The One Million Squats Rule

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk training.

1. The Dinosaur Training Strength Archive

I'm releasing revised and updated versions
of my very best articles from the original
Dinosaur Files hard copy newsletter from
1997 thru 2002. There are MANY of them,
so we'll need to do them in a series of
books. The title of the series is The
Dinosaur Training Strength Archive.

Go here for details  and to order the hard
copy edition of book no. 1 in the series:

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

The Kindle e-book version will be ready soon.
I'll send a link as soon as we release it.

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly

I'm working on the September issue of
the Dinosaur Files Quarterly. This will be
issue no. 4. if you missed the earlier issues,
grab them now in your choice of hard copy
or Kindle e-book.

Also, I need feedback on the June issue of
The Quarterly. Send it on in ASAP!

3. The One Million Squats Rule

World and Olympic weightlifting champion
Tommy Kono used to say that we all have
a certain number of squats in us, and when
we use them up, that's it.

He didn't mean we're programed to do a
certain number of squats and then our
knees suddenly stop bending and we're
left standing there like the Tin Man in
the Wizard of Oz movie.

No, he meant that we need to take care
of our bodies and not do crazy stuff that
does more harm than good -- and not
waste our reps on things that don't
directly contribute to our  strength
and health goals.

For example, you see a lot of stuff out
there about squatting every day.

Why?

If you can build just as much strength (or
more) on less frequent squat workouts, then
why hit them every day and run the risk of
jacking up your knees, hips or lower back?

Why not allow time for adequate recovery?
It not only helps your training, it helps
preserve and protect your joints.

Or you see guys doing leg workouts where
they do hundreds of reps of different
exercises. 5 x 10 on this, 10 x 10 on
that, 5 x 12 on something else -- and
on and on. Some guys might do 500 or
more reps in a single leg training session.

Why do that if you can get bigger and stronger
with 5 sets of 5 reps or 5/4/3/2/1 or 5 sets of
3 in the squat or front squat?

The lower volume builds more strength and
more muscle -- and imposes much less wear
and tear on your body.

So why do the high volume thing?

Lower reps also allow you to train with greater
focus and much more precision.

You concentrate on each rep. You perform it in
perfect form. You become the rep.

In contrast, high volume workouts are almost
always a series of fast, choppy, sloppy reps
performed with little focus and no attention
to the mind-muscle link. Your brain does
nothing more than count the reps.

But there's a better way to do it. A much
better way.

I've been training for close to 50 years now,
and I plan to keep on training for a long time.
I have no idea how many more squats I have
in me, so I'm playing it safe. I keep the volume
low, and I make every rep count. I train with
total and complete focus, and I do everything
possible to maximize the mind-muscle link.

Tommy Kono called it "Quality Training." You
focus on quality, not quantity -- on perfect
lifting rather than on volume.

It makes a BIG difference -- and it helps keep
you from using up those squats too early in
your career!

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 great book about Quality Training
for older Dinos -- as in anyone age 35 and up:

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 e-books on Kindle:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Strength training
is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Make the most of the opportunity." -- Brooks
Kubik

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

Ground-Based Strength Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As you know, we are releasing my LOST
ARTICLES in a series of books. Hard copy
for those who like hard copy, and Kindle
e-book for those who like e-books.

The LOST ARTICLES come from the original
Dinosaur Files newsletter, which ran from
1997 thru 2002. I've updated, revised, and
supplemented the articles -- and I've even
written a complete new article to go with
the old ones. It gives a step by step power
rack training program that will rocket your
strength to new levels.

Go here to grab the hard copy edition of
book 1 in the new series during our big
pre-publication special. We'll ship the little
monsters in 7 to 10 days, and when we
do, we'll include a special pre-publication
bonus:

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

We're finishing up the e-book. As soon as
it's ready, I'll send a link to the Kindle page.

As I've been going through the old issues of
the original Dinosaur Files, picking out the
best of my articles and working them into
the new book, I've noticed a tremendous
emphasis on ground-based strength
training.

I was pushing it really hard back in 1997 --
and I'm still pushing it.

Ground-based training is a fancy term for
"stand on your feet" training.

It's far and away the most effective way to
train for strength and power.

I emphasized ground-based training so much
because back then many people did most or all
of their training sitting down or lying down.

You could go to a Nautilus club and do a complete
circuit on the Nautilus machines -- and never stand
on your feet for a single exercise.

That's what many people did back then -- and it's
how many athletes were trained.

Most of the gyms were filled with benches for a
variety of seated exercises. You did seated presses,
seated press behind neck, seated curls, leg presses,
leg extensions, leg curls, benches, incline presses
and seated pulldowns.

And then there was the Hack machine for the
thighs. You stood on your feet but you leaned
back against the slide. It was more like a lying
down squat than anything else. Crazy -- but
very popular.

Many trainees would do an entire bodybuilding
workout without ever standing on their feet.

I pushed back against it really hard in the Dinosaur
Files.

I urged trainees to stand on their feet and lift heavy
stuff.

Why?

Because that's what the human body is designed to do.
We didn't evolve to sit on our rear ends -- or to lie
down while we "exercised" our legs.

Over time, the message began to get through. Today,
there's much more emphasis on ground-based training.

That's a very good thing, and I'm proud the Dinosaur
Files contributed to it.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again for the hard copy edition
of book 1 in the new course:

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

P.S. My other books and courses are right here --
along with links to all of my other e-books on
Kindle:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stand tall and lift
heavy." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Old Gold for the Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I have something new and exciting for you.
It's old gold.

Beginning almost 20 years ago, way back
in 1997, I published a terrific monthly
newsletter called The Dinosaur Files.

It ran for five years -- a total of 61 big issues.

And it contained some of the best articles ever
written about real world, effective, no nonsense
strength training and muscle building.

I know they were effective because readers
used them -- and reported great gains. Some
Dinos made the best gains of their entire lives
on those workouts.

I used them, too. And I made some of my all-
time best lifts on them.

But here's the problem . . .

Those wonderful articles have never appeared
anywhere else.

I never reprinted them in a collection or an
anthology. They're not available at the Dinosaur
Training Blog, and I've never used them in my
daily emails.

If you missed them the first time around, you
missed them. Period. They've been lost. I think
of them as my lost articles.

Over the years, I've had literally hundreds of
requests to reprint the best of my articles from
the original Dinosaur Files.

And now, that's what we're doing.

We're going to release the best of my articles
from the original Dinosaur Files in a special
series of books. Each book will feature 8 to
10 different articles.

I've revised, expanded, updated and supplemented
the articles, and I've included a special introduction
for each of them.

The title of the new series tells the story:

The Dinosaur Training Strength Archive.

And that's not all.

In book 1 in the series, I've also included a brand
new, never before published chapter featuring a
terrific power rack training program to build
muscle, bone, tendon and ligament strength
as fast as possible. It's ALL NEW and it's very,
very effective. It will move you from "strong"
to "super strong" faster than you can buy
more plates for your barbell.

The books will be available in 8.5 x 11 hard
copy format (similar to my Dinosaur Training
courses) and in Kindle e-book editions.

The first hard copy book in the series is at the
printer. It will be finished and ready to ship to
you in 7 to 10 days.

We'll do our usual pre-publication special for the
hard copy edition. Go ahead and order it now,
and when we fill your order we'll include a
special bonus.

The Kindle e-book edition will be released very
soon. When it's ready, I'll send an email with the
link to the Kindle page.

Here's the link to the hard copy edition:

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

I'm very excited about this new project, and I'm
looking forward to sharing the very best of the
original Dinosaur Files with you.

The lost articles have been found -- and you're
going to love them!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Old gold and old
iron are hard to beat." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Dinos Roar -- Feedback on Yesterday's Email!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk
training.

1. T shirts, Hoodies and Sweatshirts.

In order to save storage space here at
Dino HQ we're discontinuing our t-shirts,
sweatshirts and hoodies for the time
being.

We have a limited supply in stock and
they're going fast. If you want one, send
me an email and check to see if we have
it in stock before placing your order.

Act now -- there are not many left.

2. New Stuff Coming Soon!

We have two new projects in the works,
and we'll be launching them very soon.

Be looking for the first announcement
later in the week.

3. The Dinos Roar!

We received a ton of great feedback in
response to yesterday's email about the
old guy and the barbell.

Here's how some of it went. See if you
can spot the common theme:

"This is truly one of your best, Brooks."
Eddie (age 64)

"You're not old, unless it is in your head that
you think you are old. My great-grandfather,
who was a blacksmith/farmer in Sullivan co.
New York, climbed the big pine tree by the
barn on his 65th birthday. Must have been
75  to 80 feet high. He just wanted to see if
he could climb the tree at age 65 like he
could at age 14. I'm 68 and looking forward
to tomorrow's workout: deadlifts, bench,
upright row, pullovers, neck and side
bends."

JGP

"Old man with a barbell. I relate to this. Just
turned 69 and still at it. I'm sure the neighbors
have me dubbed: There he goes again, the old
man with the barbell!"

Robert

"The old guy with the barbell. I really like that.
It also describes me."

David

"I also like being the guy who scares the neighbors
carrying heavy sandbags or doing the farmer's
walk."

Peter

"There has been more than one time that I held
up traffic in our one-car alley doing the farmer's
walk or sandbag carry. I usualy train with the
garage door up, so people in my neighborhood
all know I lift weights. I can only imagine what
they're thinking: It's that nut with the barbells,
bags, barrels and stones again."

Dustin

Yeah, it's easy to spot the theme. We Dinos are
all on the same page.

Wherever we live, and wherever we train, we do
it OUR way. It may not be fashionable or trendy,
and it may seem crazy to the rest of the world,
but we're Dinos, and that's how we rock -- and
how we roll.

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

And don't forget -- if you want a t-shirt, hoodie
or sweatshirt, act now and send an email to see
if we have your size and preferred color in stock!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

1. Here are three great books for cellar dwellers
and garage gorillas of all ages:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development

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

Strength, Muscle and Power

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

Gray Hair and Black Iron

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Every older Dino who
keeps on hitting it hard and heavy is a champion in
my book." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Old Guy with the Barbell

The Dinosaur Files Quarterly  -- each issue is available in your choice of hard copy or Kindle e-book.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Dinosaur Training E-Books on Kindle

We currently have 15 Dinosaur Training
e-books on Kindle, with more coming soon.

We have links to all of the Kindle e-books on
the products page of our website. We update
the list whenever we release an e-book. That
includes every issue of the hugely popular
Dinosaur Files Quarterly.

So if you want to order one of our e-books,
go to the products page and use the links:

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


It's not quite one-stop shopping, but it's
pretty darn close.

3. The Old Guy with the Barbell

Back in 1946 or so, Bob Hoffman travelled
to California on business, and stopped to
visit a big gym that Vic Tanny had opened
close to Muscle Beach.

It was a huge building -- an old airplane
hanger or something similar -- and it wasn't
at all fancy. It was mainly barbells, dumbbells,
benches, pulleys, chinning and dipping bars,
sit-up boards and squat stands.

The benches and pulleys got most of the use.

This was at the start of an exercise craze
where trainees did endless sets of two
exercises:

1. The bench press

and

2. Lat machine pull-downs

The goal was to pump their upper bodies to
gargantuan proportions.

Hoffman was used to watching the weightlifters
at the York Barbell Club train, and he expected
to see lots of weightlifting, squatting and standing
presses when he went to a gym.

But not this time.

Instead, he saw many of the gym members doing
nothing but benches and pull-downs.

It baffled him.

Then he looked across the gym, and saw a lone
trainee working out all by himself in a far corner
of the gym.

He was an older man, and he was training with
nothing but a barbell.

He was doing the old-schoool exercises in the
York training courses: squats, presses, curls,
bent over and upright rowing, cleans, snatches,
deadlifts, high pulls, etc.

Hoffman watched him for his entire workout.

He finished with a good sweat and a smile on
his face.

It was the kind of workout Bob Hoffman liked
to see.

I'll be training tonight, and my workout will be
a lot like the old guy with the barbell.

In fact, if anyone walks down the alley and looks
into the garage and sees me, that's what they'll
probably think:

"It's the old guy with the barbell again."

And that's okay with me. I'm perfectly happy to
be the old guy with the barbell. It beats the heck
out of being the old guy in the wheelchair.

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 great series of courses for Dinos
of any age. They're available in hard copy or
Kindle e-book. If you live outside the USA,
email and ask for a shipping quote if you
want hard copy editions of two or more
courses:

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

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

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html

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

P. S. 2. For the links to the Kindle e-book versions
of these three courses, go to our products
page:

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

P.S 3. Thought for the Day: "It's fun to be the
old guy with the barbell." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Best Training Program for Beginners

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Last Chance for Dino Training Shirts

We need some storage space here at Dino
Headquarters, so we're selling all of our
remaining t-shirts, hoodies and sweat
shirts. We have a limited supply and
they are going fast. We're already out
of stock in several sizes and colors.

Once the current stock is gone, we're
going to discontinue shirts for awhile.
As I said, we need the storage space
for other things.

If you want a shirt, hoodie or sweat shirt,
EMAIL me before placing your order and
ask if we have it in stock.

If you want multiple items, EMAIL me first
and ask for a shipping quote.

And now, let's talk training.

2. The Best Training Program for Beginners

I got an email the other day from a reader
who wanted to know where to find a good
training program for a beginner.

He wasn't actually a beginner, because he's
done some training in the past -- but he's
been doing it stop and start style (or on
again, off again style) for a few years.

So he needs to get on a beginner's
program -- and stay on it. He needs
to get into the training habit. No more
stopping and starting.

Similar logic applies to someone who used
to train but is coming back after a long
layoff. In that case, you're not a true
beginner, but you'll do best with a
beginner program.

The key elements of a good training program
for beginners are:

1. The program should be light and easy.

a. Light and easy makes it easy to stick
to the program.

b. Light and easy helps the beginner avoid
undue muscular soreness.

c. True story: John Grimek thought his thighs
were getting too big so he didn't do squats for
8 years. When he started doing them again,
he did a workout that involved 200 or more
reps (with heavy weights) -- and he almost
crippled himself. He should have broken
back into it much lighter and easier.

2. Train three times per week on alternate
days, such as M/W/F.

3. Train for 30 to 45 mins per workout.

4. Use basic barbell and dumbbell exercises.

5. Use low volume. ONE set of 8 to 10
exercises is plenty.

6. Use a simple progression system.

a. Progression builds strength and muscle.

b. Progression also teaches you the Success
Habit -- i.e., it teaches you that strength
training works.

7. You can (and should) double your strength
on a basic beginner's program. So there's no
reason to do anything longer or more difficult
or more demanding. Save the longer, more
difficult and more demanding programs for
when you are more advanced.

As for specific workouts, try any of the 10
beginner programs in Chalk and Sweat:

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

Combine the workout with the progression
system for beginners in chapter 3 of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3:

Hardcopy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html

Kindle E-book

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

And that's how to get it done.

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. Remember to EMAIL first -- and do it NOW --
if you're interested in a t-shirt, sweat shirt or
hoodie.

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVDs -- and links to my
Kindle e-books -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start at the
beginning and move forward slowly but
steadily toward your goal." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Last Chance for Dinosaur T-Shirts, Hoodies and Sweat Shirts!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We need more storage space here at
Dinosaur Headquarters, so we're going
to discontinue our t-shirts, hoodies,
and sweat shirts for the time being.

Right now, we have the following
in stock -- and they are available on
a first come, first served basis. When
they're gone, that's it -- no more for
at least a year.

Here's what we currently have in stock,
but I expect them to go fast, so if you're
interested, take immediate action.

Please start by sending me an email to
make sure we have the item(s) you want
in stock and to give you a shipping quote
if you order multiple items.

Note: If you don't see it on the list, we
don't have it.

1. Gray Hair and Black Iron Sweatshirts

8 size L

1 size XL

2 size XXL

3 size XXXL

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

2. Dinosaur Training Hoodies

Gray

3 size L

4 size XL

2 size XXXL

Black

1 size S

5 size M

2 size L

2 size XL

Blue

3 size M

2 size L

4 size XL

3 size XXL

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

3. Dinosaur Training T-shirts (blue with white
letters)

1 infant size for a young Dino

1 size extra-small for a young Dino

11 size small

2 size medium

4 size XL

2 size XXL

1 size XXXL

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

4. Dinosaur Training Muscle T-shirts

5 size S

3 size M

4 size L

1 size XL

4 size XXL

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Remember, shoot me an email to see if the
item(s) you want are in stock before placing an
order. Thanks!

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

My Definition of Functional Exercise

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Physical Culture Radio

We had a great show yesterday on Physical
Culture Radio. The topic was the best exercises
for healthy aging, and why they're so important.

If you missed the live broadcast, here's the
link to the download:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1703-physical-culture-radio-exercise-for-healthy-aging-glucose-uptake-brain-alzheimer-s.html

I hope you enjoy the show.

2. Dinosaur Training E-Books

We have 13 e-books on Kindle now, with more
on the way. The links are right here on our
products page:

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

Head on over to the Kindle pages, browse
around, read and rank the reviews, and see
what's going on and what people are saying
about our different books.

3. My Definition of Functional Exercise

You see a lot of people talking about "functional
exercise."

It seems to mean different things to different
people.

There are lots of videos on Facebook and
YouTube that show "functional exercises"
on stability balls and wobble boards.

Many of the "functional exercise" movements
come to us from physical therapy and
rehabilitative medicine.

If that's your thing, then fine -- but my
definition of functional exercise is a bit
different.

To me, a functional exercise is one that
does the following:

1. Strengthens the muscles.

2. Strengthens the bones.

3. Strengthens the tendons and ligaments.

4. Improves balance and coordination.

5. Strengthens the neuro-muscular system.

6. Requires deep, focused, intense concentration.

7. Trains the entire body in free flowing and
athletic movements rather than focusing on
single bodyparts or isolated muscle groups.

8. Trains the heart and lungs and strengthens
the internal organs.

9. Teaches you to move like an athlete.

10. Builds the strongest possible mind-muscle
link.

11. Can be performed in a progressive fashion.

12. Can be performed by trainees of any age,
and is something that older trainees can do
and enjoy.

There's one kind of exercise that does all of
these things.

It's ground-based strength training with your
choice of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells or
heavy awkward objects -- supplemented with
old-school bodyweight exercises if you enjoy
doing them.

In other words, the kind of training I cover in
all of my books and courses.

It's the most functional kind of training you
can do.

This kind of training doesn't come with fancy
names or fancy labels. In fact, it's pretty old-
fashioned. People have been doing it for a very
long time.

There's a reason for that.

It works.

It works better than anything else under the sun.

If you're already doing it, then keep on doing
what you're doing.

If you're NOT doing it, then start now.

The right kind of strength training is one of the
most important things you can do for yourself.
Make it a regular and integral part of your
life.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the best book ever written about
functional training for trainees age 35 and older:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to my Kindle e-books - are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Strength training
is transformative." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Exercise Rx for Mature Dinos

Hail to the Dinos!

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

1. Physical Culture Radio

I'll be on Physical Culture radio at 12:00 noon
today (EST). Catch us live or listen to the
download later on:

http://superhumanradio.com/

2. We're on Facebook and Twitter

I may be a Dinosaur, but you can find me on
Facebook and Twitter. It's a great way to keep
in touch.

3. Exercise Rx for Mature Dinos

We received a ton of questions and comments
in response to yesterday's email about the best
exercises for healthy aging.

We had great feedback from many older Dinos
who train on basic barbell and dumbbell exercises,
and who stand on their feet for most of their
training. They're loving it, and they're getting
great results. They look good, they feel good,
and they're way younger than their years.

We had other Dinos who were concerned that
power cleans or power snatches might be too
hard for older Dinos to learn -- or might be
dangerous for older Dinos.

So let me address the concerns.

1. If you don't want to do power cleans or
power snatches, then don't do them.

2. If you have never done power cleans
and power snatches before, then you need
to learn how to do them properly, correctly
and safely.

a. Most people don't take the time to learn
how to perform power cleans and power
snatches the right way. They end up doing
them wrong, and that can lead to injuries.

b. The best way to learn how to do power
cleans and power snatches is to get some
one on one coaching from an expert. As in,
a weightlifting coach. One or two sessions
can make all the difference in the world.

3. If you have dings and dents that make
any given exercise painful or difficult, then
do a different exercise.

a. Most older trainees have dings or dents
of one sort or another -- and that means
all of us need to choose exercises that
allow us to train pain-free.

4. You can get all of the benefits of cleans
and snatches by doing clean grip high pulls
and snatch grip high pulls.

a. High pulls are easier to learn and require
less flexibility -- but it's still a very good
idea to get some one on one coaching.

5. If you prefer dumbbells or kettlebells for
snatches and cleans, then use them.

a. Many mature Dinos find that dumbbells
are easier on their joints than barbells.

6. If you prefer to do deadlifts, squats and
presses or push presses, and skip the cleans
and snatches, that's fine, too.

a. The important thing is to do ground based
training -- and squats, deadlifts and presses
or push presses are terrific ground based
exercises.

7. If you're older and squats hurt your knees,
then do deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts.

a. If back squats are too hard on your lower
back (as they are for some older Dinos), then
try front squats.

The important thing is to do barbell and dumbbell
(or kettlebell) exercises rather than machine
exercises -- and to spend the majority of your
training time on ground-based exercises.

The more time you spend standing on your feet
and lifting stuff, the better.

Why?

Because that's what the human body is designed
to do.

Our entire muscular and neuromuscular system
goes into overdrive when we stand on our feet
and lift heavy stuff.

That's why it's so good for us -- and why it feels
so good -- and why it's so very important to do.

I hope that clarifies things. If you have questions
or comments, shoot me an email.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training gives you a
wide variety of stand on your feet dumbbell
exercises for all-around strength and power.
They're fun to do -- and they're great for
Dinos of any age:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with links
to all of my e-books on Kindle:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Whatever your
age, you're always the right age to train."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

The Best Exercises for Healthy Aging

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Physical Culture Radio

I'll be on Physical Culture Radio at 12:00 noon
EST tomorrow. You can listen live or download
the broadcast and listen later on. Physical
Culture Radio is part of the SuperHuman
Radio network. You can find us right here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

2. Dinosaur Training E-Books

We have 13 e-books on Kindle. You can find
them by using the links on our products
page. Take a look, follow the links and do
some browsing:

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

3. We're on Twitter!

Follow us on Twitter and friend us on
Facebook -- it's a great way to stay current.

4. The Best Exercises for Healthy Aging

Yesterday I noted that "athletic exercises"
such as power cleans and power snatches
help keep your brain and nervous system
healthy and strong.

They do this by stimulating the neuro-
muscular system.

In response, I got a ton of emails from
readers who wanted to know more -- and
some who wanted to know where to go
for more information  on this exciting
topic -- and some who flat out thought
I was making it up.

So let's turn to Pat O'Shea's wonderful
book, Quantum Strength Fitness II.
Consider these nuggets from the
chapter on exercise and healthy
aging:

1. "Superior training results are obtained
through the application of dynamic athletic-
type lifts [such as] power snatches, power
cleans, high pulls and squats."

2. These movements "come closest to
duplicating the motor tasks of daily living."

3. "They are free flowing natural body
movements that develop functional strength,
flexibility and mobility."

4. Here comes the good part -- pay close
attention:

"They challenge and train the neuromuscular
and sensory systems which improves the
functioning of the posture and antigravity
muscles. Athletic-type lifting refines propio-
ceptive kinesthetic feedback, resulting in
increased neuromuscular coordination
among agonist and antagonist muscles
and their synchronization."

5. "This provides for the improvement and
maintenance of motor skills critical to
independent living."

6. "Athletic-type lifting is mentally and
physically stimulating. When executing a
power snatch or power clean, you are
forced to think in terms of strength and
technique. This stimulates brain power,
which helps slow the loss of neuro-
muscular coordination associated with
the aging process."

7. "Brain power is like muscle power, it is
a case of use it or lose it."

Another term for "athletic-style exercises"
would be "ground based training" or "stand
on your feet training." It's the kind of
training I cover in all of my books and
courses.

The wonderful thing about this type of
training is that it provides such tremendous
benefits for trainees of any age.

When you're younger, it helps you build
maximum possible strength, power and
muscle mass.

When you're older, it helps you maintain
that strength, muscle and power.

And at any age, it helps build and maintain
bone, tendon and ligament strength -- as
well as brain power and neuromuscular
function.

All of which are very good reasons to start
training, and to stick with it. At any age and
at every age, exercises enriches your life
and expands your abilities and your
opportunities.

It's a wonderful gift. USE IT!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers strength
training for mature trainees -- and my Going
Strong at 54 DVD shows you exactly how I
do it here at Dino Headquarters:

Gray Hair and Black Iron (book)

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

Going Strong at 54 (DVD)

http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.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: "Brain power starts
with body power." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Clean and Press Questions

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll cover some
clean and press questions from Dinos in
response to yesterday's email.

1. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 2

We released issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly in hard copy back in March -- and
now we just released it in Kindle:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_02_kindle.html

It's a great issue, and if you missed it earlier,
grab it now. The stone lifting article is worth
its weight in gold -- and it also has some
terrific training articles.

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 4

I'm finishing up issue no. 4 of The Dinosaur
Files Quarterly, and we'll be releasing the
little monster in both hard copy and Kindle
editions in September. Be looking for updates,
and if you want to send in some feedback on
issues 1 - 3, do it NOW.

3. Clean and Press Questions

We received a ton of emails in response to
yesterday's post about the clean and press.
Many of you had questions -- so I'll try to
answer the most common ones in this email.

Q. Do you do a full clean and a full press on
each rep?

A. Yes. That's why it's called the clean and
press. The clean works the legs, hips and
back. The press works the shoulders, triceps,
and traps. So you need to do both to make
it a total body exercise.

Of course, if you are doing a regular workout
with other exercises, you can do the cleans as
a separate exercise and the presses as an
exercise of their own -- i.e., one clean followed
by a set of multiple rep presses.

Q. Do you lower the bar to the platform for
each clean or can you do hang cleans?

If you're using a barbell, I prefer to do each
rep from the platform. Clean it, press it, lower
it to the platform, get set, and repeat.

Cleans from the platform are a much better
exercise than hang cleans.

Q. High reps in cleans hurt my elbows. What
should I do?

Stick to lower reps! In the example I gave
yesterday, the higher reps (8 and 10 rep
sets) were all progressively heavier
warm-up sets. The reps were 5 or less
for the heavy sets. Personally, I do all
lower reps -- often all singles -- in the
clean and press.

Also, if cleans hurt your elbows, you are
either doing them wrong or need to work
on your flexibility and rack position.

Q. Is the power clean a functional movement?

A. It's as functional as they come. Power
cleans (and power snatches) build strength,
power, balance, coordination, timing and
athleticism. These are the qualities that
make an athlete -- or that let you move
like an athlete.

Moreover -- and pay attention, because this
is important -- the high speed of these
movements and the need for deep, intense
concentration and split-second timing may
strengthen the neurological system very
profoundly.

Some researchers even believe that these
exercises may help keep your brain healthy
and young as you grow older. In other
words, "athletic exercises" such as cleans
and snatches promote healthy brain function
and healthy aging.

Also, many older people have great difficulty
just walking around. Cleans and snatches
help keep you walking.

From a "function" point of view, that's hard
to beat.

Q. Do you lower the bar to the platform or
drop it?

A. If you train on a lifting platform and use
rubber bumper plates, you can drop the bar.
If you don't have a lifting platform or you
use iron plates, you need to lower the bar.

Note that "back in the day" everyone used
iron plates, so they all lowered the bar. It's
easy to do: you lower the bar to the shoulders,
then to the upper thighs, and then to the
floor or platform. Pause at each step of the
process.

I trained with an old barbell and iron plates,
lifting on a concrete floor, and worked up to
270 or 275 in the clean and press -- and I
never dropped the bar. It can be done.

That should answer most of the questions
we received. If you have more, the answer
is probably going to be in The Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course. Go here to grab a copy:

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.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. I almost forgot! Several of you asked
about the dumbbell clean and press and how
to perform it. You'll need to see it in photos
or video, so grab these:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)

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

The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training (DVD)

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Old school
training works -- and it's been working
for a very long time." -- Brooks Kubik

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

John Grimek's No. 1 Exercise

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note and then we'll talk training.

1. A New Kindle E-book for Dinos

We just released issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly on Kindle. This is the March 2015
issue, so we already released the hard copy
version -- and now we're releasing the little
monster on Kindle:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_02_kindle.html

I apologize for the delay in getting this up on
Kindle -- but it's there now, so if you're a
Kindle fan, go for it.

And now, let's talk training.

John Grimek's No. 1 Exercise

For some reason, the most common question
on Internet strength training forums is this:

"If you could do just ONE exercise, what would
it be, and why?"

The most common answers are:

1. Squats -- because "they're the best exercise
for all-around strength and muscle mass."

2. Deadlifts -- because "they're even better than
squats and you can do them even if you don't
have squat stands or a power rack."

3. Trap Bar deadlifts -- because "they're a cross
between a deadlift and a squat."

4. The pec deck -- because -- sorry, just kidding,
no one actually says this.

a. Thank goodness.

b. Although some people probably think it.

5. The clean and press -- because "it works all
of the muscles."

Those are all good answers (other than no. 4).

But what would John Grimek have said?

We actually KNOW what he would have said
because he once wrote an article about it.

Grimek was hands down a fan of the clean and
press.

In Grimek's opinion, if you could only do one
exercise, you should do the clean and press.

He believed the clean and press would give
you a great total body workout.

Grimek followed his usual pattern of suggesting
that you start light, add weight from set to set,
and drop the reps as you added weight.

Thus, you might do something like this:

50 x 10 (light warm-up)

100 x 10

120 x 8

130 x 8

140 x 7

150 x 6

160 x 5

170 x 3

180 x 2

190 x 1

200 x 1 (if you're feeling strong that day)

If you want to focus more on strength and
power do lower reps -- something like
5/4/3/2/1 or 5 x 3 or 8 x 2 -- or singles.

Anyhow, that was John Grimek's answer --
and I tend to agree with him!

What do YOU think? Shoot me an email and
let me know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover the military press in The Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course:

Hardcopy

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

Kindle e-book

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

P.S. You'll also enjoy The Training Secrets of
John Grimek:

Hardcopy

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

Kindle e-book

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

P.S. Thought for the Day: "Load the bar, lift the bar, and
repeat. It's not rocket science." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Stone Lifting in Scotland

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We just released issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly as a Kindle e-book.

The little monster came out in hard copy in
March, just as we were dipping our toe into
the e-book waters and giving them a try, and
we only now had a chance to get it up on
Kindle.

Here's the link:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_02_kindle.html

The cover photo features longtime Dino
Pewter Jensen during a recent stone lifting
tour in Scotland, where he tackled 11 of the
legendary Scottish lifting stones -- including
the world famous Inver Stone.

In fact, the cover photo shows Peter lifting
the mighty Inver Stone -- which is something
that very few men have been able to do.

Peter's a big man, but the Inver Stone dwarfs
him. So if you want to see what the Inver
Stone looks like -- and just how massive it is,
head on over to our Kindle page and take a
look!

By the way, Peter also wrote a terrific article
aboput how to train for stone lifting. That's
in issue no. 3 of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly.

And Ian Duckett did a great article on outdoor
training -- including stone lifting and carrying
out in the woods.  That's in issue no. 1.

So we have plenty of good stuff for stone lifters
and strongmen -- as well as tons of other great
tips, articles, and workouts for everyone else
in the Dino Nation.

We now have all three issues of the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly up on Kindle. Here are the
links to all three of them:

Issue No. 1

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

Issue No. 2

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_02_kindle.html

Issue No. 3

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_03_kindle.html

The next issue of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly
will come out in September. I've been working
on it for awhile now, and it's going to be a good
one.

If you have any feedback from issues 1 - 3, send
it on in!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you prefer hard copy, go here to grab the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly in hard copy format. If
you want to order 2 or 3 issues together, email
me and ask for a shipping quote before placing
your order:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_quarterly.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: "When you're a
Dino, you have friends and fellow Dinosaurs
around the world." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Does Your Training Make You Feel Better?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

First, here's a link to all 12 of my Dinosaur
Training e-books. Before much longer, we're
going to have a complete on-line strength
training library for you:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/08/dinosaur-training-e-books-complete-list.html

Second, I wanted to make sure everyone knew
that you can friend me on Facebook and
follow me on Twitter. These are great ways
to stay up to date and in touch. Just be sure
to stay off the social media while you're
training!

And speaking of training, let's ask a very basic
question:

Does your training make you feel better?

If memory serves me correctly, Peary Rader
wrote an article or editorial using this title
sometime back in the 1970's or early 1980's.
(Or perhaps it was someone else who wrote
for IronMan back then.)

The point is, the question was asked -- and
the man who asked the question noted that
a great many bodybuilding champions were
severely over-trained, dehydrated, run-down,
tired, sickly and ill as they approached their
big contests and tried to show as much
muscular definiiton as possible.

They would catch colds and other minor
ailments, and they often felt pretty puny
even though they looked as if they were
the picture of health.

And the writer even suggested that at most
contests, the folks in the audience were actually
far healthier than the men on the stage.

So Peary Rader (or whoever it was) suggested
that the average trainee would do much better
by training hard but NOT over-training -- and
by working to build a well-developed and
muscular physique but NOT strive for the
extreme definition you see in a bodybuilding
contest -- and by following a healthy diet but
NOT a pre-contest starvation diet.

The idea was to BE strong, LOOK strong and
FEEL strong.

That was a good goal then, and it's a good goal
today.

You get there with sane, sensible training and
sane, sensible diet and nutrition.

It's how I've been training for most of my life.
And at close to 60 years of age, I can honestly
say that I feel pretty darn good. And it's the
result of how I train and how I eat.

One of my goals is to see the day when every
Dino of any age can say the very same thing --
that he or she feels GREAT -- and that it's the
result of how they train and how they eat.

And the good news is this -- we're getting
there! The Dinos are doing a terrific job --
and setting a great example for everyone
else.

Anyhow, I trained yesterday, and I felt great --
and I still feel great -- and I love the way my
training makes me feel. I hope you feel the
same way!

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. I cover the training aspect in my various books
and courses -- and in the Dinosaur Files Quarterly --
and I cover the diet and nutrition aspect in Knife,
Fork, Muscle. You can find them right here:

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

P.S. 2. If you're not sure where to start, try Dinosaur
Training, Strength, Muscle and Power or (if you're
age 35 or wiser) Gray Hair and Black Iron --
and of course, Knife, Fork Muscle.

3. Thought for the Day: "Look strong, be strong,
feel strong." -- Brooks Kubik

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

How to Train like a Champion!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Physical Culture Radio

We had a great show yesterday. Here's
the link to the podcast:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1699-physical-culture-radio-the-heros-in-our-lives-don-t-fear-the-reaper.html

2. Dinosaur Training E-Books

We have 12 e-books on Kindle -- here's
the complete list with live links to our
Kindle pages:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/08/dinosaur-training-e-books-complete-list.html

Even if you have the books in hard copy
or in e-book format, go over to the Kindle
pages and rank the reviews. Ranking the
reviews helps newbies choose Dino
Training over muscle pumping silliness.

3. Championship Training

And now, let's talk training -- as in,
real world, championship training.

Back in 1952, a young man named Tom
was working as a cook in the army. He
was based in California and was slated
to be sent to Korea.

He thought he would probably die in Korea,
because this was during the Korean War,
and the North Koreans were using US
Army cooks for target practice.

They figured that they'd demoralize the
Americans by shooting all their cooks.
So Tom practiced his cooking -- and his
shooting. By then, all the cooks in the
army were carrying rifles while they did
their cooking.

But he also practiced something else.

Weightlifting.

And he was pretty darn good at it.

Good enough to win the USA National
championships and qualify for the 1952
Olympic Games in Helsinki.

So instead of going to Korea, Tom went
to the Olympics -- where he won a gold
medal.

Yes, I'm talking about Tommy Kono -- one
of the greatest weightlifters of all time.

But here's the important thing.

Tommy Kono had very limited time for
training. The Army didn't let him train
all day. He had to do his regular Army
job and Army PT and everything else a
soldier does.

So he developed something he called
Quality Training.

He trained just 3 or 4 times a week for no
more than 90 minutes per workout.

But he made every minute count. That was
his secret.

He focused on squats, front squats, military
presses, squat cleans, squat snatches and
jerks.

He didn't do anything else because he didn't
have time to do anything else. He focused on
the important stuff -- and he trained it very,
very hard.

He coupled that with unshakable, iron
determination to be the best in the world.

And when he trained, he trained with zen-like
powers of concentration.

And it worked. He ended up winning six World
Championships, three Pan-American titles,
two Olympic gold medals and an Olympic
silver medal.

He set official World records in four different
weight classes: 148, 165, 181 and 198.

Tommy Kono proved that quality training
works.

You can do the very same thing. Follow the
abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated training
programs in my books and courses -- train
with focus and passion -- and the results will
astonish 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. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, gives you
some terrific abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated
workouts -- and tons of other great tips about
championship training:

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_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: "If you train, train
like a champion." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Physical Culture Radio

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Carl Lanore and I had a very interesting show
on Physical Culture Radio yesterday.

Here's the link to the download. I hope you enjoy
the show:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1699-physical-culture-radio-the-heros-in-our-lives-don-t-fear-the-reaper.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Dinosaur Training E-Books -- The Complete List as of Today!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We're up to a whopping 13 Dinosaur
Training e-books in the Amazon Kindle
store, and readers keep asking me for a
complete list with all the links.

So here you go:

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

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

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

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

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

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

4. The Training Secrets of John Grimek

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

5. The Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course

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

6. The Doug Hepburn Strength and Muscle Building
System

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

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

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

8.  Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 2
(covers healthy and unhealthy carbs, vegetables,
starchy vegetables, grains and gluten issues,
organic vs. conventional foods, gardening,
growing your own vegetables, etc.)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle02_kindle.html

9.  Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 3
(covers healthy and unhealthy fats,
food allergies and how to avoid them,
chemical allergies and how to
avoid them, etc.)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle03_kindle.html


10. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 1
(December 2014)

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

11.  The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 2
(March 2015)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_02_kindle.html

12.  The Dinosaur Files Quarterly, Issue No. 3
(June-July 2015)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_03_kindle.html

13. Legacy of Iron

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

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Be sure to post reviews after you read our
Kindle e-books. You also can post reviews if you
have read the book in hard-copy and have an
Amazon account. The reviews help us enormously.

P.S. 2. Amazon has a free downloadable app to
use to read Kindle e-books if you don't have a
Kindle. See any of the above links for further
information.

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

The Heroes in Our Lives

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The sudden death of wrestling legend Roddy
Piper caused a huge outpouring of grief among
wrestling fans the world over -- including many
Dinos. Quite a few of us grew up watching pro
wrestling. Heck, some Dinos have done some
pro wrestling -- and some are still doing it.

But this isn't a post about pro wrestling.

It's a post about heroes.

The heroes in our lives -- and what they mean
to us.

Over the years, I've noticed that many of us
in the Iron Game and Physical Culture world
share similar beginnings.

Many of us decided to start training when we
saw a magazine cover with a massively
developed bodybuidling champion on the
cover.

We took one look, and we said, "I want to
be like him!"

Or we saw someone on a wrestling show --
or we saw a champion in another sport --
or a well-devleoped actor in a television
show or in the movies -- and we said,
"I want to be like him!"

Or perhaps we met a champion in person --
and it made such an impression that we
decided we wanted to start training right
then and there.

We also remember seeing feats of strength --
great sports plays -- comeback victories --
the times the underdog battled back to beat
the odds -- world record lifts -- and other
inspiring and motivating performances.

They all come together and help to fuel
our collective strength training imagination.

They make us strong.

Make no mistake about it. We all need heroes.
It's a very deep, primal need. Every ancient
culture had its own heroes. We remember
many of them today: Hercules, Achilles,
Odysseus, Hiawatha. The list could go on
and on.

Here's an interesting exercise.

Take a piece of paper and a pen or pencil --
go into a quiet place -- and turn off your cell
phone, your mobile devices and your computer.
Take the phone off the hook. Give yourself 30
to 60 minutes of silence.

Now start to list all of the heroes of your
youth. Write them down on the sheet of paper.
As you move along, include the great moments
that inspire and motivate you.

Turn off your self-censor. Don't make a politically
correct list, and don't make one that you think
I or anyone else might approve.

Make YOUR list -- and make an honest list.

Include everyone and everything that was
important to you when you were getting started,
and include everyone and everything that became
important to you later on in your journey.

Use stars and underlining and circles to make
the extra important people and events stand
out.

When you're finished, put the list away in a
secret place. It's your list. Don't share it with
anyone else -- and for gosh sake, don't put it
on Facebook or share it on the Internet. Don't
email it to me. It's for your eyes only.

This is your personal list of people, things and
events that motivate and inspire you. Everything
on your list has helped you on your journey to
might and muscle.

Keep the list, and study it from time to time.
Remind yourself of what got you started. Use
the memories to help keep you going.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. The Legacy of Iron books bring the greatest
heroes of the Iron Game to life. If you want to
meet them, talk with them, eat with them and
train with them, go here:

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

There are five books in the Legacy of Iron
series. I just gave you the link to the first
book. You can find links to the four other
books in the series right here -- along with
a link to Legacy of Iron in a Kindle e-book
edition if you prefer Kindle e-books:

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

If you want the best shipping rate for orders
of multiple books in the series, email me.

P.S. 2. Here's another book about a hero --
a different sort of hero, but a very inspiring
one:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "We all have
heroes. Honor them every time you train."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Revealed -- The Secret of True Strength!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The secret was revealed in 1925.

That was the year when George F. Jowett
shared his secret with the world.

The secret of true strength.

But, like most secrets, few paid careful
attention. Most ignored it -- or didn't
bother to give it a try -- or forgot about
it.

But a young man from New Jersey read
about the secret, and decided to test
Jowett's special program.

To his surprise, it worked.

Just like George F. Jowett said it would.

In fact, it worked even better than Jowett
had promised.

The young man from New Jersey went on
to win the USA Senior National weightlifting
championship.

He won the prestigious North American
weightlifting championship - not once, but
twice.

He represented the USA in weightlifting at
the Olympic Games.

He set United States records in the Military
Press -- which was an exercise he trained
by using the Jowett method.

He even set unofficial World records in the
Military Press.

And, as you would expect from a human
pressing machine, his shoulder and triceps
development was incredible. In fact, his
muscular devleopment from head to toe
was remarkable.

Which is one reason why he won the Mr.
America contest -- the Mr. Universe contest --
and the Mr. USA contest in a showdown
featuring a score of former Mr. America
winners.

His name was John Grimek -- and he was
hailed as the best developed man of his
era -- and one of the strongest men of his
generation.

And, as I said, he used that Jowett secret.

The secret of true strength.

You can do the very same thing.

My good friend, John Wood, has started a
terrific member site where he is creating
an on-line archive that one reader has
dubbed "the Library of Conress of
Strength." It has a ton of great stuff,
with more being added all the time.

You can sign up for a month to month
membership, or a one year membership.

When you sign up for the ONE YEAR
membership, John will mail you an
introductory package that includes a
special course authored by George
Jowett.

The title of the course is "Ligaments --
The Secret of True Strength."

That's the course that gives you the
secret that John Grimek used with such
spectacular results.

And as an added bonus, John will include
a second course that covers the special
grip workouts used by one of the greatest
strongmen of all time. His name was John
Grun Marx, and he could twist horsehoes
into pretzels -- with his bare hands.

The title of the John Grun Marx course is
"The Grip of Steel." It's a very rare course.
I have never seen a copy of it before --
in fact, I never even knew it existed.

I just got my copies of these two courses,
and I'm really enjoying them -- so I wanted
to give you a heads up about them -- and
about the Iron League. I'm giving the two
courses -- and the Iron League -- two
thumbs up.

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 join the Iron League -- and
remember, if you grab the ONE YEAR
membership, you get the two bonus
courses:

http://www.ironleague.com/

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Knowledge is power,
and the more you learn about strength and power
training, the more strength and power you can
build." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The No. 1 Question About Warm-Ups!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note and then we'll talk training.

As you probably know, wrestling star Rowdy
Roddy Piper passed away recently. He died
of a heart attack at age 61.

The funeral is today, and his family has
requested a worldwide moment of silence
at 10:30 PDT.

We're going to honor the request here at
Dino Headquarters -- and I hope you are
able to do so as well.

On the training front, here's an email from
an older Dino with a very common training
question:

"Brooks,

My question concerns warm-up sets. As an
older lifter (57), I like to do a lot of warm-up
sets before my top weight for the day. I like
low reps, never doing more than 5, and often
doing triples, doubles or even singles.

If I'm doing squats, and my top weight for the
day is 200 pounds, I might start with the empty
bar, and then do 95, 135, 155, 175, 195 and then
200.

Now here's the question: When I add weight and
progress to a top set with 205 pounds, do I also
add 5 pounds to each warm-up set?

If I do that, eventually the first warm-up set will
be very heavy. On the other hand, if I stay with
the bar, and then go to 95 and so on, eventually
I will be doing many more warm-up sets.

What do you recommend?

Banny"

Thanks for your email and your question. It's a
very common one.

Older lifters need to start light, and they need to
perform a series of gradually heavier warm-up
sets before they tackle their heavier weights.

When you add weight to your working set, you
should keep your initial warm-up sets where they
are. That allows you to start light and work up
slowly and gradually.

The place where you make your adjustments is
at the top of the warm-up progression.

In the example you gave, I would try this: empty
bar, 95, 135, 155, 175, 185, 195, 205.

Or this: empty bar, 95, 135, 155, 175, 190, 200,
205.

By the time you work up to 250 pounds for your
top set, things might look like this: empty bar,
95, 135, 155, 175, 195, 215, 230, 240, 250.

If you end up needing to do a few more warm-up
sets, don't sweat it. Just do them. At our age,
they're very important.

Hope that helps, and hope you keep on training
for another 57 years!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more about effective training for older
Dinos, grab Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
DVDs and shirts -- and links to my Dino
Training e-books on Kindle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start light, slow
and easy, and finish strong." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The No. 1 Problem for Garage Gorillas

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I spent all day working on a big Dinosaur
Training project, and by the end of the day,
I was beat.

It wasn't physical work, but it was mental
work: writing, editing, and more writing.

It's fun, but it's tiring in its own way. It
takes a lot of concentration and focus.

And then it was training time. That takes
a lot of concentration and focus as well.

I wrote down my workout for the day in my
training journal, changed into my workout
clothes, put on the old pair of glasses I wear
for workouts only, laced up my lifting
shoes, and filled up my water bottle.

I went out to the garage and opened the
doors, and it was hotter than an oven.

One of my high school wrestling coaches
worked a summer job shoveling coal into
the blast furnaces at a steel mill. He said
you could do it for about 15 minutes at a
time, and then they gave you a break and
sent in another guy.

The garage wasn't quite that hot, but it
was hot.

I did my warm-ups, got ready to go, and
started to work on the clean and jerk.

There was a niggling little pain in my upper
back -- by the shoulder -- on the right side.

It made it hard to hit the groove when I
was trying to lock out the bar.

I worked on it in-between sets, trying to
loosen it up. There was a tight spot that
seemed to be causing the problem.

Did I say it was hot?

It was hot.

About half-way through the workout, I
began to wonder if I should call it a day.

That was the point where it would have
been nice to have had a training partner
or a coach or a gym full of serious lifters
so I could borrow a little extra energy
and enthusiasm.

But it was just me and the barbell and the
lifting platform.

We have two cats, but you know how cats
are. Not very supportive. They were sleeping
in the shade on the back porch.

I decided to try one more lift.

This time, I drove the bar overhead without
that weird shoulder tightness.

So I decided to keep on going, and I finished
up with a hard, productive workout. I was
tired, and covered in sweat, but I felt pretty
good. It was dinner time, and I knew I had
earned my meal.

I share this story because I think many Dinos
deal with similar issues from time to time --
or perhaps pretty much all the time.

Many of us train at home -- alone -- and many
of us go to gyms but avoid the crazy stuff that
most of the other gym members are doing --
which means we train alone even in a crowded
gym.

And sometimes, it gets lonely -- and sometimes
we wish we had a like-minded workout partner.

And then we put more iron on the bar, chalk up,
and tighten our lifting belts -- and hit the next
set.

I've written a lot of books and courses, and I
continue to do so, in part because it's a way
to help keep your motivation as high as
possible.

One of my favorite publications is The Dinosaur
Files Quarterly. I like it because each issue contains
a nice mix of my own material with articles, letters,
workouts and training ideas from other Dinos. It
helps remind us that we are all part of a world-
wide movement -- a brotherhood (and sisterhood)
of chalk, sweat and iron.

And whereever we are, and whenever we train,
we're never alone.

We're all part of the Dino Nation.

And that's important to remember.

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. We have three big issues of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly so far. They're available in hard copy
right here:

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

Issues 1 and 3 of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly are
available as Kindle e-books as well -- and we'll get
issue no. 2 up on Kindle very soon. The e-book
editions of the DFQ are here:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_03_kindle.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur Training
DVDs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and Legacy of Iron
novels -- and links to my other Kindle e-books -- are
right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You're never alone
when you're part of the Dinosaur Nation." -- Brooks
Kubik

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

Are You a Strength Training Specialist or a Generalist?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk training.

First, we're releasing Knife, Fork, Muscle as
a series of e-books. The first three books in
the series are available on our Amazon Kindle
pages. Go here for the links to all of them --
and the links to our other Dinosaur Training
e-books on Kindle:

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

Second, we had a great show yesterday on
Physical Culture radio. Bill Hinbern kindly
joined us at the half-way mark, and stayed
for the rest of the show. You can listen to
the download here:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1694-physical-culture-radio-super-strength-in-60-seconds-a-day-and-other-nonsense-super-human-science-roundup.html

A big THANK YOU to Bill Hinbern for
sharing his time and his knowledge
with us. Bill is a true gentleman,
and a real credit to the Iron Game.

On the training front, let's talk about
specialists and generalists.

Earlier in the week I outlined my current
training program, and noted that I am
specializing in Olympic weightlifting --
so I limit my workouts to weightlifting
exercises: the snatch, the clean and jerk,
high pulls, front squats and back squats.

There are lots of other good exercises
and lots of other good equipment and
good training tools -- many of which I
have used in the past -- but as I said,
I'm specializing on weightlifting now,
and it makes more sense to focus all
of my energy on weightlifting.

Also, at age 58, my recovery ability is
more limited than when I was younger.
So If I were to add other things to the
mix, I'd probably end up overtraining.
And that's never a good idea.

And also -- I like to concentrate on one
thing at a time, and work very hard to
master it. That's just how I am.

But many other Dinos have a different
approach. Some enjoy doing a much
broader variety of things.

Thus, we have Dinos who combine
strength training with martial arts
training.

We have Dinos who like to add strong-
man training to their workouts.

We have Dinos who enjoy rack work
and heavy partials -- or heavy supports
to build stronger and thicker bones.

Kettlebells are popular with many Dinos.
So are dumbbells -- and cables -- and
bodyweight training -- and specialized
grip training.

Those are all great. I've done many of
them at different times in the past --
and I've had lots of fun doing them, and
gotten good results from them.

As I often say, it's all good, and it all
works.

So don't be worried if you like to do
something that's different than what I
like to do. The basic principles are the
same for all of us: hard work, progression,
and regular, consistent effort are the keys
to success.

So are the mental aspects. Concentration,
visualization and focus work wonders no
matter what you're doing.

And, of course, you need to find the right
balance between doing enough exercise
to make gains and not doing so much that
you outrun your recovery ability.

I cover that issue in detail in Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 1. It will help you
find the right balance between too little
and too much -- and help bring you some
terrific gains, whether you are a strength
training specialist or a generalist. If you
don't have a copy, grab the little monster
today -- it will help you enormously.

In the meantime, today's a training day
at Dino Headquarters -- and I plan to
hit it hard! So if you hear reports about
a small earthquake in Louisville, you'll
kniow it's just a 58-year old Dino having
some fun in his garage gym.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1 is
available in hard copy and as a Kindle
e-book:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "You don't have
to do it like anyone else, but you do need to
do it." -- Brooks Kubik

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

"Are You Still Getting Stronger?" He Asked

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A younger guy -- I think he is in his 20s --
asked me an interesting question the other
day.

"Are you still getting stronger?" he asked.

As I said, it was an interesting question.

The answer is "Yes and no."

On some things, I'm not as strong as I was
20 or 30 years ago -- but on other things
I'm as strong as ever and working to get
stronger.

More importantly, I'm training regularly and
I'm having fun.

I'm doing Olympic weightlifting now, and
I've set myself some high goals. I'm 58,
and I plan to lift more at age 60 than I
lift today -- which is both challenging and
motivating.

In fact, "motivating" is an understatement.
You should see the chalk and sweat flying
through the air when I train.

Anyhow, that was my answer.

Then I asked a simple question in return.

"Why do you ask?"

And he said that he worried about whether
he could maintain his strength into his 50s
and 60s.

I don't know the answer to that question,
because it depends on too many variables.

But I do know this.

The way to be strong and healthy and in
great condition at age 50 or 60 -- or
beyond -- is to:

1. Start training now.

a. I assume you are doing this already -- but
if not, now's the time to start!

2. Train hard but smart.

a. Don't overtrain.

b. Train progressively.

c. Avoid exercises that can cause injuries
over the years. (There's a complete list of
them in Gray Hair and Black Iron.)

3. Keep on training.

a. A short workout beats no workout.

b. It's much easier to start and keep going
than to start, stop and have to start all over
again.

4. Follow a healthy diet.

a. See Knife, Fork, Muscle for details.

5. Keep your weight under control.

a. This is extremely important. Lard Lumps are
deadly as you grow older.

And remember this:

You can make great progress at any age, but
if you let yourself go for too long when you're
young, it makes it very difficult to get into good
shape (or get back into good shape) when you're
older.

So if you're a younger Dino  -- like the guy who
asked me the question -- make the most of your
younger years and START TRAINING.

Think of your training as an investment in your
future -- because it is.

Think of it has having a strength and health
account. It's just like a savings account. Every
time you train, you put a little more into your
strength and health account.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron will help you build
strength and muscle for the long haul -- and help
you maintain strength and muscle when you are
an older Dino:

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

P.S. 2. Knife, Fork, Muscle is available in both
hard-copy and a series of Kindle e-books. Go here
for the links:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start training when
you're young, and keep training when you're older."
-- Brooks Kubik

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