Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I started the day with an email from Nirav
Panchal, who wrote:
"Dear Brooks
I love all the work you put into older lifter
routines and I'm sure ill use them in the
future. However I'm 22 and have no knee, back,
joint pain. I can sprint or jog without issue.
I'd love to see you write a few daily bulletins
about how us younger folk can make the most of
our youth and really push the envelope.
Anyhow, thanks for all the great work!
Kind regards
Niv"
Well, that's a good question. So here goes.
If you're young and in good condition and
you don't have any nagging injuries, then
the world, as they say, is your oyster.
The thing to do is to make the most of it.
And unfortunately, that's where too many
younger trainees go wrong.
Most younger trainees fail to make the most
of their younger years because:
1. They don't set firm and specific goals
and work relentlessly to achieve them.
2. They bounce from workout to workout or
program to program (a/k/a "Flavor of the
Month" training).
3. They skip over the tried and true ways
to train and get hung up (and off course)
by following the latest Miracle Program.
4. They try to do too many different things
and end up not very good at any of them.
5. They think they're indestructible -- and
then they hurt themselves -- and then they
lose ground big time.
6. They overdo things by training too much
and too often -- not realizing that even a
younger trainee has definite limits to his
or her recovery ability.
7. They don't get enough sleep and rest --
or they don't eat right -- and thus, they
fail to make the most out of what should be
their best training and gaining years.
Those are some general points, and if you're
a younger trainee, you should read and think
about them. But now I'll be more specific.
And I'll give you one of the true secrets
to strength training success at any age.
I often write about abbreviated strength
training -- and I detail how to do it, and
give detailed programs, in all of my training
books and training courses.
Abbreviated training is NOT -- and I repeat,
NOT -- just for older trainees. It's for
everyone.
If you want to make the most of your younger
years, use short, hard, heavy, demanding
workouts. Spend most of your time and energy
on the BIG exercises. Your workouts should
take 60 to 90 minutes, and you should train
three times per week.
Your focus should be on poundage progression.
Add weight to the bar whenever possible.
Just because you're young and you have plenty
of time to train -- and endless energy -- and
good recovery ability, DON'T SQUANDER IT!
If you're an older trainee, you use abbreviated
training because it's the only way to recover
from your workouts.
If you're a younger trainee, you use abbreviated
training because it's the BEST WAY TO MAKE FAST
AND IMPRESSIVE GAINS.
Remember, at any age, you have only so much
mental and physical energy. Use it wisely.
And by the way -- this is how a young guy named
Pete George trained. He won five World champion-
ships, an Olympic Gold medal and two Olympic
Silver medals.
A guy named Tommy Kono also trained this way
when he was a young lifter. He did okay, too:
six World championships, Two Olympic Gold
medals and an Olympic Silver medal.
Consider it food for thought.
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 is the number one book
for younger trainees. If you don't have a copy,
you need one -- and here's where to get it:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. Big news! The pre-publication special
for my new book, DINOSAUR DUMBBELL TRAINING,
goes live on Tuesday. Be looking for it!
P.S. 3. If you live in the UK, the Sept 2012
issue of Men's Fitness (yes, that's right,
Men's Fitness) features some folks you might
know (Brooks Kubik, Mike Mahler, Sabina Skala
and Cj Swaby). Check it out!
P.S. 4. Join me on Facebook -- we have tons of
updates and some killer photos that you won't
want to miss!
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "Relentless
determination." -- Brooks Kubik
