(Second note: I thought ANYTHING worked
for previously untrained college students!)
3. The increase in strength that results from
two sub-maximal workouts per week (training
with two-thirds of your one rep max) and
one heavy workout (a single with your one
rep max) is the result of the workout where
you perform the one rep max.
(Note: In other words, if you use the Light,
Medium and Heavy system, it's the Heavy day
that builds strength.)
4. Sets of between three and ten reps are best
for building strength.
(Note: Not sure how this squares with point
no. 3.)
5. Six sets of two reps with your two rep
max is as effective as three sets of six reps
with your six rep max.
(Note: Is that a surprise?)
6. Three sets of six reps is more effective
than three sets of two reps or three sets of
ten reps.
(Note: Pair this with number five and it means
that six sets of two reps is better than three
sets of two reps.)
7. Training once per week for one set of
one rep with your one rep max will increase
strength significantly for at least six
weeks.
(Note: That one's interesting.)
(Note: I hope they were doing warm-up sets
before hitting a one rep max.)
8. Training two times per week for three sets
of ten reps is as effective as doing three
sets of ten reps three times per week.
(Note: In other words, two workouts per week
work as well as three workouts per week.)
(Second Note: Didn't I just write an email
about that?)
Put it all together and what do you get?
I'm not sure -- and that's one of the
problems with research studies based on
previously untrained college students. It
seems like everything works for them --
at least for awhile.
But here's a thought.
John Grimek started training at age 18 and
three years later he was one of the strongest
and best built men in the world. (And later he
grew enormously stronger and more muscular.)
Steve Stanko started training at age 17 or so,
and a few years later he was the strongest man
in the world -- and 80 pounds of muscle heavier
than when he started.
John Davis started training at age 15 or so,
and two years later he was the World weight-
lifting champion.
I don't know about you, but I want to train the
way Grimek, Stanko and Davis trained -- which
happens to be the Dino way: old-school, basic,
hard and heavy!
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 new John Grimek training course covers John
Grimek's life, lifting and training in detail:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Black Iron: The John Davis Story is a
detailed biography of the greatest weightlifter
of his generation -- and it gives you his actual
training program from 1940 -- week by week,
exercise by exercise, set by set and rep by
rep:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Theory is great,
but nothing beats experience." -- Brooks Kubik
I was flipping through an issue of
Strength and Health from back in the
1960's, and I spotted an article that
summarized the then-current research
on building strength and muscle.
It was written by Dr. Richard A. Berger
of Texas Technological College, so if you
disagree with any of his conclusions,
complain to him, not to me!
Anyhow, Dr. Berger made the following
conclusions based on the state of the
research in 1965:
1. Two sub-maximal workouts per week
and one maximal training session per
week work just as well as three maximal
sessions per week.
(Note: In other words, the old Light,
Medium and Heavy system works.)
(Second note: These were total body
workouts, not divided workout programs.)
(Third note: These were based on studies
of previously untrained college students,
and in most cases the studies lasted no
longer than 12 weeks.)
2. Training with sub-maximal loads of
two-thirds max for one set, three times
per week will NOT increase strength.
(Note: Some of you will disagree with
this.)
(Second note: I thought ANYTHING worked
for previously untrained college students!)
3. The increase in strength that results from
two sub-maximal workouts per week (training
with two-thirds of your one rep max) and
one heavy workout (a single with your one
rep max) is the result of the workout where
you perform the one rep max.
(Note: In other words, if you use the Light,
Medium and Heavy system, it's the Heavy day
that builds strength.)
4. Sets of between three and ten reps are best
for building strength.
(Note: Not sure how this squares with point
no. 3.)
5. Six sets of two reps with your two rep
max is as effective as three sets of six reps
with your six rep max.
(Note: Is that a surprise?)
6. Three sets of six reps is more effective
than three sets of two reps or three sets of
ten reps.
(Note: Pair this with number five and it means
that six sets of two reps is better than three
sets of two reps.)
7. Training once per week for one set of
one rep with your one rep max will increase
strength significantly for at least six
weeks.
(Note: That one's interesting.)
(Note: I hope they were doing warm-up sets
before hitting a one rep max.)
8. Training two times per week for three sets
of ten reps is as effective as doing three
sets of ten reps three times per week.
(Note: In other words, two workouts per week
work as well as three workouts per week.)
(Second Note: Didn't I just write an email
about that?)
Put it all together and what do you get?
I'm not sure -- and that's one of the
problems with research studies based on
previously untrained college students. It
seems like everything works for them --
at least for awhile.
But here's a thought.
John Grimek started training at age 18 and
three years later he was one of the strongest
and best built men in the world. (And later he
grew enormously stronger and more muscular.)
Steve Stanko started training at age 17 or so,
and a few years later he was the strongest man
in the world -- and 80 pounds of muscle heavier
than when he started.
John Davis started training at age 15 or so,
and two years later he was the World weight-
lifting champion.
I don't know about you, but I want to train the
way Grimek, Stanko and Davis trained -- which
happens to be the Dino way: old-school, basic,
hard and heavy!
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 new John Grimek training course covers John
Grimek's life, lifting and training in detail:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Black Iron: The John Davis Story is a
detailed biography of the greatest weightlifter
of his generation -- and it gives you his actual
training program from 1940 -- week by week,
exercise by exercise, set by set and rep by
rep:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Theory is great,
but nothing beats experience." -- Brooks Kubik
Questions and Answers for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Several readers have asked about Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training. The two most common
questions are:
1. Does Dino-style bodyweight training build
strength and muscle mass?
and
2. Can I combine Dino-style bodyweight
training with barbells, dumbbells or
kettlebells?
Let's start with question number one. Does
Dino-style bodyweight training build strength
and muscle mass?
Of course it does!
Remember, Dino-style bodyweight training is
NOT about doing endless reps of easy exercises.
It's about starting with an exercise that is
challenging for you, and working on it until
you master it -- and then progressing to a
more difficult exercise -- and mastering that
one -- and then tackling an even harder
exercise.
In most exercises, you do anywhere from five
to ten reps.
That's hard work -- demanding and challenging --
and it builds plenty of strength and muscle.
So that's the answer to question number one.
Now let's tackle question number two.
Can you combine Dinosaur bodyweight training
with Dino-style barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell
work?
Of course you can!
Many of the old-timers used to do plenty of
advanced bodyweight exercises -- as well as
plenty of barbell, dumbbell and kettlebell
training.
Many of the top lifters "back in the day" were
skilled gymnasts and terrific hand-balancers.
Sig Klein was an example. So was Otto Arco.
So was John Grimek. So was John Davis. So was
Doug Hepburn. And they all did okay!
The way to combine bodyweight work and weight
work is to put them together into a schedule
that allows you train hard on both without
over-training.
The classic mistake is to try to do weight
training three times a week and do bodyweight
work on your "off days." When you do that,
you don't have any off days. You end up
training every day -- and before you
know it, your gains come to a screeching
halt.
Why?
Because you over-trained.
Instead of weights one day and bodyweight work
the next, try this:
Weights day
Rest day
Bodyweight day
Weights day
Rest day
Etc.
OR -- try replacing some but not all of your
weight training exercises with a bodyweight
exercise for the same muscle groups. That way,
you can get the benefits of both training
methods without overdoing things.
OR -- do two weight training workouts each week --
and one all bodyweight day. Or reverse it -- and
do two bodyweight workouts and one weight training
workout.
Anyhow, those are the questions of the day -- and
my answers to them. Hope it helps!
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 the very best in old-school bodyweight
training, grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's easy to make simple
things complicated. What's hard is to make complicated
things simple." -- Brooks Kubik
Several readers have asked about Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training. The two most common
questions are:
1. Does Dino-style bodyweight training build
strength and muscle mass?
and
2. Can I combine Dino-style bodyweight
training with barbells, dumbbells or
kettlebells?
Let's start with question number one. Does
Dino-style bodyweight training build strength
and muscle mass?
Of course it does!
Remember, Dino-style bodyweight training is
NOT about doing endless reps of easy exercises.
It's about starting with an exercise that is
challenging for you, and working on it until
you master it -- and then progressing to a
more difficult exercise -- and mastering that
one -- and then tackling an even harder
exercise.
In most exercises, you do anywhere from five
to ten reps.
That's hard work -- demanding and challenging --
and it builds plenty of strength and muscle.
So that's the answer to question number one.
Now let's tackle question number two.
Can you combine Dinosaur bodyweight training
with Dino-style barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell
work?
Of course you can!
Many of the old-timers used to do plenty of
advanced bodyweight exercises -- as well as
plenty of barbell, dumbbell and kettlebell
training.
Many of the top lifters "back in the day" were
skilled gymnasts and terrific hand-balancers.
Sig Klein was an example. So was Otto Arco.
So was John Grimek. So was John Davis. So was
Doug Hepburn. And they all did okay!
The way to combine bodyweight work and weight
work is to put them together into a schedule
that allows you train hard on both without
over-training.
The classic mistake is to try to do weight
training three times a week and do bodyweight
work on your "off days." When you do that,
you don't have any off days. You end up
training every day -- and before you
know it, your gains come to a screeching
halt.
Why?
Because you over-trained.
Instead of weights one day and bodyweight work
the next, try this:
Weights day
Rest day
Bodyweight day
Weights day
Rest day
Etc.
OR -- try replacing some but not all of your
weight training exercises with a bodyweight
exercise for the same muscle groups. That way,
you can get the benefits of both training
methods without overdoing things.
OR -- do two weight training workouts each week --
and one all bodyweight day. Or reverse it -- and
do two bodyweight workouts and one weight training
workout.
Anyhow, those are the questions of the day -- and
my answers to them. Hope it helps!
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 the very best in old-school bodyweight
training, grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's easy to make simple
things complicated. What's hard is to make complicated
things simple." -- Brooks Kubik
Barbells, Dumbbells and Kettlebells!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I was reading an old weightlifting book
at breakfast this morning.
It described all of the official lifts
used in competition in the B.A.W.L.A.
(the British Amateur Weightlifting
Association) going back prior to World
War One. It included barbell lifts,
dumbbell lifts, and kettlebell or
ring-weight lifts. It also included
special developmental exercises to
be used to build strength and power
for performing the competition lifts.
And I noted something interesting.
Some of the lifts and exercises were
performed with a barbell.
Some of them were performed with a
a single dumbbell.
Some of them required two dumbbells.
Several required dumbbells loaded so that
the back end was heavier than the front
end.
Some of them required a single kettlebell
or a single ring-weight.
Others required two kettlebells or ring-
weights.
And others required a barbell PLUS a
dumbbell -- or a barbell PLUS a kettlebell
or ring-weight -- or a dumbbell PLUS a
kettlebell or ring-weight.
That's interesting in many respects.
For one thing, it gives you a good idea
of the proper answer to the question,
"Which is better -- barbells or dumbbells?"
Or, the one you hear more often nowadays,
"Which is better -- barbells or kettlebells?"
Or, "Dumbbells or kettlebells -- which is
better?"
In the old days, they didn't ask those sorts
of questions. Instead, they trained with all
three -- and in some exercises or lifts, they
used two different lifting tools (e.g., a
barbell and a kettlebell) at the same time.
It was a good way of training. There was
plenty of variety, but everything you did
was old-school, hard core, basic and
productive.
And all it required was a barbell -- a set of
dumbbells -- and some kettlebells.
That made a pretty good little gym "back in
the day" -- and it makes a pretty good little
gym today!
BTW, if you're wondering what book I was
reading and where to get a copy, go here:
http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/william_pullum.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. The one hand swing is one of my favorite
old-school lifts. It builds strength, muscle,
speed and explosive power -- and it's tons of
fun! You can learn how to do it on my DVD,
The Lost Art of Heavy Dumbbell Training:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. My books and courses -- including Black
Iron: The John Davis Story and the Legacy of
Iron series -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Nothing beats
hard work intelligently applied. Nothing."
-- Brooks Kubik
The Ageless Champion!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's a new month, so let's get started.
I'll begin with a great big THANK YOU
to everyone who responded to yesterday's
email about my new (not yet finished)
book on diet and nutrition for Dinos.
It's a big job, and I really appreciate
your support and encouragement!
On the training front, I've been getting
tons of emails from readers reporting on
the great gains they've made with
Dino-style abbreviated training.
Many of these emails have come from older
readers who note that they just don't have
the time (or the energy) to hit the longer
workouts they managed when they were
younger.
And that's a very important point. Weight-
lifters are very serious, very determined
people. We are used to pushing ourselves
very, very hard -- and we're used to setting
high goals, and then achieving them.
If we've been doing that for twenty, thirty,
forty or fifty years (as many Dinos have done),
then it becomes very difficult to ease up on
the gas pedal and take things a bit easier.
And yet, that's exactly what older trainees
need to do. (By older, I mean anyone over the
age of 40.) You need to ease up a bit -- but
you also need to make sure you keep at it.
No stopping, no quitting, no long lay-offs,
no getting discouraged, and no saying,
"Maybe I'm too old for this stuff!"
Let me share something interesting with you.
I've written before about Sig Klein, and how
strong he was. He set a professional World
record in the military press with 229.5
pounds at a bodyweight of only 152 pounds,
had other lifts in proportion, was world
class at handstand pushups, tiger bends
and similar feats, and was one of the
best built men of his era.
But much more important than Klein's super-
human strength and magnificent muscular
development was the fact that he kept
training for literally his entire life.
Sig Klein trained three times per week, as
regular as clockwork. From age 40 on, he
followed old-school, one set per exercise
workouts (much like the old Milo Courses
and York courses). He would do relatively
high reps on each set (usually 15 for the
upper body and 20 or so for the lower body).
He would use lighter weights than when he
was younger -- but NOT THAT MUCH
LIGHTER! And he was very careful to
perform every rep of every set in letter
perfect form.
He performed total body workouts, and did
a wide variety of different exercises. He
used barbells, dumbbells, iron boots, and
kettlebells -- and he performed pull-ups,
chin-ups, handstand pushups and tiger
bends.
He sometimes trained with men who were much
younger -- sometimes twenty or thirty years
younger. He would challenge them to keep up
with him. No one ever did.
At age 40, Klein had the same measurements
(and weighed the same) as he did at age 20.
At age 50, he still had the same measurements.
And he still weighed the same.
And get this -- he had the same measurements --
and he weighed the same -- at age 60.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty impressive.
I also think it's pretty darn motivating. So
I'll be training tonight -- and I'll make it
an extra good one in honor of Sig Klein --
The Ageless Champion!
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, too, can be an ageless champion --
but you have to keep on training, and you have
to train the right way. here are three GREAT
training guides for older athletes:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. Going Strong at 54 (a Dino DVD):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses (and DVD's) are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind.
Pick the state you want to live in." -- Brooks Kubik
It's a new month, so let's get started.
I'll begin with a great big THANK YOU
to everyone who responded to yesterday's
email about my new (not yet finished)
book on diet and nutrition for Dinos.
It's a big job, and I really appreciate
your support and encouragement!
On the training front, I've been getting
tons of emails from readers reporting on
the great gains they've made with
Dino-style abbreviated training.
Many of these emails have come from older
readers who note that they just don't have
the time (or the energy) to hit the longer
workouts they managed when they were
younger.
And that's a very important point. Weight-
lifters are very serious, very determined
people. We are used to pushing ourselves
very, very hard -- and we're used to setting
high goals, and then achieving them.
If we've been doing that for twenty, thirty,
forty or fifty years (as many Dinos have done),
then it becomes very difficult to ease up on
the gas pedal and take things a bit easier.
And yet, that's exactly what older trainees
need to do. (By older, I mean anyone over the
age of 40.) You need to ease up a bit -- but
you also need to make sure you keep at it.
No stopping, no quitting, no long lay-offs,
no getting discouraged, and no saying,
"Maybe I'm too old for this stuff!"
Let me share something interesting with you.
I've written before about Sig Klein, and how
strong he was. He set a professional World
record in the military press with 229.5
pounds at a bodyweight of only 152 pounds,
had other lifts in proportion, was world
class at handstand pushups, tiger bends
and similar feats, and was one of the
best built men of his era.
But much more important than Klein's super-
human strength and magnificent muscular
development was the fact that he kept
training for literally his entire life.
Sig Klein trained three times per week, as
regular as clockwork. From age 40 on, he
followed old-school, one set per exercise
workouts (much like the old Milo Courses
and York courses). He would do relatively
high reps on each set (usually 15 for the
upper body and 20 or so for the lower body).
He would use lighter weights than when he
was younger -- but NOT THAT MUCH
LIGHTER! And he was very careful to
perform every rep of every set in letter
perfect form.
He performed total body workouts, and did
a wide variety of different exercises. He
used barbells, dumbbells, iron boots, and
kettlebells -- and he performed pull-ups,
chin-ups, handstand pushups and tiger
bends.
He sometimes trained with men who were much
younger -- sometimes twenty or thirty years
younger. He would challenge them to keep up
with him. No one ever did.
At age 40, Klein had the same measurements
(and weighed the same) as he did at age 20.
At age 50, he still had the same measurements.
And he still weighed the same.
And get this -- he had the same measurements --
and he weighed the same -- at age 60.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty impressive.
I also think it's pretty darn motivating. So
I'll be training tonight -- and I'll make it
an extra good one in honor of Sig Klein --
The Ageless Champion!
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, too, can be an ageless champion --
but you have to keep on training, and you have
to train the right way. here are three GREAT
training guides for older athletes:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. Going Strong at 54 (a Dino DVD):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses (and DVD's) are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind.
Pick the state you want to live in." -- Brooks Kubik
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)