Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Two quick updates, and then we'll talk
training.
First -- I am working full-time seven
days a week to finish my book on diet
and nutrition for Dinos.
As in -- research and writing and editing
the current manuscript all day long. The
other day it was 8:00 in the morning until
8:00 at night, not counting meal breaks.
It's a big project, and I've been working
on it off and on for years -- but we're now
in the Big Push stage -- so it's getting
close. Stay tuned for further updates.
Second -- because the book is taking so
much time I am falling way behind on emails.
If you email and I don't respond eight away,
that's why. I'll try to catch up on them
when I can.
And now, on the training front --
Yesterday we talked about heavy partials
and heavy supports, and which was"better."
Here's an interesting point in that regard --
and an exercise you may want to try (assuming
you have access to a power rack).
Big Joe Hise helped popularize the 20-rep
breathing squat for weight gaining way back
in the 1930's.
He always said that the BREATHING in-between
reps was the most important part of the
exercise.
The key is to take deep, huge, enormous
breaths of air in-between every rep --
five or six of them -- and on every breath,
you raise your chest and shoulders as high
as possible.
Later on, Hise experimented with the breathing
part only -- without the squat!
You loaded the bar, took it off the rack as
if you were going to do a set of squats --
but instead of squatting you shrugged the bar
upward as high as possible, while raising your
chest and shoulders and breathing as deeply as
possible.
The idea was to do forced deep breathing against
the weight of the bar -- and to lift the bar as
high as possible with a combination of trap
strength and lung power.
After the set, you immediately do a set of
VERY LIGHT breathing pullovers (20 reps) to
stretch the rib-cage even more.
It's a very interesting exercise.
It combines a heavy support with a limited
range movement -- and it works the heart, lungs
and rib-case in a very interesting manner.
It's a good all-around strength builder --
and a bone, tendon and ligament builder.
You can do 20 or even 30 reps for chest
expansion and weight gaining.
Do five to ten reps for strength and bone
building.
And yes, Hise was a firm believer in the
idea that building your skeleton was the
very best way to pack on strength and
muscle.
As I mentioned before, ALWAYS do these in a
power rack. You're handling big weights
here, and you don't want to take any
chances.
An added benefit of the Hise shrug is that
it helps thicken your traps and neck. That
makes it a very good exercise for football
players and anyone else who engages in a
sport where a strong neck might save your
life (or help prevent a concussion).
So there's the update -- and the tip of
the day. And 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. You can learn more about the Hise shrug
other old-school exercises in Strength, Muscle
and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "Old-school
exercises build real world strength and
power." -- Brooks Kubik
Heavy Supports or Heavy Partials?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
In response to my emails on Monday and
Tuesday, I've had a number of readers
ask the following question:
"Which is better -- heavy supports in
the power rack where you hold the weight
in the lockout position without moving
OR
heavy partials in the power rack, where
you move the weight over a limited range
of motion?"
Well, they're both good, and and they
both work.
I would usually do both. I would always
finish a partial movement by holding the
weight motionless in the the lockout
position for at least a couple of
seconds, and sometimes for a count
of five or a count of ten. After
all, if you're going to do all the
work it takes to get to the lockout
you might as well make the most out
of it once you get there.
And sometimes I would pause a rep at
a point a little short of lockout --
and hold it motionless for a couple
of seconds -- and then drive it on
up into the lockout position.
Or -- here's another option -- start
the rep an inch or two below your
sticking point -- drive it up and
off the pins -- hold it motionless
at the sticking point -- and then
push it on up to complete the rep --
and hold the lockout position for
a few seconds when you get there.
There are many other variations of
Din-style rack work. I cover them
in detail in Dinosaur Training and
in Strength, Muscle and Power.
Now, if you're going to do heavy
partials, for gosh sakes, DO THEM
IN A POWER RACK!
Set the bottom pins so you start at
the desired position.
The bottom pins are your safety net.
If you miss the rep, lower the bar
back to the bottom pins. Don't drop
it. Lower it slowly and under control.
Reg park once went to the gym early
in the morning. His training partner
was running late, so Park started to
train by himself.
He decided to do quarter squats, even
though he only had an old-style set of
squat stands -- no power rack.
So he works up to 1,000 pounds.
That's NOT a typo.
That's one thousand pounds. As in, half
a ton.
He does five reps, and tries to re-rack
the bar -- and realizes that the massive
weight has pressed down so hard and heavy
that he's a wee bit shorter than when he
began the set -- and he can't rack the bar!
So there he is, standing there with half
a ton of iron on his back -- and that's
when his training partner finally shows
up -- and helps him back into the rack.
Good thing, too, or poor Park would
probably still be standing there.
So Rule no. 1 for heavy partials and
support work is this:
ALWAYS DO THEM IN A POWER RACK!
And please note: a Smith machine is not a
power rack. A Smith machine is a -- well,
my mother taught always told me that if
you can't say something nice, don't say
anything at all.
So that's what a Smith machine is: a don't
say anything at all machine.
There also are ways -- good and bad -- to
do this kind of training with Olympic
lifting and related exercises. I was actually
doing some of this last night. I'll cover
that in another email for those of you
who do Olympic lifting.
In the meantime, and 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 many more tips and suggestions on
power rack training -- and for tons of great
workouts and old-school exercises -- grab a
copy of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My power rack training DVD is
another great resource on rack work:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.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: "It's not how
many reps you do, it's how you do the reps."
-- Brooks Kubik
In response to my emails on Monday and
Tuesday, I've had a number of readers
ask the following question:
"Which is better -- heavy supports in
the power rack where you hold the weight
in the lockout position without moving
OR
heavy partials in the power rack, where
you move the weight over a limited range
of motion?"
Well, they're both good, and and they
both work.
I would usually do both. I would always
finish a partial movement by holding the
weight motionless in the the lockout
position for at least a couple of
seconds, and sometimes for a count
of five or a count of ten. After
all, if you're going to do all the
work it takes to get to the lockout
you might as well make the most out
of it once you get there.
And sometimes I would pause a rep at
a point a little short of lockout --
and hold it motionless for a couple
of seconds -- and then drive it on
up into the lockout position.
Or -- here's another option -- start
the rep an inch or two below your
sticking point -- drive it up and
off the pins -- hold it motionless
at the sticking point -- and then
push it on up to complete the rep --
and hold the lockout position for
a few seconds when you get there.
There are many other variations of
Din-style rack work. I cover them
in detail in Dinosaur Training and
in Strength, Muscle and Power.
Now, if you're going to do heavy
partials, for gosh sakes, DO THEM
IN A POWER RACK!
Set the bottom pins so you start at
the desired position.
The bottom pins are your safety net.
If you miss the rep, lower the bar
back to the bottom pins. Don't drop
it. Lower it slowly and under control.
Reg park once went to the gym early
in the morning. His training partner
was running late, so Park started to
train by himself.
He decided to do quarter squats, even
though he only had an old-style set of
squat stands -- no power rack.
So he works up to 1,000 pounds.
That's NOT a typo.
That's one thousand pounds. As in, half
a ton.
He does five reps, and tries to re-rack
the bar -- and realizes that the massive
weight has pressed down so hard and heavy
that he's a wee bit shorter than when he
began the set -- and he can't rack the bar!
So there he is, standing there with half
a ton of iron on his back -- and that's
when his training partner finally shows
up -- and helps him back into the rack.
Good thing, too, or poor Park would
probably still be standing there.
So Rule no. 1 for heavy partials and
support work is this:
ALWAYS DO THEM IN A POWER RACK!
And please note: a Smith machine is not a
power rack. A Smith machine is a -- well,
my mother taught always told me that if
you can't say something nice, don't say
anything at all.
So that's what a Smith machine is: a don't
say anything at all machine.
There also are ways -- good and bad -- to
do this kind of training with Olympic
lifting and related exercises. I was actually
doing some of this last night. I'll cover
that in another email for those of you
who do Olympic lifting.
In the meantime, and 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 many more tips and suggestions on
power rack training -- and for tons of great
workouts and old-school exercises -- grab a
copy of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My power rack training DVD is
another great resource on rack work:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.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: "It's not how
many reps you do, it's how you do the reps."
-- Brooks Kubik
How to Become an Easy Gainer!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday, we were talking about hard
gainers and easy gainers -- and about
my very slow and barely steady progress
up to my early 30's.
Up to that point in time, anyone would
have taken one look and labeled me as a
hard gainer. A hard gainer who trained
regularly, but a hard gainer nonetheless.
But then, several things happened.
1. I began using abbreviated training,
as detailed in my books and courses.
(See Strength, Muscle and Power for
the exact workout.)
2. I began doing heavy singles.
3. I began doing heavy partials, support
work, and bottom position squats and bench
presses in the power rack.
4. I began doing Dino-style grip work,
and using thick-handled barbells and
dumbbells.
As a result, all of a sudden I began
growing. I started to gain strength
and muscle mass like a snowball rolling
downhill.
Over the next couple of years, my bodyweight
went from 180 to 225 pounds.
I went from a 350 or so squat to a 605
pound squat. (Powerlifting style.)
I went from a 355 touch and go bench
press to a competition lift with a dead
stop at the chest of 407 pounds -- and a
bottom position bench press (using a 3"
diameter thick bar) of 435 pounds.
At that point in time, you probably
would have labeled me as an easy gainer.
And based on the big growth spurt during
those years, you probably would have been
right.
So I went from hard gainer for 20 years
of training to easy gainer.
How did it happen?
Well, it wasn't roidskies, because I'm
lifetime drug-free.
It wasn't supplements.
It wasn't magic or voodoo.
It was the combination of abbreviated
training and learning ways to train with
really heavy weights -- such as singles,
rack work, partials and support lifts.
The heavy training combined with the grip
work and the thick bar work to increase
my bone, tendon and ligament strength.
My wrists grew at least half an inch
thicker during this period.
And when your bones grow, YOU grow.
"Back in the day" the term "hard gainer"
usually applied to small-boned men --
and "easy gainers" were usually men with
BIG bones -- such as John Grimek. Harry
Paschall wrote about this back in the
early 1950's, so it's nothing new.
The point is, if you want REAL gains in
strength and muscle mass, you can't do
it by focusing on the muscles alone.
You have to do more than train your
muscles.
You have to train your bones, tendons
and ligaments.
This is why I don't like conventional
bodybuilding programs -- or pumping
programs -- or exercise machines --
or training with light weights. That
kind of training hits the muscles,
but does little or nothing for the
tendons, ligaments and bones.
So if you want to go from hard gainer
to easy gainer, target the Inner Man.
Train your tendons, ligaments and
bones!
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 power rack training in
detail in Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and
back issues of the Dino Files hard-copy
newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Build your
body from the inside out. Start with your
bones." -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday, we were talking about hard
gainers and easy gainers -- and about
my very slow and barely steady progress
up to my early 30's.
Up to that point in time, anyone would
have taken one look and labeled me as a
hard gainer. A hard gainer who trained
regularly, but a hard gainer nonetheless.
But then, several things happened.
1. I began using abbreviated training,
as detailed in my books and courses.
(See Strength, Muscle and Power for
the exact workout.)
2. I began doing heavy singles.
3. I began doing heavy partials, support
work, and bottom position squats and bench
presses in the power rack.
4. I began doing Dino-style grip work,
and using thick-handled barbells and
dumbbells.
As a result, all of a sudden I began
growing. I started to gain strength
and muscle mass like a snowball rolling
downhill.
Over the next couple of years, my bodyweight
went from 180 to 225 pounds.
I went from a 350 or so squat to a 605
pound squat. (Powerlifting style.)
I went from a 355 touch and go bench
press to a competition lift with a dead
stop at the chest of 407 pounds -- and a
bottom position bench press (using a 3"
diameter thick bar) of 435 pounds.
At that point in time, you probably
would have labeled me as an easy gainer.
And based on the big growth spurt during
those years, you probably would have been
right.
So I went from hard gainer for 20 years
of training to easy gainer.
How did it happen?
Well, it wasn't roidskies, because I'm
lifetime drug-free.
It wasn't supplements.
It wasn't magic or voodoo.
It was the combination of abbreviated
training and learning ways to train with
really heavy weights -- such as singles,
rack work, partials and support lifts.
The heavy training combined with the grip
work and the thick bar work to increase
my bone, tendon and ligament strength.
My wrists grew at least half an inch
thicker during this period.
And when your bones grow, YOU grow.
"Back in the day" the term "hard gainer"
usually applied to small-boned men --
and "easy gainers" were usually men with
BIG bones -- such as John Grimek. Harry
Paschall wrote about this back in the
early 1950's, so it's nothing new.
The point is, if you want REAL gains in
strength and muscle mass, you can't do
it by focusing on the muscles alone.
You have to do more than train your
muscles.
You have to train your bones, tendons
and ligaments.
This is why I don't like conventional
bodybuilding programs -- or pumping
programs -- or exercise machines --
or training with light weights. That
kind of training hits the muscles,
but does little or nothing for the
tendons, ligaments and bones.
So if you want to go from hard gainer
to easy gainer, target the Inner Man.
Train your tendons, ligaments and
bones!
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 power rack training in
detail in Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and
back issues of the Dino Files hard-copy
newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Build your
body from the inside out. Start with your
bones." -- Brooks Kubik
Hard Gainer or Easy Gainer?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A reader asked me if I consider myself
to be a hard gainer or an easy gainer.
He also asked me if I've been following
John Wood's recent articles on bone
strength and heavy support work to
build your bones, and wondered if
I had ever done anything similar.
That's two questions, of course, but
they are closely related. We'll cover
them in two emails -- one today, and
one tomorrow.
1. Am I a hard gainer or an easy gainer?
Well, to begin with, I was a sickly little
kid with terrible eyesight, great big
bottle-cap eye-glasses, severe allergies
(for which I got weekly allergy shots
from age 7 to age 21), and crippling
asthma. I was small, puny and skinny.
Not exactly championship material.
I began barbell training at age 11. I
weighed 83 pounds. I hit a growth spurt,
grew a couple of inches and put on some
weight and muscle. Moving from 83 pounds
to 103 pounds was a big deal.
At age 14, I weighed 135 pounds and cut
three pounds to wrestle in the 132 pound
weight class. I was 5' 9" then, and never
grew any taller.
The next three years I wrestled at 145
pounds. The most I ever weighed in high
school was 155 pounds, which I weighed
for one day -- the day before a summer
wrestling tournament where I had to cut
one pound to wrestle at 154 pounds.
My top bench press in high school was
225 pounds, and my top squat was 250
pounds. I think my top deadlift was
320 pounds.
In college, I continued to train, and
gradually got my weight up to 165 or
170 pounds, and my top bench press to
320 pounds. I made the lift with an
old iron bar I found at a local YMCA,
loaded with 170 pounds of iron plates
and 150 pounds of homemade concrete
plates. This was in 1978 or so. I was
21 years old.
After college, I went to law school. I
was able to eat as much as I wanted in
the school cafeteria, and to train
three times per week in the school
weight room, and I pushed my weight
to 180 pounds and my bench press to
320 pounds. This was in Spring, 1980.
The next two years I was very busy
and couldn't train much. I also got
married and no longer had the luxury
of those big meals in the cafeteria.
My weight dropped to 160 pounds.
After graduating from law school in
1982, I took a job at a law firm in
Louisville, found a gym, and started
training again. I also was able to eat
more now that I had a regular paycheck!
My weight went up to 180 pounds, and my
bench press went up to 355 pounds --
and they stayed there.
It didn't matter what I did.
It didn't matter what I ate. Or how much
I ate.
The different supplements I tried didn't
make any difference at all.
I was stuck at 180 pounds -- and my bench
was stuck at 355 pounds -- and they didn't
budge for year after year after year.
By 1988, at age 31, I was only 10 pounds
heavier and could bench press only 35 pounds
more than I could manage in 1978.
If my math is correct, that's a gain of
exactly one pound of bodyweight and 3.5
pounds on the bench press every year over
the entire 10-year period.
So YOU tell me -- am I a hard gainer or
an easy gainer?
Of course, before you answer the question,
you might want to see what happened in 1988.
We'll get to that part of the story tomorrow --
and we'll also talk about the interesting issue
of bone strength and how to build it -- and
what it can do for you. Tendon and ligament
strength, as well.
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. If you're interested in bone strength --
tendon strength - and ligament strength, here
are two great resources with plenty of ideas
on how to build it:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "It's not where
you start, it's where you finish that counts.
The problem is, most people give up before
they get there." -- Brooks Kubik
A reader asked me if I consider myself
to be a hard gainer or an easy gainer.
He also asked me if I've been following
John Wood's recent articles on bone
strength and heavy support work to
build your bones, and wondered if
I had ever done anything similar.
That's two questions, of course, but
they are closely related. We'll cover
them in two emails -- one today, and
one tomorrow.
1. Am I a hard gainer or an easy gainer?
Well, to begin with, I was a sickly little
kid with terrible eyesight, great big
bottle-cap eye-glasses, severe allergies
(for which I got weekly allergy shots
from age 7 to age 21), and crippling
asthma. I was small, puny and skinny.
Not exactly championship material.
I began barbell training at age 11. I
weighed 83 pounds. I hit a growth spurt,
grew a couple of inches and put on some
weight and muscle. Moving from 83 pounds
to 103 pounds was a big deal.
At age 14, I weighed 135 pounds and cut
three pounds to wrestle in the 132 pound
weight class. I was 5' 9" then, and never
grew any taller.
The next three years I wrestled at 145
pounds. The most I ever weighed in high
school was 155 pounds, which I weighed
for one day -- the day before a summer
wrestling tournament where I had to cut
one pound to wrestle at 154 pounds.
My top bench press in high school was
225 pounds, and my top squat was 250
pounds. I think my top deadlift was
320 pounds.
In college, I continued to train, and
gradually got my weight up to 165 or
170 pounds, and my top bench press to
320 pounds. I made the lift with an
old iron bar I found at a local YMCA,
loaded with 170 pounds of iron plates
and 150 pounds of homemade concrete
plates. This was in 1978 or so. I was
21 years old.
After college, I went to law school. I
was able to eat as much as I wanted in
the school cafeteria, and to train
three times per week in the school
weight room, and I pushed my weight
to 180 pounds and my bench press to
320 pounds. This was in Spring, 1980.
The next two years I was very busy
and couldn't train much. I also got
married and no longer had the luxury
of those big meals in the cafeteria.
My weight dropped to 160 pounds.
After graduating from law school in
1982, I took a job at a law firm in
Louisville, found a gym, and started
training again. I also was able to eat
more now that I had a regular paycheck!
My weight went up to 180 pounds, and my
bench press went up to 355 pounds --
and they stayed there.
It didn't matter what I did.
It didn't matter what I ate. Or how much
I ate.
The different supplements I tried didn't
make any difference at all.
I was stuck at 180 pounds -- and my bench
was stuck at 355 pounds -- and they didn't
budge for year after year after year.
By 1988, at age 31, I was only 10 pounds
heavier and could bench press only 35 pounds
more than I could manage in 1978.
If my math is correct, that's a gain of
exactly one pound of bodyweight and 3.5
pounds on the bench press every year over
the entire 10-year period.
So YOU tell me -- am I a hard gainer or
an easy gainer?
Of course, before you answer the question,
you might want to see what happened in 1988.
We'll get to that part of the story tomorrow --
and we'll also talk about the interesting issue
of bone strength and how to build it -- and
what it can do for you. Tendon and ligament
strength, as well.
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. If you're interested in bone strength --
tendon strength - and ligament strength, here
are two great resources with plenty of ideas
on how to build it:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "It's not where
you start, it's where you finish that counts.
The problem is, most people give up before
they get there." -- Brooks Kubik
Rest-Pause Reps for Strength, Muscle and Power!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I gave you a great little training
technique that combined pause reps and regular
reps.
You did 3 x 5 working sets, and you started
with one pause rep followed by four regular
reps.
You worked up to 3 pause reps followed by
two regular reps -- and then you added weight
in the next workout and did 3 x 5 regular
reps, and after that, you repeated the
cycle with the pause reps and regular
reps.
Here's something similar using rest pause
reps and regular reps.
Rest pause reps are different than pause
reps. You do a rep, pause for 10 to 20
seconds, and then do another rep. This is
a very effective training technique, in
part because it allows you to make each
individual rep a 100 per cent, tightly
focused, PERFECT rep.
Some people do rest pause reps at the
end of a set, to allow more total reps
after they hit momentary muscular failure
and can no longer do consecutive reps.
But I prefer to do them at the beginning
of a set -- and finish up with some non-
stop reps at the end of the set.
For example:
After a progressively heavier series of
warm-up sets, do 3 x 5 working sets in
the deadlift or Trap Bar deadlift.
Instead of doing the reps in regular,
consecutive fashion, do ONE rep in
perfect form.
Lower the bar to the platform.
Pause for about 15 to 20 seconds.
Do a second rep in perfect form.
Lower the bar to the platform.
Pause for 15 to 20 seconds.
Now do three consecutive reps to
finish the set.
Sounds simple, but give it a try and
you'll be surprised to see how hard
it is -- and how it forces you to
dig deep to focus and concentrate
on each and every rep.
Good stuff.
And of course -- you can combine the
rest pause technique with pause reps.
Just include a two second pause on each
of the rest pause reps -- perhaps at the
point where the bar is right below the
knees.
That's some serious training -- and it
will build some serious strength, muscle
and power.
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 rest-pause training in detail
in Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "If you're
going to train, do it right. Make every
rep count." -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday I gave you a great little training
technique that combined pause reps and regular
reps.
You did 3 x 5 working sets, and you started
with one pause rep followed by four regular
reps.
You worked up to 3 pause reps followed by
two regular reps -- and then you added weight
in the next workout and did 3 x 5 regular
reps, and after that, you repeated the
cycle with the pause reps and regular
reps.
Here's something similar using rest pause
reps and regular reps.
Rest pause reps are different than pause
reps. You do a rep, pause for 10 to 20
seconds, and then do another rep. This is
a very effective training technique, in
part because it allows you to make each
individual rep a 100 per cent, tightly
focused, PERFECT rep.
Some people do rest pause reps at the
end of a set, to allow more total reps
after they hit momentary muscular failure
and can no longer do consecutive reps.
But I prefer to do them at the beginning
of a set -- and finish up with some non-
stop reps at the end of the set.
For example:
After a progressively heavier series of
warm-up sets, do 3 x 5 working sets in
the deadlift or Trap Bar deadlift.
Instead of doing the reps in regular,
consecutive fashion, do ONE rep in
perfect form.
Lower the bar to the platform.
Pause for about 15 to 20 seconds.
Do a second rep in perfect form.
Lower the bar to the platform.
Pause for 15 to 20 seconds.
Now do three consecutive reps to
finish the set.
Sounds simple, but give it a try and
you'll be surprised to see how hard
it is -- and how it forces you to
dig deep to focus and concentrate
on each and every rep.
Good stuff.
And of course -- you can combine the
rest pause technique with pause reps.
Just include a two second pause on each
of the rest pause reps -- perhaps at the
point where the bar is right below the
knees.
That's some serious training -- and it
will build some serious strength, muscle
and power.
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 rest-pause training in detail
in Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "If you're
going to train, do it right. Make every
rep count." -- Brooks Kubik
Try this Unique Progression System!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A reader asked about bottom position
squats.
Instead of setting the bar on pins
in the power rack, so he can wedge
himself under the bar in the bottom
position of the movement and stand
up with it, he prefers to set the
pins at the same position -- but
start at the top of the movement --
lower himself down until the bar
is right above the pins -- pause
for a second -- think "One thousand
and one!" -- and then drive back up
to the starting position.
He said that works better for him,
and wanted to know if it was okay.
Answer -- absolutely!
Remember, we're all different. Squats
are good for all of us (unless an
injury makes it impossible to do them),
but the exact manner of doing your
squats will vary from one Dino to
another.
Now, technically, our reader is doing
a pause squat -- but if that works
better for him than a true bottom
position squat, then that's what he
should do.
And speaking of pause squats -- here's
a way to use the pause as part of your
progression scheme.
Let's say you can do 3 x 5 working sets
with 300 pounds in the squat.
You could add weight in your next
workout -- OR you could add a pause.
For example, do 3 x 5 with a pause on
the first rep of each set and no pause
on the next four reps.
The next time you do squats, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
TWO reps of each set -- followed by three
no pause reps.
In your next squat workout, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
three reps of each set -- followed by
two no pause reps.
In the next squat workout, add weight and
do 3 x 5 regular reps with no pause.
In the workout after that, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
rep of each set only.
And then repeat the progression cycle.
You can do this sort of thing on any
basic exercise. George F. Jowett wrote
about it way back in the 1920's -- and
a guy named Grimek read the article
and gave it a try on his presses.
It worked pretty well for him.
So there we have some old-school training
advice from George F. Jowett -- used by
none other than John C. Grimek -- that
I'm able to share in response to a
training question received on July 23,
2014.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty darn cool.
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 plenty of other old-school
training tips in Strength, Muscle and
Power -- and I cover more military press
secrets in my Military Press Course --
and I give you TONS more info about
John Grimek and his training in my John
Grimek training course. You can grab them
right here:
a. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
b. The Dinosaur Training Military Press
and Shoulder Power Course
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
c. The Training Secrets of John Grimek
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
back issues of the Dinosaur Files Newsletter -
are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Read, study, search,
and learn. The more you know about real world,
sensible strength training, the better."
-- Brooks Kubik
A reader asked about bottom position
squats.
Instead of setting the bar on pins
in the power rack, so he can wedge
himself under the bar in the bottom
position of the movement and stand
up with it, he prefers to set the
pins at the same position -- but
start at the top of the movement --
lower himself down until the bar
is right above the pins -- pause
for a second -- think "One thousand
and one!" -- and then drive back up
to the starting position.
He said that works better for him,
and wanted to know if it was okay.
Answer -- absolutely!
Remember, we're all different. Squats
are good for all of us (unless an
injury makes it impossible to do them),
but the exact manner of doing your
squats will vary from one Dino to
another.
Now, technically, our reader is doing
a pause squat -- but if that works
better for him than a true bottom
position squat, then that's what he
should do.
And speaking of pause squats -- here's
a way to use the pause as part of your
progression scheme.
Let's say you can do 3 x 5 working sets
with 300 pounds in the squat.
You could add weight in your next
workout -- OR you could add a pause.
For example, do 3 x 5 with a pause on
the first rep of each set and no pause
on the next four reps.
The next time you do squats, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
TWO reps of each set -- followed by three
no pause reps.
In your next squat workout, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
three reps of each set -- followed by
two no pause reps.
In the next squat workout, add weight and
do 3 x 5 regular reps with no pause.
In the workout after that, do 3 x 5
working sets with a pause on the first
rep of each set only.
And then repeat the progression cycle.
You can do this sort of thing on any
basic exercise. George F. Jowett wrote
about it way back in the 1920's -- and
a guy named Grimek read the article
and gave it a try on his presses.
It worked pretty well for him.
So there we have some old-school training
advice from George F. Jowett -- used by
none other than John C. Grimek -- that
I'm able to share in response to a
training question received on July 23,
2014.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty darn cool.
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 plenty of other old-school
training tips in Strength, Muscle and
Power -- and I cover more military press
secrets in my Military Press Course --
and I give you TONS more info about
John Grimek and his training in my John
Grimek training course. You can grab them
right here:
a. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
b. The Dinosaur Training Military Press
and Shoulder Power Course
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
c. The Training Secrets of John Grimek
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
back issues of the Dinosaur Files Newsletter -
are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Read, study, search,
and learn. The more you know about real world,
sensible strength training, the better."
-- Brooks Kubik
12 Questions Prompted by a TENS Unit!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm sitting here with a TENS unit
zapping my shoulder and right trap
because I didn't follow my own
advice.
And because I made a simple mistake
that many older trainees make.
For the last couple of years, I did
the clean and jerk as one lift. In
other words, I would clean the weight
and then jerk it.
But a few weeks ago I switched to cleans
in one workout, and push presses in the
other.
The idea was to go heavier on each
movement by splitting them up. And to
do push presses rather than jerks to
build some extra shoulder and triceps
strength.
And I'm pretty strong on push presses,
and went too heavy too soon. That was
mistake number one.
Mistake number two was separating the
clean and the push press. It would have
been better to do them together.
Why?
Because I position the bar better when
I rack it in a squat clean than when I
take it off the squat stands.
It's not a big difference - but it's a
difference. Enough of a difference to
give me a nice shoulder and trap spasm
that feels like someone is poking a
red-hot pitchfork into my neck and
shoulder.
Hence, the TENS unit to break up the
spasm and let me get back to training.
So now I am reminded that I need to be
very careful to follow two important
rules:
1. When you change to a new exercise, don't
go too heavy too soon.
2. Clean the bar before doing a press, push
press or jerk.
Rule no. 1 applies to anyone at any age.
Rule no. 2 may apply more to older trainees,
because they're the ones who tend to have
flexibility issues such as tight shoulders.
Rule no. 2 reminds me of other things for
older trainees to consider -- and note that
the answer will vary from person to person,
and may change for you over time:
1. Is it better for you to use a lifting belt,
or to skip the belt and go a little lighter?
2. Do you go too heavy (and hurt yourself or
not be able to recover) if you use lifting
straps for your pulls and/or deadlifts?
2a. Same question for hook grip vs. regular
grip.
3. Can you still recover from heavy pulls?
4. Can you still recover from heavy deadlifts?
5. Can you still recover from heavy squats?
6. Can you still recover from heavy partials?
7. Is it better to do front squats by
cleaning the weight or by taking it off
squat stands?
8. Which work better for you -- front
squats or back squats?
9. Is it easier to recover from deadlift
sessions if you use the Trap Bar?
10. How many exercises can you do in a
given workout and still recover?
11. Are dumbbell presses (or push presses,
or jerks) harder or easier on your shoulders
than doing the same exercise with a barbell?
12. How many workouts per week are best for
you, and how many heavy sessions per week
are best for you?
These are interesting questions -- and they're
very important questions for any older trainee.
And the answers will vary for all of us --
and for all of us, they'll change over time.
Anyhow, I'm nursing a temporary battle
wound, and the TENS unit is feeling pretty
darn good. Kudos to Trudi for buying it a
couple of years ago. She must have known
I'd do something like this sooner or later.
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 about
sensible, real-world training for older
Dinos:
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: "Strength
training is a life-long journey. You never
stop learning." -- Brooks Kubik
I'm sitting here with a TENS unit
zapping my shoulder and right trap
because I didn't follow my own
advice.
And because I made a simple mistake
that many older trainees make.
For the last couple of years, I did
the clean and jerk as one lift. In
other words, I would clean the weight
and then jerk it.
But a few weeks ago I switched to cleans
in one workout, and push presses in the
other.
The idea was to go heavier on each
movement by splitting them up. And to
do push presses rather than jerks to
build some extra shoulder and triceps
strength.
And I'm pretty strong on push presses,
and went too heavy too soon. That was
mistake number one.
Mistake number two was separating the
clean and the push press. It would have
been better to do them together.
Why?
Because I position the bar better when
I rack it in a squat clean than when I
take it off the squat stands.
It's not a big difference - but it's a
difference. Enough of a difference to
give me a nice shoulder and trap spasm
that feels like someone is poking a
red-hot pitchfork into my neck and
shoulder.
Hence, the TENS unit to break up the
spasm and let me get back to training.
So now I am reminded that I need to be
very careful to follow two important
rules:
1. When you change to a new exercise, don't
go too heavy too soon.
2. Clean the bar before doing a press, push
press or jerk.
Rule no. 1 applies to anyone at any age.
Rule no. 2 may apply more to older trainees,
because they're the ones who tend to have
flexibility issues such as tight shoulders.
Rule no. 2 reminds me of other things for
older trainees to consider -- and note that
the answer will vary from person to person,
and may change for you over time:
1. Is it better for you to use a lifting belt,
or to skip the belt and go a little lighter?
2. Do you go too heavy (and hurt yourself or
not be able to recover) if you use lifting
straps for your pulls and/or deadlifts?
2a. Same question for hook grip vs. regular
grip.
3. Can you still recover from heavy pulls?
4. Can you still recover from heavy deadlifts?
5. Can you still recover from heavy squats?
6. Can you still recover from heavy partials?
7. Is it better to do front squats by
cleaning the weight or by taking it off
squat stands?
8. Which work better for you -- front
squats or back squats?
9. Is it easier to recover from deadlift
sessions if you use the Trap Bar?
10. How many exercises can you do in a
given workout and still recover?
11. Are dumbbell presses (or push presses,
or jerks) harder or easier on your shoulders
than doing the same exercise with a barbell?
12. How many workouts per week are best for
you, and how many heavy sessions per week
are best for you?
These are interesting questions -- and they're
very important questions for any older trainee.
And the answers will vary for all of us --
and for all of us, they'll change over time.
Anyhow, I'm nursing a temporary battle
wound, and the TENS unit is feeling pretty
darn good. Kudos to Trudi for buying it a
couple of years ago. She must have known
I'd do something like this sooner or later.
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 about
sensible, real-world training for older
Dinos:
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: "Strength
training is a life-long journey. You never
stop learning." -- Brooks Kubik
Important News and Updates for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm going to cover a couple of
quick updates in this post. So
I may bounce around a little,
sort of like Paul Anderson
repping some fast squats with
800 pounds.
1. Yesterday's Email Message
I received a ton of great feedback
to yesterday's email. Thanks very
much to everyone who sent a reply.
Several of you noted that you have
been diagnosed with glaucoma or
pre-glaucoma, and you appreciated
my comments about finding exercises
that won't generate potentially
harmful internal pressure for
your eyes.
Others said you were going to get an
eye exam and glaucoma screen -- which
is a good idea, and one of the reasons
why I sent the email.
And one reader unsubscribed. I was
sorry to see that, but hey, it happens.
2. The Diet and Nutrition Book
I've been working full-time seven days
a week on this one, and really putting
a lot of effort and energy into it.
The goal is to get it finished and out
the door to readers as soon as possible.
I'll keep you posted, but rest assured --
it won't be long now.
Also note -- this is "not just a diet
book." It's a book about making smart
choices that will help you build and
maintain life-long strength and health.
It's geared to strength athletes, of
course, and it covers trainees of all
ages.
We'll talk about protein, carbs, fats,
how and where to get the healthiest
and most nutritious foods, my take on
supplements, gaining weight, losing
weight, special advice for older
trainees, and how to sort through
all the diet and nutrition mumbo-
jumbo and peudo-science out there.
And it will NOT be a one-size fits all
book.
Far from it.
One of the things we'll cover is how to
develop an individualized diet and
nutrition plan that's best and most
effective for YOU.
Anyhow, I'm very excited about how it is
coming together, and I'm really looking
forward to the day we launch the big
pre-publication special.
3. Other Dino Projects
As soon as the diet and nutrition book
is finished, I'm going to work on some
more training courses -- and launch the
Dinosaur Files newsletter in expanded,
bigger than ever quarterly format. The
goal is to get two issues out the door
in 2014 and 4 issues out the door in
2015.
On the courses front, we'll probably start
with volume 3 in the History's Strongest
Men series. I have someone in mind, and
I think you're going to agree that he
deserves a course of his own!
4. Questions from Readers
The bad part about being so busy with
Dino projects is that I can't keep up
with the emails I receive from readers.
So if you send an email and I don't
get back to you right away, that's why.
There just aren't enough hours in the
day.
I will try to answer all questions --
but understand that I receive MANY of
them every day, and it is impossible to
get back to all of them right away.
5. Something Terrific for Hand-balancing
Fans!
Finally, if you haven't already seen it,
here's something new and terrific for
hand-balancing fans -- a very rare
hand-balancing course authored by
none other than the Maestro himself,
Sig Klein. My buddy John Wood has
done a reprint edition of the course,
and it is getting rave reviews.
John is doing a hard-copy version
and a Kindle version of the course.
I understand the hard-copy version
is not yet ready, but you can grab
the Kindle version right now -- by
going right here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/klein_handbalancing.html
I understand the server crashed 2x
yesterday after John launched this
little baby, so it looks like it's
an official best seller.
6. The Wrap-Up
That's it for now. I have to get back to
the diet and nutrition book!
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. Did you know that John Grimek was
a master hand-balancer? I cover some of
his hand-balancing feats in my John
Grimek training course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_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: "The only
two directions are forward and back.
Forward is the best choice."
-- Brooks Kubik
I'm going to cover a couple of
quick updates in this post. So
I may bounce around a little,
sort of like Paul Anderson
repping some fast squats with
800 pounds.
1. Yesterday's Email Message
I received a ton of great feedback
to yesterday's email. Thanks very
much to everyone who sent a reply.
Several of you noted that you have
been diagnosed with glaucoma or
pre-glaucoma, and you appreciated
my comments about finding exercises
that won't generate potentially
harmful internal pressure for
your eyes.
Others said you were going to get an
eye exam and glaucoma screen -- which
is a good idea, and one of the reasons
why I sent the email.
And one reader unsubscribed. I was
sorry to see that, but hey, it happens.
2. The Diet and Nutrition Book
I've been working full-time seven days
a week on this one, and really putting
a lot of effort and energy into it.
The goal is to get it finished and out
the door to readers as soon as possible.
I'll keep you posted, but rest assured --
it won't be long now.
Also note -- this is "not just a diet
book." It's a book about making smart
choices that will help you build and
maintain life-long strength and health.
It's geared to strength athletes, of
course, and it covers trainees of all
ages.
We'll talk about protein, carbs, fats,
how and where to get the healthiest
and most nutritious foods, my take on
supplements, gaining weight, losing
weight, special advice for older
trainees, and how to sort through
all the diet and nutrition mumbo-
jumbo and peudo-science out there.
And it will NOT be a one-size fits all
book.
Far from it.
One of the things we'll cover is how to
develop an individualized diet and
nutrition plan that's best and most
effective for YOU.
Anyhow, I'm very excited about how it is
coming together, and I'm really looking
forward to the day we launch the big
pre-publication special.
3. Other Dino Projects
As soon as the diet and nutrition book
is finished, I'm going to work on some
more training courses -- and launch the
Dinosaur Files newsletter in expanded,
bigger than ever quarterly format. The
goal is to get two issues out the door
in 2014 and 4 issues out the door in
2015.
On the courses front, we'll probably start
with volume 3 in the History's Strongest
Men series. I have someone in mind, and
I think you're going to agree that he
deserves a course of his own!
4. Questions from Readers
The bad part about being so busy with
Dino projects is that I can't keep up
with the emails I receive from readers.
So if you send an email and I don't
get back to you right away, that's why.
There just aren't enough hours in the
day.
I will try to answer all questions --
but understand that I receive MANY of
them every day, and it is impossible to
get back to all of them right away.
5. Something Terrific for Hand-balancing
Fans!
Finally, if you haven't already seen it,
here's something new and terrific for
hand-balancing fans -- a very rare
hand-balancing course authored by
none other than the Maestro himself,
Sig Klein. My buddy John Wood has
done a reprint edition of the course,
and it is getting rave reviews.
John is doing a hard-copy version
and a Kindle version of the course.
I understand the hard-copy version
is not yet ready, but you can grab
the Kindle version right now -- by
going right here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/klein_handbalancing.html
I understand the server crashed 2x
yesterday after John launched this
little baby, so it looks like it's
an official best seller.
6. The Wrap-Up
That's it for now. I have to get back to
the diet and nutrition book!
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. Did you know that John Grimek was
a master hand-balancer? I cover some of
his hand-balancing feats in my John
Grimek training course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_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: "The only
two directions are forward and back.
Forward is the best choice."
-- Brooks Kubik
Another Reason Why I Do Olympic Lifting
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Last week I was talking about my
current training, and why I prefer
to do Olympic weightlifting at this
stage of my career.
I gave you seven reasons.
But I omitted one, and it's a biggie.
Olympic weightlifting is easier on my
eyes.
Yes, you heard that correctly.
My eyes.
Here's the deal.
My father has glaucoma. My brother has
glaucoma. All of my paternal uncles
had glaucoma. Every man in the family
has it.
Glaucoma is a degenerative eye disease
caused by unusually high inter-ocular
(inside the eyeball) pressure. It's
sort of like having high blood
pressure in your eyes.
It causes the death of nerve cells in
the eyes -- and if untreated, it can
lead to progressively greater and
greater vision loss -- and even to
blindness.
It's an hereditary condition -- which
is why all the men in the family have
it.
We're not sure if I have it or not.
Because of the family history, I get
checked every three months. I'm right
on the edge. I've been told, "Yes, you
have it" -- and I've been told "You
know, I think it's close -- but I
don't think you have it." Three
different opthamologists have said
"Yes, you have it " -- and then
changed their minds in later exams,
and a fourth flat out said he just
wasn't sure.
Anyhow, we watch it very closely, and
I take the same eye-drops I would take
if I were diagnosed as having glaucoma.
The drops reduce the inter-ocular
pressure.
Now, as you might imagine, my opthamologist
and I have had a number of conversations
about my weight training.
He wants me to stay away from any slow,
grinding movements where my blood pressure
goes sky high and my face looks like it's
going to explode.
But he's okay with snatches, cleans and
jerks -- because they're much faster and
you don't hold your breath for as long --
and thus, there's much less internal
pressure, even if you do a heavy lift.
Now, please note -- I am NOT a medical
doctor, and I'm NOT an optthamologist,
so if you have glaucoma or are at risk
for glaucoma, talk with your doctor
and work up an appropriate plan,
including the right kind of exercise
program for YOU.
All I'm saying is that in MY case,
based on my current eye condition
and overall health, I've been cleared
to do snatches, cleans and jerks.
Kettlebells would also be okay,
as would most of the exercises
in the Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training course. (I'm supposed
to stay away from any inverted
exercises, such as handstand
pushups, because the blood runs
to the head -- which increases
the pressure on my eyes.)
I'm sharing this because it's an
example of how things change as
you grow older -- and an example
of how important it is to find the
right kind of exercise -- and how
the right kind of exercise might
change for you over time.
Anyhow, my eye pressure and visual
field test was fine at my last exam,
and hopefully it will stay that
way.
In the meantime, I'm having fun out
in the garage, and my lifting platform,
Olympic bar and plates are getting lots
of use.
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is a must
read for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. If you're looking for something
fun, different and effective, try Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training or Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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,
but train smart. You last longer that way."
-- Brooks Kubik
Last week I was talking about my
current training, and why I prefer
to do Olympic weightlifting at this
stage of my career.
I gave you seven reasons.
But I omitted one, and it's a biggie.
Olympic weightlifting is easier on my
eyes.
Yes, you heard that correctly.
My eyes.
Here's the deal.
My father has glaucoma. My brother has
glaucoma. All of my paternal uncles
had glaucoma. Every man in the family
has it.
Glaucoma is a degenerative eye disease
caused by unusually high inter-ocular
(inside the eyeball) pressure. It's
sort of like having high blood
pressure in your eyes.
It causes the death of nerve cells in
the eyes -- and if untreated, it can
lead to progressively greater and
greater vision loss -- and even to
blindness.
It's an hereditary condition -- which
is why all the men in the family have
it.
We're not sure if I have it or not.
Because of the family history, I get
checked every three months. I'm right
on the edge. I've been told, "Yes, you
have it" -- and I've been told "You
know, I think it's close -- but I
don't think you have it." Three
different opthamologists have said
"Yes, you have it " -- and then
changed their minds in later exams,
and a fourth flat out said he just
wasn't sure.
Anyhow, we watch it very closely, and
I take the same eye-drops I would take
if I were diagnosed as having glaucoma.
The drops reduce the inter-ocular
pressure.
Now, as you might imagine, my opthamologist
and I have had a number of conversations
about my weight training.
He wants me to stay away from any slow,
grinding movements where my blood pressure
goes sky high and my face looks like it's
going to explode.
But he's okay with snatches, cleans and
jerks -- because they're much faster and
you don't hold your breath for as long --
and thus, there's much less internal
pressure, even if you do a heavy lift.
Now, please note -- I am NOT a medical
doctor, and I'm NOT an optthamologist,
so if you have glaucoma or are at risk
for glaucoma, talk with your doctor
and work up an appropriate plan,
including the right kind of exercise
program for YOU.
All I'm saying is that in MY case,
based on my current eye condition
and overall health, I've been cleared
to do snatches, cleans and jerks.
Kettlebells would also be okay,
as would most of the exercises
in the Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training course. (I'm supposed
to stay away from any inverted
exercises, such as handstand
pushups, because the blood runs
to the head -- which increases
the pressure on my eyes.)
I'm sharing this because it's an
example of how things change as
you grow older -- and an example
of how important it is to find the
right kind of exercise -- and how
the right kind of exercise might
change for you over time.
Anyhow, my eye pressure and visual
field test was fine at my last exam,
and hopefully it will stay that
way.
In the meantime, I'm having fun out
in the garage, and my lifting platform,
Olympic bar and plates are getting lots
of use.
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is a must
read for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. If you're looking for something
fun, different and effective, try Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training or Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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,
but train smart. You last longer that way."
-- Brooks Kubik
Championship Training!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Part of training like a champion is
making do with whatever equipment is
available.
And part of it is overcoming adversity.
Take the case of a young Army private
named Tommy Kono.
The year is 1952.
Kono is stationed at an Army base in
Northern California.
He's training for the USA Senior
National Weightlifting championships.
And if he wins the Senior nationals,
he'll make the USA Weightlifting team
and be able to compete in the Olympic
Championships later in the year.
So this is a really big deal.
Problem is, the Base gym has only one
barbell.
It's an exercise barbell, not an Olympic
barbell.
The biggest plates are 25's, and the
rest are 10's and 5's. He can only load
it up to 285 pounds.
And there's no lifting platform --
and no squat racks.
Plus, he has hardly any time to train.
So what does he do?
He hangs the bar from two strong ropes,
so it's exactly at the right starting
position to do presses.
Then he loads it up -- and does 8 sets
of 3 reps in the wide grip (collar to
collar) military press.
Why the wide grip?
Because it's HARDER than regular grip
presses. He figures that if he can get
stronger when pressing the bar with a
grip, he'll be able to lift more weight
when he uses his regular grip in the
contest.
These two simple changes -- hanging the
barbell from the ropes, so he doesn't
have to clean it, and performing wide
grip presses -- allow him to make the
most out of that old, seemingly
unsuitable barbell.
And hanging the barbell on the ropes
allows him to train FAST. He finishes
his workouts in just 20 or 30 minutes!
When he has the chance, he goes to the
San Francisco YMCA and does snatches,
cleans and front squats.
And guess what happens?
He not only wins the Senior Nationals,
he wins the "Outstanding Lifter" Aware.
He goes to the Olympics -- and he wins
the gold medal.
That's how a champion trains -- and it's
how YOU should train!
So take Tommy Kono's lesson to heart.
Make the most of what you have -- don't
make excuses -- if there's a problem,
figure out a work-around -- and SMASH
through any obstacle in your path!
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 give many more tips for success
in all my books and courses -- including
these:
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Where there's
a will, there's a way -- and it leads to
success!" -- Brooks Kubik
Part of training like a champion is
making do with whatever equipment is
available.
And part of it is overcoming adversity.
Take the case of a young Army private
named Tommy Kono.
The year is 1952.
Kono is stationed at an Army base in
Northern California.
He's training for the USA Senior
National Weightlifting championships.
And if he wins the Senior nationals,
he'll make the USA Weightlifting team
and be able to compete in the Olympic
Championships later in the year.
So this is a really big deal.
Problem is, the Base gym has only one
barbell.
It's an exercise barbell, not an Olympic
barbell.
The biggest plates are 25's, and the
rest are 10's and 5's. He can only load
it up to 285 pounds.
And there's no lifting platform --
and no squat racks.
Plus, he has hardly any time to train.
So what does he do?
He hangs the bar from two strong ropes,
so it's exactly at the right starting
position to do presses.
Then he loads it up -- and does 8 sets
of 3 reps in the wide grip (collar to
collar) military press.
Why the wide grip?
Because it's HARDER than regular grip
presses. He figures that if he can get
stronger when pressing the bar with a
grip, he'll be able to lift more weight
when he uses his regular grip in the
contest.
These two simple changes -- hanging the
barbell from the ropes, so he doesn't
have to clean it, and performing wide
grip presses -- allow him to make the
most out of that old, seemingly
unsuitable barbell.
And hanging the barbell on the ropes
allows him to train FAST. He finishes
his workouts in just 20 or 30 minutes!
When he has the chance, he goes to the
San Francisco YMCA and does snatches,
cleans and front squats.
And guess what happens?
He not only wins the Senior Nationals,
he wins the "Outstanding Lifter" Aware.
He goes to the Olympics -- and he wins
the gold medal.
That's how a champion trains -- and it's
how YOU should train!
So take Tommy Kono's lesson to heart.
Make the most of what you have -- don't
make excuses -- if there's a problem,
figure out a work-around -- and SMASH
through any obstacle in your path!
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 give many more tips for success
in all my books and courses -- including
these:
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Where there's
a will, there's a way -- and it leads to
success!" -- Brooks Kubik
The "Why Do You Do It?" Question
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A couple of days ago I posted my
current training program, which
is built around Olympic weight-
lifting movements.
In response, I received a number
of questions from Dinos. One of
the most common was, "Why do you
do Olympic lifting now?"
Well there are a couple of reasons.
1. I enjoy it. There's a remarkable,
almost gymnastic sense to doing the
Olympic lifts.
1a. I'm almost 60, and I'm a grand-
father, and it's my garage and my
weights, so I get to do what I
enjoy the most.
1b. Luckily, Trudi is okay with
this, although she thinks split
style snatches are better and safer
for me than squat style snatches.
1c. She's probably right.
2. The lifts are challenging and
demanding.
2a. They require strength, speed,
power, flexibility and athleticism --
and the highest order of technical
skill.
3. There are established competitions
in the USA and all other countries,
with official records by age-group
and weight class, so I can see how
I compare to other lifters of my age
and weight.
4. It's perfectly safe to train the
Olympic lifts alone, without a
spotter.
5. The lifts require deep concentration
and intense focus -- so much so that
they almost amount to a form of moving
meditation -- much like traditional
martial arts training.
5a. This makes the workouts very
relaxing even though they're very
challenging.
6. There are established formulas to
calculate the relative performance of
different lifters based on their age
and bodyweight.
6a. I use these to compare my current
performance at age 57 and 215 pounds
to my performance at, for example, age
40 and 225 pounds -- or age 19 and 165
pounds -- or other ages over the course
of my career.
6b. This allows me to focus on improving
my relative ability on a pound for pound
and year for year basis -- and to set
myself the goal of trying to get better
and better on a relative ME to ME basis.
7. Did I mention that I really enjoy the
feel of the Olympic lifts? That they're
fun to do? That they remind me of the throws
I used to do in Greco-Roman and free-style
wrestling matches 40 years ago when I
wrestled in high school?
7a. That they're a FUN way to train?
7b. That it's my garage and my weights,
and -- oh, yeah -- I said that. I'm
repeating myself. Sorry about that.
But you get the message.
It's fun. I enjoy it. And it's in my
blood.
You may train exactly the same -- or you
may train differently -- but I'm going to
venture a guess and say that you, too,
have found something that you really
love doing -- and you really enjoy
your training -- and although it's
darn hard work, it's also downright
fun.
And that's the important thing.
As always, thanks for reading and
have a great day. If you train today,
make it a good one -- and have FUN!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's a great book for fun and
effective training for older Dinos:
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: "Life is too
short not to do the things you like to do
in the gym." -- Brooks Kubik
A couple of days ago I posted my
current training program, which
is built around Olympic weight-
lifting movements.
In response, I received a number
of questions from Dinos. One of
the most common was, "Why do you
do Olympic lifting now?"
Well there are a couple of reasons.
1. I enjoy it. There's a remarkable,
almost gymnastic sense to doing the
Olympic lifts.
1a. I'm almost 60, and I'm a grand-
father, and it's my garage and my
weights, so I get to do what I
enjoy the most.
1b. Luckily, Trudi is okay with
this, although she thinks split
style snatches are better and safer
for me than squat style snatches.
1c. She's probably right.
2. The lifts are challenging and
demanding.
2a. They require strength, speed,
power, flexibility and athleticism --
and the highest order of technical
skill.
3. There are established competitions
in the USA and all other countries,
with official records by age-group
and weight class, so I can see how
I compare to other lifters of my age
and weight.
4. It's perfectly safe to train the
Olympic lifts alone, without a
spotter.
5. The lifts require deep concentration
and intense focus -- so much so that
they almost amount to a form of moving
meditation -- much like traditional
martial arts training.
5a. This makes the workouts very
relaxing even though they're very
challenging.
6. There are established formulas to
calculate the relative performance of
different lifters based on their age
and bodyweight.
6a. I use these to compare my current
performance at age 57 and 215 pounds
to my performance at, for example, age
40 and 225 pounds -- or age 19 and 165
pounds -- or other ages over the course
of my career.
6b. This allows me to focus on improving
my relative ability on a pound for pound
and year for year basis -- and to set
myself the goal of trying to get better
and better on a relative ME to ME basis.
7. Did I mention that I really enjoy the
feel of the Olympic lifts? That they're
fun to do? That they remind me of the throws
I used to do in Greco-Roman and free-style
wrestling matches 40 years ago when I
wrestled in high school?
7a. That they're a FUN way to train?
7b. That it's my garage and my weights,
and -- oh, yeah -- I said that. I'm
repeating myself. Sorry about that.
But you get the message.
It's fun. I enjoy it. And it's in my
blood.
You may train exactly the same -- or you
may train differently -- but I'm going to
venture a guess and say that you, too,
have found something that you really
love doing -- and you really enjoy
your training -- and although it's
darn hard work, it's also downright
fun.
And that's the important thing.
As always, thanks for reading and
have a great day. If you train today,
make it a good one -- and have FUN!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's a great book for fun and
effective training for older Dinos:
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: "Life is too
short not to do the things you like to do
in the gym." -- Brooks Kubik
An Old-School Workout for Weight Gaining!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Here's a nice little workout
from Weight Training in Athletics
by James Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. It was published in
1956, so this definitely qualifies
as an old-school workout.
The workout is a weight-gaining
program. They wrote it for football
players who needed to add some extra
weight and strength during the off
season.
Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat.
1. Warm-up with light flip snatches
or the clean and press 1 x 8 - 10
2. Barbell curl 1 x 10
3. Military press 1 x 10
4. Barbell bent-over rowing 3 x 10
5. Bench press 3 x 10
6. Full squat 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8
7. Very light breathing pullover for
rib-cage expansion 1 x 10 after each
set of squats
The authors noted that this was not
intended to be a permanent program,
but rather, was to be used to pack
on some pounds and build some
strength. For that reason, they kept
it short and basic. The idea was to
avoid long workouts and undue
fatigue.
After a couple of months, the trainee
should be showing some good progress,
and be ready to move on to a more
advanced strength and power program.
In other words -- this was a program
for underweight beginners.
And for that purpose, it's pretty darn
good.
One take-away is the use of one set for
the curls and presses, followed by three
sets for the rowing, bench presses and
squats. I like that. It teaches the young
guys and the newbies to focus their effort
on the exercises that will build the most
strength and muscle.
If you want to give the program a try, you
might do best on a twice a week schedule.
Or you might try the Light/Medium/Heavy
system where you go light in one workout,
medium heavy in the second workout, and
heavy in the third workout. It's hard to
go heavy on the same exercises three times
in the same week.
We'll cover more old-school training tips
tomorrow, so be looking for them.
In the meantime, 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 find some terrific weight-
gaining and mass-building workouts in
CHALK AND SWEAT and STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
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: "A training
program doesn't need to be fancy. It needs
to work." -- Brooks Kubik
Here's a nice little workout
from Weight Training in Athletics
by James Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. It was published in
1956, so this definitely qualifies
as an old-school workout.
The workout is a weight-gaining
program. They wrote it for football
players who needed to add some extra
weight and strength during the off
season.
Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat.
1. Warm-up with light flip snatches
or the clean and press 1 x 8 - 10
2. Barbell curl 1 x 10
3. Military press 1 x 10
4. Barbell bent-over rowing 3 x 10
5. Bench press 3 x 10
6. Full squat 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8
7. Very light breathing pullover for
rib-cage expansion 1 x 10 after each
set of squats
The authors noted that this was not
intended to be a permanent program,
but rather, was to be used to pack
on some pounds and build some
strength. For that reason, they kept
it short and basic. The idea was to
avoid long workouts and undue
fatigue.
After a couple of months, the trainee
should be showing some good progress,
and be ready to move on to a more
advanced strength and power program.
In other words -- this was a program
for underweight beginners.
And for that purpose, it's pretty darn
good.
One take-away is the use of one set for
the curls and presses, followed by three
sets for the rowing, bench presses and
squats. I like that. It teaches the young
guys and the newbies to focus their effort
on the exercises that will build the most
strength and muscle.
If you want to give the program a try, you
might do best on a twice a week schedule.
Or you might try the Light/Medium/Heavy
system where you go light in one workout,
medium heavy in the second workout, and
heavy in the third workout. It's hard to
go heavy on the same exercises three times
in the same week.
We'll cover more old-school training tips
tomorrow, so be looking for them.
In the meantime, 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 find some terrific weight-
gaining and mass-building workouts in
CHALK AND SWEAT and STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
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: "A training
program doesn't need to be fancy. It needs
to work." -- Brooks Kubik
What My Current Workout Looks Like!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A lot of readers have asked about my
current training program as I move
forward to birthday number 57 in
September.
So here's what's up in the Dino
Dungeon (a/k/a the garage).
I'm concentrating on Olympic
weightlifting, with the goal
of competing in Master's level
competitions.
That means, I have to focus on the
things that are most necessary for
Olympic weightlifting -- and I don't
have much if any time and energy for
other things. So I stick to the OL
training almost exclusively.
I do squat style cleans and split
style snatches. These require lots
and lots of technique work. They're
very demanding lifts. And, of course,
I need to do lots of strength and
power training, as well.
And that's led to a little change
in the program.
I've trained three times per week
for almost my entire career, but
right now I'm giving shorter, but
more frequent, workouts a try. And
so far, it seems to be working
pretty well.
So here's what I do:
Sun
Split style snatches -- Start light
and work up, do many progressively
heavier singles. Usually finish
with five singles at my top weight
for the day (not my max, but a
heavy weight).
This is my "long" workout. It takes
an hour or a bit more.
Mon
Front squats -- Start light, and
work up, do progressively heavier
singles or doubles. Work up to one,
two, three or even five top sets,
using a weight that is heavy but
not my maximum weight.
This is a shorter workout.
Tues
Push press (taking the bar from
squat stands) -- start light and
work up, similar to front squats
but do singles only.
This is the shortest and easiest
workout.
Wed
Squat clean or squat clean and split
jerk -- start light, do progressively
heavier singles, work up to one to
three singles with my top weight
for the day.
This is another "long" workout.
Thurs
Front squat as before, or back squat
using the Dave Draper Top Squat for
the same sets/reps as front squats.
This is another shorter workout.
Fri
Push press as before, or power jerk
or split jerk.
This is another short and relatively
easy workout.
I always start with a good all-around
warm-up that includes plenty of work
with some nice wooden Indian clubs I
bought from John Wood. And I finish
with gut, grip or neck work, alternating
them from workout to workout. But the
main focus is the OL work.
Moving forward, I'll work in snatch grip
and clean grip high pulls, snatch and
clean grip deadlifts (performed Olympic
style, with the same positions and mechanics
of the snatch or the clean), and Dinosaur
Bodyweight work for arm and shoulder
stability (Dino pull-ups and pushups).
So that's what things look like right
now. Lots of iron and lots of chalk and
sweat -- and lots of fun!
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. If you want to see what those split
style snatches and the other OL exercises
look like, grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Here's something to help you build
stand on your feet overhead lifting power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.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: "Feel free to
experiment -- but do it wisely." -- Brooks
Kubik
A lot of readers have asked about my
current training program as I move
forward to birthday number 57 in
September.
So here's what's up in the Dino
Dungeon (a/k/a the garage).
I'm concentrating on Olympic
weightlifting, with the goal
of competing in Master's level
competitions.
That means, I have to focus on the
things that are most necessary for
Olympic weightlifting -- and I don't
have much if any time and energy for
other things. So I stick to the OL
training almost exclusively.
I do squat style cleans and split
style snatches. These require lots
and lots of technique work. They're
very demanding lifts. And, of course,
I need to do lots of strength and
power training, as well.
And that's led to a little change
in the program.
I've trained three times per week
for almost my entire career, but
right now I'm giving shorter, but
more frequent, workouts a try. And
so far, it seems to be working
pretty well.
So here's what I do:
Sun
Split style snatches -- Start light
and work up, do many progressively
heavier singles. Usually finish
with five singles at my top weight
for the day (not my max, but a
heavy weight).
This is my "long" workout. It takes
an hour or a bit more.
Mon
Front squats -- Start light, and
work up, do progressively heavier
singles or doubles. Work up to one,
two, three or even five top sets,
using a weight that is heavy but
not my maximum weight.
This is a shorter workout.
Tues
Push press (taking the bar from
squat stands) -- start light and
work up, similar to front squats
but do singles only.
This is the shortest and easiest
workout.
Wed
Squat clean or squat clean and split
jerk -- start light, do progressively
heavier singles, work up to one to
three singles with my top weight
for the day.
This is another "long" workout.
Thurs
Front squat as before, or back squat
using the Dave Draper Top Squat for
the same sets/reps as front squats.
This is another shorter workout.
Fri
Push press as before, or power jerk
or split jerk.
This is another short and relatively
easy workout.
I always start with a good all-around
warm-up that includes plenty of work
with some nice wooden Indian clubs I
bought from John Wood. And I finish
with gut, grip or neck work, alternating
them from workout to workout. But the
main focus is the OL work.
Moving forward, I'll work in snatch grip
and clean grip high pulls, snatch and
clean grip deadlifts (performed Olympic
style, with the same positions and mechanics
of the snatch or the clean), and Dinosaur
Bodyweight work for arm and shoulder
stability (Dino pull-ups and pushups).
So that's what things look like right
now. Lots of iron and lots of chalk and
sweat -- and lots of fun!
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. If you want to see what those split
style snatches and the other OL exercises
look like, grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Here's something to help you build
stand on your feet overhead lifting power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.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: "Feel free to
experiment -- but do it wisely." -- Brooks
Kubik
Definition Exercises -- What Are They?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Back when I was a kid, there were
two different kinds of exercises.
First, you had the bulk and power
exercises.
Also referred to as strength and
mass builders.
Today, we call them the basic
exercises -- or basic compound
movements.
Squats, benches, deadlifts, rowing,
pull-ups, pull-downs, military presses,
press behind neck, close grip benches
and dips.
Standing barbell curls, shoulder shrugs,
and calf raises were also on the list,
mainly because they were basic movements.
For those who knew how to do them, the
list also included power cleans, power
snatches, and high pulls (clean grip
or snatch grip).
Then there were all the little exercises.
Lateral raises, concentration curls, one
dumbbell triceps extensions, triceps
kickbacks, leg extensions, leg curls,
hack squats, etc.
We call them isolation exercises today.
Back then, we called them DEFINITION
EXERCISES.
The idea was this -- you would train on
the BIG exercises to build strength and
mass, and then, after you were big as a
house, you'd use the definition exercises
to carve some inter-galactic mega-muscle
super cuts and definition bombs.
And then you'd go to the beach and all
the girls would swoon -- or you'd win
the Mr. America and get a big contract
to endorse protein drinks (or maybe get
a movie contract, like Steve Reeves) --
or -- well, something spectacular.
We weren't really sure why this definition
thing was so important, but we knew we had
to have it.
Of course, the definition thing was the
result of diet (and, in many cases, the
drugs they didn't talk about). Those
little exercises had nothing to do with
it. They were just fun to do, and we
could pretend that we were training
with the champions when we did them.
So we were kind of naive and silly about
it all -- and so were the magazines we
read -- but consider this:
1. We knew that the BIG exercises built
strength and muscle mass.
and
2. We knew that the little exercises
didn't.
Today, nearly half a century later, even
with the interwebs and all the training
information that's available, many trainees
still don't understand those two simple rules.
They try to build strength and muscle mass
with -- you guessed it -- the stuff we used
to call "definition exercises."
Which is one reason why so many modern trainees
get absolutely zippo in the way of results.
They're using the wrong exercises.
And it's like bringing a knife to a gun
fight -- it doesn't work very well.
Definition exercises?
No thanks. I'll stick the the BIG exercises.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. When it comes to building strength and
muscle mass, you can't do better than these
great resources:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. Chalk and Sweat
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: "Basic and heavy. Make
it your mantra." -- Brooks Kubik
Back when I was a kid, there were
two different kinds of exercises.
First, you had the bulk and power
exercises.
Also referred to as strength and
mass builders.
Today, we call them the basic
exercises -- or basic compound
movements.
Squats, benches, deadlifts, rowing,
pull-ups, pull-downs, military presses,
press behind neck, close grip benches
and dips.
Standing barbell curls, shoulder shrugs,
and calf raises were also on the list,
mainly because they were basic movements.
For those who knew how to do them, the
list also included power cleans, power
snatches, and high pulls (clean grip
or snatch grip).
Then there were all the little exercises.
Lateral raises, concentration curls, one
dumbbell triceps extensions, triceps
kickbacks, leg extensions, leg curls,
hack squats, etc.
We call them isolation exercises today.
Back then, we called them DEFINITION
EXERCISES.
The idea was this -- you would train on
the BIG exercises to build strength and
mass, and then, after you were big as a
house, you'd use the definition exercises
to carve some inter-galactic mega-muscle
super cuts and definition bombs.
And then you'd go to the beach and all
the girls would swoon -- or you'd win
the Mr. America and get a big contract
to endorse protein drinks (or maybe get
a movie contract, like Steve Reeves) --
or -- well, something spectacular.
We weren't really sure why this definition
thing was so important, but we knew we had
to have it.
Of course, the definition thing was the
result of diet (and, in many cases, the
drugs they didn't talk about). Those
little exercises had nothing to do with
it. They were just fun to do, and we
could pretend that we were training
with the champions when we did them.
So we were kind of naive and silly about
it all -- and so were the magazines we
read -- but consider this:
1. We knew that the BIG exercises built
strength and muscle mass.
and
2. We knew that the little exercises
didn't.
Today, nearly half a century later, even
with the interwebs and all the training
information that's available, many trainees
still don't understand those two simple rules.
They try to build strength and muscle mass
with -- you guessed it -- the stuff we used
to call "definition exercises."
Which is one reason why so many modern trainees
get absolutely zippo in the way of results.
They're using the wrong exercises.
And it's like bringing a knife to a gun
fight -- it doesn't work very well.
Definition exercises?
No thanks. I'll stick the the BIG exercises.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. When it comes to building strength and
muscle mass, you can't do better than these
great resources:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. Chalk and Sweat
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: "Basic and heavy. Make
it your mantra." -- Brooks Kubik
The SAFE Way to Do Dips!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I gave you a list of the
top 25 exercises for building muscle
mass.
As you might expect, I received tons
of emails in response.
Funny thing was -- most of the emails
were about an exercise that wasn't
even on the list!
It was the parallel dip -- a tried and
true strength and muscle builder that's
been around since (I'm sure) the days
of the ancient Greeks. (Why am I sure?
Because the guy that posed for the famous
statue of the Farnese Hercules undoubtedly
did them -- along with plenty of pull-ups.)
And remember - John McCallum once called
dips "the upper body squat."
So why aren't they on the list?
The answer is simple.
Dips DO build strength and muscle -- but
they also wreck shoulders.
The problem is the bottom position of the
exercise. There's just too much stretch on
the shoulder joint. Over time, bad things
happen to a surprisingly high number of
trainees who may have once viewed dips
as their very best friend.
Now, having said that, I KNOW that many
of you are going to continue to do dips.
So let me share some advice.
Don't do deep dips with a full stretch
at the bottom.
In fact, don't even go all the way down.
Stop about two inches ABOVE the bottom
of the rep.
Or, to make it even easier, just go down
until your upper arms are parallel to the
floor -- and then stop!
Don't worry about missing out on any sort
of strength and muscle-building benefit
by skipping those potentially dangerous
last couple of inches.
The middle and top positions of the dip
are where you build the strength and
muscle. And they're much easier on
your shoulders. So stick to that part
of the movement -- the safe but
productive part of the movement.
Al of the above assumes that you're
going to do your dips the right way,
meaning in good form, and under control.
No drop and bounce stuff.
No twisting or swinging or kicking the
feet or wiggling the knees.
You lockout, pause briefly, lower,
go down only as far as I just described --
and then go back up.
And you control the movement the entire
way.
Personally, I still prefer close grip
(meaning shoulder width or slightly
closer) bench presses to work the
triceps -- but for those out there
who insist on doing dips, do them
this way.
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 plenty of other great
exercises for safe and effective strength
and muscle building in Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training. Go here to grab a copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Train hard,
but train smart. You're in it for the long
haul." -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday I gave you a list of the
top 25 exercises for building muscle
mass.
As you might expect, I received tons
of emails in response.
Funny thing was -- most of the emails
were about an exercise that wasn't
even on the list!
It was the parallel dip -- a tried and
true strength and muscle builder that's
been around since (I'm sure) the days
of the ancient Greeks. (Why am I sure?
Because the guy that posed for the famous
statue of the Farnese Hercules undoubtedly
did them -- along with plenty of pull-ups.)
And remember - John McCallum once called
dips "the upper body squat."
So why aren't they on the list?
The answer is simple.
Dips DO build strength and muscle -- but
they also wreck shoulders.
The problem is the bottom position of the
exercise. There's just too much stretch on
the shoulder joint. Over time, bad things
happen to a surprisingly high number of
trainees who may have once viewed dips
as their very best friend.
Now, having said that, I KNOW that many
of you are going to continue to do dips.
So let me share some advice.
Don't do deep dips with a full stretch
at the bottom.
In fact, don't even go all the way down.
Stop about two inches ABOVE the bottom
of the rep.
Or, to make it even easier, just go down
until your upper arms are parallel to the
floor -- and then stop!
Don't worry about missing out on any sort
of strength and muscle-building benefit
by skipping those potentially dangerous
last couple of inches.
The middle and top positions of the dip
are where you build the strength and
muscle. And they're much easier on
your shoulders. So stick to that part
of the movement -- the safe but
productive part of the movement.
Al of the above assumes that you're
going to do your dips the right way,
meaning in good form, and under control.
No drop and bounce stuff.
No twisting or swinging or kicking the
feet or wiggling the knees.
You lockout, pause briefly, lower,
go down only as far as I just described --
and then go back up.
And you control the movement the entire
way.
Personally, I still prefer close grip
(meaning shoulder width or slightly
closer) bench presses to work the
triceps -- but for those out there
who insist on doing dips, do them
this way.
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 plenty of other great
exercises for safe and effective strength
and muscle building in Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training. Go here to grab a copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Train hard,
but train smart. You're in it for the long
haul." -- Brooks Kubik
The Top 25 for Muscle Mass!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A quick update, and then we'll talk
training.
I'm working faster than an 8-legged
speedosaurus could run to finish my
new book on diet and nutrition for
hard-training dinosaurs.
It's rounding into great shape, and
when it's ready (which won't be too
long), you're really going to like
it.
I'm including a Q and A section, so
if you have any questions you'd like
me to cover, send them in with an
email headed "Question for Dino
Diet Book."
I won't be able to give individual
responses, but I'll try to answer
as many questions as possible in
the book.
Thanks in advance to everyone who
submits a question -- and thanks to
everyone who has already done so!
On the training front, someone asked
me "What's the best exercise for
building muscle mass?"
The answer is -- there isn't one BEST
mass-building exercise for everyone --
in part because of individual differences
in body structure and lifting leverage --
but there are definitely some tried and
true mass builders.
I've worked the heck out of them at
different stages of my career, and they
all work GREAT!
Of course, you don't do all of them in
one workout. This is a list of result
producing and effective exercises that
can give you a lifetime of great workouts.
In no particular order:
1. Back squats
2. Front squats
3. Bottom position squats in the power
rack
4. Deadlifts
5. Trap Bar deadlifts
6. Partial deadlifts
7. Partial Trap Bar deadlifts
8. Bench press
9. Bottom position bench press in the
power rack
10. Bench press from the middle position
(sticking point) in the power rack
11. Military presses
12. Alternate dumbbell presses
13. Two-dumbbell simultaneous presses
14. One-hand deadlifts
15. The farmer's walk
16. Power cleans
17. High pulls (snatch grip or clean grip)
18. Close grip bench press
19. Standing barbell curl
20. Pull-ups and pull-up variations (see
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for details)
21. Hand-stand pushups
22. Push-ups and push-up variations (see
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for some of
my favorites)
23. Push press from racks
24. Power clean and press
25. Power clean and push press
Note: Dips and press behind neck are NOT
on the list even though you can build
plenty of muscle with them. The reason is,
they're awfully hard on the shoulders,
and have injured many trainees over the
years.
Of course, you'll also want to include
gut, grip and neck work -- but this is
a list if the major muscle mass
exercises. The ones that constitute
the meat and potatoes of your workout.
So there you have it -- the top 25 for
muscle mass!
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 listed a number of power rack
exercises in my mass-building list. For
details on how to use them, grab a copy
of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
And go here to grab Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Exercises
are tools. Always use the right tools for
the job at hand." -- Brooks Kubik
A quick update, and then we'll talk
training.
I'm working faster than an 8-legged
speedosaurus could run to finish my
new book on diet and nutrition for
hard-training dinosaurs.
It's rounding into great shape, and
when it's ready (which won't be too
long), you're really going to like
it.
I'm including a Q and A section, so
if you have any questions you'd like
me to cover, send them in with an
email headed "Question for Dino
Diet Book."
I won't be able to give individual
responses, but I'll try to answer
as many questions as possible in
the book.
Thanks in advance to everyone who
submits a question -- and thanks to
everyone who has already done so!
On the training front, someone asked
me "What's the best exercise for
building muscle mass?"
The answer is -- there isn't one BEST
mass-building exercise for everyone --
in part because of individual differences
in body structure and lifting leverage --
but there are definitely some tried and
true mass builders.
I've worked the heck out of them at
different stages of my career, and they
all work GREAT!
Of course, you don't do all of them in
one workout. This is a list of result
producing and effective exercises that
can give you a lifetime of great workouts.
In no particular order:
1. Back squats
2. Front squats
3. Bottom position squats in the power
rack
4. Deadlifts
5. Trap Bar deadlifts
6. Partial deadlifts
7. Partial Trap Bar deadlifts
8. Bench press
9. Bottom position bench press in the
power rack
10. Bench press from the middle position
(sticking point) in the power rack
11. Military presses
12. Alternate dumbbell presses
13. Two-dumbbell simultaneous presses
14. One-hand deadlifts
15. The farmer's walk
16. Power cleans
17. High pulls (snatch grip or clean grip)
18. Close grip bench press
19. Standing barbell curl
20. Pull-ups and pull-up variations (see
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for details)
21. Hand-stand pushups
22. Push-ups and push-up variations (see
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for some of
my favorites)
23. Push press from racks
24. Power clean and press
25. Power clean and push press
Note: Dips and press behind neck are NOT
on the list even though you can build
plenty of muscle with them. The reason is,
they're awfully hard on the shoulders,
and have injured many trainees over the
years.
Of course, you'll also want to include
gut, grip and neck work -- but this is
a list if the major muscle mass
exercises. The ones that constitute
the meat and potatoes of your workout.
So there you have it -- the top 25 for
muscle mass!
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 listed a number of power rack
exercises in my mass-building list. For
details on how to use them, grab a copy
of Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
And go here to grab Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "Exercises
are tools. Always use the right tools for
the job at hand." -- Brooks Kubik
Deadlifting Q and A for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A reader asked me if he needed to do
any back exercises other than the
deadlift.
So here's the answer.
Yes, you do -- and here's why.
If you want to build maximum muscle
mass from head to toe, the deadlift
is definitely one of the exercises
you should include in your program --
but you also should include barbell
or dumbbell bent-over rowing, pull-ups
or pull-downs, and shoulder shrugs.
You need those exercises because you
need to develop the upper back to the
maximum -- and deadlifts alone won't
do the trick.
Rowing and pull-ups (or pull-downs)
are also important because they help
to work the shoulder girdle from a
variety of different angles -- and
that helps to keep your shoulders
healthy and strong.
If you did nothing but deadlifts and
bench presses, for example -- as some
powerlifters will do -- you often
start to run into shoulder problems
caused by unbalanced shoulder
development.
That's not to say that deadlifts are
not important. They are. It's just
that you should include other basic
back-building exercises, as well.
Of course, there are exceptions to
the rule.
One of them is a deadlift specialization
program. I outline this kind of program
on Chalk and Sweat. It's an advanced
program for advanced trainees, and it's
a SPECIALIZATION program -- which means
you use it for a limited period of time
(usually six weeks to three months) --
and then you go back to a balanced
workout program.
Back in the day, a top strongman went
on a specialized deadlift-only program,
and in a short period of time, gained
something like 20 pounds of muscle and
increased his deadlift to the point
where he was able to set a world record
in the lift.
But he didn't stay on the deadlift program
forever -- he used it for a brief period of
super-intense, focused specialization.
And then he took the strength and muscle
mass he built on the deadlift program,
and used it to build all of his lifts
when he went back to more balanced
workouts.
That's an old-school way of doing things --
and it's a good way of training for strength,
muscle and power.
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 read more about deadlift
specialization in Chalk and Sweat --
along with plenty of other result-
producing workouts to build maximum
muscle mass:
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: "There is a
time and a place for everything under the
sun -- including a time in your training
career to do some serious specialization
on the deadlift." -- Brooks Kubik
A reader asked me if he needed to do
any back exercises other than the
deadlift.
So here's the answer.
Yes, you do -- and here's why.
If you want to build maximum muscle
mass from head to toe, the deadlift
is definitely one of the exercises
you should include in your program --
but you also should include barbell
or dumbbell bent-over rowing, pull-ups
or pull-downs, and shoulder shrugs.
You need those exercises because you
need to develop the upper back to the
maximum -- and deadlifts alone won't
do the trick.
Rowing and pull-ups (or pull-downs)
are also important because they help
to work the shoulder girdle from a
variety of different angles -- and
that helps to keep your shoulders
healthy and strong.
If you did nothing but deadlifts and
bench presses, for example -- as some
powerlifters will do -- you often
start to run into shoulder problems
caused by unbalanced shoulder
development.
That's not to say that deadlifts are
not important. They are. It's just
that you should include other basic
back-building exercises, as well.
Of course, there are exceptions to
the rule.
One of them is a deadlift specialization
program. I outline this kind of program
on Chalk and Sweat. It's an advanced
program for advanced trainees, and it's
a SPECIALIZATION program -- which means
you use it for a limited period of time
(usually six weeks to three months) --
and then you go back to a balanced
workout program.
Back in the day, a top strongman went
on a specialized deadlift-only program,
and in a short period of time, gained
something like 20 pounds of muscle and
increased his deadlift to the point
where he was able to set a world record
in the lift.
But he didn't stay on the deadlift program
forever -- he used it for a brief period of
super-intense, focused specialization.
And then he took the strength and muscle
mass he built on the deadlift program,
and used it to build all of his lifts
when he went back to more balanced
workouts.
That's an old-school way of doing things --
and it's a good way of training for strength,
muscle and power.
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 read more about deadlift
specialization in Chalk and Sweat --
along with plenty of other result-
producing workouts to build maximum
muscle mass:
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: "There is a
time and a place for everything under the
sun -- including a time in your training
career to do some serious specialization
on the deadlift." -- Brooks Kubik
"Give us a REAL workout!"
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I sent you an email about
one-exercise workouts -- which I often
refer to as "ultra-abbreviated" training.
In response, I received a flaming hot
email from a reader who said (among
other things):
1. "Your stuff is old-fashioned."
2. "No one could make progress on
such a short workout."
3. "You need high intensity AND high
volume to build strength."
Well, I agree with point no. 1.
Points 2 and 3 -- not so much.
The email ended with this:
"I'm tired of seeing stuff that won't
work. Why don't you give us a REAL
workout?"
Well, okay -- here's a real workout.
A reader named Tom Klonowski followed
it back in the 90's, when he was training
for Olympic weightlifting competition:
Mon
Warm-up and stretch
Hang snatches -- 5 progressively heavier sets
of 3 reps
End of workout -- go home
Total gym time -- 45 to 60 mins
Tues
Same thing, but do squats for 5 x 3
Wed
Same thing but do clean pulls 5 x 3
Thurs
Rest
Fri/Sat/Sun
Same thing, but a different exercise
each.
Tom followed the above program in a
series of 8-week cycles, with one week
off after the end of each cycle.
The results?
After one year on this program, Tom
snatched 250 lbs., clean and jerked
385 lbs. and jerked 400 lbs. from
the rack -- at a bodyweight of 215.
Now, granted, that's six days per
week -- but Tom was a young man and
a competitive Olympic lifter at the
time, so he could handle it. If you
want to give the program a try, you
might do better by cutting it down
three or four workouts per week --
or even two workouts per week if
you're over 50.
I'm closing in on 60 (I'll be 57 in
September), and I almost always do
one-exercise workouts -- and I usually
train three days per week. Different
exercise in each workout. Multiple
sets of low reps (often singles).
A good warm-up to start things off,
followed by progressively heavier
weights up to my top weight for the
day. Each workout takes about an
hour. It works pretty darn well.
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. Read more about abbreviated workouts
and ultra-abbreviated workouts in these
hard-hitting, no-nonsense training guides:
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and my Dino
DVD's, and back issues of the world-famous Dinosaur
Training newsletter -- are available right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If you're squatting,
pushing and pulling, you're doing the right things."
-- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday I sent you an email about
one-exercise workouts -- which I often
refer to as "ultra-abbreviated" training.
In response, I received a flaming hot
email from a reader who said (among
other things):
1. "Your stuff is old-fashioned."
2. "No one could make progress on
such a short workout."
3. "You need high intensity AND high
volume to build strength."
Well, I agree with point no. 1.
Points 2 and 3 -- not so much.
The email ended with this:
"I'm tired of seeing stuff that won't
work. Why don't you give us a REAL
workout?"
Well, okay -- here's a real workout.
A reader named Tom Klonowski followed
it back in the 90's, when he was training
for Olympic weightlifting competition:
Mon
Warm-up and stretch
Hang snatches -- 5 progressively heavier sets
of 3 reps
End of workout -- go home
Total gym time -- 45 to 60 mins
Tues
Same thing, but do squats for 5 x 3
Wed
Same thing but do clean pulls 5 x 3
Thurs
Rest
Fri/Sat/Sun
Same thing, but a different exercise
each.
Tom followed the above program in a
series of 8-week cycles, with one week
off after the end of each cycle.
The results?
After one year on this program, Tom
snatched 250 lbs., clean and jerked
385 lbs. and jerked 400 lbs. from
the rack -- at a bodyweight of 215.
Now, granted, that's six days per
week -- but Tom was a young man and
a competitive Olympic lifter at the
time, so he could handle it. If you
want to give the program a try, you
might do better by cutting it down
three or four workouts per week --
or even two workouts per week if
you're over 50.
I'm closing in on 60 (I'll be 57 in
September), and I almost always do
one-exercise workouts -- and I usually
train three days per week. Different
exercise in each workout. Multiple
sets of low reps (often singles).
A good warm-up to start things off,
followed by progressively heavier
weights up to my top weight for the
day. Each workout takes about an
hour. It works pretty darn well.
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. Read more about abbreviated workouts
and ultra-abbreviated workouts in these
hard-hitting, no-nonsense training guides:
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and my Dino
DVD's, and back issues of the world-famous Dinosaur
Training newsletter -- are available right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If you're squatting,
pushing and pulling, you're doing the right things."
-- Brooks Kubik
Another "What Do You Think?" Question
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Here's an email from Ray Green, with
a training question that I get more
or less all the time - meaning that
many Dinos are asking or thinking
about it:
Hey. You know me, 66 years old,
5'10 1/2", 175 lbs, work full time,
own 5 acres with a garden.
Limited time and energy.
Thinking of going to one exercise
workouts, 5-7 sets, 3-5 reps.
BB deadlifts, DB clean and press,
squat.
Train every 3 to 5 days.
What do you think?
Thanks for your thoughts, and what
should my weight goals be on each
lift - experienced, but not super
strong. Want to keep moving.
Thank you for all your advice.
Just finished 7 sets of deadlifts.
Ray"
Ray -- Thanks for your email, and your
question.
What do I think?
I think your program is pretty darn
good!
I'm a big fan of one-exercise workouts.
I use them myself all the time. I like
the way I can really focus on one
exercise, and drill deep and work
it hard.
That's what makes them so effective.
And yes, you can get really strong on
one-exercise workouts, especially if
you rotate three different exercises,
hitting one movement in one workout,
the second in the next workout and the
third in the workout after that --
which is exactly what you are doing.
One-exercise workouts are particularly
good for those trainees with limited
recovery ability -- limited time and
energy for training -- and for those
trainees who require a fair number of
progressively heavier warm-up sets
before they get to their top weight
for the day.
Your choice of exercises is good. You're
hitting the big exercises and working
pretty much every major muscle group,
with special attention to the Power
Zones (legs, hips, back and shoulder
girdle).
As for poundage goals, keep them simple.
Shoot to put 20 pounds on each lift before
the end of the year. When you reach your
goal, set a new one and go after it.
For more ideas about one-exercise workouts
for Dinos, see Strength, Muscle and Power
and Chalk and Sweat. I cover them in my
Doug Hepburn training course -- he did
them a lot, and they worked pretty well
for him.
To everyone -- 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. Go here to grab the books and courses
I mentioned in today's email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 2. I almost forgot -- check out Gray
Hair and Black Iron for more tips on great
workouts for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it
simple, but keep on doing it."
-- Brooks Kubik
Here's an email from Ray Green, with
a training question that I get more
or less all the time - meaning that
many Dinos are asking or thinking
about it:
Hey. You know me, 66 years old,
5'10 1/2", 175 lbs, work full time,
own 5 acres with a garden.
Limited time and energy.
Thinking of going to one exercise
workouts, 5-7 sets, 3-5 reps.
BB deadlifts, DB clean and press,
squat.
Train every 3 to 5 days.
What do you think?
Thanks for your thoughts, and what
should my weight goals be on each
lift - experienced, but not super
strong. Want to keep moving.
Thank you for all your advice.
Just finished 7 sets of deadlifts.
Ray"
Ray -- Thanks for your email, and your
question.
What do I think?
I think your program is pretty darn
good!
I'm a big fan of one-exercise workouts.
I use them myself all the time. I like
the way I can really focus on one
exercise, and drill deep and work
it hard.
That's what makes them so effective.
And yes, you can get really strong on
one-exercise workouts, especially if
you rotate three different exercises,
hitting one movement in one workout,
the second in the next workout and the
third in the workout after that --
which is exactly what you are doing.
One-exercise workouts are particularly
good for those trainees with limited
recovery ability -- limited time and
energy for training -- and for those
trainees who require a fair number of
progressively heavier warm-up sets
before they get to their top weight
for the day.
Your choice of exercises is good. You're
hitting the big exercises and working
pretty much every major muscle group,
with special attention to the Power
Zones (legs, hips, back and shoulder
girdle).
As for poundage goals, keep them simple.
Shoot to put 20 pounds on each lift before
the end of the year. When you reach your
goal, set a new one and go after it.
For more ideas about one-exercise workouts
for Dinos, see Strength, Muscle and Power
and Chalk and Sweat. I cover them in my
Doug Hepburn training course -- he did
them a lot, and they worked pretty well
for him.
To everyone -- 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. Go here to grab the books and courses
I mentioned in today's email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 2. I almost forgot -- check out Gray
Hair and Black Iron for more tips on great
workouts for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it
simple, but keep on doing it."
-- Brooks Kubik
High Impact, Low Stress Training!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
There's a story about a man going to see
Paul Anderson back in the late 1960's or
early 1970's. This was 10 or 15 years
after Anderson had won the Heavyweight
class in weightlifting at the 1956
Olympic Games.
The man drove up to the front door of the
Paul Anderson Boy's Home, got out, knocked,
and asked to see the big man.
"He's out back," they told him. "Playing
golf."
Yes, it turns out that Paul Anderson liked
to play golf -- not a game you normally
associate with a massive mountain of muscle
widely regarded as the strongest man in the
world.
So the visitor went out back and walked
over to the little golf course they had
built on the grounds of the Boy's Home.
He went quietly, so he wouldn't disturb
the champion.
And he was glad he did.
Anderson never saw him coming, so he got
to see how Paul Anderson played weight-
lifter style golf.
Anderson was standing by a heavily loaded
barbell positioned on an old set of single
stand squat racks.
The bar was loaded to something well over
400 pounds.
Anderson chalked his hands, walked over to
the bar, took it off the squat stands, and
pressed it overhead.
He put it back on the squat stands, walked
over to his golf bag, selected a club, teed
up, and knocked the ball a mile.
He put his club back in the bag, and walked
over to find his ball -- which happened to
land fairly close to a second set of squat
stands -- which happened to be loaded to
even more weight than the other bar.
Anderson push-pressed the barbell, lowered
it, selected a driver, teed up, and knocked
the gold ball back to the first set of squat
stands.
And there he was, casually knocking the ball
back and forth, and casually manhandling a
barbell loaded to a weight that exceeded the
world record in the press.
Now, I don't play golf, but I still think
that was a pretty interesting workout.
And it's the kind of thing you could do at
home.
Do whatever warm-ups you need, load up the
bar, do a heavy single, and then walk down
the street and back (or around the yard and
back -- or whatever) and then do another
single, and keep it up for awhile.
Maybe go for 5 singles and then switch to
another exercise and do the same thing.
Or maybe do 10 singles.
Or, if you prefer, use two barbells. Load one
up and do presses - and load the other one up
and do something else -- maybe squats or
deadlifts -- and work back and forth from
exercise to exercise.
Or do sets of 3 reps -- or sets of 5 reps.
If you just have one barbell, try alternating
a barbell exercise and a dumbbell exercise --
or a kettlebell exercise. See Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training for some great ideas on hard-hitting,
Dino-style dumbbell exercises.
Or try this -- press or push-press the bar for
a single -- and alternate that with sets of
5 reps in the squat or front squat.
Lots of options here.
It's High Impact, Low Stress Training -- meaning
that you hit your muscles hard and heavy, but
you don't stress about the details. You just go
out (or into your basement or garage gym), and
you just have fun.
Fun is good -- and yes, you can have fun, and
build strength and muscle at the same time.
One of your fellow Dinos has been following a
similar sort of program with great success.
I'll give you the details tomorrow. Be
watching for it.
In the meantime, and 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. Go here to grab a copy of Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- which will give you
plenty of ideas for High Impact, Low Stress
(and FUN) workouts:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "One of the
secrets of success is to work hard, but
have fun when you do it." -- Brooks Kubik
There's a story about a man going to see
Paul Anderson back in the late 1960's or
early 1970's. This was 10 or 15 years
after Anderson had won the Heavyweight
class in weightlifting at the 1956
Olympic Games.
The man drove up to the front door of the
Paul Anderson Boy's Home, got out, knocked,
and asked to see the big man.
"He's out back," they told him. "Playing
golf."
Yes, it turns out that Paul Anderson liked
to play golf -- not a game you normally
associate with a massive mountain of muscle
widely regarded as the strongest man in the
world.
So the visitor went out back and walked
over to the little golf course they had
built on the grounds of the Boy's Home.
He went quietly, so he wouldn't disturb
the champion.
And he was glad he did.
Anderson never saw him coming, so he got
to see how Paul Anderson played weight-
lifter style golf.
Anderson was standing by a heavily loaded
barbell positioned on an old set of single
stand squat racks.
The bar was loaded to something well over
400 pounds.
Anderson chalked his hands, walked over to
the bar, took it off the squat stands, and
pressed it overhead.
He put it back on the squat stands, walked
over to his golf bag, selected a club, teed
up, and knocked the ball a mile.
He put his club back in the bag, and walked
over to find his ball -- which happened to
land fairly close to a second set of squat
stands -- which happened to be loaded to
even more weight than the other bar.
Anderson push-pressed the barbell, lowered
it, selected a driver, teed up, and knocked
the gold ball back to the first set of squat
stands.
And there he was, casually knocking the ball
back and forth, and casually manhandling a
barbell loaded to a weight that exceeded the
world record in the press.
Now, I don't play golf, but I still think
that was a pretty interesting workout.
And it's the kind of thing you could do at
home.
Do whatever warm-ups you need, load up the
bar, do a heavy single, and then walk down
the street and back (or around the yard and
back -- or whatever) and then do another
single, and keep it up for awhile.
Maybe go for 5 singles and then switch to
another exercise and do the same thing.
Or maybe do 10 singles.
Or, if you prefer, use two barbells. Load one
up and do presses - and load the other one up
and do something else -- maybe squats or
deadlifts -- and work back and forth from
exercise to exercise.
Or do sets of 3 reps -- or sets of 5 reps.
If you just have one barbell, try alternating
a barbell exercise and a dumbbell exercise --
or a kettlebell exercise. See Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training for some great ideas on hard-hitting,
Dino-style dumbbell exercises.
Or try this -- press or push-press the bar for
a single -- and alternate that with sets of
5 reps in the squat or front squat.
Lots of options here.
It's High Impact, Low Stress Training -- meaning
that you hit your muscles hard and heavy, but
you don't stress about the details. You just go
out (or into your basement or garage gym), and
you just have fun.
Fun is good -- and yes, you can have fun, and
build strength and muscle at the same time.
One of your fellow Dinos has been following a
similar sort of program with great success.
I'll give you the details tomorrow. Be
watching for it.
In the meantime, and 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. Go here to grab a copy of Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- which will give you
plenty of ideas for High Impact, Low Stress
(and FUN) workouts:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "One of the
secrets of success is to work hard, but
have fun when you do it." -- Brooks Kubik
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