Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A quick note, and then we'll cover strength
training and the power of one.
1. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly
I'm working on issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly journal. If you have an idea
for an article that you'd like to submit,
shoot me an email and let me know.
Also, I'm always looking for good photos
from Dinos -- and from letters, feedback,
training questions and classified ads.
If you missed the first issue of the new
quarterly Dinosaur Files, go here to grab
it -- you'll be glad you did, because the
little monster has been getting great
reviews from your fellow Dinos:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_quarterly.html
And now, let's talk about the power of one
in strength training.
I happen to think that the original model for
teaching and learning strength training was
pretty close to perfect.
It was the old-fashioned, mail order model.
A skinny (or chubby) teenager or young man
(or an out of shape older man) would carefully
clip the order form from an advertisement in a
magazine, fill it out, and mail it to a barbell
company along with a check or money order
for a barbell set.
He'd wait, patiently or not, until that grand
and glorious day when the barbell arrived.
And then he dragged or carried it to a private
place where he could do his training.
It was usually a bedroom, basement, or
garage. Sometimes it was the attic -- or the
laundry room -- or a barn or stable -- or a
tool shed. Sometimes it was the back yard.
But the key point was, it was private.
Strength training was something you did
alone. Most beginners preferred that, because
they weren't very strong and they were a bit
embarrassed about their lack of strength and
their poor condition.
So they read the little instruction booklet that
came with the barbell -- and looked at the
exercise photos in the wall chart -- and tried
to figure out how to do the exercises.
And amazingly, they did.
Even more amazingly, they often got great
results. Many reported gains of 20, 30 or even
40 pounds of muscle in their first year of training.
That happened for several reasons. One of them
was what I call "the power of one."
Psychologists tell us that the best performers
in virtually any activity from sports to music
to math to science to computer programing to
chess to art to creative writing to -- anything --
all have one very important thing in common.
And I'm talking about people at the top of
their game (or profession). Champions. Nobel
Prize winners. The best of the best.
They spend much of their time working or
training or practicing ALONE.
Not in a group. Not as part of a team. ALONE.
Psychologists call it "Deep Practice" -- and it's
a very good term. And it has enormous
benefits.
It allows them to train with greater focus,
deeper concentration, and no distractions.
It requires them to generate their own drive
and their own motivation.
It allows them to set their own goals.
It allows them to work on exactly what they
need to work on to get better.
It forces them to think things through -- to
solve problems -- and to be their own coach.
It builds self-reliance, self-confidence and
self-trust.
And ALL of that was part of the oldtime, mail
order barbell business.
So here's the interesting question: "Did the
founding fathers of the Iron Game create this
wonderful model on purpose -- or by accident?"
And here's another question: "What can YOU
do to harness the power of one in your own
training?"
Think about it. I'll offer some suggestions in
tomorrow's email.
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 great ideas about effective home gym
workouts that harness the power of one, grab
these great books:
a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
e. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My Dinosaur Training DVD's are also a
great guide to effective home gym workouts:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The best way to build
strength and muscle is to roll up your sleeves and
get started." -- Brooks Kubik
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