Lifting Memories from the 1948 Olympic Games in London!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

With the London Olympics right around
the corner, let's review an earlier
Olympic Games in London: the 1948
Olympic Games.

The United States won the team title
in weightlifting. Yes, that's right.
The USA had the very best weightlifting
team in the entire world.

Joe DiPietro started things off by
winning the gold medal in the 123
pound class. Richard Tom grabbed the
bronze medal.

Frank Spellman took the gold at 165
pounds, and Pete George took the
silver. (The back story here was
that they almost missed the weigh-in!
They were roommates at the Olympic
Village, and stayed behind while the
rest of the team went to the lifting
venue. Spellman was sleeping and George
was writing as letter to his family.
Somehow, they lost track of time, and
had to pay a cab driver to break all
speeding laws to get them to the venue
on time. They ended up jumping out of
the cab, throwing a handful of money
at the driver, and sprinting to the
weigh-in room, peeling their clothes
off as they ran up to the scale. They
made it with only a minute or two to
spare.)

Stan Stanczyk walked away with the gold
medal at 181 pounds, and Harold Sakata
too the silver. (Sakata went on to become
a famous professional wrestler, and then
won even greater fame by playing "Odd Job"
in one of the early James Bond films).

John Davis seized the gold medal in the
Heavyweight class, and Norb Schemansky
took the silver.

You can read all about it in my biography
of John Davis -- which weighs in at more
than 450 pages, and has 16 pages of
photos, including some never before
published photos:

http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html

They also had a Mr. Universe contest. It
wasn't an Olympic event, but it was held
in conjunction with the Games. John Grimek
won it -- and Steve Reeves took second place.
I cover the contest in detail in my new
John Grimek training course:

http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html

I don't know what the 2012 Olympic Games will
hold -- but I bet we're going to see some more
great lifting! I don't know about you, but I'm
looking forward to it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Greg Everett has just released a very good
book called "Olympic Weightlifting for Sports."
It's short, concise, and to the point, and does
a great job of simplifying the lifts. I give
it four stars -- and you can grab a copy right
here (note: it's on Amazon, but it's always better
to order directly from the author -- it helps
keep them in business!):

http://www.catalystathletics.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=581

P.S. 2. For more about the history of the iron
Game in the USA, grab my Legacy of Iron books:

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. Thought for the Day: "A true champion
teaches us the meaning of greatness -- and how
to achieve it in our own lives." -- Brooks Kubik

The White Moment

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yuri Vlasov, the great Russian World
and Olympic Weightlifting Champion and
former Strongest Man in the World, put
it better than anyone else:

"There is no more precious moment in
life than this, the white moment, and
you will work very hard for years just
to taste it again."

He was talking about peak performance
in competition -- about those rare but
wonderful occasions when you mind and
body are in perfect harmony and you
achieve the seemingly impossible.

It happens to all champions in all
sports, but for some, the white moment
is literally that -- a split second of
perfection woven forever into the
tapestry of one's life.

I've experienced the "white moment" in
competition (first in wrestling, and
later, in lifting), and I know what it
feels like.

I've also experienced it in training.
There were lifts so perfect I still
remember them. Lifts I will always
remember.

If you've experienced the white moment,
then you, too, know it's magic, it's
mystery, and it's power.

If you haven't experienced it, then you
need to do so. You need to set a goal,
and work hard and diligently toward its
accomplishment. When you achieve your
goal, set another, higher goal -- and
start over again and work until you
accomplish it.

Do that over and over -- again and again --
and one day, perhaps sooner than you would
imagine, the fire of competition (even if
it's competition with yourself) will carry
you into the white moment.

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, Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training, Chalk and Sweat, Gray Hair and
Black Iron, and Strength, Muscle and Power
will help guide you to maximum performance.
You can find them right here at Dino
Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "You may need
to run through a brick wall and walk through
fire to do it -- but do it anyway."
-- Brooks Kubik

Happy Birthday to a Great Champion!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I was thinking about Tommy Kono yesterday
morning because I've been rereading one
of his books (which, by the way, are
highly recommended) -- and I ended up
sending an email that talked about his
lifting, his accomplishments, and his
training.

Later in the day John Wood shot out an
email blast about Tommy Kono knee bands
(which are also highly recommended). So
John must have been thinking about Tommy
Kono. as well.

A few hours later, Bill Hinbern sent out
an e-blast, in which he said "Happy
Birthday to Tommy Kono!"

That's right -- yesterday was Tommy Kono's
birthday!

So, belated birthday wishes to a great
champion, a great coach, and a great
teacher!

Happy Birthday to Tommy Kono!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can grab those Tommy Kono knee
bands right here:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/tommy-kono-bands-0

P.S. 2. Tommy Kono's books, Weightlifting,
Olympic Style and Championship Weightlifting,
are available here (scroll down to the bottom
of the page after following the link):

http://www.tommykono.com/

P.S. 3. Be sure to sign up for daily emails
from John Wood and Bill Hinbern -- and check
out their websites:

http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/index.html

http://www.trapbartraining.com/index.html

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/

http://www.superstrengthtraining.com/index.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "It's not the
candles on the cake, it's the iron in the
body!" -- Brooks Kubik

Quality Training for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Tommy Kono was one of the greatest
weightlifters of all time. Perhaps
the very greatest weightlifter of
all time.

Six times World Champion.

Two time Olympic Gold Medalist.

Three time Pan American Games
champion.

Mr. World winner, and three time
Mr. Universe.

Over the course of his career, Kono
set 26 World records, 7 Olympic
records, and 8 Pan-American records.

With that kind of record, you might
think that Tommy Kono spent all day
in the gym. But if you did, you'd be
wrong.

At the peak of his career -- when he
was winning World and Olympic
championships and setting World records
as if they were going out of style --
Tommy Kono trained a mere three or four
days per week, for about one hour and 15
minutes per workout.

He focused on the three lifts then used
in official weightlifting competition:
(1) the clean and press, (2) the snatch,
and (3) the clean and jerk. His primary
assistance exercise was the front squat,
although sometimes he trained the Olympic
style back squat.

He followed the Light, Medium and Heavy
System, doing one heavy workout each week,
usually on Saturday. The next workout was
always a light workout, and the following
session was medium heavy. 

He did multiple sets of low reps, and
always focused on perfect technique in
his lifting.

He usually trained alone, and used deep
concentration and intense mental focus.
He practiced visualization before, during
and after his workouts. he believed that
the mental aspects were the most important
part of championship weightlifting.

Indeed, he has stated that training for
championship weightlifting is 50 percent
mental, 30 percent technique, and only 20
percent strength and power training.

Today, the majority of trainees spend far
more time training  than Tommy Kono did --
and they do far more exercises. Their total
training volume may be three, four, five or
even six times greater than Kono's volume.

But their results come nowhere near the
results that Tommy Kono achieved.

Dinosaur Training continues the tradition
of Tommy Kono's Quality Training. In
Dinosaur Trraining, you focus on short,
infrequent workouts -- on a limited number
of exercises -- and on low volume. You use
intense mental concentration, deep focus,
and lots of visualization. You do your
exercises in perfect form. In short, you
make every rep absolutely PERFECT.

You end up training much less than most
trainees -- but you get far more in the way
of results.

This is what worked for Tommy Kono. It's what
 has worked for thousands of Dinosaurs around
the world. And if you give it a try, it's what
will work for YOU!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can learn more about Dinosaur style
strength training  and muscle-building in my
books, courses and DVD's, including Dinosaur
Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, Chalk
and Sweat, Gray Hair and Black Iron, and
Strength, Muscle and Power. They're available
right here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Target the
muscles, train the muscles, rest the muscles.
It's not complicated." -- Brooks Kubik

A 76-Year Old Superman and How He Trains!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I'm sorry for the late email today. Trudi
is under the weather, and I've been taking
care of her. So I took her to the doctor's
office this morning, and then headed over
to the pharmacy to grab some meds.

BTW, Trudi is one tough lady, and it's
highly unusual for her to take the day off
and go to the doctor. She's given birth to
three children, and the last one was a home
birth (right in the room we now use for my
office) -- and she was up and hanging shower
curtains in the bathroom just two hours later. 

I just fixed her lunch (homemade chicken
salad and some fresh veggies from the
garden -- along with some fresh black-
berries from one of our berry bushes),
and now she's under orders to get to
bed and take a nap. So I think she'll
be doing fine pretty soon. In fact, I'll
probably have to keep an eye on her and
make sure she doesn't try hanging any
shower curtains!

On the training front, I wanted to share a
note from Morgan Davoren, a 76 year old Dino
who's been hitting the iron for something
like 60 years.

Morgan said:

"I am still working out. Clean and press,
squats and power cleans. Not breaking any
records, but at 76 I can do anything I want
to!"

Now, I don't know about you, but I think
that's pretty darn impressive. And it's a
heck of a testimonial to the effectiveness
of life-long strength training.

"At 76 I can do anything I want to!"

How many people at age 60 can say that?

How many at age 50?

How many at 40?

Heck, most men in the 20's or 30's can't say
that.

But Morgan isn't your average man. He's your
average Dino. He's been training  at home with
a York barbell set for six decades. He began
with the old York courses, and he moved on to
weightlifting workouts, and he's done plenty
of bodyweight work, as well (he's a big fan
of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training). And today,
at age 76, he's still doing his favorite
old-school exercises: the clean and press,
the squat, and the power clean.

Here's the bottom line. If they ever make a
new Superman movie and they decide to show
Superman as an older man -- say, a 76 year
old Superman -- then they need to cast Morgan
for the title role.

So hats off to Morgan Davoren -- and hats off
to every older Dino who's still hitting those
old-school workouts!

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 number one book about serious
strength training for older lifters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. Many older trainees like to do bodyweight
training -- or to combine bodyweight exercises
with barbell and dumbbell training. Here's a great
resource for you:

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: "Superheroes are
great, but Dinos are even better." -- Brooks Kubik

Old Gold from Bradley J. Steiner!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

When I was in high school, my favorite
book in the entire world was Bradley
J. Steiner's COMPLETE GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE
BARBELL TRAINING (which is, alas, long
out of print now).

One of my favorite chapters in the
book was Chapter 3, "THE MENTAL ASPECTS."

Steiner began that chapter with these
rousing words:

"The biggest fool on earth is the man who
scoffs at the invincible power of the
human spirit, and who maintains that only
the body is real -- and that what one does
or what one can do is limited only to his
physical self. But I do not think that any
real human achievement can be attained or
attributed solely to muscular labor. Not
even, or perhaps least of all, the
achievement of a well-built, healthy
body. The MIND IS THE MASTER that can
accomplish miracles with the body!"

I read those words over and over, until
they were seared into my brain cells --
and I've tried hard to live them each and
every day of my life -- and to implement
them in each and every workout I take.

Today, nearly 40 years later, I'm more
impressed than ever with Steiner's
emphasis on the mental aspects of
strength training. And I hope that,
you, too, take Steiner's words to heart --
and that you emphasize the mental aspects
in your training -- and indeed, in all
aspects of your life.

As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day. If you train today, use your
mind to make it a great one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I'm covering 7 KEYS TO CONCENTRATION
in an audio seminar tomorrow evening. It's
at 7:00 p.m. EST. You can listen live or
grab the entire hour-long course on CD. To
sign up, go here:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/11

Thought for the Day: "The better I think,
the better I lift." -- Brooks Kubik

Rowing Progressions for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We rec'd  a ton of email in response to
last Friday's message about the barbell
row and the inverted row (a/k/a "the
body row").

One of the emails came from Peter
Mouttapa, who offered some suggestions
on progressions for the inverted row.
Do these after you master the basic
version of the inverted row using a
standard (pronated) grip:

1. Use a supinated grip to train your
biceps -- works better than preacher
curls or machine curls!

2. Add weight by wearing a weight vest.

3. Perform one arm inverted rows with a
regular (pronated) grip.

4. Perform one arm inverted rows with a
supinated grip.

5. Add weight by wearing a weight vest.

6. On any of the above, pause at various
positions through the movement and do a
5 to 10 second isometric hold.

Thanks to Peter for his suggestions! Give
them a try and see how you like them.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For other ideas on hard-hitting
bodyweight workouts -- and for advice on
combining weight training and bodyweight
training -- grab DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT
TRAINING:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses (and DVD's,
t-shirts and muscle shirts) are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start where you
can, and move forward from there." -- Brooks
Kubik

Why I Don't Take Vitamins

Someone asked me what kind of vitamins
I take, and he was shocked when I said,
"I don't take vitamins."

"I thought you were into all this health
and nutrition stuff," he said.

"I am."

"Then why don't you take vitamins?"

I waved my arm toward the back yard.

"Look outside," I said.

The entire back yard -- as well as the
side yard -- is a garden. We have a bunch
of raised beds, which are filled with all
sorts of green stuff. The beds are filled
with the best soil you can find. I've spent
the past couple of years adding soil
amendments (compost, kelp meal, crushed
egg shells, leaves, cover crops that I
cut and turn under, etc.) and it's packed
with vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables are like people. They need
good nutrition in order to grow strong
and healthy. That's why you need to work
the soil to make it as nutritious as
possible.

Many people take food supplements to help
get all the nutrition they need. I give
the supplements to my garden. The soil
amendments are food supplements for the
garden.

Later, I harvest and eat fresh vegetables --
and that gives me a one-two knockout
punch of great taste and great nutrition.

For breakfast I had a big omelet made with
four eggs (purchased from the farmer's
market, and raised by a local farmer who
raises free range chickens). I added one
cup of fresh chopped parsley and one cup
of fresh chopped kale from the garden. For
extra flavor, I threw in some chopped basil
and dill.

That's pretty much what I have for breakfast
every morning, although I vary what greens go
into the omelet. Yesterday it included arugula,
several kinds of lettuce, a different kind of
kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, and
two kinds of mustard greens.

The nutritional content is off the charts.
Today's breakfast gave me the following
percentages of my vitamin and mineral
needs for the day:

327 percent of my vitamin A

267 percent of my vitamin C

1,914 percent of my vitamin K

56 percent of my riboflavin

16 percent of my vitamin B12

24 percent of my folate

29 percent of my calcium

47 percent of my iron

21 percent of my magnesium

47 percent of my phosphorus

27 percent of my potassium

22 percent of my zinc

26 percent of my copper

35 percent of my manganese 

23 percent of my selenium

Plus 9,217 mcg of beta carotene and
26,786 mcg of lutein and zeaxenthin
(high-powered anti-oxidants) -- along
with high quality protein and omega 3's.

And that's just one meal. Lunch and
dinner pack a similar nutritional punch.
In fact, they're usually a lot higher.

So, no, I don't take vitamins -- unless
you count my meals as vitamins! 

Anyhow, I think of it as vitamin power
for breakfast. Throw in some serious Dino
style strength training, and you'll be
unstoppable.

And hey -- if you WANT to take vitamins,
that's fine. But focus on food first --
and on eating as well as possible. If you
can do it, grow your own (or as much of
your own as possible). If that's not
feasible, find your local farmer's market
or see if there's a CSA program (Community
Supported Agriculture) in your community.
Every step you take to improve your diet
will improve your health enormously.

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. As you can see, my approach to diet and
nutrition is PDS -- pretty darn simple. But
it's also PDE -- pretty darn effective. So
is my approach to building strength and
muscle. Learn about it in Dinosaur Training,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, Gray Hair
and Black Iron, Chalk and Sweat, and
Strength, Muscle and Power -- and in
my DVD's and training courses:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the day: "You are what
you eat -- so eat the best food possible."
-- Brooks Kubik

The Seven Keys to Concentration!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Carl Lanore just posted the following
on Facebook -- and I think he says it
pretty darn well:

"Find your 500 Pound Bench Press.
Imagine your 600 Pound Squat or
your 700 Pound Deadlift. Brooks
Kubik has refined the art of
Concentration that leads to
pushing your body into uncharted
waters of greater strength.

The Seven Keys To Concentration will
give you access to strength you never
realized you had. You won't find this
in a supplement bottle or a drug.

Don't miss this SHU Lecture.

Tuesday 6/26 at 7:00PM Eastern time.

Please only those who can attend the
live event should sign up. CD's of
the lecture will be available for
those who can not make the live
seminar.

To reserve your spot in the seminar,
go here:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/11

Carl Lanore
Host of SuperHuman Radio and SuperHuman University"

As I said, I think Carl says it pretty
darn well. I'm really looking forward
to this seminar, and I'm hoping to see
as many Dinos as possible taking part
in it. Thanks in advance to everyone who
can join us!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Another "Which Is Better?" Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Scott Kelly is long-time Dino in his
early 50's. He sent some photos, and
he looks like he's carved from the
proverbial block of granite. To look
at him, you'd think he was at least
ten years younger -- or maybe fifteen
or twenty.

He calls himself Dino 1384, which I
believe means he got copy no. 1384 of
the original first edition of Dinosaur
Training way back in 1996. I numbered
and autographed every single one of the
first edition books -- all 3,000 of
them. (I had writer's cramp for a
year.)

So Dinosaur Training (and watching his
diet) has been keeping him young. Which
is one of the many benefits of serious,
old-school strength training. And twenty
years from now our younger Dinos are
going to look around and see how much
fun it is to be so much younger looking
(and feeling) than their chronological
age.

But I digress. Scott had a training
question.

Scott's been doing inverted rows (a/k/a
body rows or horizontal rows -- the ones
where you hang from a low bar, a low set
of rings, or a low set of ropes and pull
yours chest up to the bar).

He was thinking about switching back to
barbell bent-over rowing, and wanted to
know what I thought.

"Which one is better?" he asked.

Well, it depends. They're both good
exercises. And over time, you should
work on both of them. But you might
want to do inverted rowing first.

Here's why.

A lot of lifters don't do very well with
the barbell bent-over row because they have
trouble making the mind-muscle connection
between their brain and their lats. They
have trouble getting the lats involved
in the row. It becomes more of a bent-over
heave.

If that's the problem -- and it's a very
common problem -- it would be good to spend
some time doing the inverted row. Work slowly
and smoothly on each rep, and work really hard
to get a full contraction of the upper back
muscles on ever rep. To do that, arch your
back and pull your elbows as far back as
possible when your chest touches the bar.
pause for a second or two in the contracted
position and squeeze hard.

(As an added bonus, this style of performance
is great for shoulder health and shoulder
stability.)

In-between sets, stand on your feet, lean
forward and grab a stationary object and
pull backward (with one arm or two arms).
Keep your arm (or arms) straight and stretch
those lats. This helps with the mind-muscle
link.

(Quick note. Some men find that the stiff
legged deadlift is a terrific lat exercise.
Dr. Ken is one of them. And a stiff legged
deadlift is very similar to the stretching
exercise I just mentioned.)

After a month or two of inverted rows, you
should have much better control over your
upper back muscles.

At that point, try working the barbell
bent-over row into your program. Train
the barbell row once a week, and train
the inverted row once a week. You'll
find that the barbell row is a much more
effective exercise when you can control
your upper back muscles.

(Note: don't think this "feeling the muscle"
thing is for bodybuilders alone. When you
can FEEL your muscles contracting, you
can CONTROL them -- and that means you
can trigger harder contractions -- which
means you can lift more weight. One of the
strongest powerlifters I ever met would
practice muscle control all day long. He
said it was "the secret." He lifted at
148 and 165, but outlifted most heavy-
weights.)

(Further note: Tommy Kono always talks
about using your lats to control the bar
when you are performing a snatch. To do
that, you need to be able to control your
lats. So we have one of the greatest
weightlifters of all time teaching
athletes to learn lat control to
improve their lifting!)

Inverted rowing is also a good way to
build pulling power for pull-ups. If you
want to work pull-ups into your program
but have trouble doing them, start with
the inverted row.

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 cover inverted rowing and a ton of
different kinds of pull-ups in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training -- and they'll make a
great addition to your training program.
You can grab your copy right here at Dino
Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- and the ever
popular Legacy of Iron books -- are here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Think it first,
and then do it." -- Brooks Kubik 

Dinosaur Dumbbell Update!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I'm pounding away on my new book -- DINOSAUR
DUMBBELL TRAINING -- and the little monster
is starting to look pretty darn good.

It's going to be a book -- not a course, but
a book -- and it's going to be 8 1/2 x 11,
with plenty of pages and TONS of great
content. 

Right now, it looks like we'll cover over
100 different exercises -- including many
that are entirely new -- with step by
step "how to do it" instruction -- and
plenty of photos -- and plenty of
workouts, including all-dumbbell workouts
and workouts that include barbells and
sandbags and bodyweight exercises and
lots of other fun stuff.

If all goes well, we'll shoot the photos
over the weekend. Wish me luck, because
I'll be the one demonstrating the exercises,
and that's a heck of a lot of exercises to
do -- especially when you're doing them
in 90 degree heat in a garage that's
hotter than a blast furnace.

But, as always -- working on these projects
is a labor of love, and the Dinos are the
very best people in the entire world -- so
sweating off five or ten pounds is perfectly
fine. I want to make this book the best
book I can make it -- because that's what
the Dinos deserve!

Anyhow, things are going very well on
the book front. Very busy, with lots
still to do -- but we're getting there.

As I always do, I'm going to launch the
book with a pre-publication special.
Everyone who orders during the pre-
publication special will get a special
bonus when we fill the orders.

If time permits, I'll shoot a DVD, as well.
But the first job is to finish the book!

When I have a better idea of the time-line
to completion, I'll put up a link with a
sales page, and you can go ahead and reserve
your copy. If all goes well, that will
happen in the next seven to ten days --
so be looking for an email from me that
gives you the link.

In the meantime, feel free to grab a copy
of anything else at Dino Headquarters. We
have books, courses, DVD's, t-shirts,
muscle shirts, and back issues of the
Dinosaur Files newsletter -- as well as
the ever-popular Legacy of Iron books.

You can find them right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.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. I'm always happy to autograph a book or
course for you -- all you have to do is ask
for an autograph. (There's no charge for them.)
Use the Special Instructions section of the
on-line order form to request the autograph.
I like to personalize your book for you, so
be sure to tell me who to sign it to (e.g.,
"Jim" or "James"). And if someone else orders
a book or course for you, be sure they ask
for an autograph and give me your name.

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The best cure
for writer's block is walking around the
block with a pair of heavy dumbbells. Squats
and deadlifts work well, too." -- Brooks Kubik

Remembering a Great Champion!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

With the London Olympics right around
the corner, I'm thinking about the
strongest man in the World in 1948.

He was an American weightlifter from
Brooklyn -- and he weighed only about
225 or 230 pounds. A big man, but not
a giant. But he could lift more than
any man in the entire world.

His name was John Davis. He won his
first World Championship in 1938 --
at the age of 17 -- after only two years
of barbell training!

He went on to win six World Championships,
the Pan-American Championship, and two
Olympic Gold medals.

He was undefeated in international
competition from 1938 through 1953.

And at one time, he held the American,
World, Olympic and Pan-American records
in the press, snatch, clean and jerk
and total!

He's always been one of my favorite
lifters -- and not merely because he
was so good.

I admire the fact that John Davis did it
almost entirely on his own. He was almost
entirely self-taught and self-coached. He
often trained alone. He devised his own
workouts. Wrote his own training programs.

He had the courage to follow his own path.
And it's a good thing he did -- because the
path led him to greatness.

I've written a very long, very detailed
biography of John Davis. It's nearly 500
pages, and it features 16 pages of great
photos -- many of which have never been
published before. And it includes John
Davis' actual training program from 1940
and 1941. I got it from his training
partner, a man in his mid-90's (who still
trains!).

The 2012 Olympics are almost here, and we'll
see a new lifter crowned The Strongest Man
in the World. But we'll never see another
John Davis.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can grab BLACK IRON -- THE JOHN DAVIS
STORY right here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html

P.S. 2. John Davis also appears in my LEGACY OF
IRON series:

http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "A champion lives
forever." -- Brooks Kubik

"Is It Okay to Do Curls?"

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've had several readers ask about
arm training.

Usually, it's the same question.

"Is it okay to do curls?"

And the answer is -- of course it is. In
fact, it's a good idea. Curls are a good
upper body exercise, and they help you
maintain shoulder strength and stability.

So by all means, do curls. But don't do
them like a muscle pumper. Do them like
a Dinosaur.

Doug Hepburn was one of the strongest,
most massive men who ever lived. He was
also pretty darn good at heavy curls.

Hepburn could do a strict curl with 260
pounds.

And no, that's not a typo. That's two -
six -- zero.

Two hundred and sixty pounds.

Hepburn trained curls the same way he
trained everything else: hard and heavy.
Multiple sets of low reps. Heavy singles.

He was very precise about it. He liked to
use two heavy wooden boxes to position the
bar so he could walk up to it, grab it, and
start curling. That allowed him to flex his
lats so he could dig his elbows in and get
the best possible leverage. Try it and see.

Hepburn was a prodigy of might and muscle,
but he was hardly the only old school lifter
who could curl more weight than a gorilla.

There were quite a few old-time lifters who
could do a strict curl with weights approaching
(or in some cases, exceeding) their own
bodyweight.

John Davis could curl big weights. So could
Steve Stanko. And so could John Grimek.

So don't be afraid to do curls. Just train
them Dino style -- and be sure to include
plenty of leg and back training!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's a complete course on Dino style
arm training. It teaches you how to build
arms that are big AND strong -- and big AND
strong is what you want:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html

P.S. 2. For more about Doug Hepburn's life and lifting,
grab this great course:

http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and my Dino
Training DVD's -- are available right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4.  Thanks for visiting the Dinosaur Training Blog!
Please tell your friends about us!

Some Very Important Research on the Mind-Muscle Connection!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick update, and then we'll talk
training -- and specifically, how strength
training improves your brain power and your
nervous system!

UPDATE:

My audio seminar on the mental aspects
of strength training has been rescheduled
to next Tuesday at 7:00 EST. Carl Lanore
is having a tech issue, and we needed to
reschedule. If you signed up and cannot
make it, contact Carl Lanore ASAP.

Sorry about having to reschedule, and I
hope it's not an inconvenience for anyone!

TRAINING TALK:

A recent research study looked at the effect
of meditation on the physical structure of
the brain -- and the results were pretty
amazing.

After just one month -- a total of 11 hours
of meditation -- the scientists found:

(1) That nerve fibers (known as "white matter")
in the brain were becoming denser, and

(2) That myelin (a protective substance
surrounding the nerve fibers) was expanding.

In other words, the nerve fibers were "bulking
up" -- just the way your muscles bulk up
when you train them.

And these changes were occurring in the
anterior cingulate cortex region of the brain --
which is a part of the brain that helps regulate
behaviour and mood. Which may explain why the
subjects in the study reported improvements
in mood and a reduction in feelings of
anxiety, depression, anger, etc. -- and
why their levels of cortisol (a stress
hormone) dropped during the four week study.

So, am I suggesting that you try 20 minutes
of meditation every day, and see what happens?

Well, you certainly can. I'm going to try it.
It certainly can't hurt. (And if you're pressed
for time, do it when you do your flexibility and
mobility drills -- or when you do your cardio.)

But here's the key point for Dinosaurs.

I've been talking to you quite a bit about
the mental aspects of strength training --
about training with deep focus and intense
concentration -- about stepping out of the
day to day world and into "the inner universe"
(Bill Pearl's phrase) when you train -- and
about practicing concentration exercises,
visualization, and deep breathing before,
during and after your workouts.

And I've said that those things will increase
the strength of your nervous system -- and
strengthen the mind-muscle connection -- and
improve the functioning of the motor pathways
in your body.

This new research suggests that I'm right.

And here's a related thought.

If 20 minutes of quiet meditation can make
such a huge difference after just one month,
think about what an hour of "in the zone"
strength training can do for you.

I'm sure it's at least as effective as
meditation -- and perhaps even more so, because
you're actively seeking to improve the mind-
muscle link.

And maybe that's the most important benefit
of Dino style strength training.

Concentration. Focus. Visualization. Deep
breathing. The mind-muscle link. Quality
training. Championship thinking.

They're all tied together -- they all work
together -- and when you integrate them into
your training, you can achieve anything.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link for the audio seminar where
I'll be teaching you how to improve your power
of concentration -- and how to use the power
of your mind to rocket your training to the
next level:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/4/11-seven-keys-to-concentration-dinosaur-mindpower

P.S. 2. I cover concentration, visualization and
other elements of mental mastery in Dinosaur
Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training and
Strength, Muscle and Power:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "Building your body
also builds your mind. How's that for a bonus?"
-- Brooks Kubik

An Amazing and Inspiring Dino Success Story!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I'm doing an audio seminar (i.e., a
live teleseminar) tomorrow evening at
7:00 EST. I'm going to cover the mental
aspects of strength training in a series
seminars, starting with one that will
teach you how to develop the power of
concentration and how to use it in
your training.

Carl Lanore, the host of SuperHuman
Radio, is handling all the tech stuff,
and is going to be on line with me during
the seminar, so head over to his site to
sign up:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/4/11-seven-keys-to-concentration-dinosaur-mindpower

With the seminar tomorrow evening, the mental
aspects of strength training are much on my
mind -- so it was funny to get an email this
morning about that very topic. It comes from
Austin Voutour, a swim coach with an amazing
and inspiring Dino success story:

"Hi Brooks,

Firstly, I want to say that I'm looking forward
to the dumbbell book and the nutrition book (if
that is still in the making). I loved the Grimek
course, and the Military Press and Shoulder Power
course, as well.

[Note from Brooks -- the Dumbbell book will come
first -- and very soon -- and then I'll finish the
diet/nutrition book.]

However, the actual reason I'm contacting you is
to thank you for helping me to understand the
mental game much better. I am a swim coach here
in Gainesville, Florida. Our club, High Tide
Aquatics, is rather small with about 100 swimmers.
I work with the middle school and early high
school kids.

We have one girl, Jaide, who was born with no
muscle in her arms and sparse amounts in her
lower legs. She competes on the paralympic circuit
in the USA, and has been to a couple of national
level meets, and the PanAms.

Going into this season, about four months ago
we knew she had a chance to go to the paralympic
trials to compete in London -- but we knew it
would be close to get there.

Over the past four months, I had the opportunity
to work closely with her. Physically, she had the
ability to make the cuts. But two months ago, I
really started to work with her on the mental game,
deep breathing, visualization, positive self talk,
many of the things covered in Dinosaur Training.

Fast forward to this weekend. Jaide not only made
the paralympic team for her category, but took
first place and crushed her own American record,
shooting her to 7th in the world rankings.

I really think that her being able to tap into
the amazing power of the mind to sync with her
body helped her to make it this far.

I know she is not a lifting Dino, but she is
nonetheless a Dino! Thanks again!

Austin Voutour"

Austin -- Thanks for sharing that. Jaide is not
only a Dinosaur, she is a true champion. Talk
about being strong, and being tough -- WOW!
What a remarkable young woman. Tell her that
the entire Dino Nation will be cheering for her
in London!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover the mental aspects of strength
training and muscle building in detail in
Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
and Strength, Muscle and Power:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including my
new John Grimek training course -- are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Never give up. If
you just keep going, you WILL succeed." -- Brooks
Kubik

Happy Father's Day!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I know we have a ton of Dino dads
out there -- so I just wanted to
say, to each and every one of you:

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

And speaking of Father's Day -- I
called my dad today, and he told me
he celebrated by doing a 5k yesterday.

And it was totally unplanned and
spontaneous.

Dad's 85, but he still trains with
dumbbells and cables. He also likes
to get out and walk a mile or two
every day.

Yesterday, they held a 5 k run and
the course started right by the condo
where he and my mom live. So when he
saw what they were doing, he decided
to join them -- and walked the course
just so he could get his exercise for
the day!

That was about twice as far as his
usual walk, so he was pretty happy
about it.

Personally, I'm going to skip the 5 k
today -- but I AM going to do move some
serious iron out in the garage later on.
I'll be hitting it around 6:00 or so --
so if you train today, we can train
together, wherever you are.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. The Dino Bookstore is the number one
place for great Father's Day gifts -- and
Gray Hair and Black Iron would probably
lead the list. It's made to order for Dino
Dads:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING -- DINO STYLE!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

So I'm on a plane, and I'm flipping
through the pages of an in-flight
magazine, and there's a training
article.

So I read it.

It says to do "high intensity training."

Well, okay, that sounds promising.

And then the "high intensity training"
is -- and I'm not making this up -- one
minute of squat jumps followed by 30
seconds of rest followed by 30 seconds
of barbell clean and press -- and you
keep it up for 30 minutes.

Then you do 45 minutes of cardio.

And that's your "high intensity"
workout."

I have a different approach to high
intensity training.

Train three times per week: M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat. Do stretching, flexibility
work and mobility work each day,
including your off days. And you might
want to do some Indian club drills --
they're really good for the shoulders.

Do three different workouts: Workout A,
Workout B and Workout C.

Begin each workout with ten minutes of
warming up, stretching, and mobility
work. Get nice and loose and ready to
rumble. See Gray Hair and Black Iron
for some specific instruction on
effective warm-ups:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

Important! Start light and ease into the
workout -- and gradually up the weights
and the intensity.

WORKOUT A

1. Barbell clean and press

Do 3 x 5 progressively heavier warm-up
sets, 3 x 3 work sets, 2 x 2 work sets
and 2 x 1 work sets.

2. Back squat or front squat

Do 5 x 5. Start light and work up to one
set  with your top weight for the day.

3. Gut work of your choice

Do one or two sets of 8 to 10 reps.


WORKOUT B

1. Bench press or incline press

Use a barbell or use a pair of dumbbells --
or use a single dumbbell. If you train
alone, do these in a power rack or with
safety bars -- or use the dumbbells.

Do the same sets and reps as the clean and
press on Monday.

Note: If you prefer, do five to ten sets
of any of the pushup variations in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

2. Barbell or dumbbell bent-over rowing,
pull-ups, or pull-downs

Same sets and reps as squats on Monday.

Note: If you prefer, do any of the pull-up
variations (including the rope and ring pull-ups)
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

3. Grip work of your choice -- 3 to 5 sets.

See Dinosaur Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power for ideas on grip exercises:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html


WORKOUT C

1. Barbell clean and push press or push press
from the racks or power snatches or clean grip
high pulls

Same sets and reps as the clean and press on
Monday.

2. Bent-legged deadlift or Trap Bar deadlift

Same sets and reps as the squat on Monday.

3. A sandbag finisher

Lift a sandbag from the floor to your right
shoulder, lower, lift it to the left shoulder,
and repeat. Do 10 to 20 reps to each side. 

Note: For ideas on other finishers, see Strength,
Muscle and Power -- Dinosaur Training -- Chalk
and Sweat -- or my Bags, Barrels and Beyond DVD.
You can find them at my website: 

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html



4. Neck work with headstrap

Do two or three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

5. Gut work of your choice

Do two or three sets of 8 to 10 reps.

That's MY idea of "high intensity" training --
and if you give it a try, and work hard and
heavy, you will build some serious strength
and muscle. And for a Dinosaur, that's the
name of the game!

But please note -- this is NOT a workout for
beginners. If you're a newbie, follow the
routines for beginners in Chalk and Sweat:

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.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. My books and courses -- and my Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "You can swim with
the minnows or roar with the Dinosaurs -- it's
your choice." -- Brooks Kubik

The 10/5/3/2/1 Rule!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Not long ago, I heard someone say that
he once read or heard a good piece of
advice -- namely, that every ten years
you should stop and look back and think
about what you're doing and where you're
going, and make any necessary
adjustments.

The idea was, things change over time,
and some things that worked well for you
ten years ago might not work as well now.
But they've become habits, so you keep on
doing them -- even if they're no longer
very effective.

This advice was given in the context of
running a business, but it applies to
training, as well.

Except in training, you need to look back
and reassess things a heck of a lot more
often than every ten years.

Especially if you're an older trainee.

For a younger trainee, the same exercises,
volume and intensity may work pretty well
for ten years or so -- but as you get older,
you need to make changes. Usually, you need
to reduce your volume and intensity -- and
sometimes, you need to change exercises.

And as you get older, you need to look back
and reassess things much more often.

In your twenties and early thirties, the TEN
YEAR RULE may work fine. Meaning that the
exercises, volume and intensity that worked
for you ten years ago will still work for you.

But sometime in your thirties, you may find
that reducing your volume and intensity brings
better results -- and you may find that dropping
or replacing certain exercises works better for
you -- and you may find that you need to look
back and re-assess every FIVE YEARS.

In your forties, that five year window may shrink
to THREE YEARS.

In your fifties, it may drop down to every TWO
years -- or possibly ONE year.

And that's what I mean by the 10/5/3/2/1 Rule.

It's all about letting your training evolve as
you grow older. That's what you need to do. You
can't stay in the same place, any more than you
can stand in a moving river and fish in the same
water. You can't. The water is always moving,
always changing. And in strength training, your
body is always changing -- and that's why your
training needs to change.

I was talking about it with Bill Hinbern this
morning. Bill mentioned that there is never any
one "perfect" training program that will work
for everyone. Heck, there's no one training
program that will work for ANYONE forever.
As you grow older, your needs change. And
your workout needs to change.

But that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's
probably a good thing. True, it makes things
a little more challenging -- but challenge
is good. It brings out the best in us.

I'll be training today, and I plan to have
lots of fun doing it. I won't be doing some
the things I did ten or twenty years ago (or
even five years ago), but I'll be hitting it
hard and having plenty of fun. And that's
important. Fun is good.

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 number one book for older trainees --
with more than 50 workouts specifically designed
for older Dinosaurs -- is Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training has some
great exercises -- and some great workouts --
for anyone looking for some new and different
ways of getting it done:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "No matter what happens,
keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik

Dino Dumbbells and Other Updates for Dinos

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In case you missed yesterday's email,
there's a YouTube video showing me try
to beat the IAWA World record in the
two dumbbell clean and jerk in my age
group and weight class.

It was filmed at the London seminar last
week where I covered (of course) Dinosaur
Dumbbell training.

You can find the clip in the below link.
But be warned, the title (which someone
else wrote) is NSFW and it gets pretty
loud, so don't watch it at work.

The clip begins with my second attempt.
I missed the first one. From there, you
can see what happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A21on8bABcE

(Note: Not sure if the link is working. If not,
go to YouTube and search for "Kubik dumbbell
London" and you should find it.)

A number of readers have asked about the
weight of the dumbbells. They were only 80
pounders -- but awkward and unwieldy as
heck. At home, I use a special set of
dumbbells that are well-balanced for heavy
lifting, and things work much better.

I'd like to push a pair of 100 pounders
overhead, and I think I can do it with
the right dumbbells. And at age 55, a pair
of 100 pounders would not be too shabby.

That's one of the things I'm going to cover
in my new book on Dumbbell Training (which
ought to be ready pretty soon -- so be looking
for it in the not too distant future). The
right kind of dumbbell is critical for heavy
dumbbell training. And I'll go over that in
detail in the book, and tell you what you
need and what to look for.

I'm also covering details on how to perform
various old school dumbbell lifts -- how to
integrate old-school dumbbell training into
your workouts -- safety tips -- some dumbbell
history -- records -- how to measure your
progress, etc. It will be a pretty good read --
and it will feature a ton of photos so you
can see how to do the exercises the RIGHT
way.

I'll probably do a DVD, as well. That would
be a big help in teaching the proper form
for the different exercises.

In other Dino news, I'm doing a one-hour
audio seminar with Carl Lanore for his new
SuperHuman University lecture series. It will
be at 7:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, June 19. If
you can't make the live broadcast, you can
grab a CD and listen to it at your
convenience.

For more details, and to sign up for the
seminar, go here:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/4/11-seven-keys-to-concentration-dinosaur-mindpower

For tech reasons, we have to limit the size
of the class, so if you're planning to join
us for the live broadcast, sign up now!

Finally, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone
who attended the London Seminar. You're a
great group of lifters, and it was an honor
to meet and work with you!

That's it for now, but be looking for a second
email shortly. I still need to cover the
10/5/3/2/1 Rule. Thought I would do it on
Tuesday, but got pulled away by 20,000 other
things.

More to follow -- stay tuned!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My books, courses, DVD's and shirts -- as
well as back issues of The Dinosaur Files
newsletter -- are available at the usual place:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Training days are
the best days of the week." -- Brooks Kubik

Heavy Dumbbells in London

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

At last week's seminar in London I
taught Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.

On the second day of the program
I decided to give the students a
special treat. They deserved it.
They'd been working really, really
hard all weekend.

We had just covered the two dumbbell
clean and jerk -- so I asked if they'd
like to see my try to beat the IAWA
World record in that lift for my
age and weight class.

And they all said, "YES!"

So I rolled a big pair of dumbbells
over to the center of the lifting
area, chalked up, put on my war
paint -- grabbed them -- and swung
them to my shoulders.

And then I missed the jerk.

Missed it bad.

And that's not good.

So the pressure was on. And I was
starting to kick myself for doing
this.

I chalked up a second time -- and
walked over to the two grinning
monsters.

I looked down at them.

They looked back up, defying me to
lift them.

I tried it a second time.

I "almost" made it.

Locked out the right arm -- but
couldn't lock out the left.

I was really winded now. And I was
pretty darn mad at myself. I should
have known better. After all, I'm old
enough to know better.

I mentally kicked myself -- HARD --
but doing that didn't make the dumbbells
any lighter.

I had to do something.

I asked if anyone wanted to give them
a try. No one volunteered.

I said I'd give a free copy of Dinosaur
Training to anyone who could lift the
two dumbbells.

Will Dollar, a super-strong kettlebell
lifter and kettlebell coach, stepped
forward -- chalked his hands -- grabbed
the dumbbells -- and made a great lift.

And that gave me a precious minute or
two of rest.

Now the dumbbells were tired, and I
wasn't.

I chalked up -- and walked toward them.

You can see what happened on YouTube --
starting with my second attempt -- but
be warned, the title of the clip is
NSFW -- and it's a little loud -- so
if you're at work, watch it later on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A21on8bABcE

Enjoy the action!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you want to see more heavy dumbbell
training, grab my DVD, The Lost Art of
Dumbbell Training:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

P.S. 2. I'll be doing a killer audio seminar
with Carl Lanore next week. Spots are going
fast, so if you're interested, sign up now:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/4/11-seven-keys-to-concentration-dinosaur-mindpower

P.S. 3. My other Dinosaur Training books and
courses are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. If you live in the UK and you'd
like to learn kettlebell training from
someone who's very, very good at it --
and very, very strong -- go here and
schedule a class or a workout with
Will Dollar:

http://kettlebellclub.blogspot.com/

The Most Important Thing

Many years ago, a man walked into a famous
gym and stood there, hands in pockets,
looking the place up and down and all
around.

It wasn’t a very impressive looking place.

It was neatly arranged, and it was small
and tidy looking.  But the equipment was
old and (even worse) old-fashioned. Many
of the benches were handmade from wood.
There were plenty of old barbells and
dumbbells, of course, but not a single
machine. None of the stuff you would
see at the other places, and none of
the stuff you would see in the muscle
magazines.

“Is this everything?” the man asked.

The gray-haired gym owner shook his
head patiently.

“No,” he replied. “There’s one more
thing – and it’s the most important
thing.”

The visitor looked around quickly,
wondering what he had missed. Was
there a door to another room? Was
there an outside gym? Something up
on the roof – or down in the
basement?

Maybe it was some sort of special
exercise machine that no one but
the champs were allowed to use. But
where was it?

He frowned, and turned back to the
gym owner.

“What is it?” he asked. “Where is
it?”

The gym owner smiled.

“It’s right here,” he said.

And he tapped his forehead.

Today, many years later, the single
most important tool to take your
training to the next level is in
exactly the same place.

It’s located right between your ears.

It’s your mind.

Your mind controls your body. It
dictates how hard and how effectively
you train, how you perform your reps,
whether you hit the muscles you’re
trying to target, and whether you
have a good workout or  a bad one.

In physical training, your mind
determines your success.

Not your body – your mind.

The problem is, very few people
understand how to harness the power
of their mind – or how to use it
to build strength, muscle and health.

And even fewer people know how to
teach others to use the power of
their mind.

But I’ve been studying the mental
aspects of strength training and
muscle building for almost my
entire life (as in, more than
45 years), and I’ve developed
specific techniques that I use
to maximize the mind-muscle link
and to make my workouts maximally
effective and maximally productive.

These are simple techniques, but
they work wonders – and I can teach
them to you very easily.

And I'm going to do it by teaming
up with Carl Lanore and SuperHuman
Radio. My courses will be part of
the new SuperHuman University
program.

These are a series of one-hour audio
seminars. Each course runs less than
(get this) TEN CLAMS. We're keeping the
price as low as we can so that everyone
can participate.

But pls note -- tech considerations limit
us to 300 students -- so step up and run to
the front of the line. If you wait, we may
not have any more available spots.

The first course is next Tuesday evening
at 7:00 PM EST. It's a one-time deal, so
you just need to invest one hour of your
time. And if you can't make the live
program, you can get it on CD.

We’ll start with concentration – and
I’ll teach you a foolproof system
that will double or even triple your
power of concentration – and allow
you to channel the power of your
mind into laser-focus.

It’s a simple system that you can
implement immediately – but it
will do more for your training
than anything else you could do.

I’m really looking forward to this
program – and I hope you are, as
well!

IMPORTANT -- PLS READ: You need to
go to the SuperHuman Radio site to
sign up. Here's the link:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/seminarbookings/index.php/component/content/article/4/11-seven-keys-to-concentration-dinosaur-mindpower

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover mindpower in Dinosaur Training,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, and Strength,
Muscle and Power -- and you can find them
right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. John Grimek believed that intense,
focused concentration was one of the secrets
of successful strength training and muscle
building. The section on this in my new John
Grimek training  course is worth its weight
in that yellow stuff they keep at Fort Knox:

http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Think big, lift
big -- think strong, be strong." -- Brooks Kubik

How Does that Old Guy Do It?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Questions are like bananas. They always
seem to come in bunches.

Over the past week, I've been getting a
ton of questions from older readers.
They're all different, of course, but
they all address the same basic issue:

"Is it possible to make good gains
after age [fill in the blank -- 40, 50,
or 60 have been the most frequent
numbers so far]?"

The answer is -- ABSOLUTELY!

BUT -- and this is important, so pay close
attention -- you need to do it the right way.

You need to do everything possible to help
your body recover from your workouts.

You need to do everything possible to reduce
soreness and inflammation.

You need to do everything possible to keep
your training fun and exciting and interesting.

You need to focus on the things you like to
do the most. For example, I enjoy doing Olympic
lifting, so that's what I do. If you enjoy doing
something else, that's fine -- do it! When you're
a grandfather (or old enough to be a grandfather)
you can darn well do what you want to do when you
train.)

You need to reduce your training volume and
train as efficiently as possible. Get more done
with less volume. Focus on quality training.
Every rep you do eats into your recovery ability,
so make every rep as productive as possible.

Above all else, you need to avoid injury. If an
exercise hurts, don't do it. Find a substitute.
Avoid the crazy "over the top" stuff.

Protect your joints. Do a thorough warm-up before
you even touch the bar for your first set. Always
be sure you're nice and loose and ready to go.

Start light and perform a series of progressively
heavier warm-up sets. That's good advice at any
age, but for older lifters, it's career saving.

Train with precision. Use perfect form. Control
the weight at all times. That doesn't mean use
light weights and train feely-weely style. You
can do heavy squats, heavy deadlifts, heavy Trap
Bar deadlifts, power cleans, power snatches, etc.,
but you need to do them in perfect form and with
total and complete control.

Never miss a rep or miss a lift. It takes too
much out of you. Train hard and heavy, and
challenge yourself, but always make the rep --
and always make it in perfect form.

Use sensible cycling systems. They're very
important for older lifters. See Gray Hair and
Black Iron for details.

Finally, train smart. You're old enough to know
how to do it -- and it's fun to do, especially
when you make the young guys wonder "How
does that old guy do it?"

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 covers productive
and effective strength training for older lifters,
and gives you more than 50 workouts designed for
over-40 Dinos. Grab a copy right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. Many older trainees enjoy bodyweight
exercises (or a combination of barbell, dumbbell,
kettlebell and bodyweight work). For the very best
in old-school bodyweight training, go here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are available at
the Dinosaur Training Bookshelf:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "That old wolf may be
gray and grizzled, but he'll still surprise you."
-- Brooks Kubik

Get Strong, Stay Strong, Live Strong!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Well, it happened again.

Back in December, Trudi caught an
elderly woman who suddenly lost her
balance and went crashing face-first
toward a concrete floor covered with
marble tile.

If Trudi had not been there -- and if
she had not caught the woman -- it
would not have been good.

And if Trudi didn't work out regularly
and if she hadn't been strong enough to
catch and hold the woman, it would not
have been good. So it's a good thing that
Trudi works out -- and that she's been
working out for pretty much her entire
adult life.

A month ago, Trudi and I were in the
park with our granddaughters, and I
caught a little girl who fell off a
piece of playground equipment. If I
hadn't caught her, it would have been
a five foot drop onto some hard-packed
dirt covered with gravel. Not good
for a 3 year old.

This morning, I helped lift an elderly
man with Parkinson's Disease off the
floor of his home and back into a
special recliner he uses.

He wasn't able to get up on his own, and
because he was a large man, his family
members weren't able to do it. They
probably would have had to call EMS
or the Fire department to help lift
him. Instead they asked me, and of
course I went over and helped out.

Catching the little girl as she fell
was easy -- she weighed a lot less
than anything I lift. And lifting the
elderly man was easy, too -- even though
he was a whole lot heavier.

The point is, Life throws these sort of
things in your path -- and you have to
be ready for them. Working out makes you
ready. Being strong makes you ready. And
staying strong keeps you ready.

So do the Dino thing. Get strong. Be strong.
Stay strong. And live strong.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My Dinosaur Training books and courses
will teach you how to build real-world, fully
functional strength -- and how to do it fast
and efficiently:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Strong people
make good neighbors." -- Brooks Kubik

A Sneak Peek at Something New and Exciting for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Carl Lanore, the founder and host of
SuperHuman Radio, has launched something
new and exciting.

It's called SuperHuman University, and
it's going to offer a series of one hour
long-distance learning classes -- a/k/a
audio seminars covering various topics
related to strength training, health,
diet and nutrition, bodybuilding,
powerlifting, etc.

I've been a guest on SHR many times --
in fact, my first Dinosaur Training
interview is one of the most frequently
downloaded and highest rated of the
nearly 1,000 SHR programs. So it's no
surprise that Carl asked me to prepare
a program for SuperHuman University.

In fact, he's asked me to do a series
of programs -- covering different aspects
of Dino-style strength training.

The first program is going to cover one
of my favorite topics -- the Mind-Muscle
Connection and how to use the power of
your mind to rocket your training to
the next level.

We're working on the details, but here's
the way it's looking:

1. The class will be one hour.

2. It will be a one-time class.

3. We'll give you a free downloadable hand-out
or mini-course covering Dinosaur Mind-Power.

4. Carl will facilitate the program by
introducing and interviewing me -- and I'll
cover Dinosaur Mind-Power in detail. We've
worked together so many times now that we
know this will work great.

4A. We'll do about 45 minutes of interview
format. And then  . . . .

4B. We'll open the lines for short questions
from listeners. And we'll do that for another
15 minutes or so.

5. Carl will record the class, and a CD will
be available for anyone who can't listen to
the class -- or for anyone who wants the CD.

6. We want as many Dinosaurs to listen to the
show (or to grab the CD) as possible, so we're
keeping the price as low as possible.

6A. It will be nine point nine five pieces of
wampum.

7. We're working on a sign-up page,which will
be posted on the SHR website when it is ready.
It should be up sometime next week. I'll keep
you posted and send an email with the link.

8. We're going to limit the size of the group --
probably to 200 people -- and we expect it to sell
out faster than fast. So when you see the link,
take immediate action. Remember, you'll be
competing for a spot against everyone on Carl's
mailing list, his Facebook friends, and his SHR
listeners, so you need to be a Dino and charge
right on over!

9. As I mentioned, I'm doing a sign-up page, and
I'd love some testimonials from you about Dinosaur
Training and how it has helped you -- or how much
my various books, courses and DVD's have helped
you -- or how you've used Dinosaur Mind-Power
for great gains in strength, muscle and power.

9A. I'd also love something about how Dinosaur
Mind-Power has helped you in other aspects of
your life.

9B. I'm just looking for a sentence or two --
so it won't take long to write it up and send it
in -- but it would really help me. And thanks in
advance for anyone who sends in a testimonial.

10. I did a four-week audio seminar earlier in
the year, and many of you were in the class for
it. If you were, please send in a short testimonial
about the audio seminar format and how you liked
it.

10A. I want to do some live seminars in the USA
this year, but I also want to keep going with the
audio seminars. They're inexpensive and they
deliver great value, so it's a good thing to
do. And it gives me a chance to meet as many
of you as possible, even if only by phone.

Anyhow -- that's the update. Stay tuned for
more details next week!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover the mental aspects of strength
training in detail in DINOSAUR TRAINING and
DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING. You can find
them right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Please send in a short testimonial --
they'll be a big help! (And again -- THANKS in
advance!)

The Fortune Cookie Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yesterday I mentioned seeing John Davis'
training program from 1940 - 41. I saw
it when I interviewed his former training
partner while I was working on BLACK IRON:
THE JOHN DAVIS STORY. (Which, by the way,
is a heck of a good book -- and one that
belongs on every Dino's book shelf.)

John Davis' 8 week program was written
on a 3 x 5 note-card.

It fit perfectly -- all 8 weeks -- because
it was short and simple.

And for the very same reason, it worked!
Witness John Davis' six World championships,
his two Olympic gold medals, and his long
list of World and Olympic records.

I thought that was pretty interesting, so
I shared it with you in yesterday's message.

And in response, I received an email from
Erick Brown, a long-time Dino, who is getting
great results from a program you can write
on a fortune cookie paper!

Talk about short and simple! Wow! You can't
do better than that.

Here's what Erick wrote:

"Brooks,

Good post. I'll go one better. How about a
program you can write on a fortune cookie
paper?

Mon -- Legs -- Squat

Wed -- Press -- Your choice

Fri -- Pulls -- Your choice

Enjoy your writings.

Erick"

Now, that's a pretty good workout. Thanks
to Erick for sharing it!

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. Erick's program is a good one for older
trainees -- and there are more than 50 other
programs (and tons of related training
advice) for older trainees in GRAY HAIR
AND BLACK IRON:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. You can grab a copy of BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are available
at the usual place:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the day: "Short and simple
works. Long and complicated doesn't." -- Brooks Kubik