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
