Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Many of you have asked for an update
on my current workouts -- so here you
go.
I'm back to three times per week. I
had tried a one exercise per day
program as an experiment, and although
it worked okay, I prefer 3x per week.
That also leaves more time for writing,
and that's important -- I am writing up
a storm for you. (The current project
is finishing my book on diet and
nutrition for Dinos, which I've been
researching and working on for several
years - and which is going to be ready
soon, and which I think you're really
going to enjoy. After that is done, I'm
going to move on to Project No. 2 --
which is a secret for now.)
But on to the workout. I like to think
of it as a way to train hard but smart.
At age 57, I need to do both.
I am following two different programs,
Workout A and Workout B. I alternate them.
As noted, I train 3x per week.
Now remember, I'm doing all Olympic
lifting now, so everything you see is
Olympic lifting stuff -- and it's
Olympic lifting stuff for an older
lifter. For that reason, there's not
too many different exercises, and
there's not much volume. I have to
stick to what gives me the most bang
for the buck.
In Workout A, I begin with 10 or 15 mins
of stretching and loosening up, and then
do split style snatches for about 30 to
45 minutes.
Then I do some snatch grip high pulls,
followed by some front or back squats.
In workout B I do 10 or 15 mins of
stretching and loosening up, followed
by 30 to 45 mins of squat style cleans
and split jerks. After that, I do some
clean grip high pulls and some front
or back squats.
I did squat snatches for the past couple
of years, but they are too hard on my
shoulders, so I have switched to split
snatches, which are much easier on an
older trainee's shoulders.
I am still doing squat cleans, at least
for now. I'll keep you posted on that.
I do split style jerks.
I do all single reps. I do singles because
I am always working on my form, and singles
are the best way to perform precise, correct,
fast, explosive movements.
It's as if I were training for the shot put
or the discus throw. You don't do reps when
you put the shot or throw the discus in
training. You do singles.
Also, remember that I am 57, and I either
have glaucoma or pre-glaucoma (they're not
sure which), and too much internal eye
pressure in training is not a good idea --
and singles produce much less internal
eye pressure than sets of multiple reps.
But note -- I don't do 100%, as heavy as
possible, life or death, do or die singles,
and I don't try to set a PR every time I
train. I train heavy, but not to my
maximum.
Many readers equate heavy singles with
100% maximum lifts and always trying for
a new PR, and that's not correct. I TRAIN
with singles. I don't always go for a new
max. They're two entirely different things.
I video all my lifts, including warm-ups,
and check my form in-between the sets.
On lighter weights, I rest only long enough
to check my form on video, and load the bar
for the next set. On my heavy sets, I rest
two or three minutes between sets.
Depending on how I feel, I do either one
heavy single -- close to max, but not my
100% max -- or I do 5 singles with a weight
that is heavy but not quite as heavy as the
one rep weight.
Sometimes I will do 5 singles with a heavy
but not max weight, then add some more weight
and do 5 singles with a heavier (but not max)
weight -- making 10 heavy (but not max)
singles for the working sets.
On occasion, I'll go up to the 5 singles
working weight and do 5 progressively
heavier singles where I add 5 pounds to
the bar on each lift.
On pulls, I do 3 to 5 singles with a weight
a little heavier (usually about 10 kilos or
22 pounds) over my top snatch or clean and
jerk for the day.
On squats, I do 5 to 7 progressively heavier
singles, followed by anywhere form 1 to 5
singles with my top weight for the day.
Again, these are NOT limit lifts.
Everything takes about 90 mins -- and that's
in hot summer weather. Winter workouts will
go a bit faster.
The whole workout looks like this:
Workout A
1. 10 - 15 mins warm-ups
2. Split snatch -- many progressively
heavier singles
3. Snatch grip high pull -- 5 x 1 with
working weight
4. Front squat or back squat -- 5 - 7
x 1 progressively heavier sets, and 1 - 5
x 1 working sets
Workout B
1. 10 - 15 mins warm-ups
2. Split snatch -- many progressively
heavier singles
3. Snatch grip high pull -- 5 x 1 with
working weight (10 kilos over top snatch
for the day)
4. Front squat or back squat -- 5 - 7 x 1
progressively heavier sets, and 1 - 5
x 1 working sets
Workout B
1. 10 - 15 mins warm-ups
2. Squat clean and split jerk -- many
progressively heavier singles
3. Clean grip high pull -- 5 x 1 with
working weight (10 kilos over top clean
and jerk for the day)
4. Front squat or back squat -- 5 - 7
x 1 progressively heavier sets, and 1 - 5
x 1 working sets
So that's the workout. I hope you enjoyed
reading about it, and I hope it gives you
some good ideas for your own training.
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 lifts look
like, grab Going Strong at 54 -- and for
more info about productive training for
older Dinos (whether you do OL work or
otherwise), grab Gray Hair and Black
Iron:
a. Going Strong at 54
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
b. Gray Hair and Black Iron
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: "Train hard,
but train smart. The older you are, the
smarter you need to train." -- Brooks Kubik
