Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I went to the Farmer's Market last
Saturday morning. It was a beautiful
Fall day, cold, crisp and clear.
I was wearing a York Barbell Club
hoodie I got from John Wood's
Oldtime Strongman site.
As I walk up to the Market, a guy
roughly my own age spots me, walks
over, and asks:
"Are you from York? I used to live
right down the road."
"Then you must know about the York
Barbell Club."
He shook his head.
"Nope, never heard of it."
And he's not interested enough to
ask -- and he walks away.
Which was sad. Everyone should know
about the York Barbell Club.
There was a time -- and it wasn't
all that long ago -- that the center
of the Iron Game was York, Pa.
They called York Muscletown -- and
you could send a letter or a postcard
to Bob Hoffman, John Grimek or Steve
Stanko and address it to "Bob Hoffman,
York Barbell Club, Muscletown USA" --
and it would get there.
I do my best to keep the memory of the
old York champions alive. I've written
five books in the Legacy of Iron series.
The series is set in York, and begins in
the late 1930's -- and moves forward year
by year, covering the lifting at the USA
Senior Nationals, the battles between the
top lifters, the Mr. America contest, and
everything else.
I've also written a detailed training
course about the most famous of the York
champions, John Grimek -- and I've written
a long book (almost 500 pages) about John
Davis, the six-time world and two-time
Olympic champion who was the greatest
weightlifter of the era. Both men were
members of the York Barbell Club.
I write about the York champions because
I like the way they trained -- hard, heavy
and basic -- and because I like the values
they represent. Old fashioned values, like
hard work, helping others, and standing
up for what you believe in.
I also write about them because they
inspired generations of men and boys to
start training. And when you get right
down to it, that's one of the most important
things in the world -- inspiring newbies to
start lifting. The world is a great place,
but it would be a heck of a lot better if
everyone lifted weights.
The next time I go to the Farmer's Market,
I'll carry a copy of Legacy of Iron. If
I see that guy who asked about York, I'll
give him a copy.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's your ticket to York and the
great champions of the past:
The John Grimek Training Course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
Black Iron: The John Davis Story:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
Legacy of Iron (the first of five volumes
in the Legacy of Iron series):
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
P.S. 2. If you've read Legacy of Iron, grab
the next book in the series -- you'll want
to be sure to read them all! You can find
them right here at Dino Headquarters -- along
with all my other books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. "Look to the past, live in the present,
lift like a champion." -- Brooks Kubik
