Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was a kid, everyone said that
lifting weights was bad for you -- and
many believed that if you lifted weights,
you'd die young.
But is that true?
Maybe not.
If we take a look at the first 18 winners
of the AAU Mr. America contest, we get
an average age at death of almost 83
years -- and we have 8 men who lived
into their 80's.
And by all accounts, these men were
healthy, active, strong and fit even at
an advanced age.
That doesn't sound like weight training
killed them.
You can look at old-time strongmen and
weightlifters, as well -- and at other old-
time bodybuilders and physical culturists.
What you find is that the majority of
these athletes lived long and healthy
lives.
Of course, some died at relatively young
ages, but the men who died young tended
to be smokers, heavy drinkers, or extremely
heavy men -- or an unfortunate accident or
illness led to their death.
But by and large, the old-timers lived
long and healthy lives.
That may have been due in part to good
genetics or good luck -- and it also may have
been due in part to living in a world with less
chemicals and fewer pollutants.
But you also have to credit their lifestyle.
These men exercised regularly. They trained
hard, but they followed sensible and intelligent
training programs. They didn't follow the over
the top "insanity" workouts that so many
people follow nowadays. They allowed
adequate time for recovery and recuperation.
Some of the old-timers were wrestlers, and
they got a lot of conditioning from their
wrestling workouts and related roadwork.
But the weightlifters and bodybuilders
tended to lift weights and do little else.
They never did the type of cardio that
so many use nowadays.
They were lean and muscular, but they didn't
display the extreme definition that you see in
modern bodybuilding.
They didn't use roidskies, drugs or chemicals
to build their bodies. Most of them didn't even
use food supplements.
Most of them were married, had families, and
had many hobbies and interests other than
their training.
And that's a pretty good way of living --
and a good way to stay healthy and strong
for a very long time.
I'm sorry so many people told me that
weight training would kill me. And I'm
darn glad I didn't listen to them!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover old-school physical culture,
strength training and muscle building in
every issue of The Dinosaur Files newsletter.
It's your monthly key to lifelong strength
and health. Go here to grab the December
2015 issue -- with immediate electronic
delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html
We've also done a great new mini-course
on effective training for older Dinos --
with a brand new workout. It's available
with immediate electronic delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.html
P.S. 2. My other books, courses, and DVD's are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train smart, eat
smart, follow the rules of good health, and
live your life to the fullest." -- Brooks Kubik
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