Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Ever since I published Dinosaur Training
back in 1996, I've been buried in questions
from readers.
One of the most common questions involves
thick bars and how to use them. And there's
one question that I get pretty much all the
time.
I'm writing this today because when I woke up,
the question was right there, waiting for me in
my in box.
A reader wrote:
"I train self defense 3x a week. I train bodyweight
exercises 2x a week. I do heavy iron once a week
(one movement, such as squats or Trap Bar DL).
I'm currently on your suggested 5 x 5 and hope
to work my way down to singles as you prescribe
in your book. My question is around thick bars.
Should I just focus on overall strength and on
adding as much weight as possible to the bar?
Or should I switch to thick bar right now, build
the grip from day one, and sacrifice poundage?"
In other words , the reader is asking if he should
do Trap Bar deadlifts with as much weight as he
can handle -- or do thick bar deadlifts with much
less weight to train his grip?
Some readers phrase it like this:
"I want to do thick bar training, but I can't use
enough weight on thick bar deadlifts to work my
legs, hips and back hard enough -- so what do I
do?"
As I said, that's a VERY common question. I get
it at least once a week.
Luckily, there's a very simple answer.
Do this:
1. Train your deadlift or Trap Bar deadlift (or
any other pulling exercise) with a regular-sized bar,
and pile on the weight to build total body strength
and power.
2. At the end of your workout, use the thick bar
for thick bar deadlifts or timed holds or whatever
else you feel like doing. You won't be able to use
as much weight, but that's fine. You're not doing
the exercise to build all-around strength and
power -- rather, you're using it to build grip
strength.
Thus, you do your deadlifts TWICE -- with two
different bars -- at two different times in your
workout.
It's not either/or. It's not one or the other. It's
both.
Whenever I write programs, I give the basic
exercises to do -- and then I close by saying
"gut, grip and neck work of your choice." The
"grip work of your choice" at the end of the
workout is is where to use the thick bar.
Let me also note:
1. Don't do thick bar squats. It's too easy to have
the bar roll down your back, and that could cause
a very bad injury.
2. If you use a thick bar for overhead presses, push
presses or jerks, be very careful. You don't want to
drop it on yourself. Personally, I prefer to use thick
bars for deadlifts, curls, reverse curls and the
rectangular fix.
3. VERY IMPORTANT -- as in, life and death
important.
If you do thick bar bench presses, do them in a
power rack, with the pins set to catch the bar if
you drop it. A spotter won't be able to catch a
falling thick bar that's loaded to a heavy weight.
3a. I would NOT do dumbbell bench press or
incline dumbbell bench press with a thick-handled
dumbbell. Too easy to drop it, and no way to
catch it other than with your teeth -- which
will not be good.
4. If you do dumbbell cleans and swings with a
thick handled dumbbell, always use one dumbbell
at a time, so you can use the non-lifting hand
to help lower the dumbbell.
4a. It's very hard to hold onto a heavy dumbbell
when you lower it from above your head or
from your shoulder -- and remember, your
feet are directly beneath the dumbbell.
5. A little bit of heavy grip work with a thick
handled barbell or dumbbell goes a long way.
Work in three to five sets at the end of your
workout and keep it up for a year or two,
and you'll look like Popeye after a big can
of spinach.
And that's the answer to the no. 1 question
about thick bar 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. 1. My new series of Dinosaur Training courses
is selling like hotcakes -- and getting rave reviews
from Dinos. There are three of the little monsters
so far -- and they're available in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book.
Here are the links for all three -- hard-copy first,
and then the Kindle e-book:
a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1.
"Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs"
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
b. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2,
"How Strong Are You?"
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
c. 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_secrets_03.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVDs -- and links to my other Kindle e-books--
are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Questions are good.
Asking a question is the only way to get an answer."
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Doug Hepburn -- A Hero for the Ages!
Hail to the Dinosaurs! Here's a link to a very interesting blog post about the Canadian Hercules, Doug Hepburn. I think you'll enjoy it. Note that you may need to search for "Doug Hepburn" get the correct blog post to pop up. http://romanviking.wordpress.com/ It references and discusses another great blog post about Big Doug. You can find that one here: http://www.geist.com/fact/dispatches/strong-man/ For those who don't know, Doug Hepburn was one of the greatest success stories in the history of the Iron Game. Born with a club foot and withered lower leg, Doug was hardly ideal material for an athlete -- but by hard work and sheer determination he built himself into one of the most massive men of his generation -- and one of the strongest. He proved it in 1953, when he won the Heavyweight title at the World Weight- lifting championships. He went on to win the Heavyweight crown in weightlifting at the British Empire Games in 1954 -- which were held in his very own city of Vancouver, British Columbia. What a moment that must have been! Heroism is the essence of sport, and every sport has its heroes. The Iron Game has Doug Hepburn. He's one of our greatest heroes. Yours in strength, Brooks Kubik P.S. I cover Doug Hepburn's life and training system in this course: Hard-copy edition: http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html E-book edition: http://www.brookskubik.com/hepburn_kindle.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: "Some men are mountains. Doug Hepburn was that kind of man." -- Brooks Kubik
*************************************************************************************
My Interview with Bill Hinbern
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
If you missed the big news, here it is
again:
I'm going to be doing a very special,
straight from the shoulder, no holds
barred, we'll cover anything and
everything interview with Bill
Hinbern -- who ranks as one of
the most knowledgeable men in
the Iron Game.
If you don't know who Bill Hinbern
is, here's a link to his website:
http://superstrengthtraining.com/
I have a ton of questions for Bill --
but I bet there's something you'd
like to ask him.
So send me an email, and I'll try
to work your question into the
interview.
It's coming up very soon, so if
you have a question, shoot it
on in!
In other words, do it NOW!
In other news, the June issue of
the Dinosaur Files Quarterly is just
about finished. We'll be offering the
little monster in both hard-copy and
Kindle e-book editions. I'll send an
email with an order link very soon.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are the links to all of my
Kindle e-books. We have NINE of them
so far, and they're getting great reviews
from Dinos around the world:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
my Dinosaur Training DVDs -- are available
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You can't miss
a chance to talk iron with Bill Hinbern!"
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
If you missed the big news, here it is
again:
I'm going to be doing a very special,
straight from the shoulder, no holds
barred, we'll cover anything and
everything interview with Bill
Hinbern -- who ranks as one of
the most knowledgeable men in
the Iron Game.
If you don't know who Bill Hinbern
is, here's a link to his website:
http://superstrengthtraining.com/
I have a ton of questions for Bill --
but I bet there's something you'd
like to ask him.
So send me an email, and I'll try
to work your question into the
interview.
It's coming up very soon, so if
you have a question, shoot it
on in!
In other words, do it NOW!
In other news, the June issue of
the Dinosaur Files Quarterly is just
about finished. We'll be offering the
little monster in both hard-copy and
Kindle e-book editions. I'll send an
email with an order link very soon.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are the links to all of my
Kindle e-books. We have NINE of them
so far, and they're getting great reviews
from Dinos around the world:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
my Dinosaur Training DVDs -- are available
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You can't miss
a chance to talk iron with Bill Hinbern!"
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Do You Have Any Questions for Bill Hinbern?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I assume you know who Bill Hinbern is.
He's the world's no. 1 collector of Physical
Culture, Iron Game and Old-time Strongman
books, courses and memorabilia.
And he operates a wonderful mail order
business and publishing company. He' s
got all of the great books and courses. It's
one-stop shopping for the best of old-school
physical culture, strength training and
bodybuilding.
His catalog includes a Who's Who of
famous Iron game authors:
Sig Klein. Maxick. George F. Jowett. Alan
Calvert. Peary Rader. Bradley J. Steiner.
Harry Paschall. Bob Hoffman. Tony Ditillo.
Reg Park. John McCallum. George
Hackenschmidt. David Wiloughby.
Bob Peoples. Paul Anderson. Thomas Inch.
Ed Jubinville. Mark Berry. W.A. Pullum.
Arthur Saxon. Edward Aston. David Webster.
Harold Ansorge. Walt Baptiste. Anton Matysek.
Edgar Mueller. Charles MacMahon.
Heck, he even carries books by a guy named
Kubik -- and he's written the forward to many
of them.
And Bill's no flash in the plan or a whiz kid
who rolled out of bed yesterday morning
and decided to sell books and courses
about old-school training and old-school
iron.
No, he's been doing it for awhile.
How long?
I'll tell you how long.
I bought a Reg Park Strength and Bulk Course
from Bill when I was a sophomore in high
school -- and that was more than 40 years
ago.
Over the years, Bill has met and corresponded
with so many of the greats of the past, from
Sig Klein to John Grimek. He loves to tell you
about letters from Grimek. They came on a
sheet of ordinary paper, not some sort of
special letter-head -- and Grimek banged
them out on an old manual typewriter --
and corrected typos and added notes and
addenda by writing in ink or pencil in the
margins, between the lines and aover the
page.
Anyhow, I have a very special opportunity
to sit down with Bill Hinbern and talk about
old-school physical culture, strength training,
muscle building and Iron Game history.
I'm going to record it so we can share it with
you.
So now's your chance.
Do you have any questions for Bill Hinbern?
If you do, shoot them in by email. I'll try to
include them in the interview.
But hurry -- do not delay -- because the
interview is happening very soon!
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 take a look at Bill Hinbern's
catalog of terrific books and courses -- and to
sign up for his daily emails:
http://superstrengthtraining.com/
P.S. 2. My books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to
my Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you do
something for over half a century, you get
pretty good at it." -- Brooks Kubik
*******************************************
I assume you know who Bill Hinbern is.
He's the world's no. 1 collector of Physical
Culture, Iron Game and Old-time Strongman
books, courses and memorabilia.
And he operates a wonderful mail order
business and publishing company. He' s
got all of the great books and courses. It's
one-stop shopping for the best of old-school
physical culture, strength training and
bodybuilding.
His catalog includes a Who's Who of
famous Iron game authors:
Sig Klein. Maxick. George F. Jowett. Alan
Calvert. Peary Rader. Bradley J. Steiner.
Harry Paschall. Bob Hoffman. Tony Ditillo.
Reg Park. John McCallum. George
Hackenschmidt. David Wiloughby.
Bob Peoples. Paul Anderson. Thomas Inch.
Ed Jubinville. Mark Berry. W.A. Pullum.
Arthur Saxon. Edward Aston. David Webster.
Harold Ansorge. Walt Baptiste. Anton Matysek.
Edgar Mueller. Charles MacMahon.
Heck, he even carries books by a guy named
Kubik -- and he's written the forward to many
of them.
And Bill's no flash in the plan or a whiz kid
who rolled out of bed yesterday morning
and decided to sell books and courses
about old-school training and old-school
iron.
No, he's been doing it for awhile.
How long?
I'll tell you how long.
I bought a Reg Park Strength and Bulk Course
from Bill when I was a sophomore in high
school -- and that was more than 40 years
ago.
Over the years, Bill has met and corresponded
with so many of the greats of the past, from
Sig Klein to John Grimek. He loves to tell you
about letters from Grimek. They came on a
sheet of ordinary paper, not some sort of
special letter-head -- and Grimek banged
them out on an old manual typewriter --
and corrected typos and added notes and
addenda by writing in ink or pencil in the
margins, between the lines and aover the
page.
Anyhow, I have a very special opportunity
to sit down with Bill Hinbern and talk about
old-school physical culture, strength training,
muscle building and Iron Game history.
I'm going to record it so we can share it with
you.
So now's your chance.
Do you have any questions for Bill Hinbern?
If you do, shoot them in by email. I'll try to
include them in the interview.
But hurry -- do not delay -- because the
interview is happening very soon!
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 take a look at Bill Hinbern's
catalog of terrific books and courses -- and to
sign up for his daily emails:
http://superstrengthtraining.com/
P.S. 2. My books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to
my Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you do
something for over half a century, you get
pretty good at it." -- Brooks Kubik
*******************************************
The Top 10 Reasons Why People Don't Do Squats
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Top 10 lists are always a fun way to end a
busy day -- so here's one I think you'll
enjoy.
The Top 10 Reasons Why People Don't Do
Squats
10. They make your legs big, and you can't
wear hipster jeans.
9. They make you big all over, and then you
can't wear hipster anything.
8. They're too dangerous, and you know it
because you saw a guy doing them on a
stability ball and he fell off and hurt
himself.
8a. Another guy did squats on roller-skates,
and he hurt himself, too.
7. They don't have an app for it.
6. Suri doesn't say you should do them.
5. You read something on the internet that
said not to do them, and the guy who said
it had a really cool avatar.
4. You train at a gym where all the squat
cages are curl cages.
3. You read something on the internet that
said squats were old-fashioned, and that
guy had a really cool avatar, too.
Note: There's a tie for no. 2, so I'll share
both of them with you.
2a. You've never done them, but you want
to be considerate of everyone else at the
gym and not hog all the big plates.
2b. If there's a Zombie Apocalypse, the
zombies will eat the big guys first.
And now (drum-roll) the NUMBER ONE
reason why people don't do squats:
1. You're allergic to hard work.
I'm sure you can think of a few others!
Of course, Dinos don't think this way --
but sometimes it seems like everyone else
does!
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. Doug Hepburn always did plenty of squats,
asnd he did pretty darn well! Read about his life
and lifting in this power-packed course:
Hard-copy edition
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/hepburn_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including
links to my new e-books - are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Skinny jeans are
great, but squats are better." -- Brooks Kubik
*********************************************
Top 10 lists are always a fun way to end a
busy day -- so here's one I think you'll
enjoy.
The Top 10 Reasons Why People Don't Do
Squats
10. They make your legs big, and you can't
wear hipster jeans.
9. They make you big all over, and then you
can't wear hipster anything.
8. They're too dangerous, and you know it
because you saw a guy doing them on a
stability ball and he fell off and hurt
himself.
8a. Another guy did squats on roller-skates,
and he hurt himself, too.
7. They don't have an app for it.
6. Suri doesn't say you should do them.
5. You read something on the internet that
said not to do them, and the guy who said
it had a really cool avatar.
4. You train at a gym where all the squat
cages are curl cages.
3. You read something on the internet that
said squats were old-fashioned, and that
guy had a really cool avatar, too.
Note: There's a tie for no. 2, so I'll share
both of them with you.
2a. You've never done them, but you want
to be considerate of everyone else at the
gym and not hog all the big plates.
2b. If there's a Zombie Apocalypse, the
zombies will eat the big guys first.
And now (drum-roll) the NUMBER ONE
reason why people don't do squats:
1. You're allergic to hard work.
I'm sure you can think of a few others!
Of course, Dinos don't think this way --
but sometimes it seems like everyone else
does!
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. Doug Hepburn always did plenty of squats,
asnd he did pretty darn well! Read about his life
and lifting in this power-packed course:
Hard-copy edition
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/hepburn_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including
links to my new e-books - are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Skinny jeans are
great, but squats are better." -- Brooks Kubik
*********************************************
What is the Best System of Sets and Reps for Building Strength and Muscle?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I get tons of questions about sets and reps.
Most of them are from someone asking me to
give him "the best" system of sets and reps.
But I can't do that.
No one can.
That's because there is no "best" system of
sets and reps.
When you talk about sets and reps, you need
to consider all of the following factors:
1. The "best" sets and reps vary from person to
person. What works best for ME may or may not
work best for you.
a. Reg Park did great with with 5 x 5. Three Mr.
Universe wins. 500 pound bench press. One of
the best bodybuilders of all time.
b. Tony Terlazzo used 5 x 5 -- and did okay, but
then switched to 5/4/3/2/1, sets of 3 and sets of
2 -- and became an Olympic champion, and the
best lifter of his era.
c. John Davis did great with 8 x 2. Six World
championships and two Olympic gold medals.
d. Tommy Kono liked heavy triples. It worked
pretty darn well for him. Six World championships ,
two Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal.
e. Doug Hepburn thrived on heavy singles. He won
the World weightlifting championship with them.
f. Peary Rader gained almost 100 pounds of muscle
with 20 rep breathing squats. In terms of over-all
gains, that's hard to beat.
2. The "best" sets and reps will vary from exercise
to exercise. What works best for barbell curls may
or may not work best for presses -- and what works
best for presses may or may not work best for squats
and deadlifts.
2a. As a general rule, you should use lower reps on
exercises that involve a high level of skill and
technique, such as Olympic weightlifting. Most
weightlifters use singles, doubles and triples.
3. The "best" sets and reps will change for anyone
based on their level of experience. What works best
for a beginner is different than what works best for
an intermediate or advanced trainee.
4. What works "best' depends on what your goals
are. The best set/rep system for building strength
is different than the best set/rep system for building
endurance or "condition."
4a. Adding cardio work or upping your cardio may
change what sets and reps are best for you in your
strength training.
5. The "best' sets and reps will change as you grow
older. What works best for you at age 15 -- or age
25 -- or even age 35 -- will probably be different
than what works best for you at age 45, 55 or 65.
5a. General rule: as you grow older, drop the volume.
See Gray Hair and Black Iron for tips on age-appropriate
workouts for older Dinos.
6. The "best' sets and reps allow full recovery from
one workout to another. What allows full recovery will
change as you grow stronger. The stronger you are,
the less training you need -- or can stand.
6a. For example -- a beginner who does 1 x 12 in the
squat with 55 pounds on the bar is going to have a
much different effect on his body than an advanced
man who does 3 x 5 with 350 or 400 pounds. The
beginner's efforts are a mild stimulus for growth --
the advanced man's workout hits his body like a
freight train.
7. The "best" sets and reps are usually far less than
what you think they are. It's always easier to write
down a workout than to do it -- or to recover from
it.
7a. The vast majority of trainees at all levels of
development fail to achieve their full potential
because they over-train -- meaning that they do
too many exercises, too many reps and too many
sets.
And finally, as a corallary to all of the above --
the "best' sets and reps are almost NEVER what
you see in the muscle comics.
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 sets and reps -- and about
productive, real world strength training and muscle
building, grab any of my books and courses. You
can find them right here -- along with links to all
of my Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Think, but don't
over-think. Train, but don't over-train." -- Brooks
Kubik
*************************************************
I get tons of questions about sets and reps.
Most of them are from someone asking me to
give him "the best" system of sets and reps.
But I can't do that.
No one can.
That's because there is no "best" system of
sets and reps.
When you talk about sets and reps, you need
to consider all of the following factors:
1. The "best" sets and reps vary from person to
person. What works best for ME may or may not
work best for you.
a. Reg Park did great with with 5 x 5. Three Mr.
Universe wins. 500 pound bench press. One of
the best bodybuilders of all time.
b. Tony Terlazzo used 5 x 5 -- and did okay, but
then switched to 5/4/3/2/1, sets of 3 and sets of
2 -- and became an Olympic champion, and the
best lifter of his era.
c. John Davis did great with 8 x 2. Six World
championships and two Olympic gold medals.
d. Tommy Kono liked heavy triples. It worked
pretty darn well for him. Six World championships ,
two Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal.
e. Doug Hepburn thrived on heavy singles. He won
the World weightlifting championship with them.
f. Peary Rader gained almost 100 pounds of muscle
with 20 rep breathing squats. In terms of over-all
gains, that's hard to beat.
2. The "best" sets and reps will vary from exercise
to exercise. What works best for barbell curls may
or may not work best for presses -- and what works
best for presses may or may not work best for squats
and deadlifts.
2a. As a general rule, you should use lower reps on
exercises that involve a high level of skill and
technique, such as Olympic weightlifting. Most
weightlifters use singles, doubles and triples.
3. The "best" sets and reps will change for anyone
based on their level of experience. What works best
for a beginner is different than what works best for
an intermediate or advanced trainee.
4. What works "best' depends on what your goals
are. The best set/rep system for building strength
is different than the best set/rep system for building
endurance or "condition."
4a. Adding cardio work or upping your cardio may
change what sets and reps are best for you in your
strength training.
5. The "best' sets and reps will change as you grow
older. What works best for you at age 15 -- or age
25 -- or even age 35 -- will probably be different
than what works best for you at age 45, 55 or 65.
5a. General rule: as you grow older, drop the volume.
See Gray Hair and Black Iron for tips on age-appropriate
workouts for older Dinos.
6. The "best' sets and reps allow full recovery from
one workout to another. What allows full recovery will
change as you grow stronger. The stronger you are,
the less training you need -- or can stand.
6a. For example -- a beginner who does 1 x 12 in the
squat with 55 pounds on the bar is going to have a
much different effect on his body than an advanced
man who does 3 x 5 with 350 or 400 pounds. The
beginner's efforts are a mild stimulus for growth --
the advanced man's workout hits his body like a
freight train.
7. The "best" sets and reps are usually far less than
what you think they are. It's always easier to write
down a workout than to do it -- or to recover from
it.
7a. The vast majority of trainees at all levels of
development fail to achieve their full potential
because they over-train -- meaning that they do
too many exercises, too many reps and too many
sets.
And finally, as a corallary to all of the above --
the "best' sets and reps are almost NEVER what
you see in the muscle comics.
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 sets and reps -- and about
productive, real world strength training and muscle
building, grab any of my books and courses. You
can find them right here -- along with links to all
of my Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Think, but don't
over-think. Train, but don't over-train." -- Brooks
Kubik
*************************************************
Special Bonuses for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I first published Dinosaur Training
in 1996, I signed and numbered every
copy of the first edition -- which was
about 3300 copies.
That was a lot of work, but it was the
right thing to do.
It was a way to say THANK YOU to
everyone who purchased a copy.
Today, almost 20 years later, we still
like to give special bonuses to our
Dinos -- and it's still our way of
saying THANK YOU.
If you order a a hard-copy book or
course from us, always look for the
bonus. Depending on what you order,
you'll find a special bulletin, a photo,
a letter or a even a handwritten note
on one of our special Dinosaur Training
cards (which Trudi designed for me).
If you order a book (as opposed to a
course), I'll try to sign it for you.
If you ASK for an autograph, and tell
me who to sign it to (James or Jim,
Mike or Michael, etc.), I'll sign your
book or course with a personal note.
Make your request in the Special
Instructions section of the on-line
order form. If you send a separate
email, we may miss it.
There's no charge for this. It's just the
right thing to do.
If someone else ever orders a book
or course for you, be sure they know
that they should ask for a personalized
autograph for you. That's especially
important if it's a birthday, anniversary,
or Christmas gift. We always like to make
the gift orders extra special.
We also do a special bonus for Dinos
who purchase our e-books. In that case,
the bonus is a special update chapter. We
just released special update chapters for
the following e-books:
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
If you ordered one of these, you should
have rec'd -- or you should soon receive --
an email from Amazon telling you that the
update is available. Please shoot me an email
and let me know when you receive your
update notice from Amazon.
We'll be updating our other Kindle e-books
from time to time in the future. And when
we do, you'll get a notice from Amazon
letting you know that the update is
available.
In other news, the June issue of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly is just about
ready to print. I'll send an email with a
link to let you order the little monster
very soon, so be looking for it.
And now, it's time to go kill some iron --
and then it's going to be time for some
steak and salad.
Have a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
When I first published Dinosaur Training
in 1996, I signed and numbered every
copy of the first edition -- which was
about 3300 copies.
That was a lot of work, but it was the
right thing to do.
It was a way to say THANK YOU to
everyone who purchased a copy.
Today, almost 20 years later, we still
like to give special bonuses to our
Dinos -- and it's still our way of
saying THANK YOU.
If you order a a hard-copy book or
course from us, always look for the
bonus. Depending on what you order,
you'll find a special bulletin, a photo,
a letter or a even a handwritten note
on one of our special Dinosaur Training
cards (which Trudi designed for me).
If you order a book (as opposed to a
course), I'll try to sign it for you.
If you ASK for an autograph, and tell
me who to sign it to (James or Jim,
Mike or Michael, etc.), I'll sign your
book or course with a personal note.
Make your request in the Special
Instructions section of the on-line
order form. If you send a separate
email, we may miss it.
There's no charge for this. It's just the
right thing to do.
If someone else ever orders a book
or course for you, be sure they know
that they should ask for a personalized
autograph for you. That's especially
important if it's a birthday, anniversary,
or Christmas gift. We always like to make
the gift orders extra special.
We also do a special bonus for Dinos
who purchase our e-books. In that case,
the bonus is a special update chapter. We
just released special update chapters for
the following e-books:
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
If you ordered one of these, you should
have rec'd -- or you should soon receive --
an email from Amazon telling you that the
update is available. Please shoot me an email
and let me know when you receive your
update notice from Amazon.
We'll be updating our other Kindle e-books
from time to time in the future. And when
we do, you'll get a notice from Amazon
letting you know that the update is
available.
In other news, the June issue of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly is just about
ready to print. I'll send an email with a
link to let you order the little monster
very soon, so be looking for it.
And now, it's time to go kill some iron --
and then it's going to be time for some
steak and salad.
Have a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
10 Training Tips for Older Dinos
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Three quick notes and then we'll talk
training.
1. The June Dino Files Quarterly
Is almost ready to print. We'll put up an
order page very soon -- and also get the
little monster up on Kindle for those of
you who prefer Kindle e-books.
It's a great issue, and I know you're
going to like it -- especially the interview
with (get this) George F. Jowett!
2. The Iron League
John Wood has added some more great
stuff to his members only strength archive.
I encourage all Dinos to join up:
http://www.ironleague.com/
I guarantee you'll see some things you've
never seen before! It's an Iron Game
treasure trove.
3. E-Book Mania for Dinos!
Go here for a complete list of all nine of
our e-books on Kindle -- with links to their
Kindle pages:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
10 Training Tips for Older Dinos
On the training front, let's cover some
important tips for older Dinos.
1. Keep training. If you stop, it's really
tough to get back into it -- and it will
take a l-o-n-g time to get back to your
previous levels of strength and condition.
It's much better to start and stay with it.
2. Do what you like best. For me, that's
Olympic weightlifting. For others, it's
powerlifting, strongman training, body-
weight exercises, stone lifting, heavy
sandbags, power bodybuilding, muscle
control or power rack work.
a. You're old enough to know what you
like -- so do it!
3. Dress for success. Wear good lifting shoes
when you train. Keep your muscles warm. If
your knees hurt, use Tommy Kono knee
sleeves.
3a. Tiger Balm can be your best friend.
4. Work around the sore spots. If a particular
exercise hurts -- and ALL older trainees have
at least one exercise that hurts -- find a
substitute.
5. If squats are a problem -- and they are
for many older trainees -- try the Trap Bar
deadlift. It's one of the great training tools
for anyone, but it's especially good for older
trainees.
5a. I like the Gerard Trap Bar -- the ORIGINAL
Trap Bar designed by engineer and powerlifter,
Al Gerard. You can get it from John Wood, who
also offers some excellent Trap Bar training
guides:
http://www.trapbartraining.com
6. Work on strength, but don't neglect speed,
power, balance, coordination, timing, flexibility
and mobility. You need it all to age with success.
6a. Also, do some cardio training!
7. Watch your weight! Don't let the Lard Lumps
pile up -- and if you already have them, get rid
of them. Nothing ages you faster than Lard
Lumps.
7a. Yesterday I shared a link to a video showing
Dr. William Bell setting a world record in the pole
vault at age 90. He wouldn't be doing that if he
was carrying many pounds of Weasel Grease.
8. Stay active. The more you move, and the
more often you move, the better. Try to do
something physical every day -- not heavy
training or hard cardio, but something
physical, even if it's just walking the dog
or working in the garden.
9. Forget about what you lifted when you
were younger, and focus on what you can
lift NOW -- and then work to increase your
current best.
9a. The idea is to get better, not older.
10. Use abbreviated workouts and simple
cycling systems, as detailed in Gray Hair
and Black Iron. The right kind of training
and the right kind of workout is critical for
an older trainee.
There you have it -- ten training tips for
older Dinos. I hope they help -- and I hope
they keep you going strong for many years
to come.
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 Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- and my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with links
to my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Getting older is
easy. The hard part is staying young." -- Brooks
Kubik
************************************************
Three quick notes and then we'll talk
training.
1. The June Dino Files Quarterly
Is almost ready to print. We'll put up an
order page very soon -- and also get the
little monster up on Kindle for those of
you who prefer Kindle e-books.
It's a great issue, and I know you're
going to like it -- especially the interview
with (get this) George F. Jowett!
2. The Iron League
John Wood has added some more great
stuff to his members only strength archive.
I encourage all Dinos to join up:
http://www.ironleague.com/
I guarantee you'll see some things you've
never seen before! It's an Iron Game
treasure trove.
3. E-Book Mania for Dinos!
Go here for a complete list of all nine of
our e-books on Kindle -- with links to their
Kindle pages:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
10 Training Tips for Older Dinos
On the training front, let's cover some
important tips for older Dinos.
1. Keep training. If you stop, it's really
tough to get back into it -- and it will
take a l-o-n-g time to get back to your
previous levels of strength and condition.
It's much better to start and stay with it.
2. Do what you like best. For me, that's
Olympic weightlifting. For others, it's
powerlifting, strongman training, body-
weight exercises, stone lifting, heavy
sandbags, power bodybuilding, muscle
control or power rack work.
a. You're old enough to know what you
like -- so do it!
3. Dress for success. Wear good lifting shoes
when you train. Keep your muscles warm. If
your knees hurt, use Tommy Kono knee
sleeves.
3a. Tiger Balm can be your best friend.
4. Work around the sore spots. If a particular
exercise hurts -- and ALL older trainees have
at least one exercise that hurts -- find a
substitute.
5. If squats are a problem -- and they are
for many older trainees -- try the Trap Bar
deadlift. It's one of the great training tools
for anyone, but it's especially good for older
trainees.
5a. I like the Gerard Trap Bar -- the ORIGINAL
Trap Bar designed by engineer and powerlifter,
Al Gerard. You can get it from John Wood, who
also offers some excellent Trap Bar training
guides:
http://www.trapbartraining.com
6. Work on strength, but don't neglect speed,
power, balance, coordination, timing, flexibility
and mobility. You need it all to age with success.
6a. Also, do some cardio training!
7. Watch your weight! Don't let the Lard Lumps
pile up -- and if you already have them, get rid
of them. Nothing ages you faster than Lard
Lumps.
7a. Yesterday I shared a link to a video showing
Dr. William Bell setting a world record in the pole
vault at age 90. He wouldn't be doing that if he
was carrying many pounds of Weasel Grease.
8. Stay active. The more you move, and the
more often you move, the better. Try to do
something physical every day -- not heavy
training or hard cardio, but something
physical, even if it's just walking the dog
or working in the garden.
9. Forget about what you lifted when you
were younger, and focus on what you can
lift NOW -- and then work to increase your
current best.
9a. The idea is to get better, not older.
10. Use abbreviated workouts and simple
cycling systems, as detailed in Gray Hair
and Black Iron. The right kind of training
and the right kind of workout is critical for
an older trainee.
There you have it -- ten training tips for
older Dinos. I hope they help -- and I hope
they keep you going strong for many years
to come.
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 Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- and my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with links
to my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Getting older is
easy. The hard part is staying young." -- Brooks
Kubik
************************************************
Take a Look -- A World Record at Age 90!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
What do YOU want to be when you
grow up?
Me, I want to me like Dr. William
Bell.
He set an age-group World record
in the pole vault -- at age 90.
Take a look and see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX9h5PVNGaY&feature=player_embedded
And as you might expect, that got
me thinking about older athletes
and older trainees -- so I thought
I'd share the number one most
important piece of advice for
older athletes and older
trainees.
Here it is:
Find something you LOVE to do,
and keep on doing it.
For Dr. Bell, it's the pole vault.
For me, it's weightlifting.
For other Dinos, it's powerlifting.
Or kettlebells.
Or strongman training.
Or the Highland Games.
Or grip training.
Or dumbbell training.
Or heavy partials in the power rack.
Or bodyweight training.
Or 20 rep squats.
Or stone lifting.
Or whatever.
The important thing is to find
something that you like doing
so much that you're going to
keep on doing it from now until
the day they nail your coffin
shut.
And once you find it, keep at it.
Because keeping at it is what
keeps you young.
Just ask Dr. William Bell.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the number one book
for older Dinos and mature trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses
are right here at Dino Headquarters --
along with links to all of my Kindle
e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: " Train hard,
eat smart, stay strong, and live your dream."
-- Brooks Kubik
**************************************
What do YOU want to be when you
grow up?
Me, I want to me like Dr. William
Bell.
He set an age-group World record
in the pole vault -- at age 90.
Take a look and see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX9h5PVNGaY&feature=player_embedded
And as you might expect, that got
me thinking about older athletes
and older trainees -- so I thought
I'd share the number one most
important piece of advice for
older athletes and older
trainees.
Here it is:
Find something you LOVE to do,
and keep on doing it.
For Dr. Bell, it's the pole vault.
For me, it's weightlifting.
For other Dinos, it's powerlifting.
Or kettlebells.
Or strongman training.
Or the Highland Games.
Or grip training.
Or dumbbell training.
Or heavy partials in the power rack.
Or bodyweight training.
Or 20 rep squats.
Or stone lifting.
Or whatever.
The important thing is to find
something that you like doing
so much that you're going to
keep on doing it from now until
the day they nail your coffin
shut.
And once you find it, keep at it.
Because keeping at it is what
keeps you young.
Just ask Dr. William Bell.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the number one book
for older Dinos and mature trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses
are right here at Dino Headquarters --
along with links to all of my Kindle
e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: " Train hard,
eat smart, stay strong, and live your dream."
-- Brooks Kubik
**************************************
Build Strength and Muscle with PPF!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One quick note and then we'll talk
training.
Readers keep asking for links to my
kindle e-books. There are NINE of
them so far -- with more coming.
Here's a link to all nine:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
On the training front, let's talk about
something that's very simple -- but
can improve your workouts
ENORMOUSLY.
Here it is:
When you go to the gym -- or to
the basement or the garage, or
wherever you train -- you should
always train with PPF.
What's PPF?
Three words:
Perfect.
Precise.
Form.
In other words, do all your reps in
every set -- including your warmup
sets -- in perfect, precise form.
Now, please note -- perfect, precise
form does NOT mean slow motion
reps or time-comtrolled reps or
"squeeze it and feel it" bodybuilding
style reps. I'm NOT suggesting that
you make everything you do look
like a slow mo concentration curl.
And I'm not talking about using baby
weights in your exercises.
I'm talking about heavy, hard training
on the basic exercises -- squats, front
squats, deadlifts, Trap Bar deadlifts,
military presses, bench presses, incline
presses, barbell bent-over rowing, pull-
ups, standing barbell curls, the farmer's
walk, grip work, etc. The heavy-duty
compound movements that build
strength and muscle.
But I'm insisting that you do them in
perfect, precise form.
And there are reasons for that -- good
reasons.
When you use perfect, precise form in
your training, you put the effort on the
EXACT muscle groups you're trying to
train with any particular exercise.
That's quality training (to borrow a term
coined by two-time Olympic gold medal
winner, Tommy Kono). It's the best way
to build strength and muscle in the
minimum amount of time.
Perfect, precise form allows you to train
harder and more efficiently. You get more
done in less time -- with fewer exercises,
fewer sets and fewer reps.
Many trainees spend endless hours searching
for the secret program that will somehow
transform them into a mountain of strength
and muscle.
But in many cases, the program is fine.
The problem is how they perform their
exercises. They're not doing them with
perfect, precise form. They're doing
sloppy reps -- lazy reps -- unfocused
reps.
And as a result, they're not getting much
in the way of results.
So start today with PPF. When you train, do
it the right way: with perfect, precise form.
It may turn out to be one of the best things
you've ever done for yourself.
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 are more keys to building strength,
muscle and power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
links to all of my e-books on Kindle -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Anything worth
doing is worth doing right -- and that goes
double when there's heavy iron on the bar."
-- Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
One quick note and then we'll talk
training.
Readers keep asking for links to my
kindle e-books. There are NINE of
them so far -- with more coming.
Here's a link to all nine:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
On the training front, let's talk about
something that's very simple -- but
can improve your workouts
ENORMOUSLY.
Here it is:
When you go to the gym -- or to
the basement or the garage, or
wherever you train -- you should
always train with PPF.
What's PPF?
Three words:
Perfect.
Precise.
Form.
In other words, do all your reps in
every set -- including your warmup
sets -- in perfect, precise form.
Now, please note -- perfect, precise
form does NOT mean slow motion
reps or time-comtrolled reps or
"squeeze it and feel it" bodybuilding
style reps. I'm NOT suggesting that
you make everything you do look
like a slow mo concentration curl.
And I'm not talking about using baby
weights in your exercises.
I'm talking about heavy, hard training
on the basic exercises -- squats, front
squats, deadlifts, Trap Bar deadlifts,
military presses, bench presses, incline
presses, barbell bent-over rowing, pull-
ups, standing barbell curls, the farmer's
walk, grip work, etc. The heavy-duty
compound movements that build
strength and muscle.
But I'm insisting that you do them in
perfect, precise form.
And there are reasons for that -- good
reasons.
When you use perfect, precise form in
your training, you put the effort on the
EXACT muscle groups you're trying to
train with any particular exercise.
That's quality training (to borrow a term
coined by two-time Olympic gold medal
winner, Tommy Kono). It's the best way
to build strength and muscle in the
minimum amount of time.
Perfect, precise form allows you to train
harder and more efficiently. You get more
done in less time -- with fewer exercises,
fewer sets and fewer reps.
Many trainees spend endless hours searching
for the secret program that will somehow
transform them into a mountain of strength
and muscle.
But in many cases, the program is fine.
The problem is how they perform their
exercises. They're not doing them with
perfect, precise form. They're doing
sloppy reps -- lazy reps -- unfocused
reps.
And as a result, they're not getting much
in the way of results.
So start today with PPF. When you train, do
it the right way: with perfect, precise form.
It may turn out to be one of the best things
you've ever done for yourself.
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 are more keys to building strength,
muscle and power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
links to all of my e-books on Kindle -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Anything worth
doing is worth doing right -- and that goes
double when there's heavy iron on the bar."
-- Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
Are You as Strong as Bob Hoffman?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Back in 1954 or so, Bob Hoffman tried an
experiment where he went on a special
training program to see what kind of gains
a man in his mid-fifties could make.
He gained about 20 pounds and went all
the way up to 270 pounds. That's a lot of
muscle.
Hoffman followed a variation of the York
Simplified System.
He did one set of each of the following
exercises. He used the Medium, Light
and Heavy System. He did 12 reps on the
Medium day, 15 reps on the light day, and
on his Heavy day he did one set of 8 hard
reps, followed by an immediate weight
reduction and 7 more reps.
Here are his exercises and his top weights
(which I assume are the weights he used
for 8 reps on his heavy day).
Two-arm curl -- 135 lbs.
Two-arm press behind neck -- 135 lbs.
Upright rowing motion -- 135 lbs.
Side to side bend (barbell on shoulders) --
wt. unknown, presumably 135 lbs.
Power clean and military press -- 165 lbs.
High pull from floor to chin (clean grip)
-- 165 lbs.
Deep knee bend and press behind neck
-- 165 lbs.
Flip snatch (a power snatch with no knee
bend) -- 135 lbs.
Bent-over rowing motion -- 190 lbs.
Bench press -- 225 lbs.
Deadlift -- 225 lbs.
Deep knee bend -- 225 lbs.
Those aren't World record weights, of course,
but they're not bad for age 54 -- and remember,
these were for sets of 8 reps performed in perfect
form.
Can you match them?
If you can, that's great. If not, you have a new
set of goals to work toward!
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 your copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book. The little
monster gives you a dozen old-school
progression systems for steady gains in
strength, muscle and power -- and it's
been getting rave reviews from readers:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters. Save clams on
s&h by ordering multiple items together:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for strength,
eat for health, be happy and stay strong."
-- Brooks Kubik
**********************************************
Back in 1954 or so, Bob Hoffman tried an
experiment where he went on a special
training program to see what kind of gains
a man in his mid-fifties could make.
He gained about 20 pounds and went all
the way up to 270 pounds. That's a lot of
muscle.
Hoffman followed a variation of the York
Simplified System.
He did one set of each of the following
exercises. He used the Medium, Light
and Heavy System. He did 12 reps on the
Medium day, 15 reps on the light day, and
on his Heavy day he did one set of 8 hard
reps, followed by an immediate weight
reduction and 7 more reps.
Here are his exercises and his top weights
(which I assume are the weights he used
for 8 reps on his heavy day).
Two-arm curl -- 135 lbs.
Two-arm press behind neck -- 135 lbs.
Upright rowing motion -- 135 lbs.
Side to side bend (barbell on shoulders) --
wt. unknown, presumably 135 lbs.
Power clean and military press -- 165 lbs.
High pull from floor to chin (clean grip)
-- 165 lbs.
Deep knee bend and press behind neck
-- 165 lbs.
Flip snatch (a power snatch with no knee
bend) -- 135 lbs.
Bent-over rowing motion -- 190 lbs.
Bench press -- 225 lbs.
Deadlift -- 225 lbs.
Deep knee bend -- 225 lbs.
Those aren't World record weights, of course,
but they're not bad for age 54 -- and remember,
these were for sets of 8 reps performed in perfect
form.
Can you match them?
If you can, that's great. If not, you have a new
set of goals to work toward!
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 your copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book. The little
monster gives you a dozen old-school
progression systems for steady gains in
strength, muscle and power -- and it's
been getting rave reviews from readers:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters. Save clams on
s&h by ordering multiple items together:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for strength,
eat for health, be happy and stay strong."
-- Brooks Kubik
**********************************************
Break Free from the Zero Progression Barbell!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I checked my author's page at Amazon yesterday,
and was astonished to see that we have another
no. 1.
Amazon has a category of "Hot New Releases" --
and in the "weight training" category, Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, was ranked no. 1.
That's amazing.
Not because it's a good book -- it is -- but because
it doesn't have any of the glitz, glamor and silly
stuff that sells books and magazines nowadays.
It's nothing but old-fashioned, hard-core strength
training advice -- and over a dozen detailed
progression systems (each with a complete
workout) designed to let you make regular,
consistent, steady progress without over-
training, burning out, going stale or hurting
yourself.
It's what I call "real world" training advice --
and in a world of Fantasy Land training advice,
that makes it as rare as an eight-legged
stegosaurus with purple spots playing a
Beethoven symphony to open a Bon Jovi
concert.
In short, something you don't see every day.
The vast majority of what you see ignores
the element of progression. It's almost as
if it were the dirty word in physical training.
It reminds me a little bit of the barbell sets
in so many high school and college weight
rooms. We had them in my high school weight
room, and if you're my age, you probably had
them in yours, as well. The coaches liked them
because they kept the place neat and clean,
without having plates lying all around.
The outside collars were welded to the bars.
You couldn't take them off and add more weight
to the bar.
You were stuck with whatever was on the bar.
Now, I know they had other barbells, and the
idea was to move up to a heavier barbell as
you got stronger -- but still, the idea of a
ZERO PROGESSION BARBELL is kind of
contrary to the whole idea of weight
training.
After all, the name of the game is PROGRESSIVE
strength training. You're supposed to be able to
add weight to the bar.
But many trainees are locked into training
with zero progression barbells. Even if they
use adjustable barbells, they don't (or can't)
add weight to the bar on a regular basis.
Sometimes, they don't even know they should
try. And if they do, they don't know how to do
it.
That's why I wrote the new course, and that's
why I covered old-school progression systems
in detail. To help trainees break free from those
zero progression barbells.
Judging from the response at Amazon, it looks
like a good idea -- and it looks like a lot of trainees
around the world are going to be making some
serious progress. And that's terrific!
Of course, we couldn't have done it without
you. So let me say THANK YOU to everyone
who stepped up, took action and ordered the
little monster -- and to everyone who posted
a review on our Kindle page.
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 your copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.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: "First, last and
foremost -- keep it real." -- Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
I checked my author's page at Amazon yesterday,
and was astonished to see that we have another
no. 1.
Amazon has a category of "Hot New Releases" --
and in the "weight training" category, Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, was ranked no. 1.
That's amazing.
Not because it's a good book -- it is -- but because
it doesn't have any of the glitz, glamor and silly
stuff that sells books and magazines nowadays.
It's nothing but old-fashioned, hard-core strength
training advice -- and over a dozen detailed
progression systems (each with a complete
workout) designed to let you make regular,
consistent, steady progress without over-
training, burning out, going stale or hurting
yourself.
It's what I call "real world" training advice --
and in a world of Fantasy Land training advice,
that makes it as rare as an eight-legged
stegosaurus with purple spots playing a
Beethoven symphony to open a Bon Jovi
concert.
In short, something you don't see every day.
The vast majority of what you see ignores
the element of progression. It's almost as
if it were the dirty word in physical training.
It reminds me a little bit of the barbell sets
in so many high school and college weight
rooms. We had them in my high school weight
room, and if you're my age, you probably had
them in yours, as well. The coaches liked them
because they kept the place neat and clean,
without having plates lying all around.
The outside collars were welded to the bars.
You couldn't take them off and add more weight
to the bar.
You were stuck with whatever was on the bar.
Now, I know they had other barbells, and the
idea was to move up to a heavier barbell as
you got stronger -- but still, the idea of a
ZERO PROGESSION BARBELL is kind of
contrary to the whole idea of weight
training.
After all, the name of the game is PROGRESSIVE
strength training. You're supposed to be able to
add weight to the bar.
But many trainees are locked into training
with zero progression barbells. Even if they
use adjustable barbells, they don't (or can't)
add weight to the bar on a regular basis.
Sometimes, they don't even know they should
try. And if they do, they don't know how to do
it.
That's why I wrote the new course, and that's
why I covered old-school progression systems
in detail. To help trainees break free from those
zero progression barbells.
Judging from the response at Amazon, it looks
like a good idea -- and it looks like a lot of trainees
around the world are going to be making some
serious progress. And that's terrific!
Of course, we couldn't have done it without
you. So let me say THANK YOU to everyone
who stepped up, took action and ordered the
little monster -- and to everyone who posted
a review on our Kindle page.
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 your copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.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: "First, last and
foremost -- keep it real." -- Brooks Kubik
*************************************************
In Honor of Older Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Since today is Father's Day, I thought I'd
share a terrific video that speaks to the
champion in all of us -- and in particular,
to the champion in every older Dino.
It's the video for "Fight" by Frankie Chavez --
and it features real-life Masters weightlifting
champion, Silvestre Fonseca.
Look for the newspaper article with the
Dinosaur reference in the title -- it's on the
wall of the gym and you can see it if you look
closely. It's in Portugues, but it translates as
"He's a Dinosaur!"
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv9972moSbQ
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the number one
training book for older dinos:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Go here for a complete list of our
Dinosaur Training e-books on Kindle. We
have nine of them now, with more coming
soon:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you stop
training, you start rusting -- so never stop
training!" -- Brooks Kubik
****************************************
Since today is Father's Day, I thought I'd
share a terrific video that speaks to the
champion in all of us -- and in particular,
to the champion in every older Dino.
It's the video for "Fight" by Frankie Chavez --
and it features real-life Masters weightlifting
champion, Silvestre Fonseca.
Look for the newspaper article with the
Dinosaur reference in the title -- it's on the
wall of the gym and you can see it if you look
closely. It's in Portugues, but it translates as
"He's a Dinosaur!"
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv9972moSbQ
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the number one
training book for older dinos:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Go here for a complete list of our
Dinosaur Training e-books on Kindle. We
have nine of them now, with more coming
soon:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you stop
training, you start rusting -- so never stop
training!" -- Brooks Kubik
****************************************
The Strongest Man in the World
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Happy Father's Day to all the Dino dads and
granddads out there!
Today is the first Father's Day since my dad's
passing on April 18 of this year. So I thought
I'd share something I wrote about him after
he passed.
I hope you enjoy it.
THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD
My dad passed away at 6:15 in the evening
this past Saturday.
He had been diagnosed with acute mono-
systemic leukemia on Tuesday. He declined
treatment and chose to spend his last days
in hospice care.
We were with him the whole week, never
leaving his side, sleeping in his room, and
letting him know that he was not alone.
We talked with him, read his favorite books
to him, and played his favorite songs and
music from the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's.
We watched one of his favorite broadway
musicals, South Pacific. He was sleeping,
but I'm sure he enjoyed it.
We held him at the very end, and held him
extra close and extra tight as the last breath
left his body.
I had my hand on his heart, and could feel
the very last beat. And then it stopped --
and he was gone. It was gentle, dignified
and peaceful.
He is walking now with Jean, a collie dog
who passed several years ago and who
was one of many wonderful dogs he owned
and loved.
Dad was a small, thin man, who bought a
barbell set from the local sporting goods
store back in 1966, when he was 38 years
years old.
He gained 20 or 30 pounds of muscle very
quickly -- just by doing a basic barbell and
dumbbell program on the patio in our back
yard.
He grew from about 135 pounds to 165
pounds by using that barbell set. I was
just a kid, but I remember seeing him
grow muscles, and I decided to start
doing some barbell training of my own.
So everything you see in my writing --
the focus on basic barbell training,
simple exercises, abbreviated workouts,
and home gym training for cellar-dwellers
and garage gorillas started (for me)
with my dad. He was the very first
Dinosaur.
If you think about it, that makes him a
very special man. He started something
that has had a profound effect on tens
of thousands of trainees around the
world.
In his own unique and quiet way, he was
the strongest man in the world. Not the
strongest in what he could lift -- but the
strongest in terms of how many lives he
enriched.
Throw some extra iron on the bar the
next time you train, and do a set for
my dad.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dad lives on in all of my books and
courses. After all, he inspired them.
P.S. 2. Here's a link to all of my hard-copy
books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
For links to all nine of my Dinosaur Training
e-books on Kindle, go here:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Walk with strong,
firm steps, and leave your footprints in the sands
of time." -- Brooks Kubik
******************************************
Happy Father's Day to all the Dino dads and
granddads out there!
Today is the first Father's Day since my dad's
passing on April 18 of this year. So I thought
I'd share something I wrote about him after
he passed.
I hope you enjoy it.
THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD
My dad passed away at 6:15 in the evening
this past Saturday.
He had been diagnosed with acute mono-
systemic leukemia on Tuesday. He declined
treatment and chose to spend his last days
in hospice care.
We were with him the whole week, never
leaving his side, sleeping in his room, and
letting him know that he was not alone.
We talked with him, read his favorite books
to him, and played his favorite songs and
music from the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's.
We watched one of his favorite broadway
musicals, South Pacific. He was sleeping,
but I'm sure he enjoyed it.
We held him at the very end, and held him
extra close and extra tight as the last breath
left his body.
I had my hand on his heart, and could feel
the very last beat. And then it stopped --
and he was gone. It was gentle, dignified
and peaceful.
He is walking now with Jean, a collie dog
who passed several years ago and who
was one of many wonderful dogs he owned
and loved.
Dad was a small, thin man, who bought a
barbell set from the local sporting goods
store back in 1966, when he was 38 years
years old.
He gained 20 or 30 pounds of muscle very
quickly -- just by doing a basic barbell and
dumbbell program on the patio in our back
yard.
He grew from about 135 pounds to 165
pounds by using that barbell set. I was
just a kid, but I remember seeing him
grow muscles, and I decided to start
doing some barbell training of my own.
So everything you see in my writing --
the focus on basic barbell training,
simple exercises, abbreviated workouts,
and home gym training for cellar-dwellers
and garage gorillas started (for me)
with my dad. He was the very first
Dinosaur.
If you think about it, that makes him a
very special man. He started something
that has had a profound effect on tens
of thousands of trainees around the
world.
In his own unique and quiet way, he was
the strongest man in the world. Not the
strongest in what he could lift -- but the
strongest in terms of how many lives he
enriched.
Throw some extra iron on the bar the
next time you train, and do a set for
my dad.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Dad lives on in all of my books and
courses. After all, he inspired them.
P.S. 2. Here's a link to all of my hard-copy
books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
For links to all nine of my Dinosaur Training
e-books on Kindle, go here:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Walk with strong,
firm steps, and leave your footprints in the sands
of time." -- Brooks Kubik
******************************************
Try this for Dino-Style Cardio!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Here's a quick head's up and link to a recent
interview I did with Bill Kociaba and Clarence
Bass (of "Ripped" fame). As you can imagine,
we covered a wide variety of topics. I think
you'll enjoy it:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_rwf_17_brooks_clarence_pt_1
On the training front, we've been talking
about Dino-style cardio -- meaning the kind
of cardio that works for Iron Slingers as
opposed to 130 pound long-distance
runners.
Here's some great feedback from one of
your fellow Dinos:
"When it comes to cardio, everyone always
looks at the obvious things, like running,
walking, sports, etc. People often overlook
the simplest thing, which to me is staying
active.
I lift hard three times per week and eat a
very healthy diet. I also stay very active.
I do all my own yard work and house
projects. I tend my garden. I take my
hunting dog for an hour long walk three
or four times per week.
When I have free time I go fishing or
hunting. I will spend all afternoon
walkimng a stream looking for trout,
or hiking a hillside looking for game
birds or deer. As an added bonus,
whatever I catch or kill I throw on
the grill to make a healthy meal.
Very rarely do I sit on my couch and
do nothing. I like to be busy.
My weight has stayed around 205 for
years, and my gains have continued.
Good strength training, a healthy diet,
and an active lifestyle is all I need.
William"
This reminds me of Jim Park, the Mr. America
and Mr. Universe winner from the 1950s. (No
relation to English bodybuilder Reg Park.)
He never did cardio or much in the way of gut
work -- but he spent the weekends out in the
rugged hills and forests of Pennsylvania, hiking
and hunting.
It was all he needed -- along with his barbell and
dumbbell work -- and at contest time he was in
superb condition: lean, hard and muscular.
So the bottom line is this: train hard, stay active,
eat smart -- and stay strong!
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 a link to a complete list of our Dinosaur
Training e-books on Kindle:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 2. Our other books and courses are available
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Life is movement."
-- Eugene Sandow
*********************************************
Here's a quick head's up and link to a recent
interview I did with Bill Kociaba and Clarence
Bass (of "Ripped" fame). As you can imagine,
we covered a wide variety of topics. I think
you'll enjoy it:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_rwf_17_brooks_clarence_pt_1
On the training front, we've been talking
about Dino-style cardio -- meaning the kind
of cardio that works for Iron Slingers as
opposed to 130 pound long-distance
runners.
Here's some great feedback from one of
your fellow Dinos:
"When it comes to cardio, everyone always
looks at the obvious things, like running,
walking, sports, etc. People often overlook
the simplest thing, which to me is staying
active.
I lift hard three times per week and eat a
very healthy diet. I also stay very active.
I do all my own yard work and house
projects. I tend my garden. I take my
hunting dog for an hour long walk three
or four times per week.
When I have free time I go fishing or
hunting. I will spend all afternoon
walkimng a stream looking for trout,
or hiking a hillside looking for game
birds or deer. As an added bonus,
whatever I catch or kill I throw on
the grill to make a healthy meal.
Very rarely do I sit on my couch and
do nothing. I like to be busy.
My weight has stayed around 205 for
years, and my gains have continued.
Good strength training, a healthy diet,
and an active lifestyle is all I need.
William"
This reminds me of Jim Park, the Mr. America
and Mr. Universe winner from the 1950s. (No
relation to English bodybuilder Reg Park.)
He never did cardio or much in the way of gut
work -- but he spent the weekends out in the
rugged hills and forests of Pennsylvania, hiking
and hunting.
It was all he needed -- along with his barbell and
dumbbell work -- and at contest time he was in
superb condition: lean, hard and muscular.
So the bottom line is this: train hard, stay active,
eat smart -- and stay strong!
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 a link to a complete list of our Dinosaur
Training e-books on Kindle:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
P.S. 2. Our other books and courses are available
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Life is movement."
-- Eugene Sandow
*********************************************
More Cardio Training Ideas for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
First of all, I've been getting a ton of emails
asking for links to my e-books on Kindle. We
have 9 of them now -- with more coming. The
links are on our products page, and also here
at the Dinosaur Training Blog:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
In other news, the June 2015 issue of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly is finished, and the
printer is doing the lay-out work for the little
monster. We'll put up a link to place your
order for the June issue very soon, and
I'll send an email when it's ready.
The June issue of The Dinosaur Files Quarterly
will be avilable in both hard-copy and Kindle
e-book. If you want to see what the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly looks like on Kindle, go here to
take a peek at the December 2014 issue:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_01_kindle.html
FEEDBACK FROM DINOS
On the training front, we got a ton of great
feedback from Dinos in response to my email
about Dino-style cardio. Here are some of your
responses:
1. Try 20 Rep Squats and Deadlifts!
I added a set of 20 rep squats and deadlifts
for my cardio, and I feel super energized and
my joints feel great.
Jeff Hackett
2. Loaded Carries Do the Trick!
My solution to the cardio issue at age 56 has
been loaded carries.
Outdoors I will do 1 - 5 lifts, followed immediately
by a 1 minute loaded carry that tracks the lift I
am doing: sandbag shouldering and carry, sandbag
zercher squat and zercher carry, barbell muscle clean
or snatch and overhead carry, or deadlift and farmers
walk.
I take a one minute timed rest between sets, and
repeat each lift and carry 4 - 10 times. I cover 60
to 80 meters on each carry.
I am breathing like a locamotive at the end.
In six months, I've dropped 5 percent fat while
maintaining my weight at 200 pounds at 6 feet.
And as you know, at this age it is a real
accomplishment to gain a true one pound of
muscle per month.
Add in a low volume of daily grip, gut and neck
work and I'm good to go.
Zail Khalsa
3. Hill Walks
Could not agree with you more. I take two 30
minute walks a day in my hilly neighborhood. I
go faster up the hills and slow down on the flats
and the decline. My husky loves it, too.
Peter Yates
4. Try Cycling!
I would add cycling, too. It must be one of the
most under-rated cardio exercises, not to talk
of the potential of building strong legs. And it's
easy on the lower back.
You also can get a lot of errands done on a
bicyle!
Paul Soumendra
5. The Rowing Machine!
Add rowing on the rowing machine!
Jan Moerman
So there you have it. Five more ideas for Dino-style
cardio training.
For more, see Gray Hair and Black Iron and
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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 other books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to my
Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "It's amazing what
you can accomplish with a little bit of regular
training and consistent effort." -- Brooks Kubik
***************************************
First of all, I've been getting a ton of emails
asking for links to my e-books on Kindle. We
have 9 of them now -- with more coming. The
links are on our products page, and also here
at the Dinosaur Training Blog:
http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-complete-list-as-of-today.html
In other news, the June 2015 issue of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly is finished, and the
printer is doing the lay-out work for the little
monster. We'll put up a link to place your
order for the June issue very soon, and
I'll send an email when it's ready.
The June issue of The Dinosaur Files Quarterly
will be avilable in both hard-copy and Kindle
e-book. If you want to see what the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly looks like on Kindle, go here to
take a peek at the December 2014 issue:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_01_kindle.html
FEEDBACK FROM DINOS
On the training front, we got a ton of great
feedback from Dinos in response to my email
about Dino-style cardio. Here are some of your
responses:
1. Try 20 Rep Squats and Deadlifts!
I added a set of 20 rep squats and deadlifts
for my cardio, and I feel super energized and
my joints feel great.
Jeff Hackett
2. Loaded Carries Do the Trick!
My solution to the cardio issue at age 56 has
been loaded carries.
Outdoors I will do 1 - 5 lifts, followed immediately
by a 1 minute loaded carry that tracks the lift I
am doing: sandbag shouldering and carry, sandbag
zercher squat and zercher carry, barbell muscle clean
or snatch and overhead carry, or deadlift and farmers
walk.
I take a one minute timed rest between sets, and
repeat each lift and carry 4 - 10 times. I cover 60
to 80 meters on each carry.
I am breathing like a locamotive at the end.
In six months, I've dropped 5 percent fat while
maintaining my weight at 200 pounds at 6 feet.
And as you know, at this age it is a real
accomplishment to gain a true one pound of
muscle per month.
Add in a low volume of daily grip, gut and neck
work and I'm good to go.
Zail Khalsa
3. Hill Walks
Could not agree with you more. I take two 30
minute walks a day in my hilly neighborhood. I
go faster up the hills and slow down on the flats
and the decline. My husky loves it, too.
Peter Yates
4. Try Cycling!
I would add cycling, too. It must be one of the
most under-rated cardio exercises, not to talk
of the potential of building strong legs. And it's
easy on the lower back.
You also can get a lot of errands done on a
bicyle!
Paul Soumendra
5. The Rowing Machine!
Add rowing on the rowing machine!
Jan Moerman
So there you have it. Five more ideas for Dino-style
cardio training.
For more, see Gray Hair and Black Iron and
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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 other books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to my
Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "It's amazing what
you can accomplish with a little bit of regular
training and consistent effort." -- Brooks Kubik
***************************************
Squats Are Zen!
Hail to the Dinosaurs! The Small One went to the gym and trained for many hours. He bombed, blasted, and blitzed. He did all the exercises he read about in the muscle magazines. He used all the machines -- some of them twice! He did high reps, peak contraction and burns. Pumped everything to the max. Double pumped his pecs. Triple bumped his arms. He finished with three hours of Maxi-Mega Super Ultra Hypertrophy Training for his bi's and tri's. After his workout, he went to see the Big Man. The Big Man was training, too. He was doing a strange exercise with many plates on the bar. The Small One watched him curiously. When the Big Man had finished his set, the Small One walked over to him. "What are you doing, Big Man?" he asked. "Squats," said the Big Man. "What are squats?" asked the Small One. "Squats are zen," said the Big Man. "I did 20 sets of Himalayan curls," said the Small One. "Are they zen?" "They're probably not even Himalayan," said the Big Man as he loaded more plates onto the squat bar. "But why are squats zen?" asked the Small One. "Do squats today and tomorrow your legs will give you the answer," said the Big Man. He taught the Small One how to do squats. The Small One did five sets of five reps. The next day, the Small One's legs were so sore he could barely walk. That was a huge surprise. He wasn't sore anywhere else. He trained for hours and hours every day and never got sore. It was something totally new. "My legs are trying to tell me something," he said. "I wonder what!" The Small One went to ask the Big Man. "My legs are terribly sore," said the Small One. "What does it mean?" "It means that squats are zen," said the Big Man. Moral of the Story: 1. Strength training is zen. 2. 5 x 5 and similar sensible set/rep systems are zen. 3. Hard work on basic exercises is zen. 4. Concentration, focus and intensity are zen. 5. Muscle magazine silliness is not zen. 6. Himalayan curls are not zen -- even if you do 20 sets of them. 7. Squats are zen. 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. Dinosaur Training is zen -- and you can grab a copy right here: http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here -- including links to all of my Kindle e-books: http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Training works better if you keep it zen." -- Brooks Kubik
The No. 1 Cardio Workout for Strength Athletes and Older Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I've been getting tons of questions from
readers about how to combine strength
training with cardio training.
Most of them come from older Dinos --
and most of them are asking about how
to program sprints, hill sprints, long distance
running, finishers, prowler pushes, high rep
bodyweight work or high rep kettlebell swings.
So here's the bottom line -- and as always,
I'm going to be perfectly blunt.
Most of the "cardio training" that you see on
the interwebs or in the magazines isn't going
to work very well for you.
That's because you are a strength athlete --
and strength athletes require a different kind
or cardio -- especially if they are older trainees.
Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to
get results and NOT doing so much cardio
that you affect your strength training or
your recovery ability.
You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear
and tear on your joints.
And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of us), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of us).
I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds
are hardly going to work for a 60 year old
who weighs 220 pounds.
And if strength training is your preferred
form of exercise, and it is important to you
to squat, deadlift, pull, push and press hard
and heavy -- then face it, too much cardio
work is going to have a NEGATIVE effect
on your training.
I don't care how you program it, running 10
miles a day is going to cut your squat and
deadlift big time.
That's why very few (if any) top weightlifters
or powerlifters do much if any cardio. Lifting
heavy iron is their job, and they don't want
to do anything that will hurt their lifting.
But still, there are benefits to doing cardio
work -- especially for older trainees.
So here's a middle of the road position --
although you should avoid the middle of the
road when you do it.
Try walking.
In many respects, walking is a perfect cardio
exercise for guys who do lots of squatting,
pulling and pushing.
It's easy to do.
You can do it pretty much anywhere.
It doesn't require any special equipment other
than a good pair of shoes.
You can start as easy as you want, and build
up gradually over time.
It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless you
go nuts and overdo it).
For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg, back or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as
long as you wear good shoes and you start
slow and easy and build up the speed and
the distance g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y.
Of course, if you have any kind of health
issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- then check with your
doctor before starting a walking program.
Note: "Gradually" means "slowly steadily,
sensibly and progressively." It does not, as
many believe, mean "overnight" or "
"immediately."
Many doctors -- including at least one former
Surgeon General of the United States -- believe
that 30 minutes of daily walking is one of the
very best things you can do for your health
and fitness.
Bernarr McFadden believed the same thing.
He was such a big fan of walking that he
even wrote a book about it. He titled it "The
Walking Cure."
There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio
training that you can try. I detail them in
Gray Hair and Black Iron. It will give you
tons of tips on effective cardio training for
older Dinos and for strength athletes.
But start by walking. It's good for you.
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 Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including
links to my Kindle e-books -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Shoes on feet,
and feet on the ground, makes a darn good
workout." -- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
I've been getting tons of questions from
readers about how to combine strength
training with cardio training.
Most of them come from older Dinos --
and most of them are asking about how
to program sprints, hill sprints, long distance
running, finishers, prowler pushes, high rep
bodyweight work or high rep kettlebell swings.
So here's the bottom line -- and as always,
I'm going to be perfectly blunt.
Most of the "cardio training" that you see on
the interwebs or in the magazines isn't going
to work very well for you.
That's because you are a strength athlete --
and strength athletes require a different kind
or cardio -- especially if they are older trainees.
Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to
get results and NOT doing so much cardio
that you affect your strength training or
your recovery ability.
You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear
and tear on your joints.
And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of us), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of us).
I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds
are hardly going to work for a 60 year old
who weighs 220 pounds.
And if strength training is your preferred
form of exercise, and it is important to you
to squat, deadlift, pull, push and press hard
and heavy -- then face it, too much cardio
work is going to have a NEGATIVE effect
on your training.
I don't care how you program it, running 10
miles a day is going to cut your squat and
deadlift big time.
That's why very few (if any) top weightlifters
or powerlifters do much if any cardio. Lifting
heavy iron is their job, and they don't want
to do anything that will hurt their lifting.
But still, there are benefits to doing cardio
work -- especially for older trainees.
So here's a middle of the road position --
although you should avoid the middle of the
road when you do it.
Try walking.
In many respects, walking is a perfect cardio
exercise for guys who do lots of squatting,
pulling and pushing.
It's easy to do.
You can do it pretty much anywhere.
It doesn't require any special equipment other
than a good pair of shoes.
You can start as easy as you want, and build
up gradually over time.
It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless you
go nuts and overdo it).
For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg, back or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as
long as you wear good shoes and you start
slow and easy and build up the speed and
the distance g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y.
Of course, if you have any kind of health
issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- then check with your
doctor before starting a walking program.
Note: "Gradually" means "slowly steadily,
sensibly and progressively." It does not, as
many believe, mean "overnight" or "
"immediately."
Many doctors -- including at least one former
Surgeon General of the United States -- believe
that 30 minutes of daily walking is one of the
very best things you can do for your health
and fitness.
Bernarr McFadden believed the same thing.
He was such a big fan of walking that he
even wrote a book about it. He titled it "The
Walking Cure."
There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio
training that you can try. I detail them in
Gray Hair and Black Iron. It will give you
tons of tips on effective cardio training for
older Dinos and for strength athletes.
But start by walking. It's good for you.
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 Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including
links to my Kindle e-books -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Shoes on feet,
and feet on the ground, makes a darn good
workout." -- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
The Dinosaur Speed-Writing Challenge!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I sent you a l-o-n-g post earlier today
about bench press training. Really, it was
a full length article.
So right now, I'm going to switch to speed
writing mode and do 10 questions and
answers. One sentence per question and
one sentence per answer. And yes, these
are actual questions from readers -- I
get some of them once a week, and some
of them more often than that.
So get ready -- you're going to need to
do some speed reading!
1. How can I train my upper/inner/outer,
lower/middle/frontal/lateral (select one)
delts, pecs, traps, triceps, biceps, etc.
(select one)?
Train the basic exercises hard and heavy
and progressively, and all the upper/outer/
inner etc. muscle fibers will do just fine.
2. What do you think of (insert name of high
priced super supplement)?
Food is better for you -- and much cheaper.
3. Is it possible to make good gains without
taking steroids?
Absolutely -- that's one reason I write about
old-timers who made GREAT GAINS in strength,
muscle and power long before drugs hit the
scene.
4. I'm making good gains on my current program,
but I thought I might try (fill in the blank) --
what do you think?
If you're making good gains, stick with your
current program; if your gains slow down, make
changes then.
5. What do you think about (fill in blank with
anything featured in an infomercial).
I don't think it works.
6. Can you give me a good training program?
I don't write personal programs, but I give
readers hundreds of power-packed programs in
my books and courses.
7. Which is better, squats or deadlifts?
They're both excellent exercises, so train both
of them (unless you have an injury that limits
you, such as a knee injury).
8. I heard you have to do high reps for bulk --
is that true?
No, it's bunk -- weightlifters and powerlifters
build tremendous muscular size with low reps and
heavy weights.
9. Old time weightlifters were FAT -- why would
anyone look like that?
Some old-time heavyweight lifters like Louis Cyr
and Karl Swaboda were hugely strong and hugely BIG,
but other old-timers like Eugene Sandow, Bobby
Pandour, John Y. Smith, Sig Klein, Staff Sgt. Moss,
George Hackenschmidt, Maxick, and John Grimek were
heavily muscled but amazingly lean and defined --
why would anyone in their right mind not want to
look like one of them?
10. Which of your books is best for a beginner or
someone who's making a comeback after not training
for many years?
CHALK AND SWEAT, and if you're over the age of 35,
add GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON.
There you are -- speed writing from Dino Headquarters!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can find my Dinosaur Training books and
courses (and Dino DVD's) right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The key to strength
training is the same as most things in life: hard
work, intelligently applied." -- Brooks Kubik
A Bench Press Program for Older Dinos
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of our older Dinos -- age 68 -- asked about a
bench press program for older Dinos.
He's been doing 5 x 5, followed by 1 x 3 and 1 x 1.
He used to bench press 350 x 1 and 225 x 15.
He knows he won't get back to those numbers, but
he still wants to try to increase his current bench.
So he asked what kind of program to follow.
My answer is pretty much the same as my answer
to any question from an older Dino:
1. Follow a good, al-around training program that
works all of the major muscle groups.
a. It doesn't have to be a total body workout. It's
fine to use a divided workout schedule. In fact, for
many older Dinos, it's better because you get more
rest and more recovery time.
2. Do some additional work for any lift or any body-
part you want to specialize on.
a. The key word is "some" -- which means "a little,
and not too much."
b. Specialize on one lift or one body-part at a time.
3. Don't overdo things by jumping into a full-bore
specialization program to force progress -- or you'll
probably just hurt yourself.
a. A little bit of extra work for a given lift or a given
body-part goes a long way.
b. Concentration, visualization and focus will help
enormously. Practice tunnel-vision training.
4. Follow a slow and steady progression system. Do
NOT try to gain too much too fast. That, too, will
probably lead to an injury for an older trainee.
a. The progression systems in Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 3, are perfect for any older trainee --
and for any trainee at any age:
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
5. Work on maintaining healthy joints as much as
building strength. For bench presses, this means doing
plenty of shoulder and upper back work. Dumbbells
and Indian clubs will help keep your shoulders supple
and strong from all angles. Cables are also excellent.
a. Include lots of rowing and pull-ups or pull-downs.
b. See Gray Hair and Black Iron for more tips on how
to maintain healthy joints -- and for a list of shoulder
wreckers and other exercises to avoid at all times.
6. If you have access to a power rack and rack work
doesn't cause any joint pain for you, try partial benches
in the power rack.
a. The best position for rack work is a bottom position
start.
b. The next best position is anywhere from 2 inches to
six inches off the chest.
c. Lockouts are okay, but not nearly as useful as
bottom position benches or benches from the 2 inch
to six inch position.
d. Some older trainees thrive on rack work. Others
find it is too hard on the joints. So start light, be
conservative, and see what works best for you.
e. See Strength, Power and Muscle for more
details about rack work.
f. If you don't have access to a power rack, try
pause style bench presses.
7. If you are an older trainee, do not do wide grip
bench presses. They're too hard on the shoulders.
8. The best assistance exercise for the bench press
(other than rack work) is the close grip bench press.
Use a grip that is a little less than shoulder width. It
should not be a super close grip.
9. Follow a healthy diet that helps keep your T levels
high -- and reduces inflammation. See Knife, Fork,
Muscle for specific advice on diet and nutrition.
10. Shoot for realistic goals based on your current
age and current condition. Don't try to compete with
the lifter you were 30 or 40 years ago.
a. See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2, the "How
Strong Are You?" course for specific advice on how
to calculate age-appropriate training goals.
Finally -- and this should go without saying for any
trainee at any age -- always bench inside a power
rack with the pins set to catch the weight at the
bottom.
If you don't have a power rack, make sure you
have an experienced and reliable spotter.
As for sets and reps, 5 x 5, followed by 1 x 3 and
1 x 1 is good. The real key is to use the right kind
of progression system.
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 Gray Hair and
Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Go here to grab any of the other books
or courses mentioned in today's email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Rule no. 1 is to
keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
**********************************************
One of our older Dinos -- age 68 -- asked about a
bench press program for older Dinos.
He's been doing 5 x 5, followed by 1 x 3 and 1 x 1.
He used to bench press 350 x 1 and 225 x 15.
He knows he won't get back to those numbers, but
he still wants to try to increase his current bench.
So he asked what kind of program to follow.
My answer is pretty much the same as my answer
to any question from an older Dino:
1. Follow a good, al-around training program that
works all of the major muscle groups.
a. It doesn't have to be a total body workout. It's
fine to use a divided workout schedule. In fact, for
many older Dinos, it's better because you get more
rest and more recovery time.
2. Do some additional work for any lift or any body-
part you want to specialize on.
a. The key word is "some" -- which means "a little,
and not too much."
b. Specialize on one lift or one body-part at a time.
3. Don't overdo things by jumping into a full-bore
specialization program to force progress -- or you'll
probably just hurt yourself.
a. A little bit of extra work for a given lift or a given
body-part goes a long way.
b. Concentration, visualization and focus will help
enormously. Practice tunnel-vision training.
4. Follow a slow and steady progression system. Do
NOT try to gain too much too fast. That, too, will
probably lead to an injury for an older trainee.
a. The progression systems in Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 3, are perfect for any older trainee --
and for any trainee at any age:
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
5. Work on maintaining healthy joints as much as
building strength. For bench presses, this means doing
plenty of shoulder and upper back work. Dumbbells
and Indian clubs will help keep your shoulders supple
and strong from all angles. Cables are also excellent.
a. Include lots of rowing and pull-ups or pull-downs.
b. See Gray Hair and Black Iron for more tips on how
to maintain healthy joints -- and for a list of shoulder
wreckers and other exercises to avoid at all times.
6. If you have access to a power rack and rack work
doesn't cause any joint pain for you, try partial benches
in the power rack.
a. The best position for rack work is a bottom position
start.
b. The next best position is anywhere from 2 inches to
six inches off the chest.
c. Lockouts are okay, but not nearly as useful as
bottom position benches or benches from the 2 inch
to six inch position.
d. Some older trainees thrive on rack work. Others
find it is too hard on the joints. So start light, be
conservative, and see what works best for you.
e. See Strength, Power and Muscle for more
details about rack work.
f. If you don't have access to a power rack, try
pause style bench presses.
7. If you are an older trainee, do not do wide grip
bench presses. They're too hard on the shoulders.
8. The best assistance exercise for the bench press
(other than rack work) is the close grip bench press.
Use a grip that is a little less than shoulder width. It
should not be a super close grip.
9. Follow a healthy diet that helps keep your T levels
high -- and reduces inflammation. See Knife, Fork,
Muscle for specific advice on diet and nutrition.
10. Shoot for realistic goals based on your current
age and current condition. Don't try to compete with
the lifter you were 30 or 40 years ago.
a. See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2, the "How
Strong Are You?" course for specific advice on how
to calculate age-appropriate training goals.
Finally -- and this should go without saying for any
trainee at any age -- always bench inside a power
rack with the pins set to catch the weight at the
bottom.
If you don't have a power rack, make sure you
have an experienced and reliable spotter.
As for sets and reps, 5 x 5, followed by 1 x 3 and
1 x 1 is good. The real key is to use the right kind
of progression system.
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 Gray Hair and
Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Go here to grab any of the other books
or courses mentioned in today's email:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Rule no. 1 is to
keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
**********************************************
Does Abbreviated Training Really Work?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I received an email from a reader
who asked whether abbreviated training really
works.
Apparently, he's been reading "stuff on the
internet" that tells him he has to follow long,
frequent workouts to make any sort of
meaningful progress.
So let me offer a counter view to the interweb
stuff.
I'll make it very simple. I'll give it you in six short
words -- and they even rhyme, so that will make
it very easy to remember.
If you over-train, you won't gain.
Period, end of story.
And that's what the Interweb whiz kids all forget.
It's not just how how hard you train. It's how you
recover from your training. No recovery means no
gains in strength and muscle mass.
Most trainees start off by making good gains, in
part because they're not strong enough to over-train.
But as they grow stronger and better conditioned,
they start to over-do things. And at that point, their
progress comes crashing to a halt.
Many trainess train for years without making any
progress because they over-do things in the gym
and they are barely able to stay even, much less
to make significant gains in strength and muscle
mass.
Go to any gym in the world, and you'll see this
happen over and over. It probably happens to
99% of the trainees at the typical gym.
And no one seems to be able to figure it out --
which is amazing, because the answer is very
simple and very obvious:
Train less, but train harder and heavier.
So when someone asks me, "Does abbreviated
training really work?" the answer is this:
1. Yes, it does.
and
2. Try it and see for yourself.
And remember , there's an entire army of Dinosaurs
around the world who've found that abbreviated
training brought them the best results of their
lives.
If it worked for them, it will work for you.
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 Dinosaur Training Secrets courses
will get you on the right track for BIG GAINS
with sensible, abbreviated workouts. Grab them
in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book:
a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1.
"Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs"
Kindle e-book:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
b. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2,
"How Strong Are You?"
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
c. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3,
"How to Use Old-School Progression
Methods for Fast and Steady Gains in
Strength, Muscle and Power"
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Train hard enough and heavy
enough to stimulate growth, and then stop." -- Brooks
Kubik
******************************************
Yesterday I received an email from a reader
who asked whether abbreviated training really
works.
Apparently, he's been reading "stuff on the
internet" that tells him he has to follow long,
frequent workouts to make any sort of
meaningful progress.
So let me offer a counter view to the interweb
stuff.
I'll make it very simple. I'll give it you in six short
words -- and they even rhyme, so that will make
it very easy to remember.
If you over-train, you won't gain.
Period, end of story.
And that's what the Interweb whiz kids all forget.
It's not just how how hard you train. It's how you
recover from your training. No recovery means no
gains in strength and muscle mass.
Most trainees start off by making good gains, in
part because they're not strong enough to over-train.
But as they grow stronger and better conditioned,
they start to over-do things. And at that point, their
progress comes crashing to a halt.
Many trainess train for years without making any
progress because they over-do things in the gym
and they are barely able to stay even, much less
to make significant gains in strength and muscle
mass.
Go to any gym in the world, and you'll see this
happen over and over. It probably happens to
99% of the trainees at the typical gym.
And no one seems to be able to figure it out --
which is amazing, because the answer is very
simple and very obvious:
Train less, but train harder and heavier.
So when someone asks me, "Does abbreviated
training really work?" the answer is this:
1. Yes, it does.
and
2. Try it and see for yourself.
And remember , there's an entire army of Dinosaurs
around the world who've found that abbreviated
training brought them the best results of their
lives.
If it worked for them, it will work for you.
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 Dinosaur Training Secrets courses
will get you on the right track for BIG GAINS
with sensible, abbreviated workouts. Grab them
in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book:
a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1.
"Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs"
Kindle e-book:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
b. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2,
"How Strong Are You?"
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
c. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3,
"How to Use Old-School Progression
Methods for Fast and Steady Gains in
Strength, Muscle and Power"
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Train hard enough and heavy
enough to stimulate growth, and then stop." -- Brooks
Kubik
******************************************
Foraging for Breakfast at Dino Headquarters
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One quick note, and then we'll talk healthy food
for dinos.
We ran a scratch and dent sale on Friday, and we
had a huge response. Other than a few CD's, all
of the scratch and dent items are gone.
However, if you're looking to save some clams on
an order, order several items together so we can
ship them in one box -- but email first and ask
for a shipping quote. Tell us what you want and
where you live, and we'll figure out the best
shipping option and get back to you.
We can save you some major clams on shipping
if we combine orders, especially if you live
outside the USA.
On the food front, if you've read Knife, Fork,
Muscle, you know I'm a big fan of healthy,
wholesome food, prepared in simple but
appetizing ways.
Healthy food is good for YOU, of course, but
it's also good for your children or grandchildren.
After all, kids model the behaviour of adults.
If kids see mom and dad eating healthy (or
grandma and grandpa eating healthy), it's
a very important lesson for them.
And youngsters are very impressionable --
so lessons learned when they are young may
last for an entire lifetime.
Case in point . . .
Our seven-year old granddaughters had a sleep
over at our house on Saturday night. So we
were playing their favorite games with them
after dinner.
One of them was building a zoo out of Lincoln
Logs and populating it with toy animals and
(of course) toy dinosaurs. That was in the
living room. Trudi was helping her.
Meanwhile, the other one wanted to play a
card game with me in the breakfast room. We
used some new cards that are marked like
regular playing cards, but have photos of wild
edible plants and flowers on the back -- and
on the other side, instructions on where to
find, and how to harvest and prepare each
wild plant.
So we played cards for awhile, and she won,
and that was good.
But even better -- she asked me to read the
names of the "pretty flowers" on the backs of
the cards.
So I read the first one, and explained that it
grew in the woods, and you could gather the
leaves and eat it as salad or cook it in soups
or stews -- or harvest the roots, and bake
them like potatoes.
She thought that was great -- and promptly
held up another card.
"What's this one?" she asked.
Anyhow, we went through the entire deck of 52
edible plant cards, and talked about all of them --
including the ones that are growing in our yard
and our garden. We have at least a dozen of
them somewherre in the yard.
Dandelion leaves were her favorite, for some
reason. She loved the idea of eating dandelion
leaves.
That was smart, because dandelion salad was
one of Steve Stanko's favorite foods -- and it
has something like 8 times the antioxidants
in cultivated spinach -- along with twice the
calcium, three times the Vitamin A and five
times more vitamin K and vitamin E. (See
Jo Robinson's wonderful book, Eating on the
Wild Side. Great book, highly recommended.)
So I was delighted when she announced that
she wanted to eat "dandelions for breakfast".
She even left the card on the table so she would
remember the next morning.
Sunday morning rolled around, and the girls
were up early -- and the foraging began.
We went out in the yard and gathered blackberries,
raspberries and strawberries -- and dandelion
leaves -- and some spinach, mixed salad greens,
chard, arugula, kale and sorrel -- along with
some edible flowers. (Note: not all flowers are
edible -- many are not -- but we grow edible
flowers as a salad garnish in one of the garden
boxes.)
We took everything inside, washed it off, and
put together a combination fruit and vegetable
salad. I did a rough calculation of the nutrition
content, and it was "PDH" -- which is short for
Pretty Darn Healthy.
It was also "PDT" -- which is short for Pretty
Darn Tasty.
And I just learned that on the way to summer
school this morning, she told her dad that she
got to eat dandelion leaves for breakfast on
Sunday morning -- and it was the best
breakfast ever. Move over Mickey's D's --
we've got you beat.
Steve Stanko would have approved.
By the way, if you go foraging for dandelion
leaves, do NOT eat any leaves that have been
sprayed with any chemicals -- or that grow near
a busy road with lots of traffic and petroleum
fumes. We let them grow in our garden boxes,
so we have fresh and healthy dandelion greens,
and we know they are chemical free and safe
to eat.
And of course, if you want to try other wild
edible foods, get some expert guidance on
what is safe to eat. There are plenty of good
books and other resources available, and in
most places (here in Louisville, for example),
there are folks who teach classes on it. Be
smart and be safe!
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 covers healthy eating
for Dinos. You can get the hard-copy right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
We're also releasing the little monster as a series of
e-books. The first book in the series covers protein
requirements for Dinos -- and your best sources of
high quality protein. Go here to grab it:
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle01_kindle.html
E-book 2 in the series will be out soon. Be looking
for it!
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to my
other Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train right and eat
right. Right training and right eating brings
righteous results." -- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
One quick note, and then we'll talk healthy food
for dinos.
We ran a scratch and dent sale on Friday, and we
had a huge response. Other than a few CD's, all
of the scratch and dent items are gone.
However, if you're looking to save some clams on
an order, order several items together so we can
ship them in one box -- but email first and ask
for a shipping quote. Tell us what you want and
where you live, and we'll figure out the best
shipping option and get back to you.
We can save you some major clams on shipping
if we combine orders, especially if you live
outside the USA.
On the food front, if you've read Knife, Fork,
Muscle, you know I'm a big fan of healthy,
wholesome food, prepared in simple but
appetizing ways.
Healthy food is good for YOU, of course, but
it's also good for your children or grandchildren.
After all, kids model the behaviour of adults.
If kids see mom and dad eating healthy (or
grandma and grandpa eating healthy), it's
a very important lesson for them.
And youngsters are very impressionable --
so lessons learned when they are young may
last for an entire lifetime.
Case in point . . .
Our seven-year old granddaughters had a sleep
over at our house on Saturday night. So we
were playing their favorite games with them
after dinner.
One of them was building a zoo out of Lincoln
Logs and populating it with toy animals and
(of course) toy dinosaurs. That was in the
living room. Trudi was helping her.
Meanwhile, the other one wanted to play a
card game with me in the breakfast room. We
used some new cards that are marked like
regular playing cards, but have photos of wild
edible plants and flowers on the back -- and
on the other side, instructions on where to
find, and how to harvest and prepare each
wild plant.
So we played cards for awhile, and she won,
and that was good.
But even better -- she asked me to read the
names of the "pretty flowers" on the backs of
the cards.
So I read the first one, and explained that it
grew in the woods, and you could gather the
leaves and eat it as salad or cook it in soups
or stews -- or harvest the roots, and bake
them like potatoes.
She thought that was great -- and promptly
held up another card.
"What's this one?" she asked.
Anyhow, we went through the entire deck of 52
edible plant cards, and talked about all of them --
including the ones that are growing in our yard
and our garden. We have at least a dozen of
them somewherre in the yard.
Dandelion leaves were her favorite, for some
reason. She loved the idea of eating dandelion
leaves.
That was smart, because dandelion salad was
one of Steve Stanko's favorite foods -- and it
has something like 8 times the antioxidants
in cultivated spinach -- along with twice the
calcium, three times the Vitamin A and five
times more vitamin K and vitamin E. (See
Jo Robinson's wonderful book, Eating on the
Wild Side. Great book, highly recommended.)
So I was delighted when she announced that
she wanted to eat "dandelions for breakfast".
She even left the card on the table so she would
remember the next morning.
Sunday morning rolled around, and the girls
were up early -- and the foraging began.
We went out in the yard and gathered blackberries,
raspberries and strawberries -- and dandelion
leaves -- and some spinach, mixed salad greens,
chard, arugula, kale and sorrel -- along with
some edible flowers. (Note: not all flowers are
edible -- many are not -- but we grow edible
flowers as a salad garnish in one of the garden
boxes.)
We took everything inside, washed it off, and
put together a combination fruit and vegetable
salad. I did a rough calculation of the nutrition
content, and it was "PDH" -- which is short for
Pretty Darn Healthy.
It was also "PDT" -- which is short for Pretty
Darn Tasty.
And I just learned that on the way to summer
school this morning, she told her dad that she
got to eat dandelion leaves for breakfast on
Sunday morning -- and it was the best
breakfast ever. Move over Mickey's D's --
we've got you beat.
Steve Stanko would have approved.
By the way, if you go foraging for dandelion
leaves, do NOT eat any leaves that have been
sprayed with any chemicals -- or that grow near
a busy road with lots of traffic and petroleum
fumes. We let them grow in our garden boxes,
so we have fresh and healthy dandelion greens,
and we know they are chemical free and safe
to eat.
And of course, if you want to try other wild
edible foods, get some expert guidance on
what is safe to eat. There are plenty of good
books and other resources available, and in
most places (here in Louisville, for example),
there are folks who teach classes on it. Be
smart and be safe!
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 covers healthy eating
for Dinos. You can get the hard-copy right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
We're also releasing the little monster as a series of
e-books. The first book in the series covers protein
requirements for Dinos -- and your best sources of
high quality protein. Go here to grab it:
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle01_kindle.html
E-book 2 in the series will be out soon. Be looking
for it!
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters -- along with links to my
other Kindle e-books:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train right and eat
right. Right training and right eating brings
righteous results." -- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
Scratch and Dent Sale for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
UPDATE: SORRY, WE ARE OUT OF
SCRATCH AND DENT ITEMS NOW.
We have some scratch and dent books
and courses, as well as some CD's and
DVD's with scratch and dent covers --
and we need to clean out some space
for some other things, so we're going
to have an official Scratch and Dent
Sale.
Here's the list -- if you're interested in
anything, shoot me an email and let me
know what you want and where you live.
We'll respond with a quote that includes
the shipping cost.
We have limited quantities (and only
one or two of some some items), so
it's first come, first served, and when
they're gone, they're gone.
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development (book)
2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3
(course)
3. History's Strongest Men and How
They Trained: John Grimek (course)
4. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2
(course)
5. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)
6. The Dinosaur Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course (course)
7. Legacy of Iron (book)
8. Clouds of War (book)
9. The 1,000 Pound Total (book)
10. York Goes to War (book)
11. Barbells in the Pacific (book)
12. Miscellaneous CD's, DVDs
(including old bodyweight training
DVD's), and even some (get this) VHS
tapes for anyone who still has a VHS
player. Ask for details if interested.
Thanks, and I hope you find something
you like!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
*****************************************
UPDATE: SORRY, WE ARE OUT OF
SCRATCH AND DENT ITEMS NOW.
We have some scratch and dent books
and courses, as well as some CD's and
DVD's with scratch and dent covers --
and we need to clean out some space
for some other things, so we're going
to have an official Scratch and Dent
Sale.
Here's the list -- if you're interested in
anything, shoot me an email and let me
know what you want and where you live.
We'll respond with a quote that includes
the shipping cost.
We have limited quantities (and only
one or two of some some items), so
it's first come, first served, and when
they're gone, they're gone.
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development (book)
2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3
(course)
3. History's Strongest Men and How
They Trained: John Grimek (course)
4. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2
(course)
5. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)
6. The Dinosaur Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course (course)
7. Legacy of Iron (book)
8. Clouds of War (book)
9. The 1,000 Pound Total (book)
10. York Goes to War (book)
11. Barbells in the Pacific (book)
12. Miscellaneous CD's, DVDs
(including old bodyweight training
DVD's), and even some (get this) VHS
tapes for anyone who still has a VHS
player. Ask for details if interested.
Thanks, and I hope you find something
you like!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
*****************************************
A TOP SECRET Workout for Dinos Only!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's been a long and busy week here at Dino
Headquarters, and to celebrate the weekend, I
thought I'd give you a top-secret workout for
Dinos only.
You can only use it if you put on your Dinosaur
Training De-Coder Ring and program it for
"Maximum Gains."
If you don't have one of our special De-Coder
Rings, close your eyes and think about the
York Barbell Club "back in the day" -- and
click your heels together three times -- and
then open your eyes and keep on reading!
THE TOP-SECRET WORKOUT -- FOR
DINOS ONLY!
Train three times per week.
Start each workout with a ten-minute general
warm-up. Get nice and loose and ready to
train.
You will follow three different workouts. Train
Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat.
Each workout will include a pushing exercise,
a pulling exercise, and a squatting exercise.
But the exercises will be different in each
workout. Thus, you get plenty of variety,
but you always hit the BIG exercises -- so
you trigger maximum growth stimulation,
and maximum gains in strength, muscle
and power!
Workout A
1. Military press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
2. Power cleans 5 x 3
or
Clean grip high pull 5 x 3
or
Pull-ups 5 x 5-6
3. Back squat 5 x 5
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- 2 or 3
sets of each. You pick the exercises, sets
and reps. If you're too tired to do all three,
do gut work in Workout A, grip work in
Workout B, and neck work in Workout C.
Workout B
1. Power snatch 5 x 3
or
Snatch grip high pull 5 x 3
or
Barbell bent-over rowing 5 x 5
2. Two-dumbbell military press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Two-dumbbell incline press 5 x 5 or 5 x 8-10
or
Bench press 5 x 5-6
3. Front squat 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as Workout A
Workout C
1. Push press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Alternate dumbbell press 5 x 5-10
2. Your choice of power clean, power snatch,
clean high pull or snatch high pull from the
platform, the hang or from blocks 5 x 3
or
Barbell or dumbbell shrugs 5 x 5
3. Overhead squats 5 x 3
or
Bottom position squats or front squats with
a 10 inch range of motion 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Trap Bar deadlift on 2 inch riser 5 x 5-6
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as Workout A
So there you have it. A TOP-SECRET workout
for Dinos only! Don't let anyone else see it --
it would scare the heck out of the folks in
Chrome and Fern Land!
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 other great workouts, and some
terrific progression systems to use with this
training program, grab a copy of my new
Dinosaur Training Secrets course (Vol. 3):
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to all of my Kindle e-books -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you can't find any
more of the big plates, it probably means there's a
Dino in the gym!" -- Brooks Kubik
************************************************
It's been a long and busy week here at Dino
Headquarters, and to celebrate the weekend, I
thought I'd give you a top-secret workout for
Dinos only.
You can only use it if you put on your Dinosaur
Training De-Coder Ring and program it for
"Maximum Gains."
If you don't have one of our special De-Coder
Rings, close your eyes and think about the
York Barbell Club "back in the day" -- and
click your heels together three times -- and
then open your eyes and keep on reading!
THE TOP-SECRET WORKOUT -- FOR
DINOS ONLY!
Train three times per week.
Start each workout with a ten-minute general
warm-up. Get nice and loose and ready to
train.
You will follow three different workouts. Train
Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat.
Each workout will include a pushing exercise,
a pulling exercise, and a squatting exercise.
But the exercises will be different in each
workout. Thus, you get plenty of variety,
but you always hit the BIG exercises -- so
you trigger maximum growth stimulation,
and maximum gains in strength, muscle
and power!
Workout A
1. Military press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
2. Power cleans 5 x 3
or
Clean grip high pull 5 x 3
or
Pull-ups 5 x 5-6
3. Back squat 5 x 5
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- 2 or 3
sets of each. You pick the exercises, sets
and reps. If you're too tired to do all three,
do gut work in Workout A, grip work in
Workout B, and neck work in Workout C.
Workout B
1. Power snatch 5 x 3
or
Snatch grip high pull 5 x 3
or
Barbell bent-over rowing 5 x 5
2. Two-dumbbell military press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Two-dumbbell incline press 5 x 5 or 5 x 8-10
or
Bench press 5 x 5-6
3. Front squat 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as Workout A
Workout C
1. Push press 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Alternate dumbbell press 5 x 5-10
2. Your choice of power clean, power snatch,
clean high pull or snatch high pull from the
platform, the hang or from blocks 5 x 3
or
Barbell or dumbbell shrugs 5 x 5
3. Overhead squats 5 x 3
or
Bottom position squats or front squats with
a 10 inch range of motion 5 x 5 or 5 x 3
or
Trap Bar deadlift on 2 inch riser 5 x 5-6
4. Gut, grip and neck work -- same as Workout A
So there you have it. A TOP-SECRET workout
for Dinos only! Don't let anyone else see it --
it would scare the heck out of the folks in
Chrome and Fern Land!
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 other great workouts, and some
terrific progression systems to use with this
training program, grab a copy of my new
Dinosaur Training Secrets course (Vol. 3):
Hard-copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to all of my Kindle e-books -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When you can't find any
more of the big plates, it probably means there's a
Dino in the gym!" -- Brooks Kubik
************************************************
How to Build Gold Medal Strength and Power!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Earlier today I shared an email about
Olympic gold-medal winner Henry
Wittenberg.
Now I want to tell you a bit about
his training.
Henry Wittenberg was one of the first
amateur wrestlers in the United States
to do heavy weight training.
His coach didn't believe in weight training
or weightlifting. He thought it made you
slow and muscle-bound -- which is what
most coaches thought back in the thirties
and forties. Heck, many coaches still
worried about the muscle-bound myth
when I was in high school!
Henry Wittenberg reasoned that building
great strength would make him a better
wrestler -- and that he'd maintain his
speed and his timing if he kept on doing
his regular wrestling workouts.
It was good thinking. In fact, it was 100
percent correct.
But because his coach didn't believe in
weight training, he had to train in secret.
And because he spent so much time on the
mat, he had to keep his barbell and dumbbell
workouts short and sweet, with no wasted
effort and no wasted time.
So he trained on the basics -- the military
press with barbells, squats, barbell bent-
over rowing, dumbbell curls and dumbbell
presses.
And it worked pretty well. He got REALLY
strong.
He worked up to doing TEN consecutive
reps in the military press with 200 pounds --
and that was his bodyweight -- so it was
pretty darn good.
He could military press 250 pounds for
a single.
That's some serious pressing power.
Whittenberg was strong in other exercises,
as well.
He squatted with 400 pounds, and did 10
reps in the bent-over row with 180 pounds.
And he handled 60 pound dumbbells in his
curls.
Not bad for a man who was training for a
different sport -- and who had to do his
lifting in secret so his coach wouldn't find
out about it!
At the 1948 Olympic Games he trained with
the United States Olympic weightlifting team.
He was so strong that the lifters tried to get
him to change sports!
For extra conditioning, he did roadwork.
Good old-fashioned running.
That, and his wrestling workouts, were all he
did -- and all he needed to do.
Eventually, he made a confession to his
wrestling coach. Admitted that he'd been
lifting weights in secret. At that point, he
was the Olympic champion -- so the
coach let him keep on lifting!
You can do a lot of fancy, modern stuff if
you're a wrestler -- but you also can train
like Henry Wittenberg. You can keep it
hard, heavy and simple.
And if you do, you'll do pretty darn well.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you want to build the kind of serious,
old-school pressing power and total body
strength that won Henry Wittenberg an
Olympic gold medal in wrestling, then
grab this little monster today:
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
links to my other Kindle e-books -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
*********************************************
Earlier today I shared an email about
Olympic gold-medal winner Henry
Wittenberg.
Now I want to tell you a bit about
his training.
Henry Wittenberg was one of the first
amateur wrestlers in the United States
to do heavy weight training.
His coach didn't believe in weight training
or weightlifting. He thought it made you
slow and muscle-bound -- which is what
most coaches thought back in the thirties
and forties. Heck, many coaches still
worried about the muscle-bound myth
when I was in high school!
Henry Wittenberg reasoned that building
great strength would make him a better
wrestler -- and that he'd maintain his
speed and his timing if he kept on doing
his regular wrestling workouts.
It was good thinking. In fact, it was 100
percent correct.
But because his coach didn't believe in
weight training, he had to train in secret.
And because he spent so much time on the
mat, he had to keep his barbell and dumbbell
workouts short and sweet, with no wasted
effort and no wasted time.
So he trained on the basics -- the military
press with barbells, squats, barbell bent-
over rowing, dumbbell curls and dumbbell
presses.
And it worked pretty well. He got REALLY
strong.
He worked up to doing TEN consecutive
reps in the military press with 200 pounds --
and that was his bodyweight -- so it was
pretty darn good.
He could military press 250 pounds for
a single.
That's some serious pressing power.
Whittenberg was strong in other exercises,
as well.
He squatted with 400 pounds, and did 10
reps in the bent-over row with 180 pounds.
And he handled 60 pound dumbbells in his
curls.
Not bad for a man who was training for a
different sport -- and who had to do his
lifting in secret so his coach wouldn't find
out about it!
At the 1948 Olympic Games he trained with
the United States Olympic weightlifting team.
He was so strong that the lifters tried to get
him to change sports!
For extra conditioning, he did roadwork.
Good old-fashioned running.
That, and his wrestling workouts, were all he
did -- and all he needed to do.
Eventually, he made a confession to his
wrestling coach. Admitted that he'd been
lifting weights in secret. At that point, he
was the Olympic champion -- so the
coach let him keep on lifting!
You can do a lot of fancy, modern stuff if
you're a wrestler -- but you also can train
like Henry Wittenberg. You can keep it
hard, heavy and simple.
And if you do, you'll do pretty darn well.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you want to build the kind of serious,
old-school pressing power and total body
strength that won Henry Wittenberg an
Olympic gold medal in wrestling, then
grab this little monster today:
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
links to my other Kindle e-books -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
*********************************************
"You've Got No Guts, Kid!"
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
He was the captain of the chess team and a
bit of a bookworm.
In addition to chess and books, he loved to
swim. So he went out for the swim team.
But he had trouble making proper turns in
the pool -- which is bad news for a kid who
wants to be a competitive swimmer. It's
sort of like wanting to play baseball and
not being able to hit a curve ball.
His swim coach was less than happy with
him.
One day, the coach uttered these fateful
words:
"Kid, forget it. You'll never be a swimmer.
You've got no intestinal fortitude. You know
what that means? You've got no guts."
Twelve years later, the kid represented the
United States in the 1948 Olympic Games
in London.
Not in swimming -- but in wrestling!
In the semi-final match, he suffered a
crippling injury -- a severe muscle and
tendon tear in his chest.
He won the match, but afterwards he could
barely move. Pain ripped through his body
with every breath.
His coach told him to forfeit the gold medal
match.
"No way," he replied.
He went into the final match bandaged like a
mummy -- and challenged one of the very
best wrestlers in the world.
He won the match -- and the Olympic gold
medal.
His name was Henry Wittenberg, and he was
one of the greatest amateur wrestlers who
ever lived.
"No guts?" Not hardly.
I don't know the name of the high school swim
coach who told Henry Wittenberg he had "no
guts" -- but I do know this: People remember
Henry Wittenberg. No one remembers the swim
coach.
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. Henry Wittenberg built tremendous strength
with old-school, Dino-style barbell and dumbbell
training -- the kind we cover in Dinosaur Training:
Lost Secrets of Strength and Development:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here -- along with links to my e-books on
Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Don't ever listen
to someone who tells you you can't do it."
-- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
He was the captain of the chess team and a
bit of a bookworm.
In addition to chess and books, he loved to
swim. So he went out for the swim team.
But he had trouble making proper turns in
the pool -- which is bad news for a kid who
wants to be a competitive swimmer. It's
sort of like wanting to play baseball and
not being able to hit a curve ball.
His swim coach was less than happy with
him.
One day, the coach uttered these fateful
words:
"Kid, forget it. You'll never be a swimmer.
You've got no intestinal fortitude. You know
what that means? You've got no guts."
Twelve years later, the kid represented the
United States in the 1948 Olympic Games
in London.
Not in swimming -- but in wrestling!
In the semi-final match, he suffered a
crippling injury -- a severe muscle and
tendon tear in his chest.
He won the match, but afterwards he could
barely move. Pain ripped through his body
with every breath.
His coach told him to forfeit the gold medal
match.
"No way," he replied.
He went into the final match bandaged like a
mummy -- and challenged one of the very
best wrestlers in the world.
He won the match -- and the Olympic gold
medal.
His name was Henry Wittenberg, and he was
one of the greatest amateur wrestlers who
ever lived.
"No guts?" Not hardly.
I don't know the name of the high school swim
coach who told Henry Wittenberg he had "no
guts" -- but I do know this: People remember
Henry Wittenberg. No one remembers the swim
coach.
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. Henry Wittenberg built tremendous strength
with old-school, Dino-style barbell and dumbbell
training -- the kind we cover in Dinosaur Training:
Lost Secrets of Strength and Development:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here -- along with links to my e-books on
Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Don't ever listen
to someone who tells you you can't do it."
-- Brooks Kubik
********************************************
Brooks and Bill Talk Iron!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I wanted to give you three quick updates.
1.The Dinosaur Files Quarterly
We're finishing up the June 2015 issue
of The Dinosaur Files Quarterly. It's going
to be a great issue, especially for:
Dumbbell Training fans
Stone lifting fans (or anyone who just wants
a real-world, no-nonsense, take no prisoners
sort of workout -- or a couple of them)
George Jowett fans
Olympic lifting fans
Fans of old-school strength training
Anyone who wants to drop 30 pounds and
get stronger while doing it
Anyone interested in Iron Game history
Anyhow, be looking for the big announcement
when we release the little monster. It won't be
long.
2. An Interview with Bill Kociaba
Here's a link to a terrific interview I did with fellow
Dinosaur Bill Kociaba. I think you'll enjoy it:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_an_interview_with_brooks_kubik
And here's a link to a follow-up interview we
did:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_chatting_with_brooks_kubik_on_his_latest_project
Bill has had an all-star line-up of guests for
his podcast interviews, including Bill Pearl,
Dan John, Clarence Bass, Steve Maxwell and
others, so head on over and browse a bit. I'm
sure you'll find lots of great interviews.
3. Read and Rank the Reviews!
My first Kindle e-book was Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1, Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs.
The little monster currently has over 50 reviews
at our Kindle page. Head on over and take a
look -- and rank the reviews. Let us know which
reviews are the most helpful to you.
And of course, feel free to grab a copy of the
little monster -- and to post a review of your
own. We're gunning for 100 reviews as fast as
possible.
Here's the link:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
And before I forget -- let me give a Dino-sized
THANK YOU to everyone who posted a review --
or who posts one in the future. The reviews
really help us.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We also need more reviews for all of other
e-books, and we need Dinos to rank the reviews --
so please post a review for any of our e-books
that you've read. If you're an Amazon customer,
you can post a review of the e-book if you read
the hard-copy version. You can find links to our
e-books right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Train hard, and
train smart -- and never stop learning. Life's
too short to stop learning." -- Brooks Kubik
*****************************************************
I wanted to give you three quick updates.
1.The Dinosaur Files Quarterly
We're finishing up the June 2015 issue
of The Dinosaur Files Quarterly. It's going
to be a great issue, especially for:
Dumbbell Training fans
Stone lifting fans (or anyone who just wants
a real-world, no-nonsense, take no prisoners
sort of workout -- or a couple of them)
George Jowett fans
Olympic lifting fans
Fans of old-school strength training
Anyone who wants to drop 30 pounds and
get stronger while doing it
Anyone interested in Iron Game history
Anyhow, be looking for the big announcement
when we release the little monster. It won't be
long.
2. An Interview with Bill Kociaba
Here's a link to a terrific interview I did with fellow
Dinosaur Bill Kociaba. I think you'll enjoy it:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_an_interview_with_brooks_kubik
And here's a link to a follow-up interview we
did:
http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_chatting_with_brooks_kubik_on_his_latest_project
Bill has had an all-star line-up of guests for
his podcast interviews, including Bill Pearl,
Dan John, Clarence Bass, Steve Maxwell and
others, so head on over and browse a bit. I'm
sure you'll find lots of great interviews.
3. Read and Rank the Reviews!
My first Kindle e-book was Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1, Exercises, Workouts and Training
Programs.
The little monster currently has over 50 reviews
at our Kindle page. Head on over and take a
look -- and rank the reviews. Let us know which
reviews are the most helpful to you.
And of course, feel free to grab a copy of the
little monster -- and to post a review of your
own. We're gunning for 100 reviews as fast as
possible.
Here's the link:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
And before I forget -- let me give a Dino-sized
THANK YOU to everyone who posted a review --
or who posts one in the future. The reviews
really help us.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. We also need more reviews for all of other
e-books, and we need Dinos to rank the reviews --
so please post a review for any of our e-books
that you've read. If you're an Amazon customer,
you can post a review of the e-book if you read
the hard-copy version. You can find links to our
e-books right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Train hard, and
train smart -- and never stop learning. Life's
too short to stop learning." -- Brooks Kubik
*****************************************************
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