Dinosaur Style Hand Balancing

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I cover hand-stand pushups in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training and in the Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course.

And I describe John Grimek's off the chart
hand-stand pushup and tiger-bend workouts
in my John Grimek training course.

So it's probably not surprising that many
readers have asked me to do a book or
on Dino-style handstand training or
Dinosaur hand balancing.

For example, this was in the e-mail box
last night:

"Hey Brooks,

I absolutely love the John Grimek course.
Read through it four or five times the
first go around, and pick it up every
few months.

Grimek is one of my personal 'iron
heroes' and you did a spectacular
job on it.

If you were to do a strictly hand balancing
course I, along with many others probably,
would buy it in a heartbeat.

Thank you, and keep up the good work.

Blake"

And that's a typical email. I get this every
request every week or two.

But here's the problem.

I'm not a hand balancer. Never have been.

When I did handstand pushups by the bushel
basket, I did them with my feet touching the
wall, not the free-standing kind.

And I can't learn hand-balancing now
because I have glaucoma or pre-glaucoma
(the doc isn't sure which), and upside down
training is on the "don't do" list.

So I'm not going to do a hand-balancing
course.

But that's okay, because two of my good
friends have excellent hand-balancing courses
available.

Bill Hinbern has a killer course on hand balancing.

It's a hard-copy course, and it's off the charts
good.

You can grab it right here:

http://superstrengthtraining.com/hand-balancing-for-muscular-development-bill-hinbern

In addition, John Wood has released a terrific
modern reprint (with his own commentary) of
a very rare hand balancing course written by
Sig Klein -- who may have been one of the
greatest hand balancers of all time.

It's available in e-book on Kindle, and you can
find it right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Try-Hand-Balancing-Updated-Annotated-Edition-ebook/dp/B00LYM5I6E

Both of these courses are old-school, both of
them are very well done, and both of them
are Dino-approved.

So if you want to give upside down training
a try, grab both of them -- and learn hand
balancing from the masters!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

************************************************

Questions and Answers for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We had a great show yesterday on the first
official episode of Physical Culture Radio. If
you missed the show, you can download the
podcast right here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

And please give us feedback about the show.
We need to hear from you.

Physical Culture Radio runs every Thursday
at 12:00 EST.

For the first couple of shows, we're going to
cover the topic of building and maintaining
lifelong strength and health -- or, as I called
it on the show, "successful aging."

Some people use the term "anti-aging" -- but
I don't because the truth os the matter is, we
all age. The only alternative is to stop living,
and that's not a good alternative.

The key is, to age well -- meaning to stay
strong and healthy and fit and active.

So that's what we're going to focus on for
the first few shows.

And we're going to try to make the show as
helpful as possible -- and as organic as possible.
One thing we're going to do is to solicit training
questions from listeners -- and answer them
on the show.

So if you have questions about diet, nutrition,
or exercise for older Dinos, send them on in
and we'll see if we can work them into the
show.

Similarly -- I'm working on volume 2 in my
new series of courses, Dinosaur Training
Secrets -- and one thing I'm going to do
is to answer any questions that anyone may
have about something we covered in volume
1 of the series.

So if you have Dinosaur Training Secrets,
vol. 1, feel free to shoot in a training question,
and we'll try to answer it in vol. 2.

If you don't have the little monster, start by
going here to grab it -- in your choice of
hard copy or Kibndle e-book:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And please note -- I could charge some serious
clams to answer training questions -- but I'm
doing it for free on Physical Culture Radio and
in the Dinosaur Training Secrets courses, because
I think it adds lots of value for you -- and because
it's my way of saying THANK YOU for being a part
of what we do.

By the way, we're getting great feedback about
releasing the new ciourses as Kindle e-books.

Readers are saying:

1. It's fast and convenient.

a. And you don't even need a Kindle device --
you can download an app that allows you to
read Kindle e-books on your phone or your
computer.

2. I like not having to pay for shipping.

a. I like not having to charge you for shipping --
especially if you are an overseas reader.

3. It's easy to read, because you can increase
the size of the print.

a. I'm with you on that one!

4. My wife loves it because I don't leave books
and courses all over the house.

4a. Tell your wife that Trudi agrees 10,000 percent.

4b. Also, it might leave room for a power rack
and a thousand or two thousand pounds of iron
in the living room.

4c. Don't laugh -- Tommy Kono had squat stands
and a barbell in his living room once.

5. I can read on the bus or subway on the way
to work, or read during lunch time, or read while
I'm travelling.

6. It's about time you did this!

6a. About seven bazillion readers have said this.

6b. They're right.

6c. Trudi has been urging me to do this for the
past year or two. She was right, too.

On the other hand, many readers prefer hard-
copy because they just like ink on paper -- and
I understand that, too.

The bottom line is, we're going to continue to
offer books and courses the old-fashioned way --
ink on paper -- and we're going to continue to
offer books and courses as Kindle e-books. In
other words, we're going to continue to bring
you top-flight training information -- in both
hard-copy and e-book.

And before I go -- one final note -- issue no. 2
of the Dinosaur Files quarterly has been mailed,
and if you ordered it, the little monster should
be landing in your mail box very soon. Shoot me
an email and let me know how you like it!

If you forgot to order, here's the link:

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

Note that we have copies of issue no. 1 of the
Dinosaur Files quarterly -- so if you missed it,
grab both of them. You'll want the complete
set.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one -- and
remember to send in those questions!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. We just released the Dinosaur Training Military
Press and Shoulder Power course as a Kindle e-book.
Go here to grab a copy:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- and the world-famous Legacy of
Iron novels -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The iron is your
friend, and so are good books." -- Brooks
Kubik

*********************************************

How to Train for Lifelong Strength and Health!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let me start with some big breaking news, and
then we'll talk training.

I'm going to be doing a regular weekly podcast
on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio.

The show will be called Physical Culture Radio.
It will air every Thursday at 12:00 noon EST.

You can listen to the live show or listen to
the download later on.

You can find us right here -- every Thursday --
at 12:00 noon:

http://superhumanradio.com/

We're going to start out by covering a very
interesting topic -- healthy aging, which I
define as staying strong and healthy and
active and fit for your entire life.

We'll discuss various aspects of healthy
aging in a series of shows. Listen to them,
and if you have questions, shoot them in
to me by email. We'll try to work them into
later shows.

On the training front -- since we're going to
be talking about healthy aging on the show,
let's prime the pump a bit by covering an
important aspect of it right now.

The training component.

A couple of nights ago, I saw a very interesting
interview.

It featured a man named Randy Lewis, who
happens to be one of the greatest wrestlers
of all time.

He won the NCAA championships 2x while
wrestling for Dan Gables' legendary Iowa
Hawkeyes -- and went on to win the Olympic
gold medal in 1984.

I actually saw him wrestle in the Junior
Nationals. He was probably the best high
school wrestler I ever saw.

Anyhow, in the interview, he was talking
about how he got the itch to compete again.

This was when he was in his 40's. Not old,
but almost twice as old as his competitors
would have been.

He had continued to work out after he
retired from competition -- but there's
a big difference between the kind of
workouts he did when he was training
to win the Olympic gold medal and the
kind of workouts he did after he retired.

So when he got the competition bug,
he decided to ramp things up.

And, of course, he started to train hard,
and put in lots of mat time and lots of
time on other work -- running and lifting
and cardio work, and so on -- and he
ended up overdoing things and getting
hurt.

So he tried again another time.

Same result.

After this happened a few times, he began
to wonder if it would ever be possible to
compete again.

That's when someone made a very good
suggestion.

"Don't train for it -- just compete."

So he did -- and he entered the Olympic
try-outs at age 50 -- and beat two younger
athletes before losing a close match to a
third wrestler.

And all of the men he wrestled were 20
or 25 years younger than he was. And
they were top wrestlers in their own right.
So notching a couple of wins at age 50
was pretty darn impressive. In fact, it
was absolutely remarkable.

But the interesting thing is how he got
there -- not by gearing up and going
crazy and training 8 hours a day and
doing the full-bore Eye of the Tiger
thing -- but by easing up in his training
and doing just enough to be effective
on the mat -- but not so much that he
hurt himself.

That's a vitally important lesson for all
older athletes -- and for all older trainees.
At a certain time in your life, you do better
with less -- and you do better by balancing
hard work with plenty of time for recovery
and recuperation.

And that's the message of the day. If you're
an older trainee, take it to heart -- and if
you're a younger trainee, file it away for
future reference. There will come a time
when you will need it.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one -- and be sure to catch me on
Physical Culture Radio!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you're an older trainee, be sure to read
Gray Hair and Black Iron -- and the Dinosaur
Files quarterly, which includes plenty of great
workouts and training ideas for older Dinos:

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

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

P.S. 2. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Go here to grab them:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.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: "You can train at any
age -- but you need to train smarter as you grow
older." -- Brooks Kubik

*********************************************

I Need Feedback on the John Grimek Training Course!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I have two quick favors for the Dino Nation:

1. If you have a copy of my John Grimek
Training course, pls shoot me an email with
a one or two line review or testimonial for
the little monster.

1a. If you don't have the Grimek course,
now's a good time to grab a copy:

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

1b. Also, let me know who or what you'd
like us to cover in future courses!

2. If you have either of my new e-books,
pls post reviews on our Amazon Kindle
pages. The reviews really help us:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

2a. I think you can post a review even if you
have the hard-copy versions of the courses,
although you probably need to say that in
your review.

Thanks, and much appreciated!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you ordered issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly, let me know how you like it --
and what we can do to make the next issue
even better. I included some specific questions
for you in this issue, and I need your feedback
on them.

****************************************

Is Strength Training the Fountain of Youth?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note, and then we'll talk training.

We filled 90% of the outstanding orders
for issue no. 2 of The Dinosaur Files quarterly
on Sat, Mon and Tues. There are a few more
to shoot out the door, and we'll do that today.

If you haven't ordered the little monster, do
it now - and grab issue no. 1 of the quarterly
if you missed that one, too. They're great,
and Dinos around the world are loving them:

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

On the training front, I received an email the
other day from a man who bought copy number
146 of the first edition of Dinosaur Training.

When I released Dinosaur Training back in 1996,
I signed and numbered every copy -- all 3300
of them.

Many of you have them. You've been reading
my stuff and sharing the journey with me for
almost 20 years.

That's what reader no. 146 has been doing.

Another reader shot in an email that I saw
this morning. He's been following me since
the days when I wrote for Hardgainer. That
takes us back almost a quarter of a century.

If you think about it, that's pretty amazing.

One reason that it's amazing is that those
long-time Dinos have been training for a
very long time -- and they're still training.

Just like me.

I've been training for almost 50 years now.
And I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Many Dinos have been training for 30 or
40 years -- some for 50 or more -- and a
surprising number for 60 or more years.

That goes to show you that strength training
is the fountain of youth.

It keeps you young -- because you can keep
on doing it for your entire life.

You can't do that with most sports. There
comes a time when your body just can't take
it any more. You hang up your cleats, your
shoes, your bat or your gloves.

But strength training is different.

You can always modify your strength training
workouts, and make them work for you at any
age.

In addition, strength training is something you
can do by yourself. You don't need a team to
do strength training. You don't even need a
training partner. That, too, makes it easy to
keep at it.

And perhaps most importantly, strength training
is endlessly interesting.There are always new
things to try -- and new things to learn. It
never gets old.

And the results are right there, for you to see --
and for the world to see.

After a lifetime of sensible physical training,
you look *different* than other people your
age. You look, move and feel like you were
20 years younger.

And that's why I call strength training the
Fountain of Youth.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the number one
training guide for mature Dinos. Go here to grab a
copy:

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

P.S. 2. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Go here to grab them:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.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: "I'm not as young
as I used to be, but I'm younger than I'd be
if I didn't train." -- Brooks Kubik (and
a heck of a lot of other Dinos)

************************************************

Seven Rules I Break All the Time!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Many years ago, a flaming barbell plate appeared
in the sky over Muscle Beach.

It spun for hours, then slowly dropped to the silver
sands.

The musclemen approached it cautiously and
slowly.

It had words etched into it.

They became the training rules that everyone
followed from that day forward.

Except for me.

I don't follow them.

And neither should you.

So let me share seven "rules" that I don't follow:

1. Train every day on a split routine.

2. Isolate your muscles when you train.

3. Train for a pump.

4. Your goal is to look like a bodybuilding
champion.

5. Eat six meals a day without fail, and be sure
to get 300 to 400 grams of protein.

6. Consume massive amounts of food supplements.

7. Load up on roidskies.

My approach is a little bit different.

I train for strength, and I focus on basic, compound
exercises.

I don't try to isolate my muscles when I train. To
the contrary, I do many total body exercises, such
as squats, deadlifts and Olympic weightlifting. I
haven't figured out how to isolate my rear delts
or the upper outer head of the triceps when I do
a squat snatch or a clean and jerk.

I don't train for a pump. I train for function. I
measure my progress by adding weight to the
bar.

My goal is to build strength and health. The two
aspects of that goal -- strength and health --
are both important -- and they are closely
connected.

My workouts are designed to build strength and
health throughout the entire body. Not just the
muscles. The entire body, inside and out.

My workouts strengthen my internal organs and
promote healthy functioning throughout my
body. Thus, they build organic health.

My workouts are fun. They're the highlight of my
day. They make me feel great. And that's another
health-building part of the program. It's also why
I'm still out in the garage, hitting the iron like
clockwork at close to age 60 -- and after almost
half a century of doing it.

I don't use supplements. They're not necessary.
In many cases, they're counter-productive,
especially if they upset your digestive system,
or if they distract you from eating real food.
I don't force-feed and I don't consume massive
amounts of protein. It's not necessary. (I do,
however, eat plenty of good food -- and it's real
food from local farmers and growers -- and I
have a vegetable garden where I grow much of
our food. I don't minimize the importance of a
healthy diet, I just define it much differently than
most people. See Knife, Fork, Muscle for further
information about my approach to diet and
nutrition for strength and health.)

I don't take roidskies. They're not necessary, either.
And no matter what anyone tells you, they're not
good for you. Neither are the gray-market supplements
that mimic them.

In short, I'm a bit of a rebel -- or at least, a muscle-
building non-conformist.

Or you could call me a dinosaur.

That works, too.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more about common sense diet and nutrition
for strength training and muscle building, grab Knife,
Fork, Muscle:

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

P.S. 2. We have two great Dinosaur Training e-books
on Amazon's Kindle site. Go here to grab them:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.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: "Rules are made to be
broken, but it's still a good idea to work hard on your
squats." -- Brooks Kubik

*********************************************

Do You Want to Be a Monster?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Breaking news -- I'll be on Carl Lanore's
SuperHuman Radio at 12:00 noon today
(that's EST). Catch it live or listen to the
download ayc. It will be a good show.

In other news, issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly was printed on Friday. We
mailed some of the issues on Saturday,
and we'll try to get the rest of them out
the door today. If you forgot to order a
copy, do it now -- we have extras:

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

On the training front, let's talk about one
of the most interesting advertising
campaigns in barbell history.

Back in the mid-1950's, Harry Paschall
came up with an ad for the York Barbell
Company. This was at the height of the
Hoffman-Weider feud, and you can see
very quickly that Harry was supporting
the York side in his ad.

But he was also supporting old-school
physical culture as opposed to modern
bodybuilding.

What he says is worth reading -- and
worth thinking about. Particularly today,
when everyone wants to look "freaky"
or look like a "monster" -- and when
so many turn to roidskies to try to
achieve that look.

Harry's barbell ad read like this:

"Without question barbells offer you the
quickest and surest means of developing
your body, strengthening your muscles and
improving your athletic ability. BUT consider
carefully before you buy a barbell. A sensible
buyer should first investigate the claims of
the various competing manufacturers. There
are many good reasons why York is the
oldest, largest and best known company
in this field.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A MONSTER?

A barbell in inexperienced hands may well
become an instrument of destruction and
distortion. Therefore, a barbell is only as
good as the course of instruction behind it.
There are certain 'muscle-bulging' courses
marketed today that create monsters instead
of men.

The natural, trim, well-proportioned athletic
lines of the body are distorted by unnatural
exercise methods into ugly lumps, varicose
veins, ruptured and swollen tissues.

Men trained by such methods lose speed,
range of movement, flexibility and muscular
coordination.

We are reluctant to believe that any young
man in his right mind wants to look like a
freak."

Harry was almost 60 years old when he came
up with this ad -- and although I love Harry
Paschall dearly and view him as a mentor and
as a friend, I think he was behind the times on
this one.

Not because his message (or warning) was
wrong -- but because by 1956, when Harry
wrote, this, it was already too late. The horse
was out of the barn. The young guys all wanted
to look like freaks and monsters.

I think that's continued to the present day --
and I think it's a problem for physical culture.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there are still
plenty of trainees who are more interested in
strength and health than in looking like a
monster. What do you think?

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. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Go here to grab them:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And please post a review for us -- the reviews really
help!

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 for lifelong strength
and health, and everything else will be just fine. "
-- Brooks Kubik

********************************************

Training the Muscles of Posture (Part 2)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our New E-Books

We have two e-books available on Amazon's
Kindle site, and they're getting great reviews.

Both are certified top 10 best-sellers in their
category at the Amazon site, which is more
than a little amazing. Go here to grab the
little monsters -- and please post a review:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

Important -- note that you can download a free
app to read Kindle books on any device -- so
you can read our courses even if you don't
have a Kindle device.

2. Dinosaur Podcast Today!

I'll be a guest on Ken O'Neill's Trans-Evolutionary
Fitness Radio today. Listen live at 12:00 EST, or
catch the download later on:

http://superhumanradio.com/

3. Another great e-book

My buddy John Wood has a terrific e-book on
Kindle -- a modern reprint of Sig Klein's very
rare hand-balancing course. Klein was one of
the best hand-balancers of all time, and it
contributed mightily to his world record in
the military press -- so this is a gold mine
mine for Dinos:

http://www.amazon.com/Try-Hand-Balancing-Updated-Annotated-Edition-ebook/dp/B00LYM5I6E

On the training front, let's continue our
discussion of how to build the muscles of
posture.

The Hise shrug is excellent for the traps --
and for all of the muscles of posture.

You'll work up to heavy weights in this
one, but form is more important than
weight -- especially at the beginning!

Do it in a power rack.

Set the pins so you can dip down and get
under the bar in the quarter squat position.

Flat back is very important, of course.

Get set, and stand up with the bar high
on your shoulders -- as if you were going to
do high bar squats.

Stand straight. Don't round the shoulders.
Don't look down. Don't bend forward. All
of that defeats the entire purpose of the
exercise.

Now stand tall -- and take a huge, enormous,
rib-stretching breath -- and expand your lungs
to the utmost -- and as you do so, shrug your
shoulders as h-i-g-h as you can.

Try to touch your shoulders to your ears.

You won't be able to do it -- but try!

Pause in the top position with the lungs expanded
to the max and the shoulders as high as possible.

Slowly exhale, lowering the shoulders as you
do so.

Pause at the bottom -- and then repeat.

Make each rep a slow, deliberate, perfect
movement.

Try 5 x 5, 3 x 10 or 1 x 20. 10/8/6 also is
good.

If you want to do rest-pause reps, that's fine.
If you prefer to do singles, that's fine, too.

They all work -- and they're all good.

Do very light breathing pullovers after each
set (or series) of shrugs.

Joe Hise originated this neat little exercise.
He used it for chest expansion and gaining
weight -- but it's a terrific exercise for the
traps and other muscles of the upper back.

For some trainees, it's the best possible
exercise for the traps.

Start light and learn the movement -- add
weight slowly and sensibly -- gradually work
up to some serious iron.

Have fun, and report on your results!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, stay warm --
and make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Any of the 20 leg and back specialization
programs in Chalk and Sweat would be great
for the muscles of posture:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
the Dinosaur Files quarterly -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- and shirts and sweatshirts
and hoodies -- are available right here at Dino
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for lattitude as
well as longitude." -- Brooks Kubik

*******************************************

Building the Muscles of Posture (Part One)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our e-books

Our e-books seem to be taking over the world.

We had two e-books in the Amazon top 10 list
in our category yesterday -- and one of them
(our Military Press course in kindle format)
made it all the way up to number 2!

That's amazing, because they deliver the same
sort of hard-nosed, tell it like is, straight from
the shoulder training advice that you find in our
hard-copy books and courses. And yet -- we're
beating the mainstream silly stuff.

It's both amazing and encouraging. Maybe there
are more Dinos out there than we knew.

You can grab our e-books right here:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

We'll continue to put more material up there on
Kindle throughout the year. Be looking for it!

2. The Dinosaur Files quarterly

Issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur Files quarterly
looks GREAT -- go here to grab a copy of the
best strength training and muscle building
journal anywhere:

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

And now -- let's talk training.

Yesterday we were talking about the muscles
of posture -- the spinal erectors and the upper
back muscles -- including the traps.

Here's one of my favorites to work the heck
out of them. It's one of the best I ever did
for the traps.

It's the partial deadlift from blocks or in the
power rack.

But here's the kicker.

Finish the exercise by shrugging as high as
you can -- which might not be very high at
all -- in fact, the bar might not even move.

With a truly heavy weight, you might pull
the bar up and try as hard as you can to
shrug it even higher -- and the bar might
move half an inch -- or a quarter of an inch --
or not at all -- or it might press down on
you as if it were the weight of the earth,
and you might actually feel that it's starting
to slip down even as you try to shrug it up.

But shrug upward with all your might -- and
hold that shrug position (whatever it is) for
the count.

Lower slowly and under control, get set, and
repeat.

How long do you hold the *top* position?

At least two seconds -- and five seconds is
better.

Or do 5/4/3/2/1 -- five seconds on the first
rep, and one second less on each of the
following reps.

Start light, add weight on each set, and work
up to one to three sets with your top weight
for the day.

Don't go too heavy the first time or you'll
end up so sore you won't be able to move
very well for a few days.

But after a month or so of break-in training,
you can start going heavier -- and you can
work up to some BIG weights.

Grip is a challenge on this exercise. Use a
reverse grip and alternate your hands from
set to set.  If you prefer straps and an over-
hand grip, that's okay, too.

And yes, it works with your choice of a
regular bar or a Trap Bar. If you use a
Trap Bar, use blocks to position the weight
where you want it.

The only draw-back is this -- after a few
months of working this exercise hard, you'll
probably need new a new wardrobe. But
that's part of the game, isn't it?

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. The one-hand deadlift is another good
exercise for the muscles of posture. I cover
it in detail -- along with lots of other great
exercises and workout ideas -- 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: "Stand tall and
lift heavy." -- Brooks Kubik

***************************************

Dinos Break Into the Top 10!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

After close to 20 years of publishing
hard-copy (ink on paper) books and
courses, we tried something new and
different a month ago -- and launched
our first e-book on Amazon's Kindle
site.

Frankly, we didn't expect much to
happen.

We were wrong.

Seriously wrong.

Less than three weeks later it had
jumped into the Amazon Top 10
list for its category.

Yesterday we launched a second
e-book -- an expanded version of
the Dinosaur Training Military Press
and Shoulder Power Course that we
released in 2012.

And today, something pretty amazing
happened.

We have not one, but TWO Dinosaur
Training e-books in Amazon's top 10
list for our category.

Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1 was at
number 7 earlier today -- and right now
it's at number 8.

The Dinosaur Training Military Press
and Shoulder Power course zoomed all
the way to number 3.

Head over to our Amazon pages and
take a look -- and help us keep the
magic going by grabbing a copy of
either or both courses -- and by
posting reviews on the Amazon
page!

You can find the link for the Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power course in e-book format right
here:

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

If you prefer a hard-copy course, go
here to grab it:

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

And last but not least -- sprint on over
to this page to grab Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, in your choice of Kindle e-book or
hard-copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And, of course -- a very big THANK YOU to
everyone who stepped up and took action!

We really appreciate it -- and look what you
helped us do -- top 10 x 2. I never dreamed this
would happen.


Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The Mystery of the Vanishing Cadaver

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then we'll talk
training:

1. Military Press Course on Kindle

We just launched an expanded version of
our popular Military press course from 2012
on Kindle. If you missed it the first time, run
on over and grab it now:

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

And, of course -- please leave a review
at the Kindle site. They really help us!

2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

Continues to be an Amazon Top 10 Best
Sekller in its category. Go here to grab it
in your choice of Kindle e-book or hard-copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

3. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 2

Issue no. 1 got rave reviews from readers -- and
issue no. 2 may be even better:

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

On the training front, Ken O'Neill, the host of the
Trans-Evolutionary Fitness Radio Show, shot me
an email with an interesting report.

It seems that medical students often use
cadavers of elderly persons when they are
studying anatomy -- because the elderly are
more likely to leave their bodies to science.

So the medical students get these cadavers --
and start to dissect and study them.

And they have this enormous disconenct
between what they see in their anatomy
textbooks -- with drawings of well-developed
lats, traps, rhomboids, and other upper back
muscles (for example) -- and muscle-less
cadavers that are nothing but connective
tissue.

Where did the muscle go?

It wasted away -- through non-use.

The problem is throughout the body, but more
pronounced in the upper back. The upper back
muscles -- the muscles of posture -- seem to
melt away as most people grow older.

And like so many things in strength training,
that brings us right back to John Grimek and
old-school strength training.

Grimek was noted for his perfect posture --
and for the magnificent development of the
muscles of posture.

Grimek developed the muscles of posture
during his formative years. In his first three
years of training, he focused on basic, stand
on your feet exercises with barbells and
dumbbells.

He did plenty of squats.

He did Olympic lifting -- using both two-handed
lifts and the one-handed lifts that were contested
back then.

He did lots and lots of military pressing.

He practiced the wrestler's bridge.

When he sat, stood or walked, he emphasized
perfect posture. He carried himself like a lion.

And he kept at it his entire life.

That's one of the really important things --
building the muscles of posture -- and training
yourself to STAND TALL rather than slouching
around like an ape.

It helps you build more muscle when you are
young -- and it helps you maintain more muscle
when you are older.

Which means you won't end up being one of
those vanishing cadavers. And that's a very
good thing.

There are some exercises that are really good
for the muscles of posture. We'll cover them
later in the week.

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. Here's the link again for the expanded Kindle
version of the Military Press Course:

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

P.S. 2. For more information about John Grimek
and his training, grab this great course:

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

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are available
right here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Build your body
ther right way, keep on training, eat right, and
you can stay strong and fit for a very long time."
-- Brooks Kubik

********************************************

Here's Something on Kindle for Military Press Fans!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

About three years ago I launched a
terrific course on one of my very
favorite exercises -- the military
press.

The course was called: "The Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course."

It covered EVERYTHING you need to
know about the mighty military press --
and how to train to press BIG WEIGHTS!

It quickly became one of our most
popular courses.

So when our first e-book on Kindle
jumped into the Amazon Top 10 List
in its category, we decided to pick up
the military press course -- revise and
expand it a bit -- and launch the revised
and expanded course on Kindle.

You can find the little monster right
here:

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

Of course, if you prefer the original
hard-copy version of the course, we
still have plenty of them in stock --
and you can grab your copy right here:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

George Eiferman's Super Leg Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

You probably know that George Eiferman
won the Mr. America Contest in 1948 --
and that he had one of the thickest, most
massive physiques of any of the old-time
bodybuilding champions.

He was strong, too -- and a good musician.

He used to do a stunt where he played a
trumpet with one hand while hoisting a
135 pound Olympic barbell over head with
the other hand.

And if a barbell wasn't handy, sometimes he
hoisted a pretty girl overhead with one hand,
while playing the trumpet with the other. Nice
work if you can get it -- and if you're strong
enough to do it!

When he won the Mr. America title, he was
training at John Fritshe's Gym in Philadelphia.

Fritshe was big on heavy leg training, so
George did plenty of squats. Sets of 10 and
sets of 20 were the order of the day.

But before that, he devised a unique leg
training workout of his own -- and I thought
I would share it with you.

Here's the story.

When he was 17, George joined the United
States Navy.

He had already started training, so he trained
with barbells and dumbbells whenever he was
on a ship that had a set of weights.

If there were no weights on board the ship,
he did curls with buckets of water.

He also did his special leg exercise.

He would go down to the "hold" and find a
100 pound bag of sugar and a 50 pound bag
of flour, and wrestle them up and onto his
back.

Then he would climb the ladder from the hold
to the main deck -- with the 150 pounds of
sugar and flour on his back.

And then he'd climb back down -- still carrying
the extra weight.

And he'd go up and down the ladder as many
times as he could.

It sounds like a pretty good workout -- and clear
proof that "Where' there's a will, there's a weight --
and a way to train for strength, muscle and
power!"

You may not have access to a large ship, so
you may not be able to duplicate Eiferman's
workout exactly -- but you can get a heck of
a workout by putting a heavy sandbag on your
back and going out for a run -- or a walk -- or
walking (or running) up a hill or up some
stadium steps -- or by doing squats with it.

And when you do, think of George Eiferman
going up and down that ship's ladder.

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 issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly -- the best strength training and
muscle building magazine out there:

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

Note that we have copies of issue no. 1 of the
Dinosaur Files quarterly -- so if you missed it,
grab both of them. You'll want the complete
set.

P.S. 2. My new course, Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, is selling like hot-cakes. Go here to grab a
copy in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- and the world-famous Legacy of
Iron novels -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Wherever you are,
and whatever the circumstances, you can always
find a way to train." -- Brooks Kubik

*****************************************

How Did the Old-timers Do It?

Note:

I posted this in February, 2015 and have updated
it  with links to our new e-books on Kindle. Note
that we are releasing Knife, Fork, Muscle as a
series of Kindle e-books. Book one in the series
covers your best sources of high-quality protein --
a critical issue for anyone interested in building
strength, muscle and power. Other books in the
series will be coming out shortly.

We also have a total of three books in the Dinosaur
Training Secrets series -- all of which are available
in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book.

Original Post:

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of our Canadian Dinos asked a question
about the old-time champions.

Actually, it was two questions.

"How did the old-timers get to be so strong?"

and

"How did the old-timers build such amazing
physiques?"

He noted that men like Sandow, Maxick, Bobby
Pandour, Otto Arco, Klein, etc. were incredibly hard
and muscular -- with muscular definition and
density that rivals any modern-day bodybuilder.

"What was their secret?" he asked.

Well, the first part of the answer is their training --
which I cover in all of my books and courses.

The old-timers trained for strength -- which is
how they got to be so strong AND how they
developed such impressive physiques.

But there's another piece to the puzzle.

The old-timers ate much diferently than we do
today.

And frankly, they ate much better than most of
us -- even those of us who try to be careful with
our diets.

One of the reasons why they ate better was that
they ate fresh, natural, chemical-free food.

Today, we would call it "organic" food.

Organic food is better for you because it contains
more nutrients than conventionally grown foods.

But just as importantly -- and perhaps more
importantly -- organic food is better for you
because of what it does NOT contain:

Organic food does NOT contain:

1. GMO's

2. Chemicals

3. Antibiotics

4. Anabolic steroids and other hormones
that have an estrogenic effect on the human
body (meaning that they reduce testosterone
levels and raise estrogen levels)

And here's the interesting thing.

Ever since we began mass-producing our food
and including all of the things in the above list
in what we put on our plates and into our bodies,
we've been growing bigger and fatter -- to the
point where obesity is almost the new norm.

The old-timers never put a plateload of
chemicals on their dinner-table -- and they
tended to be smaller, leaner, much more
muscular and much stronger pound for
pound than modern trainees.

I think that's one reason why Sandow,
Maxick, Pandour, Arco and Klein were so
incredibly strong -- and so well-developed.

They grew up eating chemical-free food.

Their bodies never had to battle the
estrogenizing effect of the modern diet.

I cover this issue in detail in Knife, Fork,
Muscle -- along with plenty of other critical
issues about diet and nutrition for building
strength and muscle -- for staying lean and
muscular -- and for promoting life-long
good health.

It's a terrific book. Many readers have said
it's the best book they ever read about diet
and nutrition.

Go here to grab a copy -- and treat yourself
to something very special and very
empowering:


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


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. My new training course -- part one in a series
of courses that we'll be releasing this year and next --
is available in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle
e-book:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.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: "Read, study, think,
and take action. That's the recipe for success."

-- Brooks Kubik

UPDATED LIST OF E-BOOKS:


We're up to NINE Dinosaur Training
e-books in the Amazon Kindle store,
and readers keep asking me for a
complete list with all the links.

So here you go:

1. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1.
"Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs"

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2,
"How Strong Are You?"

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html

3. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3,
"How to Use Old-School Progression
Methods for Fast and Steady Gains in
Strength, Muscle and Power"

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html

4. The Training Secrets of John Grimek

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

5. The Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course

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

6. The Doug Hepburn Strength and Muscle Building
System

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

7. Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 1
(covers protein for strength training -- how much,
the best sources of hiqh quality protein, etc.)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle01_kindle.html

8. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Vol. 1
(December, 2014)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_01_kindle.html

9. Legacy of Iron

http://www.brookskubik.com/legacyofiron01_kindle.html

We'll be adding more soon, and I'll update the list
when we do! In the meantime, you've got plenty of
great reading. Hope you enjoy the e-books!

************************************************

Fast and Effective Workouts for Working Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in the 1950's, Peary Rader wrote an
article in IronMan titled "Workouts for the
Working Man."

The article covered effective training for
men who work demanding physical jobs --
such as "blue collar" jobs or manual labor
jobs.

If I recall correctly, Peary was answering a
question from a man who worked 10 or 12
hour days as a painter, going up and down
ladders, and performing thousands of reps
with a heavy paintbrush.

After a day like that, there wasn't much gas
in the tank for a 2 or 3 hour split routine
workout or 12 x 12 on all of his exercises.

So Peary suggested what we would now call
an abbreviated program -- with low reps,
because low reps help to conserve energy.

It was good advice.

I was remeinded of this because I received
an email this week from a man who works
10 or 12 hours a day on a construction job.

After 10 or 12 hours a day of carrying bricks,
concrete blocks and other construction
materials, and operating a jack hammer,
he doesn't have time or energy for a long
workout.

But he still wants to build some serious
strength and muscle.

So what does he do?

My answer is similar to Peary Rader's
answer.

He should follow a short, simple program
with a minimum number of exercises.

He should train one or two times during
the work week for 15 to 30 minutes per
workout -- and take a longer (45 minute)
workout on Sat or Sun.

He should do multiple sets of low reps in
each exercise. 5 x 5 would be perfect for
squats and deadlifts -- and it should be
four progressively heavier sets and one
set with his top weight for the day.

On upper body exercises he can do 3 x 5
or 3 x 6 -- two progressively heavier sets
and one set with his top weight for the day.

He should use perfect form in all of his
exercises. This will target the proper muscle
groups and make his training more productive
and more efficient. And it will be less tiring --
and a lot less wear and tear on his already
tired body.

Thus, his workout schedule might look
like this:

Tues

1. Standing press 3 x 5-6

2. Barbell curl 3 x 5-6

Thurs

1. Deadlift or Trap Bar deadlift 5 x 5

2. One-arm DB row 3 x 5-6

Sat

1. Squats 5 x 5

2. Bench press (barbell or dumbbell) 3 x 5-6

3. Gut work -- 1 set

If that's still too much work, he should cut
back even more -- and perhaps train once
a week on Sat or Sun -- doing his choice of
squats OR deadlifts, one upper body pressing
exercise and one upper body pulling exercise,
plus one set of gut work.

For other workouts that would work very
well for this man -- or for any Dinosaur who
works a demanding job or who doesn't have
much time or energy for training -- see my
new course, Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

Also, we cover this sort of program in the
March 2015 issue of The Dinosaur Files
quarterly -- with not one, but two real
world workouts from real life Dinos
who share how they get it done even
though they have almost no time for
training.

One of them gets great results from just
one workout a week -- and it only takes
30 to 45 minutes.

I like to share this kind of story because
it helps remind us that less is better --
and that you really CAN make great gains
with abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated
workouts.

You can find the March 2105 issue of the
Dinosaur Files quarterly right here -- along
with the December 2014 issue. If you missed
the December Dinosaur Files quarterly, go
ahead and grab them both -- they're very
good and very motivating:

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

In any case, I hope that helps our reader --
and anyone else who is crunched for time
but wants to train!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Abbreviated training is very important for
older trainees. See Gray hair and Black Iron for
effective workouts and training programs for
older Dinos:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.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: "Where there's a
will -- and some weights -- there's a way."
-- Brooks Kubik

*******************************************

Train with the Beast of Bean Station!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In an earlier email I mentioned that John
Wood has a new training course for grip
monsters -- and I mentioned that it
covers Joe Kinney and the Secret
Weapon.

Well, I should have known better --
because I've been buried in a flood
of emails from readers who are asking
things like:

"Who's Joe Kinney?"

and

"What's the Secret Weapon?"

So allow me to clear up the mystery.

Joe Kinney is one of the strongest grip
masters who ever lived. Although he' s
not a large man, he's the first man to
close the IronMind No. 4 gripper.

He did it while training in his home
gym in Bean Station, Tennessee --
which reminds me of Bob Peoples, the
one-time World Record holder in the
deadlift, who trained in an old root
cellar on his farm near Johnson
City, Tennessee.

The interesting thing is, both of these
men built incredible strength with
heavy negatives.

Bob Peoples rigged up a tractor and
a chain thingie, and had someone drive
the tractor and lift a heavily-loaded
barbell so that Bob could grab it in
the top position of the deadlift and
lower it s-l-o-w-l-y to the floor.

Years later, Joe Kinney trained his
grip with a specially designed machine
of his own invention -- that allowed him
to train his grip with negative resistance.

And the results were spectacular. As
I said, he was the first man in history
to close the no. 4 -- and that takes a
truly superhuman grip.

You can read all about it right here:

http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/secretweaponguide_kindle.html

Now, I'm not going to promise that
the Secret Weapon Guide will help
you close the no. 4 gripper -- but
it might!

And it WILL do this -- it will give you
some new and exciting ideas for training
your grip and building maximum hand
and finger strength FAST.

Head on over and check it out -- and
if you like it, post a review for John
on his Kindle page. It's a good course,
and it deserves some good reviews and
some good buzz.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's a photo of the Secret Weapon
Grip Machine:

http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/secret_weapon.html

As you can see, it's a serious piece of
equipment. Bob People would have been
proud to see someone continue the
tradition of Tennessee strongmen!

P.S. 2. If you train on the Secret Weapon,
send an email and tell me about your
results!

*************************************************

Learn Hand-Balancing with One of the All-Time Masters!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In my new training course, Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1, I talk about famous old-time
strongmen.

One of the men I mention is Sig Klein,
the long-time gym owner in New York
city.

Klein was a truly remarkable man. Harry
Paschall called him "The Old Maestro" --
and it was a good name.  Sig Klein was
a master of old-school physical culture.

In fact, he was what we would now call
a Triple Threat:

1. He was a weightlifting champion.

2. He was a bodybuilding champion.

3. He was one of the greatest hand-balancers
of all time.

And if you think about it, all three of
those things go together pretty darn well.

The combination of weight training and
hand-balancing may be the ideal way to
build strength, muscle and power -- and
to develop a perfect physique.

That's what Sig Klein believed -- and it's
one of the reasons he wrote a complete
course in hand-balancing.

That old course is incredibly rare. I've
seen almost all of the old-time books and
courses, but I've never seen this one. In
fact, I've never even seen a photo of the
cover.

But now -- after more than half a century --
Sig Klein's long-lost hand-balancing course
is available once again.

My friend John Wood has prepared a
great looking modern reprint edition
of the course, complete with John's
detailed commentary and guidance
to supplement the original course.

It's an outstanding course -- and it's
available right here:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/klein_handbalancing.html

So run on over and grab the little
monster -- and add some serious
hand-balancing to your training
program TODAY!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you like the course -- and I
know you will -- please post a review
on John's Kindle page. Help him get
the word out!

P.S. 2.  If you don't have Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1, go here to grab a copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And please post a review -- they really
do help!

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If you want to
learn hand-balancing, learn from a master."
-- Brooks Kubik

************************************************

Revealed -- the Super Secret 25 Second Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then we'll cover the
top secret, never before revealed, 25 second
workout.

1. For a Gorilla Grip

John Wood has just released a terrific training
guide for grip monsters. It covers the Secret
Weapon Grip Machine developed and used by
Joe Kinney -- the first man to close IronMind's
No. 4 gripper.

The little monster is available right here on
Kindle -- so sprint on over, download it and
start reading in 60 seconds:

http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/secretweaponguide_kindle.html

2. The Dinosaur Files quarterly

Go here to grab issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly:

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

It's a great issue, with some terrific articles.
Check out the Table of Contents on the order
page.

3. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol 1

Is selling like hot-cakes -- and getting rave
reviews. Go here to grab the little monster
in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle formats:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

If you order the Kindle version, please post a
review. They really help.

And now -- let's talk training!

I had a great workout in the garage last night.

I did 10 minutes of stretches and loosening up
exercises, including overhead squats and snatch
drills with a broomstick.

Then I began doing a series of squat snatches.

I started light, and worked up slowly but
steadily to my top weight for the day -- and
did five singles with it.

I filmed each lift, and checked my form on
the replay after each lift - and did some more
stretching in-between each lift. At close to age
60, the stretching gets to be more and more
important for me. I need to do it in order to
hit the bottom position in a squat snatch.

So the pattern was:

1. Lift

2. Review lift on video and focus on what to do
to make the next lift better.

3. Add weight to the bar if the next set calls for
more weight.

4. Stretch.

5. Repeat 1 - 4.

I did a total of 25 singles.

I started at 6:12 and finished at 7:00 on the nose.
So the workout took a total of 48 minutes.

Or did it?

If you just count the time it took for each lift --
the actual lifting time -- it was more like 25
seconds -- because each snatch takes about
one second from start to finish.

Now, that doesn't sound like much -- and it's
not. But remember, each squat snatch was a
fast, fluid, total body effort -- and each lift
literally worked everything from toes to
eyeballs.

In other workouts I focus on the squat style
clean and jerk. I follow the same sort of
progression. I lift for about an hour, and I
do nothing but singles -- and I get a terrific
workout.

You can do the same thing -- and you don't
have to do Olympic lifting.

Nor do you have to do singles -- although you're
welcome to do them if they work for you.

The key point for all of us is this:

1. Focus on quality, not quantity.

2. It's not how long you train that matters --
it's HOW you train.

3. Stay 100% focused from start to finish.

4. Concentrate on every rep -- including the
warm-up sets.

5. Strive for perfect form on every rep.

6. Block out all forms of distraction when you
train.

a. Anything that interferes with your
concentration interferes with your training.

7. Keep detailed records of what you do, and
strive to improve your performance from one
workout to another.

8. Find what works best for you and stick to it.

9. Use basic, compound exercises and total body
movements to do the most work in the minimum
amount of time.

10. For older trainees, and those of you who are
pressed for time, give one and two exercise
workouts a try -- they really deliver.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more about effective training with
abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated workouts,
grab any or all of these great books and courses:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

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

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

P.S. 2. Support your training with the right kind
of diet and nutrition -- the kind I cover in Knife,
Fork, Muscle:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It doesn't take much
time, but it does take effort." -- Brooks Kubik

*****************************************

An Interesting Training Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We'll cover today's training question in just
a minute, but forst, let me cover some news
and updates:

1. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

Has become a certified best-seller on Amazon,
blasting into the top 10 list for its category --
and even making it up to number 4 on the
list for awhile.

That's great, because it shows you just how
many people around the world are interested
in hard-nosed, old-fashioned strength training
and muscle building.

If you haven't already grabbed a copy, now's
the time:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And please post a review on the Amazon
site. The reviews really help to spread the
word. Remember, there are still plenty of
trainees who don't know a Dinosaur from
a donut. Your reviews help bring them into
the Dino Gym -- and that's a good place for
them!

2. The Dinosaur Files quarterly, Issue No. 2

Is being printed this week, and we should be
able to ship the little monster on Friday or
Monday. Go here to grab your copy:

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

On the training front, here's an email that
came in this week -- with an interesting
training question:

"I really wanted to thank you for allowing
people living overseas to read your new
book on Kindle. I waited a long time for
that. I hope your other books will be on
Kindle as well.

I finished the book and I am going to
implement some of the ideas.

I have one question.

I can't train three days per week for an
hour each time. I can train four days for
40 minutes.

Can I take the three days and span it
across four?

Avichal"

Thanks for your email and your kind words,
Avichal. I'm glad the e-book option has worked
for you. We'll continue to make plenty of great
Dinosaur Training info available on Kindle --
as well as in hard-copy for those who prefer
the hard-copy option.

I'm also glad you are going to take action and
implement some of the ideas in the book. That's
important. Too many people read a book, get all
excited about it -- and then fail to take action.
That's a shame, because in strength training,
taking action is always important (to put it
mildly).

As for your question -- I take it that you are
looking at a three-day per week divided
workout and asking if you can split it into
four sessions.

Not add extra exercises -- but split the three-day
program I outlined in the book into four days.
You definitely can do that. I've done it before,
with good success.

Just be sure not to do exercises on back to
back days that would hit the same muscle
groups. Doing squats one day and deadlifts
the next day would be a bad idea for most
of us.

You might try putting your arm exercises
together on one day. That's how I did it,
and it worked well. I had more time and
energy to focus on squats and deadlifts
on the days when I did those exercises.

Or you might do your gut, grip and neck
work one day per week, all in one workout.
Another option is to train three days per week,
but use four different workouts. So you would
do the first three workouts in week 1 -- and in
week 2 you would do the fourth workout,
followed by the first and second workouts --
and continue in week 3 with workouts three,
four and one.

That's not a bad way to do things. It builds
plenty of variety into your weekly schedule.
A third option is to train a little bit faster --
and see if you can squeeze everything you
need to do into a 40 or 45 minute workout
three times per week.

So those are the options. Choose one, and
give it a try -- and keep me posted on your
progress!

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. Here's the link again for the new Dinosaur
Files quarterly:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Read, study,
think, and plan -- and take action."
-- Brooks Kubik

************************************************

Here Comes Issue No. 2 of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's the link to grab issue no. 2 of the
Dinosaur Files quarterly:

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

The table of contents for the new issue of
the Dinosaur Files quarterly is on the order
page. It's a great issue, with tons of terrific
articles.

Please note -- the little monster has not
been printed yet. It should be printed and
ready to ship on Fri or Saturday -- or
Monday at the latest. But go ahead
and order so we know how many
copies to print.

Remember, we are offering the little
monster on an issue by issue basis,
not as a subscription.

That works better for everyone with a
quarterly publication. So whenever a
new issue is ready, we'll add an order
button for it -- along with the table of
contents. You can grab them as they
come out.

If you want to order the Dinosaur Files
quarterly plus any other book, course
or other Dinosaur Training product,
shoot me an email and ask for a
shipping quote.

Any questions, shoot me an email!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

******************************************

What It Means to Look Like a Greek Statue!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

Continues to be a top 10 best-seller in its
category at the Amazon Kindle site -- and
continues to get rave reviews.

If you don't have the little monster, sprint
on over and grab it now:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

And please be sure to give us a review!
They really help us -- and we really
appreciate them.

BTW, this is the first in a continuing series --
all of which will be avsilable in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book. Be looking for
number 2 in the series in the very near
future -- and for other e-books from me
in the Kindle bookstore. We're going to
bring you tons of great training information
in 2015.

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly Journal

Issue no. 2 is just about ready to go. We'll
put up an order button later today. It will
include the table of contents with all the
different articles for the issue. Be looking
for an update later on when the order button
is ready to go.

On the training front, I was a guest on Carl

Lanore's SuperHuman Radio Show yesterday,
and for the second week in a row we talked
a bit about famous classical statues -- such
as the statue of the Farnese Hercules.

 

If you missed the show and would like to hear
it, here's the link -- it's episode 1578:

http://superhumanradio.com/

The statues came up last week, when Carl noted
that the ancient Greeks and Romans built some
remarkable physiques without any roidskies and
without any supplements. They did it with hard
training and a diet of all natural foods.

And they ended up looking like the very best of
today's bodybuilders and weightlifters.

You can see it in those marvellous old statues.
Put one of them on the stage at any bodybuilding
show, and he just might walk away with first
place.

Yesterday, I noted that those old statues were
not merely the result of the sculptor's imagination.
No one thought, "I'm going to sculpt a statue of
a warrior and make him look the way I think
athletes might look 500 years from now."

Nor did they say, "I'm going to sculpt a man who
never lived -- who doesn't exist -- and who never
will exist -- and make it up as I go along."

No, they did what artists have always done --
they used actual models.

The models they used were champion athletes
and seasoned warriors.

And you can see this in the resulting sculptures.
The sculptures show thick, heavy abdominal
and oblique development.

Why?

Because back then, men trained with many
different twisting and turning movements --
which you would use in throwing a javelin or
a spear, swinging an axe or a sword, throwing
a discus, or in throwing an opponent in a
wrestling match.

The models had powerful, corded forearms and
thick, powerful hands.

Why?

Because they did so much work with heavy
weapons. It must have built a ferocious grip
over the years.

In short, the men who were used as models for
statues such as the Farnese Hercules were men
who trained to be the best athletes and the most
powerful warriors of their era.

They weren't imaginary. They were real.

And they did it Dino-style -- with hard work and
healthy food. They probably did lots of old-school
bodyweight exercises, as well as dumbbell training.
So their workouts may have been very similar to
those in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training and
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.

And they quite likely did some stone lifting. Men
have been lifting stones for thousands of years.
And as I noted, they ran, wrestled, swung heavy
weapons and threw things.

And that was all they needed.

I don't know about you, but I find that to be very
encouraging. It shows us what we can do -- and
what we can achieve.

And it reminds us that it doesn't take very much
in the way of equipment to get a great workout.

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 link again for Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training and Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- are available right here
at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Learn from the past,
live in the present, lift for the future." Brooks Kubik

********************************************

The "How Many Meals Per Day?" Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Couple of quick notes, and then we'll talk
about eating for strength and muscle.

1. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly

My printer is finishing up issue no. 2, and
it looks pretty darn good. We'll put an order
button up as soon as we can -- hopefully,
later today. When we do, we'll also include
the table of contents so you can see all the
different authors and articles for this issue.

We sell these little monsters issue by issue,
and we have plenty of issue no. 1 in stock --
so if you missed it, go ahead and grab a
copy of issue no. 1 right now -- and then
grab issue no. 2 later in the week.

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

2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

Continues to get rave reviews (check them
out at the Amazon Kindle site), and continues
to rank as a top 10 in its category best-seller
for Amazon's kindle books. That's not bad
for something that's hard-core, old-school
and miles removed from Chrome and Fern
land!

Go here to grab your copy of the little
monster -- in your choice of hard-copy or
e-book at the Kindle site:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

A big THANK YOU to everyone who posted a
review on the Amazon site. They really help.

If you haven't already posted one, please do
so.

3. Military Press Course testimonials

If you have a copy of the Dinosaur Training
Military Press and Shoulder Power Course,
please send me a testimonial. Thanks!

AND NOW -- a diet and nutrition question.

This one is tough, because I'm upstairs in
the study, pounding away on the keyboard,
and Trudi is downstairs in the kitchen, cooking
breakfast.  I can hear the bacon sizzling --
and in a few minutes, I'll be able to smell it.

And that makes it hard to write about food!

Anyhow, several readers have asked another
which is better question -- as in, "Which is
better -- three meals a day or six meals a
day?"

And some phrase it as, "I thought you were
supposed to eat six meals a day -- but you
only eat three! What gives?"

So here's the answer.

There's no "best" number of meals per day
that applies to all of us. It varies from person
to person.

If someone tells you that you HAVE to eat six
meals a day to build strength and muscle, they
are flat out wrong.

For some people, it's good advice.

For others, it's really bad advice.

For me, it would be really bad advice.

Some people do better on three meals per
day because they digest and assimilate their
food better. I'm one of them -- so I stick to
three meals a day.

Plus, I don't like to train on a full stomach --
or really, to have anything in my stomach when
I train. So six meals a day wouldn't work very
well for me. It would interfere with my training,
and that's a problem.

Anything that makes it harder to do heavy squats
and deadlifts and other basic, compound exercises
is going to be a negative, not a positive.

Plus, I'm awfully busy all day long -- and quite
frankly, I barely have time for three meals. Six
meals a day would be a problem.

Now, I know that someone is going to suggest
that I try three meals a day plus three protein
shakes.

Problem is -- I don't like protein shakes. I prefer
to get my protein from meat and eggs. (See the
thought for the day at the end of the post.)

But once again, other Dinos prefer protein shakes,
and if they do, that's fine.

So don't sweat the number of meals things. There's
no magic number -- and no one right answer.

Hope that helps.

Now it's time for breakfast!

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. Knife, Fork, Muscle is the number one book
about sensible diet and nutritiion for building
strength and muscle -- maintaining life-long
good health -- and staying lean, hard and
muscular:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.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: "Squats and steak are
hard to beat." -- Brooks Kubik

*********************************************

25 Impressive Things that Dinos Do!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let me begin by saying THANK YOU to
everyone who has ordered my new course,
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, in either
hard-copy or Kindle format.

And DOUBLE THANKS to everyone who
posted a review on the Kindle site.

We moved all the way up to no. 5 in our
category on Amazon's Top 10 List. Right
now, we're holding steady at no. 7. So
the little monster is mighty popular out
there in e-book land.

If you don't already have the little monster,
do not walk, but RUN, right on over and
grab it:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

On the training front, most people focus on
"the champions" and what the "champions"
are doing.

I tend to focus on the ordinary folks -- people
like you and me who love to train and who stick
to it through thick and thin, and who end up
pretty darn strong and pretty darn impressive.

For example, I read something years ago about
a top NFL strength coach who was in his mid-50's.
Someone saw him training one day.

He was doing squat snatches.

To me, that's impressive. He may not have been
setting a world record, and he may not have been
outlifting the much younger NFL players -- but he
was doing something very impressive.

As anyone who's ever tried to do a squat snatch
will tell you, the lift requires strength, power, speed,
timing, coordination, balance, flexibility, mobility
and athleticism. So when a 50-something year
old coach steps onto the platform and hits some
squat snatches in perfect form, that's impressive.

I got to thinking about it, and I started a list of
Impressive Things that Dinos do. Here it is. See
if you can spot yourself on the list:

1. Lifting and carrying great big stones.

2. Giving a heavy sandbag the ride of its life.

3. Making great gains from your training even if
you only have time for one or two workouts a week.

4. Doing squats -- and doing them hard and heavy.

5. Any of the advanced workouts in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training.

6. Heavy dumbbell training -- with the emphasis on
heavy. (See Dinosaur Dumbbell Training for details.)

7. Finishers.

8. Thick bar training.

9. Heavy partials in the power rack.

10. Keeping at it after age 40.

11. Keeping at it after age 50.

12. Keeping at it after age 60 and beyond.

13. Making a date with a special strength stone
somewhere in Iceland -- or in Scotland.

14. Teaching your children how to train.

15. Teaching your grandchildren how to train.

16. Learning to do new stuff -- whatever your
age.

17. Using the same barbell at age 60 that you
used at age 12.

18. Growing as much of your own food as possible.

19. Entering your first powerlifting, weightlifting
or strongman comp.

20. Saying "no" to roidskies.

21. Dropping 40 pounds and five inches off your
gut because you know it's good for your health --
and staying just as strong at your new bodyweight as
you were when you were heavier.

22. Focusing on lifelong strength and health.

23. Learning about the lives and lifting of the great
old-time champions -- and striving to match their
lifts in your own workouts.

24. Setting a good example for others.

25. Having the greatest workout of your entire life
and NOT posting about it on Facebook.

There are many more. Send in your ideas and I'll
post the best ones!

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 link again for the new course:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

P.S. 2. Diet and nutrition is one of the keys to
lifelong strength and health -- and Knife, Fork,
Muscle covers everything you need to know about
healthy eating:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.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: "The only person you
should be trying to impress is YOU." -- Brooks
Kubik

******************************************