Squats or Deadlifts -- Which Is Better?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the great internet debates
is the classic "Which is better,
squats or deadlifts?"

It's been argued endlessly -- and
it will probably be argued forever.

I have a simple answer to the
question.

"They're both good exercises. Do
both."

The exception would be if you're
doing lots of cleans and snatches.
If that's the case, you're already
working your pulling muscles hard
and heavy, so there might not be
much to be gained from deadlifts.

But otherwise -- do deadlifts!

I prefer bent- legged deadlifts,
not stiff-legged deadlifts. And I
really like Trap Bar deadlifts.

I'll also note that deadlifts from
the knees -- performed in a power
rack or using lifting blocks --
can be a very effective strength
builder. Work them into your
program and see what happens.

On the squat front, some people
can't do squats because of previous
injuries or because they don't have
squat stands or a power rack. If
that's the case, you may have no
choice other than sticking to
deadlifts. But most people can
do squats -- and they SHOULD do
squats.

And by the way, when it comes to
squats, I prefer full squats.

When I was a kid, the conventional
wisdom said that full squats were
bad for the knees and the lower
back. Everyone said that -- including
men who had plenty of great training
advice, like Peary Rader, who always
advocated parallel squats.

Rader thought that full squats were
too hard on the lower back. But I
think he got that idea because he
came from the era where they squatted
barefoot or in shoes without heels.
If you squat flat-footed, your lower
back is going to round when you do a
full squat -- and that's going to be
awfully hard on your spine.

I wear Olympic lifting shoes with a
high heel, and the high heel helps me
maintain an upright position for both
back squats and front squats. So I do
full squats -- all the way down -- with
a flat back. For my money, that's the
way to do them.

Of course, you do them the right way.
No drop and bounce stuff. Make it an
exercise, not a parachute drop or a
roller-coaster ride.

And PLEASE -- if you've not done full
squats before, treat them as a NEW
exercise. Take the time to learn the
movement -- and to develop your
flexibility and mobility. Work
into them slowly and gradually.

I'll be training tonight, and I'll
hit some clean and jerk and some high
pulls -- and then I'll finish things
off with front squats.

Gotta do those squats. They're one of
the best things you can do.

So back to the question: "Squats or
deadlifts?"

Answer: "Do both!"

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 have some great strength and bulk
programs in Chalk and Sweat -- and they
include plenty of squats and deadlifts.
Check them out:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You can't
do everything, but you can do squats and
deadlifts." -- Brooks Kubik

90 Minutes of SuperHuman Dinosaur Training!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

So I'm sitting there having lunch
at my desk yesterday, and Carl Lanore
calls.

It was 12:15.

I was scheduled to do an interview with
Carl on SuperHuman Radio at 1:00. Carl
does two back-to-back hours of live
interviews -- the first from 12:00 to
1:00 and the second from 1:00 to 2:00.

But things were going to be a little
bit different this time . . .

"My first guest can only stay until
12:30," he said. "Can you go on half
an hour early?"

"Sure," I said.

So I wolfed down the rest of the steak
salad and got ready for what turned out
to be a really fun 90 minute interview.

It was part three in a four-part series
on how to build strength and muscle mass
the Dino way. It's been a great series,
and yesterday, with 90 minutes, we were
able to cover some extra topics,
including questions from listeners.

We covered strength and muscle building
for older trainees, for teenagers, and
women -- and I covered one of the best
mass building programs there is
(including exercises, sets, and
reps) -- and we finished with some
important tips about progression
systems. 

If you caught it live, I hope you
enjoyed the show. If you missed it,
you can  download it and listen to
it any time. Ditto with parts one and
two of the series if you happened to
miss them.

And be listening for part 4 in the
series. We'll cover diet and nutrition
for strength and muscle gains. Important
stuff for everyone, so I hope we set
a new record for live listeners and
downloads. We'll run it sometime next
week -- and I'll keep you posted so
you can join us.

You can find Carl Lanore's SuperHuman
Radio at the below link:

http://www.superhumanradio.com/

So that was 90 minutes of Superhuman
Dino Training. Later in the day, from
7:00 until 8:00, I gave it another 60
minutes of Dinosaur Training out in
the garage. Split style snatches,
snatch grip high pulls and front
squats. That was pretty good, too.
Set a couple of age 56 PR's, worked
up a good sweat, and earned my dinner.

More to follow tomorrow. 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. 1. Chalk and Sweat has some terrific
strength and mass building workouts -- and
Gray Hair and Black Iron is mandatory reading
for older strength trainers:

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

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You spell
success H-A-R-D W-O-R-K." -- Brooks Kubik

10 Clues Someone Doesn't Know Squat about Training!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick news update and then some
training  talk.

Update -- I'll be on SuperHuman Radio
at 1:00 EST today -- to cover part 3
of our four-part series on Building
Dinosaur Strength and Muscle Mass.

Catch it live or listen to the down-
load at your convenience.

On the training front, here's a Top
10 List. This one is the Top 10 Clues
that Someone Doesn't Know Squat,
a/k/a, He's One of the Brain-
washed Masses:

10. "Don't do THOSE! They're old-fashioned!"

9. "Squats are dangerous!"

8. "Deadlifts will break your back!"

7. "Go for the burn."

6. "Train for a pump."

5. "Machines are safer and better --
and they make it much easier to change the
weight!"

4. "Slo-mo style is the way to go for
maximum muscle mass."

3. "Slow-mo style is the way to go for
maximum strength and power."

2. "High carb equals high energy equals
great workouts."

1. "Heavy weights are dangerous.'

1a. "Time controlled reps build more strength
and muscle than anything else."

1b. "Olympic lifting is dangerous."

1c. "If you just look strong, the other guy
will give up and run away."

id. "It's better to look like a bodybuilder
than lift like a weightlifter."

1e. "The leg extension is the only true test
of lower body strength and power."

1f. "That Dinosaur Training stuff is too old
fashioned to work!"

I could go on, but that's enough for now. if
you know anyone that mouths those mendacious
mediocrity molders, grab your wallet right
now, hold it tight, and back away from the
lunatic -- and then turn and run like hell.

You're dealing with an idiot -- or a Madison
Avenue Main Street Muscle Media Phoney.

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 guide to old-school
strength training and muscle building:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Idiocy seems to be
catching. Strength doesn't." -- Brooks Kubik

Serious Strength and Muscle!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Guy walked into a gym and asked for
the owner.

The owner came over to see what he
wanted.

"I want to get big and strong," said
the guy.

"Do squats," said the gym owner.

The guy turned and walked out the door.

Ten minutes later, he walked back into
the gym.

"I want to get big and strong," he said.
"Really big and strong."

This time, the gym owner was waiting for
him.

"Do squats," he said.

The guy turned and walked out the door.

Ten minutes later, he walked back into the
gym.

"I want to get big and strong," he said.
"Seriously big -- and seriously strong."

"How serious?" asked the gym owner.

"Serious serious," said the guy.

"Do serious squats," said the gym owner.

The guy turned, and walked out the door.

Thy gym owner shook his head and walked
back to the squat rack.

"Lost another one," he said.

The squat rack didn't say anything. Squat
racks never do.

They just build serious strength and muscle.

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 a great book about building
serious strength and muscle:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The iron can
answer any question worth asking."
-- Brooks Kubik

Building Strength and Muscle Mass the Dino Way!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I hope you were able to listen to
yesterday's interview on Carl Lanore's
SuperHuman Radio show.

I was on for an hour, and Carl and I
covered part two in a four-part series
about building strength and muscle mass
the Dino way.

We talked about a ton of things, including
rest between sets, and how triple your
progress by using concentration, focus
and visualization during your rest
periods.

We shared a success story from Paul
Taylor, who gained -- get this --
40 pounds of muscle on a Dino-style
abbreviated program given to him
by his uncle (who also gave him a
barbell set and a copy of Dinosaur
Training for his 18th birthday.
Smart uncle.)

I outlined Paul's program, and then
we talked about ways to personalize
your program so it works best for you.

And we worked in some humor, and some
motivation -- and a little bit of
training wisdom direct from World
and Olympic weightlifting champion
Tommy Kono.

Carl records the shows and you can
download and listen to them whenever
you want. There's no charge for the
downloads -- it's just good training
info from us to you.

Here's the link to the SHR home page:

http://superhumanradio.com/

I consider the SHR interviews to be a
sort of public service announcement
for Dinos. I hope you give them a
try -- and I hope you enjoy them.

Oh, before I forget -- we're doing part
three in the series next week, and we're
going to be covering questions from
listeners. So download the first two
shows, listen to them, and if you have
any follow-up questions about old-school
strength and muscle building, send them
to Carl or to me. We'll cover as many as
we can.

In the meantime, and as always, thanks
for reading and thanks for training the
Dino way. If you train today, make it a
good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's a training course featuring
a man who knew how to build serious
strength and muscle mass:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Loading the
bar is one thing, lifting it is another.
You have to do both." -- Brooks Kubik

The Rest Between Sets Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note, and then some training
talk.

I'll be doing an interview at 1:00 EST
today on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio.
We'll cover part 2 of a four part series
on building Dino style strength and
muscle mass. Catch it live if you can,
or listen to the download whenever it's
convenient for you.

On the training front, let's talk about
rest between sets.


For some reason, I've been getting tons
of questions about this lately.

"How long should I rest between sets?"

Here's the answer:

"Long enough to do justice to the next
set."

Now, please note -- that might change
over the course of your workout, and it
might change based on what exercise you
are doing.

You need less rest between warm-up sets.
It can be little more than "load the bar,
focus, chalk your hands and lift."

But when the weight gets heavier, you
might take a longer rest -- perhaps 2
or 3 minutes, maybe a bit longer.

You need more rest if you're doing back
to back work sets.

You need more rest if you're doing squats
or deadlifts.

You need more rest if you're doing OL
work.

But you never want to rest so long that
you cool off.

Try timing your rest periods. See what
happens when you move from two minutes
to three minutes -- or vice versa.

Stay focused during your rest periods.
If you train alone, that shouldn't be
hard. if you train with others, or at
a commercial gym, keep the chit-chat
to a minimum. Training time is for
training, not talking -- and one of
the things you do during a rest period
is gather your force (physical and
mental) for the next set.

In fact, if you really want to make
a difference in your training, make
your rest periods times of intense
mental concentration. Focus on the
next set. Visualize it. See yourself
performing each rep smoothly and
perfectly, with total power and
complete control.

Do THAT and you'll take your training
-- and your strength -- to the next
level.

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 a great course for building
real world, stand on your feet strength:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Think
it, believe it, lift it." -- Brooks
Kubik

A Dino-Style Birthday Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Jim Duggan is one of those legendary
guys in New York City who puts the
steel in the word strong.

He's a powerlifting and strongman
champ, a Captain in the New York
Fire Department, and an all-around
powerhouse.

And if that weren't enough, he wrote
something like 24 killer articles for
the Dinosaur Files newsletter.

Jim follows in the footsteps of Jack
LaLanne, and always does a special
workout to celebrate his birthday.

Here's the report for this year:

"Hey Brooks,

Just thought I would shoot you an
email. I figured you of all people
would appreciate what I did for my
49th birthday yesterday.

I decided to challenge myself with
just three movements:

1. 180 lb. granite sphere -- lift to
shoulder for 50 reps

2. Dips -- 200 reps total, performed
in sets of 10

3. 1 mile walk wearing an 84-lb. vest

I supersetted the dips and stone lifts.
I did 10 dips, then went outside and
did 3 stone lifts. I kept going like
this until I hit 42 reps in the stone
lift, at which point I did sets of 2.
The hardest part was the skin on my
forearms beginning to tear.

Cascading sweat and the occasional
bit of dirt in my eyes didn't help,
but there was no way I was going to
quit.

The dips started getting hard around
170, but I was able to complete the
two movements in a little over an
hour.

After a short rest, I put on my
84-lb vest on, and went for a
leisurely (yeah, right!) stroll
around the neighborhood.

My biggest concern was the neighbors
would think I was crazy. New York is
in the middle of a heat wave, and no
sane person would go walking with an
additional 84 lbs. on his back.

This morning my entire body is aching,
my forearms are sore and covered with
stone rash, and I feel as if I was hit
by a truck -- and I wouldn't trade this
feeling for anything in the world.

Hope all is well with you and the rest
of the Dinos, and that your training
is going strong.

Jim Duggan"

Jim -- Happy birthday and thanks for
sharing the workout. It sounds like a
great one.

To everyone -- I hope Jim's birthday
workout inspires you to hit it hard
and heavy!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more hard-hitting Dino style
workouts, grab a copy of Strength, Muscle
and Power:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Embrace
the challenge." -- Brooks Kubik

Don't Do this Shoulder Wrecker!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the challenges for an older
lifter is working around shoulder
problems.

Some shoulder problems are the
result of age related dings and
dents. You get enough years under
your belt, and you start to have
aches and pains and stiffness.

But some of them are the result of
exercise choices we made when we
were younger.

For example -- when I was a kid,
the conventional wisdom was that
the press behind neck was to very
best shoulder exercise under the
sun. Everyone told us to do them.
And they told us to go heavy. Reg
Park had handled 300 pounds in the
press behind neck, and we were
supposed to go after the same thing.

I never hit 300 pounds in the press
behind neck, but I did work up to a
seated press behind neck with 235
or 240.

And yes, it was a good exercise for
strength and muscle mass.

And yes, I'm 56 now and my shoulders
like to complain, especially if I
sleep on my side with my arm extended
over my head. That usually means plenty
of snap, crackle and pop when I wake
up.

Cause and effect? I don't know. But
I do know this. If I were to do it
over again, I'd do military presses
and push presses. (And dumbbell
presses -- don't forget the dumbbell
presses!)

Of course, the press behind neck isn't
the only exercise to avoid. There are
plenty of them -- and some of them are
pretty common movements.

I cover the question of exercises to do
and exercises to avoid in Gray Hair and
Black Iron. If you have a copy, co back
and re-read that part. If you don't have
a copy, grab one -- it just might give
you more years of great lifting.

Like Dinosaur Training, it's a book I
wish I'd read when I was younger.

As always, thanks for reading, and have
a great day. I'll be hitting it hard at
about 6:30 tonight. No press behind neck,
but I'll be doing some other fun things.
If you train today, wherever you are, we
can train together in spirit.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab your copy of Gray
Hair and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training is great
for serious, old-school shoulder training --
and for building ferocious strength and power
with heavy dumbbells:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "Train hard, train
heavy, train smart." -- Brooks Kubik

The Look of Power!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I had a great time yesterday doing an
interview on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman
Radio Show. If you missed the live show,
you can download the broadcast right
here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

We talked about building strength and
muscle mass with old-school training
methods.

Carl mentioned a guy at his gym who
doesn't want to build strength. He
just wants to look good.

So he pressure pumps his pecs, triple
bumps his biceps and double bumps
everything else.

You know the kind of workout he does:
lots of different exercises, most of
them isolation exercises, lots of work
on exercise machines, low weight, high
set, high rep, high volume.

That's what most people do when they
"train" and it's about as real as a
fake sun tan.

And about as useful.

And it's a shame, because if you train
the right way, you end up looking good,
feeling good and being as strong as a
horse.

Training the right way means working
hard and heavy on the basic exercises,
with the primary goal of increasing
your strength.

You focus on the BIG exercises because
they're the ones that build the most
strength -- and they do it fast and
efficiently.

You know the exercises I mean: squats,
standing presses, deadlifts, barbell
bent-over rowing, bench press or incline
press -- and Olympic lifting for those
who do Olympic lifting.

You do multiple sets of low to medium
reps on most exercises. You may do sets
of 5 reps -- or triples -- or doubles --
or singles. If you do OL work, you do
triples, doubles and singles on most
exercises.

You train 3 times per week for perhaps
an hour to 90 minutes per workout.

You focus on your training. You use
concentration and visualization before,
during and after your workouts.

You train for quality, not quantity.

And over time, you end up pretty darn
strong -- and you look pretty darn good.

You end up looking like a lifter. You
have the look of power.

Personally, I wouldn't settle for anything
less.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. Dinosaur Training covers my kind
of real world strength training in detail:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it heavy,
keep it progressive, keep it real." -- Brooks
Kubik

Building Dinosaur Muscle Mass!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I'll be doing an interview on Carl
Lanore's SuperHuman Radio show today.
Itwill run for an hour, starting at
12:00 noon EST.

If you miss the live broadcast, you
can listen to the download later on
whenever you want.

It's going to be part one of a 3-part
series called Building Dinosaur
Muscle Mass.

We're going to present a three-part
program -- a series of progressively
more difficult and more demanding
workouts -- all designed to help
you build ultimate muscle mass.

And yes, for anyone who's wondering,
we re talking about old-school,
Dino-style workouts -- and we're
talking about workouts that will
build mass and strength at the
same time. Because you don't want
to end up looking like Tarzan and
lifting like Jane.

We'll start with today's interview
and cover Program no. 1 in detail.
We'll do Program no. 2 next week,
and Program No. 3 the week after
that.

There's no charge for the show. It's
a free service for listeners. So
give Carl Lanore a big shout out
(and a THANK YOU) for putting this
together!

I hope you can join me on today's
show. If not, be sure to listen to
the download later on whenever it's
convenient for you.

Here's the link to the SuperHuman Radio
Show:

http://superhumanradio.com/

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. Chalk and Sweat has some killer
programs for building muscle mass:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses --
and my Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Science
fiction is for the movies, not the weight
room. Keep it real!" -- Brooks Kubik

The Power of One!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The Iron Game is all about numbers,
and to me, there's no number more
powerful than ONE.

Here's why.

When you do a set, you do it ONE rep at
a time. That's one of the keys to great
gains.

I don't mean you do nothing but singles.
I'm talking about your mental approach --
about how you focus on your training.

Let's say you're doing a set of five reps
in the squat.

You start by doing one rep -- and you give
it total and complete focus. You bring all
your power of concentration to bear on that
one rep -- and you perform it flawlessly
and perfectly.

You stand tall, breathe,  focus and do the
next rep.

And once again, you do it with focus --
and you do it perfectly.

You once again stand tall, breathe, and
focus -- and you do the third rep.

It's just like the first two: powerful and
perfect.

And again, you stand tall, breathe and focus.

But now, you're getting tired -- and the
weight is feeling much, much heavier -- and
that's fine, because now you double or even
triple your focus -- and once again perform
a perfect rep in perfect form.

Four down -- ONE to go!

You stand tall, breathe and breathe again --
shake the sweat out of your eyes -- breathe
again -- focus -- focus -- focus --

--- and perform one more PERFECT squat.

You stand tall, rack the bar, and do your
victory dance.

That's how to train for great results --
by doing it one rep at a time.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more about the mental aspect of
strength training -- about how to harness
the power of your mind to build your
body -- grab a copy of Dinosaur Training:

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

I also cover the mental aspects of strength
training in Dinosaur Bodyweight training:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are available
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It all starts
with the power of the mind." -- Brooks Kubik

How to Knock 20 Years Off the Clock!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

There was a study done of Masters level
weightlifters, meaning lifters over the
age of 35 who compete in master's level
competition. They do it by age group,
in 5 year brackets, e.g., 35 to 39,
40 to 44, 45 to 49, etc.

The study included masters level
competitors in their 60's, 70's
and 80's.

Here's what they found.

If you take a competitive lifter --
meaning someone who does lots of that
stand on your feet and lift heavy stuff
over your head, and do lots of squats
stuff that I keep talking about --

-- and you compare that competitive
lifter to an untrained individual,
meaning someone who doesn't do the
stand on your feet and lift stuff --

-- a lifter at age 80 is as strong
and mobile as a 60 year old man who
doesn't train.

Now, that doesn't mean the 80 year
old lifter is going to go out and win
the Olympic Games -- but it does mean
that in physical terms -- in terms of
strength and power -- he's 20 years
younger than his chronological age.

In other words, the lifting has knocked
20 years off the clock.

Now, I don't know about you, but knocking
20 years off the clock sounds pretty darn
good.

And that's another reason why I'm out
there in the garage, pulling and pushing
and squatting. I'm trying to knock 20
years off the clock.

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 resource for
older trainees:

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

P.S. 2. My other Dinosaur Training books
and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Older happens,
older and stronger you gotta work for."
-- Brooks Kubik

How a 56 Year Old Dino Trains!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

My training world is an 8 x 8 wooden
lifting platform out in the garage.

I do my every workout on that platform.
It's all I need for a great workout.

I use an Olympic bar and rubber bumper
plates.

I do an Olympic lifting workout with
volume and intensity suited for an
older lifter (which is me, at age 56).

You reach an age where you can't train
like you did when you were younger,
but you still train. That's the
important thing.

I focus on a small number of exercises,
and work them hard.

I do squat style snatches and the squat
style clean. I do split style jerks and
power jerks. I do push presses, snatch
grip high pulls, clean grip high pulls,
snatch grip deadlift and shrug, clean
grip ditto, back squats and front squats.
Not all in one workout, of course. I
usually do one to three exercises in
any given workout.

Sometimes I lift from the hang. Usually I
lift from the platform. I'm going to build
some lifting blocks and do some of my
snatches and cleans from blocks, just
to see what it does.

I like Olympic lifting because it's a
very demanding, very athletic form of
training. It works your legs, hips and
back extremely hard, and that kind of
training keeps you young. Remember what
they say: "You're as old as your legs."

If I didn't do Olympic lifting, I'd still
train in the garage, and I'd still do
everything on that 8 x 8 platform. I'd
do basic, stand on your feet exercises:
squats, front squats, presses, push
presses, bent-over rowing, deadlifts
and Trap Bar deadlifts. Those are
exercises that make you strong
and keep you young.

If you're reading these words, you're a
Dinosaur, and that means you have your
own special training place. Maybe it's
in your basement or garage, or maybe
it's your favorite platform, favorite
power rack or favorite corner of the
gym.

The point is, it's YOUR kingdom. Your
lifting place. The place where you go
to get strong.

I'll be hitting it hard at about 6:45
today. I can't wait. It will be a good
one.

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. Strength, Muscle and Power gives
you plenty of great workouts and plenty
of great training advice -- and so does
Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Don't just do
it, do it right." -- Brooks Kubik

Get It Done!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

There's an old John Wayne movie
where a young soldier is sent out
to attempt a dangerous mission
deep in enemy territory.

As he turns to go, he hears the
following words of advice:

"GET IT DONE!"

Now, that's pretty good advice
when you're riding out into enemy
territory, and it's also pretty
good advice for strength training.

And today, it's better advice than
ever.

People have so many distractions
nowadays. There's television, the
internet, email, cell phones,
texting, instant messaging, and
everything short of real-life
Dick Tracey two-way wrist-watches
and Captain Marvel Code Rings --
and maybe those have been mass
produced and mass-marketed as well.
If not, they soon will be.

The problem is, people are bombarded
with information, and it can get them
distracted.

That happens to strength trainers in
two different ways. One is spending
too much time reading about training,
and not enough time doing it. That's
actually a pretty common problem --
in fact, there are probably more
people who read about training than
who train -- and there are undoubtedly
more hours spent reading about training
than are spent in actual training.

The other problem is going to the gym
(or the basement or garage) and bringing
your gadgets with you so you can stay
connected. Instant distraction!

Don't believe me?

Then try answering a cell phone call
or a short text while you're in the
middle of a heavy squat -- or even
just before you begin a heavy set
of anything.

So here's the bottom line:

1. Reading about training is fine, but
you have to put in the training time,
too.

2. Leave the tech at home when you
train. Or turn it off. Training time
is for training, not for chit-chat.

3. Get it done!

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 teaches you how
to get it done:

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

P.S. 3. For more advice on getting it done,
grab any of my other books and courses --
or my Dinosaur Training DVD's:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Knowledge is
power, but you have to roll up your sleeves
and get it done." -- Brooks Kubik

The Difference Between Pseudo Training and Real Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Guy goes to the gym, looks around,
and tries to figure out what to do.

Sees a buddy doing curls in the power
rack and asks if he can work in.

Two other guys join them, and they
talk about reality TV shows while
they train. One guy thinks that
last night's episode jumped the
shark. The other guy missed it,
so they whip out the monkey phones
and try to pull it up so he can
see it.

Can't find last night's episode, so
they settle on one from two years
ago and watch it while they do
their curls.

Guy loses count on his final set
of curls, does two more for good
measure, and looks around to see
what else to do.

Does benches for awhile because the
bench was empty, and because he feels
like lying down because the curls
tired him out.

Heads over to the pec dec because
there's a hot-looking girl in saran
wrap using the nearby glute buster.

And on it goes.

On the other side of town, a thickly
muscled lifter stands in front of a
heavily loaded barbell.

His eyes are closed.

He stands over the bar and gathers
his strength -- focuses -- and
concentrates.

He's finishing a six-week training
cycle, and this is a new PR in the
deadlift.

He's been planning this moment --
and working toward it -- for six
long weeks.

And now he's going to make the most
of it.

He's going to grab the bar and crush
it in his hands, and he's going to
pull it up and he's going to make it.

This he knows.

He has total and complete confidence
in what he's doing.

And he should -- because he's been
working for it hard, heavy and smart.

That's the difference between pseudo
training and real training -- and it's
the difference between failure and
success.

Remember, it's not just exercises,
sets and reps. It's careful planning,
total commitment and pinpoint focus.

It's training with concentration
and precision.

It's planning what to do, and then
doing it -- and it's all about building
from workout to workout, slowly, steadily
and progressively.

That's REAL training -- and that's how
Dinosaurs train.

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 for older
trainees:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Dream it,
plan it, do it." -- Brooks Kubik

How a 42 Year Old Dino Gets It Done!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We've been getting tons of great
feedback from Dinos who've been
making tremendous progress with
abbreviated workouts.

Here's an example. It comes from
Eric Musgrove, who's doing great
on a 3x per week program where
each workout only takes about 45
minutes to complete.

Eric is 42, and he's getting it
done!

Eric wrote:

"For the last 8 weeks I've been
applying what I've read in "Gray
Hair & Black Iron", "Strength,
Muscle & Power" and of course
"Dinosaur Training".

During the 1st four weeks I have
to admit, I was fighting a losing
battle of paralysis by analysis.
There are so many great workouts
that choosing one to stick with
was my issue.

And then it Hit me. Don't think about
it, don't talk about it, don't debate
about it, Just Do It!

Week 5 I did 3 workouts of Clean and
Presses. Just clean & presses. Triples,
doubles & singles. Concentrating on
form due to my 1st time of really
doing that movement. Using the
smartphone to video my form so
I could critique it.

Week 6 and to present I've been doing
3 workouts a week, 4 total main lifts.

Workout 1 is clean & press followed by
grip, neck & gut.

Workout 2 is front squats (I just started
doing these this past year from reading
your work) followed by hammer curls.

Workout 3 is 16" fat grip floor presses
followed by grip, neck & gut.

Workout 4 is Deadlifts followed by fat
grip curls and weighted side bends.

All main lifts are singles except the
1st 2-3 warmup sets which are 5-3-2.
Usually 9 total sets. Work sets are
3-5 x 1. Fat curls are singles and
hammers are 5 x 5. Neck & gut are
10 - 15.

Week 1 was workouts 1, 2 and 3. Week 2
started with workout 4 and then the
rotation started over.

Not including initial warmup and
broomstick/ barbell/ weighted barbell
clean & jerk warmup, my workouts last
a max of 45 minutes, normally 35
minutes of good hard work.

Since this is the 3rd week for me,
I'm planning on another 9 weeks of
this.

Thank you for the great work you do.
Basic and abbreviated is better!

Eric Musgrove"

Eric -- Thanks for your kind words and
for your workout report. I like your
program and I'm glad you shared it
for your fellow Dinos.

I also agree with you about the whole
paralysis by analysis thing. Yes, you
have to be smart in your training,
and yes, you have to think it through
and plan it -- but you also have to
chalk your hands, grab the bar and
lift it. That's where so many people
go wrong.

Anyhow, it sounds like you're on the
right track. Hit it hard, and keep me
updated on your progress.

To everyone -- 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 training manual
for older Dinos:

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

P.S. 2. Chalk and Sweat gives you 50 great
workouts, from beginner to advanced,
plus 20 specialization programs for
maximum strength and muscle mass:

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.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: "Lift more
today than you lifted yesterday, and
lift more tomorrow than you lifted today."
-- Brooks Kubik

Try this Workout for Great Gains!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I had a great workout last night. It's
one of my favorite programs -- and it
works great!

It's a special workout for older Dinos,
although I've done similar workouts for
a long, long time. Works well for older
lifters, and works well for younger
lifters.

It's fast, fun and low volume -- so it's
good for recovery.

You hit the iron, get it done, and then
you stop.

Short, sweet and simple.

Weightlifting coach Mike Burgener uses
the workout for his older lifters. He
thinks it's one of the best programs
for Master's lifters, i.e., lifters in
the age 35 and up bracket, including
lifters in their 50's, 60's and 70's.

Here it is:

1. Warm-up, stretch as needed, get loose.

a. Play some good music, clear your head,
and get focused on your workout.

2. Chalk up.

a. Do more of that focus and concentration
stuff.

3. Start very light and work up to your top
weight for the day in the snatch.

a. Do singles.

b. Add weight on each set.

c. Do a total of 7 or 8 sets.

d. Your top single for the day depends on how
you feel on that day. It may be a PR, or close
to a PR, or it may be much less.

e. The Light, Medium and Heavy system may work
well for you: go heavy once day per week, then
go light in the next workout, and medium heavy
in the third workout.

f. You can do power snatches, split snatches
or squat snatches.

4. Do exactly the same thing with the clean and
press, the clean and push press or the clean and
jerk.

5. Finish with gut, grip and neck work of your
choice IF you feel like it and IF you have the
energy.

6. Put out the fire and call in the dogs.

And that's it.

Pretty darn simple. But pretty darn effective.

And yes, you can try similar workouts with
other exercises: squats, presses, deadlifts,
and high pulls all work well.

Also, if you prefer doing reps instead of
singles, that's fine. Try 5 x 3 or 5 x 5,
and add weight on each set, working up to
a challenging weight for your final set.

So give it a try -- and get ready for some
great gains!

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. To learn how a six-time World Champion and
two-time Olympic gold medal winner trained, grab
BLACK IRON -- THE JOHN DAVIS STORY:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's not fancy, but
it's effective." -- Brooks Kubik

 

Another Top 10 List for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Thought you might enjoy a quick
top 10 list.

Here are the top 10 reasons why
older trainees need to keep on
training.

10. Because it's better to own a
squat rack than a walker.

9. Because iron is better than that
Grecian Formula Whatever Stuff.

8. Because it sure beats the
alternative.

7. Because barbells never grow older
and some of that might rub off on you.

6. Because it's the best way to show
your kids the importance of lifelong
strength training.

5. Because it's the best way to show
your grand-kids the importance of life-
long strength training.

4. Because shortening your waistline
lengthens your lifeline.

3. Because it's fun when no one believes
them when you tell them your age.

2. Because you can.

1. Because you must.

By the way, the best exercises for older
trainees are pretty much the best exercises
for anyone else: basic, compound exercises,
performed with barbells and dumbbells, all
or most of them performed while standing on
your feet. The "stand on your feet and lift
stuff" keeps you young.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black iron is the number
one book about real world strength training
for older Dinos:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the day: "Strength training
is the Fountain of Youth, but only if you do it.
Reading about it and talking about it doesn't
work." -- Brooks Kubik

Look Inside the Dino Gym Bag!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Today's a training day here at Dino
Headquarters, and even though it's
early in the morning, I'm already
packing my gym bag.

Yes, I pack a gym bag for each
workout. It's important. I don't
want to be half-way through my
workout and find I've forgotten
something. Especially something
important.

So here's what goes into the Dino
gym bag:

1. My training journal. I use it
to record every rep of every workout.
A training journal is an essential
tool for serious training.

2. A water bottle. Mine holds 3
cups (24 oz.). That's the minimum
for a hard workout in hot weather.

3. A towel. Also essential in
hot weather.

4. Large amounts of concentration,
focus, and intensity. Essential for
hard training in any kind of weather.

5. More of number 5 -- because it's
the most important thing you can
bring to a workout.

6. Extra number 4 for good measure.

Last week I wrote that 30 minutes
of training with deep focus and
total concentration is worth three
hours of training with your mind
elsewhere.

Let me amend that statement.

Training for 30 minutes with deep
focus and total concentration is
worth three MONTHS of training with
your mind elsewhere -- or three
YEARS of training with your mind
elsewhere.

Concentration, focus and intensity
are the keys to training success. If
you have them -- and if you use them --
good things will happen.

If you don't have them -- or you don't
use them -- not so good. And not much
(if anything) in the way of results.

So do what I do. Pack your gym bag long
before your workout begins. And be sure
to pack plenty of concentration, focus,
and intensity. They're the most important
thing in your gym bag.

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 the mental aspects of strength
training in detail in Dinosaur Training,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, and Strength,
Muscle and Power:

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

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

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

P.S. 2. I also have a great CD that covers
7 Keys to Concentration. You can grab it as
a special ad on to any of my other books or
courses. The cost is 15 clams. For details
on how to place an order for the 7 Keys CD,
shoot me an email before placing your order.

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The best exercises
demand focus, concentration and intensity. That's
one of the reasons most people don't do them."
-- Brooks Kubik

Monday Morning Roundup for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Breaking news -- I'll be doing a show on
Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio at 12:00
noon EST TODAY. Catch it live or listen
to the download later on.

Here's the link to SHR:

http://superhumanradio.com/

I've done something like 20 or 30 SHR
shows over the past few years. They're
lots of fun, and we cover tons of great
training advice, Iron Game history, and
Dino-style motivation and inspiration.

There's no charge for the shows. I
consider them to be a free service to
strength and health seekers around
the world. So. if you can, please
join us -- or, as I noted, catch
the download later on.

In other Dino news, Rob Drucker has a
new article up at his Muscles of Iron
website.

Like me, Rob lives in Louisville,
and like me, he was a member of a
certain black iron gym buried in
the basement of an old neighborhood
shopping mall.

There was a big guy with glasses who
lived in the power rack and growled
at the bar as he loaded it with heavy
plates.

You may know him -- and you may even
have read some of his books, courses
and articles. He's written a lot of
them.

You may even have seen his photo --
or his DVD's -- or met him.

Any guesses?

Yep, that guy was me -- and Rob's
article features memories of what
it was like back in that old gym,
with the chalk flying and the sweat
streaming and the iron singing the
way it does when it's having fun
during a set of heavy squats.

You can find Robb's article here:

http://www.musclesofiron.com/

We'll talk sets and reps tomorrow.
In the meantime, enjoy the SHR show,
and enjoy Rob's article!

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. Power rack training builds tremendous
strength and muscle mass. I cover it in
detail in Dinosaur Training and in Strength,
Muscle and Power:

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

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:

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

P. S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It doesn't
get any better than heavy iron, chalk and
sweat." -- Brooks Kubik

Brain Food for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Lots of readers have written in to say
they really enjoy the Thought for the
Day at the end of each of my emails -
so I thought I'd give you 12 of them
today. Consider them brain food for
Dinosaurs.

Here they are:

1. Learn from the past, live in the
present, lift for the future.

2. Himalayan curls are great, but
squats are better.

3. The secret is to learn what works
best for YOU.

3a. This applies to lifting, and to
life in general.

4.  Four words: hard work, intelligently
applied.

4a. See 3a.

5. The barbell can be your best friend
or your worst enemy. It's your choice.

6. When in doubt, do squats.

7. The name of the game is LIFTING, not
THINKING about lifting.

8. Two words: quiet confidence.

9. Training for 30 minutes with laser
focus and pinpoint concentration beats
training for three hours with your mind
elsewhere.

10. You eat an elephant one bite at a
time, you walk around the world one step
at a time, and you build strength one
workout at a time.

10a. Or one set at a time.

10b. Make that one rep at a time.

11. Rome wasn't built in a day, and look
how long it's lasted.

12. Slow and steady builds lifelong
strength and health.

There you go! 12 Thoughts for the Day.
Hope you enjoyed them!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's more about "hard work intelligently
applied" -- and it's must reading for older
trainees:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Bonus Thought for the Day: "Think
it, dream it, do it." -- Brooks Kubik

Sets, Reps and Progression for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's a sets and reps question for
you.

How do you move from 5 x 2 to 5 x 3?

In other words, if you do a series of
progressively heavier warm-up sets,
followed by 5 sets of 2 reps with your
working weight, how do you progress to
5 working sets of 3 reps?

The best way to do it is the Doug
Hepburn way -- by adding one rep
per workout. That's best because
it's slow cooking -- and your body
can adapt to the new stress.

For example, you might do 1 x 3,
followed by 4 x 2.

In the next workout, you might do
2 x 3, followed by 3 x 2.

And so on, until you hit 5 x 3.

But you can change things up a bit
by adding that extra rep to your
final set. That makes it tougher,
because you're already tired from
the previous sets. So making that
extra rep becomes more of a
challenge. It makes you focus,
concentrate and dig deep into
your reserves.

Doing it that way, you would try
4 x 2, followed by 1 x 3.

In your next session, you would do
3 x 2, followed by 2 x 4.

And so on.

And then, there's another way --
one that I've never seen anyone do.
But it works well.

Add the extra rep to the middle
set!

In other words, do 2 x 2, followed
by 1 x 3, followed by 2 x 2.

In the next workout, do 2 x 2,
2 x 3 and 1 x 2.

After that, do 1 x 2, 3 x 3, and
1 x 2.

That's nice, because you tire
your muscles with the three rep set
and then the challenge is to do the
remaining 2 rep set(s) in perfect
form, with speed and aggression.

It gives you an idea of how much
variety you can work into a very
basic system of progression --
without doing crazy stuff and
without making radical changes.

And of course, you can do similar
things with different sets and reps.
The point is, think about where to
add weight -- or where to add a
rep -- or a set -- or to perform
a compound exercise -- or to adjust
the height of the pins in the power
rack.

Look for challenge points. They're
what transforms an ordinary workout
into an awesome one!

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. For more ways to challenge your
muscles, grab these:

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

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

P.S. 2. To learn more about Doug Hepburn
and his training methods, grab this:

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

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

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Slow but
steady progress adds up to lifelong training
success." -- Brooks Kubik

Dinosaur Leg Power!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

There's an old saying, and like many
old sayings, there's a lot of truth
in it.

"You're as old as your legs."

Meaning that if your legs are strong
and powerful, so is the rest of you.

Strong legs mean strong hips, strong
back, strong midsection, strong heart
and strong lungs.

Strong legs also mean you're doing
the right things when you train:

1. You're doing stand on your feet
training.

2. You're doing squats.

3. You're working hard.

4. You're going heavy.

5. You're being serious.

John Grimek did plenty of heavy squats
in his 50's, 60's and 70's.

He said he did them to keep his legs
straight -- and there's a lot of truth
to that.

I've always done lots of heavy leg
training, but recently I started to
do even more of it. I've been doing
lots of Olympic lifting, including
squat snatches and squats cleans --
and lots of front squats, back squats
and overhead squats.

It adds up to a specialization program
for my legs, hips and back -- and it's
working pretty darn good.

One of my long term goals is to follow
in John Grimek's footsteps -- to keep
on hitting those squats into my 60's,
70's and beyond -- and to keep my legs
as straight and strong as possible for
as long as possible.

Tonight's a training night. Lots of leg
work. Feel free to do the same!

And be sure to read the Thought for the
Day at the bottom of this email. It's
a good one.

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 resource for
older trainees:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You're as young
as you feel, as long as you feel like squatting."
-- Brooks Kubik