Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I had a great workout last night. It
was the kind of workout I like best:
short, hard and heavy.
It consisted of two exercises:
1. Split style jerks from the rack
2. Front squats
The previous workout was also a good
one. It consisted of three exercises:
1. Power cleans
2. Clean grip high pulls
3. Clean grip deadlifts
And the workout before that -- another
good one -- also consisted of three
exercises:
1. Power snatches
2. Snatch grip high pulls
3. Snatch grip deadlifts
Are you starting to notice a pattern?
I call workouts like this "abbreviated
training." It's something I've been doing
for a long, long time, and I've always
found it to be the most effective way
for me to train. And based on feedback
from Dinos around the world, many other
trainees have found that abbreviated
training works best for them, as well.
Of course, you don't have to do Olympic
lifting. You can do squats, deadlifts or
Trap Bar deadlifts, military presses,
bench presses, bent-over rowing, etc.
You can use bodyweight exercises, you
can do an all-dumbbell program, you
can use sand-bags, you can use
kettlebells, you can lift logs,
rocks or barrels, you can use cables,
you can push cars or trucks -- or do
anything else you feel like doing.
The point is, whatever kind of equipment
you use, you don't need to do lots of
different exercises every time you train.
It works much better to stick to two
or three exercises and work them into
the ground.
Beginners are an exception to the rule.
Beginners should do six to ten exercises
for one set each. They should train three
times a week on a total body program. They
need to do that to develop a good foundation
for heavier training later on. And it's the
best way to learn how to perform the
different exercises.
But for intermediates and advanced trainees,
abbreviated training is your ticket to BIG
GAINS!
I always like to hear from you, and I'd love
some success stories from Dinos who have had
good luck with abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated (one exercise per workout)
training.
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn more about abbreviated
and ultra-abbreviated training in my books
and courses, including these little monsters:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
4. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
5. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
6. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Less is more because you
can lift harder and heavier when you use abbreviated
and ultra-abbreviated training." -- Brooks Kubik
