The Dinosaur Training Word of the Day (9/30/2015)

 

Hard work.

(Okay, it’s really two words.  Doesn’t matter.

They’re two very important words.)

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

www.brookskubik.com

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What Is the Best Kind of Strength Training?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

What is the best kind of strength training?

Is it powerlifting?

Strongman training?

Dumbbell training?

Kettlebell training?

Power bodybuilding?

Power rack training?

Olympic weightlifting?

Bodyweight training?

High Intensity Training?

The old-school barbell and dumbbell workouts
in the York Courses?

Muscle control?

Cables?

Or something else?

Should you follow Doug Hepburn's program, or
Paul Anderson's program, or Reg Park's program,
or Tommy Kono's program or Arthur Saxon's
program or Herman Goerner's program or
George Hackenschmidt's program?

Should you train like the Chinese or the Germans
or the Bulgarians or the Cubans or the Greeks or
the Russians or the Polish or the Hungarians
or the York lifters from the 1940's?

Should you do 20 rep breathing squats or 5 x 5
or triples, doubles or singles?

If you do 5 x 5, how many work sets should you
do?

I could go on for a very long time -- because there
are literally thousands of different ways to train,
different exercises and different set/rep systems.

So which one is THE BEST?

Here's the answer.

The BEST way to train is the way that you enjoy
the most -- because you'll train harder and more
effectively if you do something you enjoy doing.

That's particularly true if you're an older trainee
who's been doing this for a long time. After 30,
40 or 50 years of training, you deserve to do
things you enjoy doing.

In simple terms, that means this:

If you prefer powerlifting style workouts, then do
powerlifting style workouts.

If you prefer strongman training, then do strong-
man training.

If you prefer Olympic lifting, then do Olympic
lifting.

If you prefer to use dumbbells or kettlebells or
bodyweight exercises, then that's what you
should use.

If you love power rack training, then do
that.

If you prefer to mix things up (as many do),
then that's what you should do.

And if you like to train one way for awhile and
then switch to another style of training, that's
fine, too.

As long as you train regularly and progressively,
you'll do fine.

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 series is
perfect for trainees of all ages and all levels of
experience, from beginner to advanced. Each
book in the series is available in hard copy or
Kindle e-book. If you prefer hard copy and live
overseas, email me for shipping charges for
two or more books or courses:

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

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

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

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

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"

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 my other e-books on Kindle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The best day to
train is today." -- Brooks Kubik

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Why I Like Weightlifting Workouts

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick update, and then we'll talk iron.

1. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly.

We're running a bit late on the September
issue of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly. It
should be printed tomorrow and we should
be able to ship it tomorrow evening or on
Thursday morning.

I apologize for the delay, but the good news
is, it's a great issue. with some terrific
articles and photos.

For the hard copy, go here:

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

We'll release the little monster as a Kindle
e-book as soon as we can.  I'll send a link
when the e-book is available.

2. Why I Like Weightlifting.

Yesterday, I shared a photo of the Dinosaur
Dungeon, a/k/a my garage gym.

Here's another photo from a different angle:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/09/another-photo-of-dinosaur-dungeon.html

As you can see, it's a one-man weightlifting
gym.

Platform, Olympic barbell, bumper plates,
and portable squat stands to move onto the
platform when it's time for squats and front
squats.

And nothing else.

So this has led to a barrage of questions
from Dinos around the world, who are
asking:

1. "Why do you do an all-weightlifting
program now?"

2. "Do you still do [fill in the blank]?"

3. "I do [fill in the blank]. Should I start
to do weightlifting?"

So I thought I'd cover those questions in
my daily emails this week.

Let's start with question no. 1: "Why do I
do weightlifting workouts now?"

There are several reasons.

First and foremost, it's fun. I enjoy it more
than anything else I might do. And when
you're close to age 60, and you've been
training for close to 50 years, it's important
to do things that are fun.

That doesn't mean that weightlifting is
good and everything else under the sun
is bad -- and it doesn't diminish the benefits
of other types of strength training. It just
means that I enjoy weightlifting workouts
more than anything else.

Second, it's a way of specializing on the
legs and back, which is always a good idea
for anyone, and an even better idea for an
older trainee.

Third, it requires a combination of strength,
power, speed, flexibility and technique.
That makes it very challenging for an older
trainee, and meeting new challenges is
one of the things that keeps you young.

Fourth, weightlifting increases your flexibility,
mobility, balance and coordination -- all
of which is very good for an older trainee.

Fifth, weightlifting is practiced around the
world -- and has been part of the Iron Game
for over 100 years -- so I can compare my
performance against others men of my own
age and bodyweight -- or against the old-
time champions such as Grimek, Stanko
and the rest of the York Gang.

Sixth, weightlifting is an athletic way of
training -- and training like an athlete can
help keep your brain and nervous system
working at a high level as you grow older.

Seventh, I find it easy to focus, concentrate
and dive into the inner universe when I do
my workouts -- which makes a weightlifting
workout a form of moving meditation for me.

There are many studies validating the beneficial
effects of exercise, as well as the beneficial
effects of meditation. So it stands to reason
that an activity that combines both has some
serious benefits.

And those are the reasons why I follow an
all-weightlifting workout.

Should YOU do weightlifting workouts?

We'll cover that question tommorow.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I have tons of great workouts for older
Dinos -- using a wide variety of equipment
and training methods -- in Gray Hair and
Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. You can see exactly what my workouts
look like in this video:

http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Follow me
on Instagram and Twitter, and friend me on
Facebook -- but not while you're doing heavy
squats!" -- Brooks Kubik



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Another Photo of the Dinosaur Dungeon

Here's another photo of the Dinosaur Dungeon -- a/k/a my garage.  I do everything on the platform.  My portable squat stands are over against the far wall. (One of the ropes is almost blocking one side of them.)  I move them onto the platform when it's time to do squats or front squats. The rest of the time, it's just me and the barbell on the platform.

Snatches, clean and jerk, high pulls and front squats make up the majority of the program. That, plus lots and lots of stretching and mobility work. At age 58, it's important to work on that flexibility!

I do lots of drilling with lighter weights to work on form and technique. This also helps my flexibility.

Weightlifting is fun, and it keeps you young!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to see my Dinosaur Training books, courses and DVD's:

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

P.S. 2. Be sure to sign up for my daily updates and training tips:

http://www.brookskubik.com/

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Take a Look at the Dinosaur Dungeon!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yesterday I posted a photo of the Dinosaur
Dungeon on Facebook, and within minutes
my Facebook feed blew up.

The photo shows the three most important
pieces of equipment in my home gym --
a/k/a the garage -- a/k/a the Dinosaur
Dungeon:

1. An Olympic barbell

2. Plates

3. A homemade lifting platform

The fourth most important piece of equipment
for me are my squat stands. I have portable
squat stands that I keep off to the side of the
platform, so you don't see them in the photo.

I also posted the photo at the Dinosaur
Training Blog. Here's a link to it:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/09/take-peek-at-dino-headquarters.html

I'll be posting more photos this week --
and posting them regularly after that.

You can find them by:

1. Friending me on Facebook

2. Following me on Twitter.

3. Following me on Instagram.

4. Checking them out at The Dinosaur
Training Blog.

I've received a ton of questions about the
photo, so I'll go ahead and answer some
of the most common ones:

Q. Do you do squats? Where are your squat
stands?

A.Of course I do squats. The squat stands are
off to the side, to the left of the platform.
I move the squat stands onto the platform
when it's time to do squats and take them
off when I'm finished. That gives me more
room when I do snatches, clean and jerk, or
pulls.

Q. Do you do bench presses?

No, I do all Olympic lifting now.

Q. Did you make your platform?

A. Yes. It's a simple homemade design.
Easy to build and very strong. I'll give
more details on it later in the week.

Q. Is that all you use in your workouts?

A. I've done a ton of different things over
the years, but right now I focusing on
Olympic lifting, so that's all I do. The
equipment you see in the photo (along
with my squat stands) is all I need for
effective, high quality Olympic lifting
workouts.

Q. Why do you do Olympic lifting?

A. Short answer: Because I enjoy it more
than other types of training.

There's a longer answer, but we'll save
that for later in the week.

In any case, be sure to check out the
photo and see what the Dino Dungeon
looks like.

And be sure to friend me on Facebook and
follow me on Twitter and on Instagram. I'll
be sharing some fun and informative stuff.

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 printer is running late on issue no. 4
of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly. We should be
getting the little monster on Tues or Wed, and
we'll fire them out as fast as we can to everyone
who pre-ordered.

Go here to order the little monster in hard copy
format:

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

We'll get the e-book edition up on Kindle as
fast as we can after the hard copy edition is
finished.

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stick to the basics,
keep it simple, and train hard." -- Brooks Kubik

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Take a Peek at Dino Headquarters!

My home gym -- basic, bare and spartan. Just the way I like it.

10 Big Mistakes that Will Derail Your Strength Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We all make mistakes, and I'm no
different than anyone else.

But there's a good side to making
mistakes. Hopefully, it teaches you
a better way of doing things.

And if you'r ereally lucky, you can
learn from other people's mistakes.
That saves time, effort and wear
and tear.

So I thought I'd share "The Top 10
Training Mistakes I Made When I
Was a Kid." Hopefully, this will help
you avoid making some of the
mistakes that I made.

Don't laugh too hard when you read
these. They were things I did in junior
high and high school -- a very long
time ago. And in my defense, we ALL
made these mistakes back then.

1.  I read the muscle magazines.

a. Worse, I believed them.

2. I tried the Get Big Drink.

a. I did NOT get big. I got sick.

b. Very sick.

3. I used soy-based protein powder.

a. We all did. And it was terrible for
us.

4. I didn't do Olympic lifting.

a. For some reason. Olympic lifting
all but disappeared in the USA in the
60's and 70's.

b. I really wish our coaches had trained
us in Olympic lifting. What a difference
it would have made.

c. Even teaching us power cleans, high
pulls and push presses would have been
a huge improvement.

5. I used machines instead of free
weights.

a. Including the Universal Gym.

b. Of course, all the pro athletes did
the same thing.

c. Related point: I should have used
heavy awkward objects.

d. I should have done old-school
dumbbell training (the kind I teach
in Dinosaur Dumbbell Training).

6. I did long, slow running instead of
sprints and other fast, short-burst cardio
work.

a. The long, slow stuff didn't have very
much carry-over to wrestling, which is
what I was training for in high school --
but it's what all of us did back then.

7. I used high volume bodybuilding
programs.

a. The magazines said that was the
way to be a champion.

b. It wasn't.

c. And besides, why train like a bodybuilder
if you were a wrestler?

8. I didn't do anywhere near enough leg
and back work.

a. None of us did.

9. I didn't do anywhere near enough grip
work.

a. I don't think my high school even had
anything for the grip -- other than a wrist
roller thingie on the Universal Gym.

b. I wish I had done the farmer's walk
back then.

c. Or used thick handled barbells and
dumbbells.

10. I didn't do enough bodyweight training --
which would have been an excellent program
for a high school wrestler.

a. The muscle magazines never said anything
about bodyweight training.

So there you have it: 10 big mistakes that I
made almost 50 years ago.

And here's the thing -- many people are still
making one or more of those mistakes -- or
very similar mistakes -- and some people are
making all of them.

THhat's a shame. There's a much better way
of doing things. I teach it in all of my books
and courses, from Dinosaur Training to Chalk
and Sweat to Strength, Muscle and Power to
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.

Don't make my mistakes. Train the right way.
Unlock your true potential.

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. Chalk and Sweat is a great book for
beginners, intermediates and advanced
trainees:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Those who
ignore the lessons of history are doomed
to repeat them -- and that includes the
lessons of the Iron Game." -- Brooks Kubik

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A Big THANK YOU from Dino Headquarters!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

On Monday, we released the Kindle e-book
edition of Book 1 in the new Dinosaur Training
Strength Archive series.

Less than 24 hours later, the little monster
was in various Top 10 Lists for Kindle books
in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK.

And that's not bad -- not bad at all. In fact,
it's pretty darn good.

So let me give a very big THANK YOU to
everyone who helped us get there.

Of course, if you missed the announcement
then you may be wondering what the new
series is all about. So here's the skinny.

The new series collects my LOST ARTICLES --
meaning my best articles from the original
Dinosaur Files hard copy newsletter that I
published every month from 1997 to 2002.

We published 61 issues -- with well over 100
of my own, full-length articles. They were
original articles for the Dinosaur Files only,
and I've never reprinted them anywhere
else.

If you missed them the first time around,
they're brand new for you -- and they're
darn good -- and they have a ton of great
training advice and some killer workouts --
so grab them now:

Hard Copy

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

Kindle E-Book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who helped
us jump into the Top 10 List so fast!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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My Secret Weapon

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of my most important training tools
is an old wooden chair that I keep out in
the garage.

It's my secret weapon for great workouts.

When I train, I position it by the back door,
away from lifting platform and close to
Trudi's hyperextension bench.

Yes, Trudi has her own hyperextension
bench. She's had it since we first met.
I knew she was a keeper when I learned
she had a hyperextension bench out in
the garage.

I have a special good luck towel. It used
to be green but now it's a faded sort of
grey-green color. It's torn, ripped, and
fraying. I use it to wipe the sweat out of
my eyes and off my hands in-between
sets. I drape it over the chair while I do
my sets.

In-between sets -- and this is the important
part -- I sit down, face the platform, and
close my eyes.

I go over the previous set -- rep by rep if
I was doing reps -- and I focus on what I
did, and how to do it better in the next
set.

And then I visualize the next set.

I go over it from start to finish.

I begin by seeing myself walking toward the
platform. It's always the same pace, the same
stride, the same number of steps.

I always stop in exactly the same place.

Approaching the bar is an art. You don't just
amble up to the bar. You make walking to the
bar the BEGINNING of your set.

Note: If you need to change the weight on the
bar, do it BEFORE you do your visualization, so
you can walk right up and lift instead of having
to change the weight and then get back into
proper mental focus.

What else do I see when I visualize the set?

I see myself standing over the bar -- setting
myself -- locking my back -- crouching down
over the bar -- and lifting it.

In my mind's eye, I lift the bar in perfect form.

Then I open my eyes -- chalk my hands -- walk
to the bar -- and lift it.

And more often than not, I lift it perfectly --
EXACTLY the way I visualized it.

That old wooden chair is my THINKING PLACE.

It's where I sit and think.

And it's where everything starts to come
together.

That's because THINKING is one of the most
important things you can do when you train.
Make no mistake about it. Strength training is
just as much a mental endeavor as a physical
one. The more mindpower you bring to your
training, the better.

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 mental aspects of strength training
in these books:

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. I also cover the mental aspects of strength
training in my CD, Unleashing Your Inner Strength:
The Seven Keys to Concentration. If you're interested,
shoot me an email.

P.S. 3. 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. 4. Thought for the Day: "Mindpower
builds body power." -- Brooks Kubik

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The Forgotten Lifting Stone

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It was last lifted in 1715 -- exactly 300
years ago.

The stone resides deep in an ancient glen
in a wild, wind-swept forest in Scotland.
It's a long drive over bumpy roads -- and
then an hour's hike, up hill and down hill,
and across one river.

You're wet and tired by the time you even
find the stone.

It's an old stone with a Gaelic name. Unlike
many lifting stones, it doesn't have a modern
name.

That's because it's been lying on the green
grass for three centuries.

It's lighter than the famous Inver Stone --
perhaps 240 pounds -- and it has some
sharp edges and gripping points.

But it's covered in thick, damp moss. When
you see it from a distance, it almost looks
like a wild animal with a thick coat of shaggy,
mottled fur.

A tall, broad shouldered man tightened his
lifting belt and approached the stone.

His goal was to be the first man in 300 years
to lift the stone.

Peter Martin, an historian and the guardian of
of the traditional nature stones, stood close,
watching intently. It was Peter who had found
the stone's location by pouring through a series
of old Gaelic texts.

Faded words on yellowed paper had revealed
the secret.

That, and plenty of hiking, climbing and
searching!

I like to think that somewhere in the distance
a stag stood silently and watched the men --
just as its ancestors had watched other men
battle the stone three centuries before.

The stone lifter stepped forward.

The battle was on!

Yes, it's a true story.

It happened several months ago -- and the
lifter was one of your fellow Dinosaurs.
After 300 years a Dinosaur was the very first
man to try to lift the massive, moss-covered
stone.

And that means that the entire Dinosaur Nation
was right there cheering him on!

Man versus stone.

It's an epic battle -- but who will win?

The answer is in issue no. 4 of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly -- immediately after an article in which
the World's Strongest English Professor tells how
he trained to close the world-famous no. 3
gripper.

Those are just two of the terrific articles in this
issue of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- making
it a MUST READ for Dinos everywhere.

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. To order a hard copy edition of issue no. 4
of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- and for hard
copy editions of issues 1 thru 3, go here:

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

If you live overseas and order multiple
issues, email me first and ask for a shipping
quote.

I'll send the link to the e-book edition of issue
no 4 as soon as it's ready.

The links for the e-book editions of issues 1 -3
are right here:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Every stone deserves a
lifter to challenge it." -- Brooks Kubik

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

New on Kindle: The Dinosaur Training Strength Archive!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We have a new e-book for you at our
Amazon Kindle page:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

This is the e-book version of book 1
in my new series, The Dinosaur Training
Strength Archive, which collects the best
of my articles from the original Dinosaur
Files monthly newsletter that I began
publishing way back in 1997.

These articles have never been published
anywhere else, so they are OLD GOLD --
and if you missed them the first time
around, you missed something very
special.

I've updated and revised the articles,
and I've included an introduction talking
about the origin of The Dinosaur Files, and
putting everything in context for you.

Plus, I've included some brand new
material -- including a chapter that
details a terrific power rack program
for big gains in strength and muscle.

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

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

I would LOVE to see this jump into the
Amazon Top 10 List in its catagory. You
can help by grabbing the Kindle edition
today -- or by going over to the Kindle
page and taking a look at the cover --
or by sharing the link on Facebook and
other social media.

And, of course, if you can post a review
on our Kindle page, that's always very
helpful.

Thanks in advance to everyone who steps
up and takes action. We're looking forward
to a great day and a Top 10 Ranking --
and we appreciate your help in getting
us there!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

Meet the World's Strongest English Professor!

Bobby Rich smashes the No. 3.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It was about 11:00 on a sunny Saturday
morning.

A car pulled into the parking area by the
garage.

"He's here!" called Trudi.

I stopped typing and went downstairs.

I grabbed the keys to the garage -- a/k/a
the world famous Dinosaur Dungeon --
and we went out to meet him.

The World's Strongest English Professor
was sitting on the concrete steps leading
up to the back door of the garage.

He didn't look like a professor. He was
wearing blue jeans, boots and a dark shirt.

No tie, no tweed jacket with elbow patches,
no extra-thick glasses, no tobacco pouch
and no pipe.

He didn't even have a book in his hand.

He did, however, have a gym bag lying
next to him. I knew without asking
what was in it. Trust me, it wasn't
the complete works of Shakespeare.

Not by a long shot.

We exchanged greetings and small talk,
and then we went into the garage.

"I cleaned it up since the last time you
were here," I said.

He looked around and nodded.

"Looks good," he said.

The World's Strongest English Professor
reached into his gym bag, and pulled out
a collection of crush-style grippers.

One of them was the legendary Captain
of Crush gripper No. 3.

He chalked up and did some warm-up
sets.

Trudi got ready to shoot the photos and
the video.

As Producer and Director, I just stood back
and took it easy. I was training later in the
day, and I needed to save my energy.

They found the spot with the best lighting
and got started. He closed grippers. Trudi
took photos.

We were taking photos for Issue No. 4 of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly.

The World's Strongest English Professor has
a killer article in this issue of the Quarterly.
It covers the training program he uses for
gripper work. It's a pretty good article --
and a pretty good program.

How good?

Try this: the World's Strongest English
Professor closed the No. 3 half a dozen
times and held it shut while Trudi took
photos for the Quarterly.

The last one was hard and tough. His entire
body shook with effort.

"That's enough," I said. "You won't have any
hands left."

He nodded, panting, gasping for breath.

"Take it easy for the rest of the day," said
Trudi. "Give your fingers a rest."

"I can't!" he panted. "I have 40 papers to
grade!"

I don't know if the papers got graded that
day -- but I do know this:

You can go right here to grab issue no. 4 of
the Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- and you can
learn how the World's Strongest English
Professor built the strength to close the
fabled No. 3 -- and enjoy all of the other
great articles from Dinos around the world:

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurquarterly_04_kindle.html

And in case you're wondering -- yes, he really
IS an English Professor -- and I really DO think
he's the strongest English professor in the
world!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. We release each issue of the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly in hard copy and e-book. You
can use the above link to order issue no. 4
and back issues of issues 1 - 3 in hard copy
format. If you live overseas and order multiple
issues, email me first and ask for a shipping
quote.


The links for the e-book editions of issues 1 -3
are right here:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you want to learn how
to do something, ask someone who's done it."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Important Training Advice for Younger Trainees

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I started the day with an email from Nirav
Panchal, who wrote:

"Dear Brooks,

I love the work you put into the older lifter
routines and I'm sure I'll use them in the
future. However, I'm 22 and have no knee,
back, or joint pain. I can sprint or jog with
ino problems. I'd love to see you write a
few daily bulletins about how us younger
folk can make the most of our youth and
really push the envelope.

Anyhow, thanks for all the great work!

Niv"

Well, that's a good question. So here
goes.

If you're young and in good condition and
you don't have any nagging injuries, then
the world, as they say, is your oyster.

The thing to do is to make the most of it.

Unfortunately, that's where way too many
younger trainees go wrong.

Most younger trainees fail to make the
most of their training because:

1. They don't set firm and specific goals
and work relentlessly to achieve them.

a. This is perhaps the no. 1 problem.

b. Nos. 2, 3 and 4 all relate to this.

2. They bounce from workout to workout
or program to program (a/k/a "Flavor of
the Month" training).

a. They call them training programs for
a reason.

b. You need to follow the program long
enough to get some results.

3. They skip over the tried and true ways
to train and get hung up (and off course)
by following the latest and greatest
Miracle Program (a/k/a "Instant
Muscles").

a. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

4. They try to do too many different things
and end up not very good at any of them.
a. Strive for mastery in whatever you do.

5. They think they're indestructible -- and
they do dangerous stuff or stuff that pounds
the heck out of their joints for no good
purpose -- and then they lose months
or years of productive training.

a. Think "silly stuff" you see on YouTube and
Facebook.

b. Even if the silly stuff doesn't hurt you right
away, it will probably cause problems later in
life.

6. They overdo things by training too much
and too often -- not realizing that even a
younger trainee has definite limits to his
or her recovery ability.

a. Note that supplements or tons of food will
NOT make up for overtraining.

7. They don't get enough sleep and rest --
or they don't eat right -- and thus, they fail
to make the most out of what should be their
very best training and gaining years.

Those are some general points, and if you're
a younger trainee, you should give them some
serious thought.

Your younger years are the time to hit it hard
and make great gains. Embrace the opportunity.
Don't squander 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. My new Dinosaur Training Secrets series is
perfect for trainees of all ages and all levels of
experience, from beginner to advanced. Each
book in the series is available in hard copy or
Kindle e-book. If you prefer hard copy and live
overseas, email me for shipping charges for
two or more books or courses:

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

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

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

Hard copy

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

Kindle e-book

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"

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 my other e-books on Kindle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Make the most of
every day and every workout." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Training Adaptations for Older Dinos

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The ORIGINAL Dinosaur Files from 1997.

I'm doing a series of short books that contain
updated, revised versions of my best articles
from the ORIGINAL Dinosaur Files newsletter
that ran from 1997 through 2002.

These articles have not been reprinted since
they first came out, so for many of you, they
are brand new.

Book 1 in the series also includes a NEW
article on power rack training -- with one
of the best and most effective workouts
you've ever seen.

Go here to grab Book 1 in the series in hard
copy format:

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

We're also working on the Kindle e-book
edition.  I'll send a link as soon as the e-book
is available.

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly Issue No. 4.

The hard copy edition of Issue No. 4 of the
ALL NEW Dinosaur Files Quarterly is right
here:

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

And yes, it's going to be available as a Kindle
e-book, as well -- and I'll send a link as soon
as the e-book is available.

3. Training Adaptations for Older Dinosaurs.

The vast majority of those who train when they
are in their teens and twenties stop training long
before they hit the Big 4-0.

Very few people train after age 50 -- and hardly
anyone trains after age 60.

That's a shame, because training should be a
part of your life for all of the days of your
journey. It's not just for the young -- it's
for everyone.

And if we're talking about quality of life, then
training is MORE IMPORTANT than ever as you
grow older.

But training often requires adaptations as we
pass the 40, 50 or 60 age mark.

We often need to change to new exercises to
work around age-related dings and dents.

For example . . .

I have shoulder problems that date back to
my high school wrestling days. They don't
keep me from training, but they make it
impossible to hold a bar on my upper back
for squats. It hurts my shoulders too much.

So I use the Dave Draper Top Squat device
for back squats -- or I do front squats.

Would I rather do regular back squats?

Yes.

Do I worry about it?

No.

Does it stop me from training -- and from
having fun when I train?

Not at all.

And even with shoulders that don't work as
well as they used to, I'm a heck of a lot
stronger and in 10 times better shape than
the average man my age. That's because I'm
still training.

Whatever your age, I want you to do the
same thing.

Keep on training.

Find the tools that allow you to keep on hitting
the iron.

If you need to make changes, make changes.

But keep on training. That's the important thing.

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. Many older Dinos get great results with
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

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

Other older Dinos get great results with
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training:

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

And others prefer the workouts in Gray Hair
and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. We shot this four years ago, but this is
what my current workouts look like:

http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "There's no
roadmap for life. You need to figure it out
as you go." -- Brooks Kubik

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

What Science Tells Us about Exercise and Bone Building

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk
training.

1. Physical Culture Radio

This week's show is at 12:30 today
rather than our usual 12:00 on
Thursday.

Listen live or catch the download at
your convenience:

http://superhumanradio.com/

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly

Issue no. 4 of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly is at the printer and will
be ready to ship soon.

If you prefer hard copy, go here to
reserve your copy:

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

We'll release the Kindle e-book version
of issue no. 4 of the DFQ as soon as we
can -- and I'll send an email with a link
when it's ready.

3. Building the Bones, Part 2

We got a ton of feedback in response
to Monday's email about building the
bones.

Sandro, one of our Brazilian Dinos,
noted that Pat O'Shea covered this issue
in Quantum Strength Fitness II.

So let's see what science says about
exercise and bone building:

1. Bone mineral density (BMD) begins to
diminish at age 35.

2. BMD loss accelerates at age 50.

3. Men lose about 17% of the bone mass
that they had as young adults.

4. Women lose about 30%.

5. There's a term for age-related bone loss
and you've probably heard it before:
osteoporosis.

6. The amount of bone mass one has as
a young adult influences how much bone
mass one has later in life -- which is one
reason why it's best to begin training at
a fairly early age (i.e., as a teenager).

a. This is also a reason to start training
NOW even if you are past the teenage
years.

b. The sooner you start training, the
better.

7. Low BMD leads to fractures in older
adults -- this is why a slip and fall can
be so dangerous for an older person.

8. Athletes -- especially those involved in
strength sports, have BMD 2 to 3 standard
deviations above average.

9. Nutritional factors affect BMD loss,
including the lack of sufficient calcium
and vitamin D, and excessive alcohol use.

10. Strength training is the single most
important factor in preventing
or reducing BMD loss.

11. Go back and re-read no. 10.

a. Now read it again.

12. This is why strength training is such a
critical part of healthy aging -- and why it is
so important for everyone, at every age.

By the way, I should also note that Pat
O'Shea had a strong preference for Dino-
style strength training, including:

A preference for free weights

Athletic exercises (squats, snatches, cleans,
push presses, and jerks)

Powerlifting exercises (squats, bench press,
deadlift)

Power rack training

Isometronics and isometrics

Hiking and other outdoor activities

In short, EVERYTHING we've been saying
about exercise and bone density is validated
by science.

In other words, you really can build your
bones -- and you really need to do so.

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 effective
strength training Dinos age 35 and up -- and
that includes the kind of training that will build
and maintain strong and healthy bones:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVDs -- 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: "Building strong
bones is one of the best investments you can
ever make." -- Brooks Kubik

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

A Training Question from an Older Dino

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let's cover the big news, and then talk
training.

1. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly

If you missed the big news, yesterday we
put up an order page for Issue No. 4 of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- along with the
complete Table of Contents for this issue.

You can find it right here:

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

This is a terrific issue, with tons of great
articles and photos -- and plenty of training
tips and workout advice. I think you're
really going to like it.

We're offering the little monster in both hard
copy and Kindle e-book. The hard-copy should
be printed and ready to mail by next Mon at
the latest -- and we'll send a link for the Kindle
e-book as soon as it's ready.

2. A Training Question from an Older Dino

I fired up the old email yesterday and found
this question waiting for me. It's a good one,
and probably applies to many Dinos, so I
thought I'd share it -- along with my answer:

"Hi Brooks,

75 year old Dino here. I have been squatting
3 x 1 in week 1, 3 x 2 in week 2, and 3 x 3
in week 3.

Then I add weight in week 4 and drop back
to 3 x 1.

When I get to 3 x 3 I am sloppy -- with bad
form and too much fatigue.

I was in a happier place when I did singles.

Am I answering my own question -- which is,
Do I lower the weight (which I hate doing)
or go back to singles and stick to 3 x 1?

Art C."

Art -- Thanks for your question. At age 75,
you're doing GREAT. Most people over age
50 or 60 can't do a squat with their own
bodyweight -- so for your age, you're at
the front of the pack.

I agree that you answered your own
question, but let me add two comments.

First, going from 3 x 1 to 3 x 2 really
means you are doubling your total
number of reps.

It would be better to use a one rep per
week progression.

Go from 3 x 1 to 1 x 2 plus 2 x 1.

The next week, go up to 2 x 2 plus
1 x 1.

The following week, do 3 x 2.

Use the same procedure when you go
up from 3 x 2 to 3 x 3.

Also, consider moving up every other
week rather than every week.

These are forms of slow cooking --
which means that you aim for slow
but steady progress.

Most trainees try to force their progress
by adding too much weight too fast -- or
by increasing the reps too fast -- and they
end up burning out, going stale, or hitting
a major sticking point.

See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3 for
detailed advice on old-school progression
methods. It will help you enormously:

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

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

Second point -- if you were happy when
you were doing singles, go back to doing
singles.

Always listen to your body -- it's much
better than your brain when it comes
to telling you what works.

And finally -- if your form breaks down
on squats, drop the weight or the reps
ASAP. You always want to use perfect
form in any exercise, and that goes
double times two for the big exercises.

So there's the question for the day -- and
the answer. I hope it helps!

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. Be sure to order your copy of Issue
No. 4 of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly:

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

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

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

If you want to order multiple products,
shoot me an email and ask for a shipping
quote. We can probably save you some
clams, especially if you live outside the
USA.

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Slow and steady
wins the race. Crash and burn doesn't come
close." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Issue No. 4 of the Dinosaur Files Quarterly

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's the complete Table of Contents
for Issue No. 4 of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly:

Hail to the Dinosaurs!
            by Brooks Kubik

 Mesozoic Mail
            by the Dinosaurs

 Jurassic Jottings
            by Brooks Kubik

 Old-School Success Stories
            by Brooks Kubik

 Changes
            by Alan Roth

 My Favorite Exercises Over the Years
            by Brooks Kubik

 My Training Program for the Military Press
            by Patrick Larson

 The Strength and Health Picnic of 1940
            by Brooks Kubik

 Cracking the Code on Closing the No. 3 Gripper
            by Bobby Rich

 The Viking Stonelifting Tour of 2015
            by Peter Jensen

The Comeback – Part 1
            by Peter Yates

My Outdoor Gym
            by Brett Moore

 An Old-School Training Program
            by Brooks Kubik

 Answers to Your Training Questions
            by Brooks Kubik

 The Wrap-Up
            by Brooks Kubik

As you can see, it's a terrific issue.

It goes to the printer today, and should
be ready to mail no later than next Mon.

Go here to order your copy -- and to
grab copies of issues 1, 2 and 3 of the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly if you missed
them earlier:

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

If you're an overseas Dino and you want
two or more back issues, email me first.
We may be able to send you some clams
on shipping charges.

We're also going to be releasing an e-book
version of the DFQ on Kindle. I'll send an
email when it is available.

Holler if you have any questions.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

Building the Bones -- A True Story

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick update and then we'll talk training.

1. The September 2015 Dinosaur Files
Quarterly

The September 2015 issue of the Dinosaur
Files Quarterly goes to the printer today,
and it should be printed and ready to ship
by next Monday at the latest.

Go here to take a look at the table of
contents for this issue, and to order
the little monster in hard copy format:

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

I'll send a link with the Kindle e-book
edition as soon as the Kindle edition is
ready.

It's another great issue, with some terrific
articles, and I know you're going to like
it.

2. Building the Bones -- A True Story

There's a lot of talk about whether it's
possible to build your bones -- as in,
whether an adult can make his or
her bones thicker, denser and
stronger through weight training.

Some people flat out say it can't be
done.

They're wrong.

Maybe it can't be done with light weight
bunny style training -- but it definitely can
be done with Dino style training.

I know it can be done because I increased
my wrist size by over half an inch when I
was close to 30 years old -- and I did it
with a special program of heavy power
rack training and thick bar exercises.

My friend John Wood is in his 30's, and he's
following a special bone-building program --
and he's having regular bone density tests
to see what happens -- and the tests prove
the his training program has increased his
bone density and his bone mass.

And if you don't believe Brooks and John, or
you think we're some sort of genetic freaks,
then consider this.

It's a true story.

It's not from the weight training world, but
it speaks volumes.

It comes from a book titled "Wilderness
Wife" -- an autobiography of a remarkable
couple.

In 1911, Kathrene and Robert Pinkerton
were married. Kathrene was 24. Robert
was 29.

Robert was a newspaper reporter -- but not
long after their marriage, his health broke
down from the city living, stress and long
hours, and his doctor told him he had to
find some sort of quiet job where he would
get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

The newlyweds decided to make their
living as writers -- and to do it on the
cheap by building a log cabin in the
North Woods.

They packed their meager belongings and
headed up to Ontario -- to a small village
called Atikokan.

When they got to the village, they stopped
at the general store and made arrangements
to store their city clothes and purchase some
clothes better suited to their new lifestyle.

Then they got into their newly purchased
canoe, and paddled off to find a suitable
place to build their cabin.

They found a perfect site eight miles away
from the village, and it was there that they
built their cabin.

Just the two of them. No one else. They cut
the wood, dragged it to the site, and did it
all by themselves.

They travelled by foot, by canoe and by
dog-sled in the winter.

They hunted, fished, picked wild berries and
grew a small garden.

It was hard, demanding, exhausting work
at first -- particularly for Kathrene -- but
as they toughened up, they grew to love
it.

After several years, they headed back to
town because Kathrene was pregnant.

They went to the general store and the
store-keeper pulled their city clothes out
of storage.

They tried them on.

Nothing fit. Robert had gained far too much
muscle to fit into his old clothes.

Kathrene discovered that her beautiful
leather city gloves no longer fit.

The storekeeper measured her hands.

Her hands were a full size larger.

It wasn't the pregnancy, in case that's
what you're thinking. It was permanent
growth.

The paddling, digging, lifting, chopping,
cutting, sawing and carrying had made
her hands far larger and thicker than
ever before.

And because the hands are mostly bone,
that meant she must have added plenty
of bone mass and bone density.

Wilderness living had built her bones --
in her mid 20's -- without even trying.

With that in mind, think what heavy
training can do for your bones --
especially if you are TRYING to
make them stronger, denser and
thicker!

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

And remember to grab your copy of the
September issue of the Dinosaur Files
Quarterly!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover bone-building workouts in many
of my books and courses, including these:

a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development

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

b. Strength, Muscle and Power

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

c. The Dinosaur Strength Training Archive,
Book 1

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- and links to my
e-books on Kindle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The people who
say it can't be done are almost always the ones
who never tried." -- Brooks Kubik

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

10 Little Known Facts About Oldtime Strongmen

An old ad for Arthur Saxon's legendary book, "Development of Physical Power."

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let's start the day with 10 little known facts
about old time strongmen. I'm thinking of the
European strongmen during the period from
1890 to 1920 or so.

1. Many of them worked as butchers.

That gave them ready access to plenty of high
quality protein -- and make no mistake about
it, the old time strongmen were voracious
meat eaters.

2. Many of them grew up on farms.

This meant that they did plenty of hard, heavy
work when they were children and young men.
It also meant that they grew up with plenty of
sunlight, fresh air and healthy, fresh food.

3. Many of them worked as blacksmiths when
they were young.

Which is a great way to devleop plenty of hand
and grip strength.

4. Many of them were wrestlers.

In the old days, most of the famous weightlifters
also competed in wrestling competitions. In fact,
promoters would host weightlifting contests and
wrestling contests at the same time, since the
same men would compete in both.

Of course, wrestling required a terrific combination
of strength, power and muscular endurance -- so
the oldtimers obviously had all of these attributes
in abundance.

5. They ate enormous amounts of food.

Most of these men were true heavyweights, with
tremendous appetites. They didn't count their
calories or limit their food intake. Of course, they
also trained ferociously hard -- and burned off
plenty of calories in their workouts and in
their competitions and exhibitions.

6. They specialized in grip strength.

I've covered this in Dinosaur Training and in
Strength, Muscle and Power. The oldtimers had
ferocious hand and grip power. When you look
at their photos, notice their forearm development.
It's almost freakish in many cases.

See Dinosaur Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power for specifics on how the old-timers trained
their forearms and grip.

7. They specialized in overhead lifting.

They did most of their training while standing on
their feet -- and much of it involved lifting heavy
stuff over their heads.

8. They lifted heavy, awkward objects.

Heavy sandbags and barrels were favorites. These
impressed an audience of working men as much or
more than lifting barbells and dumbbells.

9. They used dumbbells -- HEAVY dumbbells!

The oldtimers were masters of heavy dumbbell
lifting. Sig Klein called the two dumbbell clean
and press "the secret exercise" of the oldtime
strongmen.

See Dinosaur Dumbbell Training for specific
exercises and workouts -- and for a detailed
review of how much the old-timers could handle
in their dumbbell exercises.

10. They were 100% natural.

As in, nothing artifical added. Just hard work,
heavy iron, and plenty of good food.

And one bonus fact:

11. Some of the oldtimers died relatively young,
and others lived very long lives. The ones who
lived long lives tended to keep up with their
training even after they ended their professional
careers.

In other words, one of the keys to lifelong
strength and health is to KEEP ON 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. Go here to grab Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
and learn the favorite exercises of the old-time
strongmen:

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

If you want to see the exercises on DVD,
grab The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "What is old
becomes new again -- you just need to
look for it." -- Brooks Kubik

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

How I Set a New PR on My Birthday

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Thank You!

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. It made
my day to hear from so many Dinos around the
world.

2. A SuperHuman Contest -- and a Big Prize!

Carl Lanore is running a special "secret word"
contest on SuperHuman Radio. The prize is a
complete set of all five of my Legacy of Iron
books -- autographed by yours truly.

There will be one winner, and it might be you
if you listen to the show and enter the contest.

Tune into today's episode of Physical Culture
Radio at 12:00 EST for details:

http://superhumanradio.com/

If you miss the live show, download the podcast
later on. It's always agreat show, and I'm really
looking forward to today's episode.

3. Bodyweight Training DVD's

We found some of my Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
DVD's on a back shelf the other day -- there are 2
complete sets of all 7. If you're interested, email
me for details and price.

We also found some mindpower CD's, some
Seven Keys to Concentration CD's, and some
Iron Will CD's.  Again, shoot me an email
if you're interested.

4. How I Set a New PR on my Birthday.

I celebrated my birthday last night by hitting a
hard workout.

It was pretty good, because I hit a PR for 2015
in the split style snatch. In fact, it was the most
I had lifted in the split style snatch for the past
two years.

So that was a birthday present to myself.

I got there by using a simple variation of the old
Light, Medium and Heavy system.

It's a three week mini-cycle.

I use singles in all of my exercises, but it works
fine for sets of multiple reps, as well. Once you
understand the system, you can apply it to many
different kinds of workouts.

Here's how it goes:

Week 1 -- Light

I work up to 5 singles with my working weight.

I use a relatively light weight -- 70 to 75% of my
max.

Week 2 -- Medium

I work up to 2 or 3 singles with my working weight.

I go heavier this week, but not too heavy -- 80 to
85% of my max.

Week 3 -- Heavy

I work up to one single with my working weight.

This is my heavy week. I go as heavy as I can. If
I feel good, I try to lift my max or to set a new
max. However, I usually work up to 90 or 95%
of my max. As an older lifter, I can train heavy
but I can't push for a new max too often.

Week 4

Start the mini-cycle all over again.

And there you have it.

As I said, it's a simple system -- but it's been
very effective. It keeps me strong, helps me
improve my speed, form and technique, and
best of all, helps me avoid overtraining.

And so far (knock on wood), it's helped me
avoid dings and dents.

Give it a try and see how you like it -- and
shoot me an email with your results.

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 other simple but very effective
cycling sytems in Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- Legacy of Iron
books -- 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: "First, last and
foremost -- TRAIN!" -- Brooks Kubik

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

Four Left -- and Going Fast!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's my birthday, so I was going to
take the rest of the day off, but I
need to give you two quick updates:

1. Hoodies, Sweatshirts, T-shirts and
Muscle Shirts.

We're clearing out all of our current
inventory of sweatshirts, t-shirts,
muscle shirts, and hoodies, and
we're almost completely out of
stock.

We're not going to re-stock for
awhile, so if you want something,
you need to act now.

For example, we have just 4 Gray Hair
and Black Iron sweatshirts -- one XL
and three 3XL. That's it. No other
sizes.

We have very limited numbers of other
items -- and we're out of many sizes
and colors in them.

If you'd like something, send me an
email and ask if we have it in stock
before placing your order.

2. A Chance to Win 5 Free Books!

Carl Lanore, is running a special
contest on SuperHuman Radio this
week and next.

Here's how to enter the contest:

When you listen to SuperHuman Radio,
pay careful attention at the commercial
breaks.

During one of the commercial breaks
in each hour of the show, Carl will
announce the secret word.

He'll do this on each show.

When you hear it, you send Carl an email
identifying the secret word -- and that
enters you in the contest.

Note: Do NOT send me an email with the
secret word. Send it to Carl. He'll give you
the email address on air.

Carl will draw the winner's name at the
end of next week.

There will be one winner and one winner
only -- and the prize will be pretty darn
good.

How good?

Get this . . .

The prize is an autographed set of all
five of my Legacy of Iron books, starting
with this little monster:

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

With shipping and handling, that has a
retail value of something like 150 clams.
Plus, they're darn good books. Readers
love them.

I'll be on Physical Culture Radio at
12:00 noon EST tomorrow, so you
can listen to the show and learn
the secret word then:

http://superhumanradio.com/

Thanks for reading, and remember -- if
you want a shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt,
send an email asap and see if we have
your size in stock.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

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

How I Plan to Celebrate My Birthday

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's a big day here at Dino Headquarters.

It's my birthday today.

I am now officially age 58 in civilian years. In
weightlifting years I have been age 58 since
Jan 1, and I will be age 59 on Jan 1, 2016.
It's a little confusing.

In any event, I plan to celebrate by having a
great workout and a great dinner.

If memory serves correctly, I got my first barbell
set on my birthday in 1968, so that makes 47
years of iron slinging -- although that one was
a set from Sears with gold vinyl plates filled
with concrete.

So make it 47 years of iron, vinyl and concrete
slinging.

The funny thing is, the older I get, the more I
enjoy my training. I'm not sure why that is, but
it is definitely the case.

It may be as simple as knowing that I have more
years  of training behind me that before me -- or
it may simply be that as I get older, training makes
me feel so much better than I would feel if I didn't
train.

If you're an older trainee and you have thoughts
on that, I'd love to hear from you. Is training
more fun for you than ever before? Let me
know.

Anyhow, let's get back to tonight's workout.

My workout will focus on the split style snatch. If
you've been paying attention over the past few
years, you know I've gone back and forth between
the squat snatch and the split snatch. The split
style is easier on my shoulders -- the squat style
is easier on my knees.

In the end, the shoulders have won out -- at
least for now.

And besides -- the split snatch is a lot of fun --
fast, fluid and athletic -- and it's a good test
of balance and athleticism.

I've also been doing the split style clean. That,
too, challenges your balance and athleticism.

And things that challenge your balance and
athleticism are good to do -- especially if
you are an older Dino.

Many of you have asked for more detailed
instruction on weightlifting for older Dinos
(and for garage gorillas and celler dwellers
of any age).

As in, how to perform the lifts and the related
exercises -- including the split style lifts --
and how to set up a sensible program that
doesn't require you to train "Bulgarian style"
and do nothing but train five or six hours
a day every day of the week.

If that sounds like something you'd like to see
in a course or a DVD, let me know. We can
definitely make it happen.

In the meantime, you can catch a training
session at Dino Headquarters in my birthday
DVD from four years ago:

Going Strong at 54

I filmed two back to back workouts and did a
quick demo of about two dozen different
lifting exercises in that little monster, so it
has a ton of good info -- and a lot of good
lifting. If you missed it the first time around,
grab it now.

So that's the plan: a hard workout focusing
on split style snatches, followed by a terrific
dinner.

And that's the report from Dino Headquarters --
where we still have more iron on the bar than
candles on the birthday cake!

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 Going Strong at 54:

http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html

P.S. 2. My other books and DVD's -- and
links to my e-books on Kindle -- are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Your body is
like your barbell -- if you don't use it, it
rusts." -- Brooks Kubik

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

10 Lessons from the Iron Mines

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note and then we're going to
talk iron.

Dinosaur Birthday Tomorrow

It's my birthday tomorrow, and we're
planning to make it a fun day for the
Dino Nation.

I have a special birthday favor to ask,
and it starts today.

Pls take a few minutes and go to our
Kindle e-book pages -- you can link to
all of them from our products page --
and browse around and read and rank
the reviews -- and post a review for
any of the books you've read -- and
share the pages on Facebook and other
social media. Help us make Dinosaur
Training go viral.

The links are all right here:

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

I'd like to see us push book sales thru
the roof this week -- and if we all work
together, it ought to be interesting.

Lessons from the Iron Mines

I took my last workout at age 57 last
night, and had a great time. The next
workout will be tomorrow -- and it will
be my first age 58 workout.

That got me thinking -- and I thought:
"Eveything worth knowing in life I learned
on a wrestling mat or from a barbell."

Or at least it seems that way.

So here are 10 lessons I learned in the
iron mines. See if you learned the same
lessons:

1. It's best to start young, but the important
thing is to start -- whatever your age.

2. If you fall off your bicycle, get right back
on it and start pedaling.

3. The hardest exercises are the most
productive ones.

4. It's not easy, and that's okay. In fact,
it's a good thing.

5. Make a plan and stick to it. Don't second
guess yourself into inertia.

6. Life is movement -- and the better the
movement, the better the life.

7. You build strength and muscle by what you
do, not by what you think about doing.

8. You can't buy strength and health. You
can only earn them.

9. The barbell doesn't lift itself.

10. If you enjoy art, practice the art of strength
training. If you enjoy science, practice the science
of strength training. The important thing is to
practice strength training.

And, for a special bonus, two more:

11. Squats are zen.

12. So are deadlifts, presses, pulls, and every
other exercise you do.

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 LOST ARTICLES are back. Go here to
grab them:

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

P.S. My other books and courses -- and links
to our e-books on Kindle -- and our Dinosaur
DVD's -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When the iron
speaks, a wise man listens." - Brooks Kubik

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

Happy Labor Day to the Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's Labor Day here in the USA, and
many Dinos are enjoying a well-
deserved day of rest.

Many are enjoying time with family
and friends -- and many are looking
forward to a sizzling steak fresh off
the grill or a big plate of slow-cooked
ribs.

But it's important to remember that
Labor Day originated as a holiday to
celebrate the working men and women
who helped build our country and to
make it great.

Men like my grandfathers.

Both of them immigrated to the USA
from Central Europe -- one from
Slovakia and the other from Romania.

Like so many others, they landed with
nothing, rolled up their sleeves, and
got to work.

They worked in the steel mills in Ohio --
and working in an old-fashioned mill
was one of the hardest, hottest,
heaviest jobs in the world.

They never complained. They worked in
the mills, and they built a new life for
themselves and their families.

They were thankful for the opportunity,
and they made the most of it.

That's why I think of them on Labor
Day.

I'll be hitting the iron in a different sort
of way later tonight. It will be a hard and
heavy workout. A hot one, too. The garage
isn't quite as hot as a blast furnace, but
it's hot enough.

And I have something special in mind.

I'm going to do an extra set for each of
grandfathers.

It will be a small way of saying THANK
YOU.

They're not here, but they'll know --
and I think they'll like it.

As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one -- and do an extra set for someone who
deserves it.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

The Massive, Gigantic, 40 Pound PR!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The LOST Articles

From 1997 through 2002 I did a hard cover
monthly newsletter called The Dinosaur Files.

It has some of my best articles -- but they've
been out of print -- and LOST -- for a long
time.

Now, I'm bringing them back in a new series
of books.

This is a great chance for anyone who missed
them the first time around -- or who had them
once but misplaced them over the years.

Go here for details or to order the hard copy
of book 1 in the new series:

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

We'll be releasing the new series in both hard
copy and Kindle e-book format. I'll send the
link to the Kindle e-book as soon as it's available
on Kindle -- which should be on Mon or Tues.
BTW, the hard copy book is printed and we mailed
them out yesterday to everyone who had pre-
ordered.

2. The Massive, Gigantic 40 Pound PR

I'm going to step on toes in this one, so if you
have tender feet put on your steel-toed shoes.

Over the past year, I've been noticing something
new on Facebook, YouTube. and other social media.
It's a video clip showing a relative beginner setting
"a new PR" by lifting 20, 30, or even 40 pounds
more than ever before.

You usually see it in the squat or the deadlift --
mostly the deadlift.

It's usually posted by a coach or a trainer, and it
includes a tag line suggesting that a 40 pound PR
is awesome and it's all due to great coaching.

Or, you see someone who posts a 40 pound PR in
a lift -- usually the deadlift -- and they say
something like:

"Hadn't done these for awhile, and wanted to
test my strength."

And hey, I've been there. I've done it. I just did
it before social media.

I remember one time when I was doing bent arm
pullovers in the high school weight room. I was
either a freshman or a sophomore at the time.

I weighed around 140 pounds, and I was trying
to do a bent arm pullover with 185 pounds.

Note to anyone who wants to try this -- DON'T.
It's not a very good exercise, and it can tear the
heck out of your shoulder. But back then, I didn't
know any better.

The Nautilus pullover torso machine was all
the rage, and if you didn't have access to
one of the machines, you were supposed to
use the bent arm pullover in its place.

Bad, bad advice -- but we had lots of bad
training advice back then. It was hard to
sort it out. We didn't know any better.

And speaking of not knowing any better, my
previous best in the exercise was 165 x 6. So
I was trying for a new PR by 20 pounds.

Anyhow, I tried 185 -- which would have been a
new PR -- and I couldn't budge it.

I pulled and pulled until I was red in the face
and nothing happened.

As in, nada. Zilch. Zippo.

N.o.t.h.i.n.g.

The bar didn't even break off the floor.

The wrestling coach walked by and saw me
struggling, and laughed and said to take some
weight off the bar.

That made me mad.

So I ADDED weight.

Twenty pounds.

Pushing it up to 205.

Forty pounds more than ever before.

I laid back down on the bench and got into
posiiton and pulled with all my might -- and the
bar came flying up -- and I did SIX reps!

The coach couldn't believe it.

But here's the thing.

I don't remember ever doing any more than
that. And I don't remember doing it on a
regular basis.

It wasn't real progress, it wasn't a real PR, and
it wasn't sustainable.

It was just a big jump when I was learning how
to do the exercise.

And I'm darn lucky I didn't kill myself doing
it -- or ruin my wrestling career by pulling a
shoulder out of joint.

And yes, if we had had I-phones and selfie
sticks and the Interwebs back then, I would
have filmed the set and posted it on social
media and loudly proclaimed:

"I hit a 40 pound PR -- look and see!"

When I look back on it, all I can do is shake
my head at my own foolishness.

It would have been much better off to have
slowed things down. I should have followed
a simple progression system. I should have
aimed for 2 1/2 pound gains. I should have
made it a series of little steps -- not a giant,
impossible leap of iron.

And that's what everybody should do -- on
every exercise.

Little steps.

Small gains.

Systematic progression.

There's no such thing as a 40 pound PR. If you
jump up in weight by 40 pounds, it's because
you're a beginner -- or you're coming back
after a long layoff -- or you're an experienced
trainee learning a new exercise.

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 sensible, slow cooking progression
systems in Dinosaur Training Secrets, 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 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: "Adding one pound
to the bar 100 times is better than adding 40
pounds to the bar one time." -- Brooks Kubik

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