Hail to the Dinosaurs!
You know what they say. "The legs go
first."
That's how many athletes end their
careers. Their legs don't have it any
more -- or their knees can't take it
any more.
And the same is true of lifters. Which
is why you want to do everything you
can to protect and preserve your knees.
That means training them -- with the
right kind of exercises -- and it means
not over-training them (which causes
soreness and inflammation, which can
become chronic if you overdo it).
It also means wearing sensible shoes
when you train (and that means Olympic
lifting shoes if you do Olympic lifting,
front squats, overhead squats or Olympic
style back squats).
It also means keeping your knees warm when
you train. And there's a very easy way to
do that -- using something very simple that
was designed by a two-time Olympic gold
medal winner and six-time world champion.
It's something I use religiously -- meaning,
in every workout. And so do many other Dinos.
Especially older Dinos.
I'm talking about Tommy Kono's TK knee-
bands.
These are NOT powerlifting style knee
wraps that go on so tight you can barely
move. They're a neoprene sleeve that you
wear over your knees to keep the muscles,
tendons and ligaments as warm as possible.
Tight, yes. But not wrapped-up-like-a-mummy
tight. Not at all.
They don't reduce your mobility one bit. You
can perform full squats in them -- or deep
knee bends -- or squat snatches -- or split
style snatches -- or overhead squats -- or
any other exercise. If you want to, you
can wear them while you run -- or while
you bicycle.
The TK kneebands help you warm-up better and
faster. They keep your knees warm for your
entire workout.
And they really help your mobility. It's hard
to explain, but it actually feels as if you
oiled your knees before training -- I mean,
as if someone injected some sort of oil into
the knee joints.
These are great for trainees of any age, but
for older trainees, they're pretty darn close
to mandatory -- especially if you have any
history of knee trouble or if you experience
sore knees after training, like so many of us
in the over-40 group.
There was a time, several years ago, when I
would ice my knees after workouts. I don't do
that any more -- and I think the kneebands
have helped, along with a much improved diet
and plenty of fish oil.
Anyhow, we were talking about ways to improve
and maintain your mobility earlier, and I
I thought I should mention the TK kneebands.
They really help.
And one more thing. The TK kneebands come in
basic black. That means they look great when
they're covered with lifting chalk.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can read more about Tommy Kono knee
bands -- and grab a pair -- right here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/tommy-kono-bands-0
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Take care of your knees,
and they'll take care of you." -- Brooks Kubik
