The Best Measure of Strength and Power

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

What's the best measure of strength
and power?

Not the best exercise to BUILD strength
and power -- but rather, the single best
measure of an athlete's strength and
power. (Although the best measure of
strength and power might also be the
best strength and power BUILDER.)

Is it the squat?

If so, is it the high bar full squat (donkey
to heels) or the low bar parallel squat?

Or is it the deadlift?

Is it the bench press? (If not, why does
the NFL use the bench press for strength
testing?)

Is it the three lift total in the powerlifts?

If it's a powerlifting total, is it raw lifting
or lifts using support gear?

Or is it the two-lift total in the Olympic
lifts?

What about the clean and jerk?

Or the old-fashioned clean and military
press?

What about the bent press?

Or -- wait for it -- the old-fashioned two
hands anyhow?

Or the old-fashioned hip lift or back
lift -- where you could lift more total
weight than any other lifts?

Is it lifting massive nature stones --
or enormous sandbags -- or heavy
barrels?

There are plenty of people who can
(and do) argue in favor of each of the
lifts I just mentioned.

And, of course, the arguments have been
going on for a very long time. Arthur Saxon
claimed the title of World's Strongest Man
based on his bent press of 370 pounds
(some say 385 pounds). But Herman
Goerner scoffed at his claim, and said
the bent press was a "trick lift."  Goerner
believed the deadlift was the true test of
a man's strength and power.

The arguments go back and forth, and
they change over time as lifts come into
(or go out of) fashion.

Let me know what YOU think. We'll share
the results with your fellow Dinosaurs.

In the meantime, while we're talking about
how to measure your strength and power,
here's a great course that goes into detail
on how to do precisely that -- and how to
compare yourself to the great champions
of the past, and to other lifters of different
ages and different bodyweights:

Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2

It's available in your choice of hard copy,
Kindle edition, or PDF with immediate
electronic delivery:

Hard copy edition

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

Kindle edition

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

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol2_digital.html

I should also note that these are drug-free
strength and power standards -- and also,
that if you push to high rankings on all of
the different exercises and lifts that I cover,
you're pretty much guaranteed to build an
impressive and well-balanced physique.

That wraps it up for now -- but be sure to
let me know what you think about the best
measure of strength and power. It's a very
interesting question -- and one where there
are many answers, but no RIGHT answer.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "He who lifts,
lasts." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Help Spread the Word About Dinosaur Training!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Amazon has a brand new preview feature
for Kindle books, and it's pretty cool.

It let's anyone read the preview portion of
any book available at the Kindle store --
and you can do it on any device. You don't
need a Kindle reader.

That's pretty cool, but here's the best part.
There's a button to purchase the book --
and a button to share the preview page
on Facebook and Twitter.

And the share button already has a message,
so all you need to do it hit SHARE, hit the
Facebook icon, and then hit send.

If you use Twitter, you can do the very same
thing, except you select the Twitter icon.

Of course, you can send a message of your
own, as well. Just be sure it includes the link
to the preview page.

We've set up a special page at the Dinosaur
Training site to test the new preview feature,
using our first Kindle book -- Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1.

Here's the link -- head on over and take a
look -- and please share the link on Facebook
and Twitter:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingsecrets01-preview.html

By the way, there's a great photo of John
Grimek in the preview pages -- showing
him at about age 40 or 41. I think he
looks pretty good -- but send an email
and tell me what you think. And yes,
what you see in this photo is 100%
drug-free, all-natural muscle -- built
with old school training and old-school
nutrition.

Of course, if you don't have a copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 1, you should grab it
now. It's available in your choice of Kindle,
hard-copy or PDF:

Kindle edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingsecrets01-preview.html

Hard-copy

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

PDF with electronic delivery

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol1_digital.html

If you buy the Kindle edition -- or if you've
already bought it -- go ahead and post a
review on our Kindle page. We have 66
reviews so far, and I'd like to see us get
to 100 as fast as we can.

Also, please read and rank the reviews
if you have a chance. This helps our
ranking on Amazon, and it helps newbies
figure out that they need to do Dinosaur
Training instead of the muscle magazine
silliness that they're probably doing.

Thanks for helping me spread the word
about Dinosaur Training and old-school
methods of building strength, muscle
and power!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again for the new preview
page:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingsecrets01-preview.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you have a
barbell, you have something pretty good. If
you know how to use it, you have something
even better." -- Brooks Kubik

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

A New twist on Heavy Support Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you've read my books and courses, you
know I've had great success with heavy
partial movements in the power rack.

The bottom position bench press and the
bottom position squat were two of the
most effective movements I ever used.

The power rack workouts and training
tips in Dinosaur Training and in Strength,
Muscle and Power helped me build more
strength and muscle mass than I ever
imagined.

They also -- and this is very important --
made my bones, tendons and ligaments
much stronger and thicker.

That's one of the big benefits of power
rack training. It builds you from the
inside out -- meaning that it builds
your bones, tendons and ligaments.

I had great success with power rack
training because I studied and tried
different ways of doing it -- and then
developed a special system that
worked perfectly for me.

Much of it was trial and error. I studied
what worked for other people back in
the day, and I took what seemed to be
the best ideas, and I tried them and
made careful notes of what happened.

That's how all real progress in the Iron
Game has happened.

It's always been one lifter somewhere --
who had an idea -- and who tested it to
see if it worked.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching
someone else on a similar journey.

John Wood has been doing a special power
rack program built around a very unique
kind of support training.

He started the program about a year and
a half ago.

It's a new twist on heavy support training --
something different than I've ever seen,
read about or tried.

Let me repeat that.

John is doing something new and different.
It's not the kind of heavy partials I do. It's
not the kind that Joe Hise did -- or that
John Davis or John Grimek did -- or that
Bob Peoples, William Boone or Paul
Anderson did.

It's something new.

But it's been pretty impressive.

John had a DEXA scan before he started the
program, and another one 8 months later.

The second scan showed that he had increased
his bone mass throughout his entire body by
1.5 percent -- which is a huge increase in a
short period of time for a man over age 30.
He also increased his muscle mass by six
percent -- and knocked a few points off his
bodyfat percentage.

Anyhow, John has done a great little video
that shows exactly what he's been doing.
I watched it yesterday. In fact, I was the
first person to see it other than John.

It's very interesting, and it gives you some
great ideas on new ways to train -- and new
ways to build bone mass.

And yes, I'm going to be giving it a try,
starting with my very next workout.

Here's the catch. You can't buy it on DVD.
It's an Iron League exclusive. Meaning that
you need to join the Iron League to see
it.

That's actually a pretty good deal, because
the Iron league has a terrific collection of
other great training materials -- old books,
old magazines, old courses and old articles.
Rare old photos. Stuff you're not going to
find anywhere else.


And now -- the Iron League has the Bone
Strength Project on video.

Check it out. John's new twist on support
work may be just what you're looking
for.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab your membership in
the Iron League -- and to learn more about
the Bone Strength Project and how to use
it in your own workouts:

http://www.ironleague.com/

P.S. 2. For more about old-school power
rack training, grab these:

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

The Dinosaur Training Strength Archive (Vol. 1
includes an all new power rack program)

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Stronger bones
mean bigger, stronger muscles." -- Brooks
Kubik

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

"You Should Go Home and Play Marbles, Kid!"

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Physical Culture Radio

I'll be doing a special edition of Physical Culture
Radio at 1:00 EST today. Catch it live, or grab
the download at your convenience:

http://superhumanradio.com/

And be sure to check the archives for previous
shows. We have over a year's worth of them in
the archives.

2. Dinosaur Training on Social Media

I've moved from the Jurassic Period to the
modern era -- meaning that you can follow
me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Be
sure to follow and friend me -- I'm posting
lots of fun photos and video.

I'm on Facebook at Brooks Kubik, and on
Twitter at #brookskubik and #dinosaurtraining.

I'm on Instagram right here:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

So check it out -- and be sure to hit the LIKE
and SHARE buttons!

3. "You Should Go Home and Play Marbles,
Kid!"

Almost 100 years ago, there was a small,
skinny, dark haired kid who wanted to be
a weightlifter.

It seemed like a crazy idea.

He didn't look like a weightlifter.

He was one of the smallest kids in school,
and he wasn't very strong.

But somehow, he got the itch to be an Iron
Slinger.

He trained on his own for a bit, and later, with
some of his friends, but they didn't know what
they were doing, and they didn't get much in
the way of results.

Most guys would have given up. But not this
kid. He kept on trying.

He decided he needed to find a real gym, with
a real coach.

So he headed to the Big City and went to one
of the best gyms of the time -- run by one of
top weightlifting coaches of the era.

It was a good idea, but it didn't work very
well.

The coach watched him struggle with the
lightest weights in the gym, and decided
then and there not to waste time with the
kid.

And he was pretty blunt about it.

"You should go home and play marbles,"
he told him. "You'll never be a weight-
lifter."

You can imagine how that must have felt.

Sort of a punch in the gut and and a kick
in the teeth at the same time.

Or WWE meets American Idol.

It was one of the most brutal talent
assessments of all time.

It was also one of the worst coaching
decisions of all time.

The kid didn't go home. He kept on training.
He worked incredibly hard. Never missed a
workout. Hit everything hard and heavy.
Focused on his weaknesses, and made
them his strengths.

And through it all, he held a burning desire
to be a champion -- and an inflexible belief
that he would one day be the strongest man
of his weight in the entire world.

He achieved that goal at the 1936 Olympic
Games -- where Tony Terlazzo won the USA's
first ever Olympic gold medal in modern
weightlifting.

Yes, Tony Terlazzo.

One of the greatest weightlifters of his era --
and his coach told him to go home and play
marbles!

Take his story to heart.

I'm sure there's someone out there who's
telling YOU to go home and play marbles.

Don't listen to them.

Keep on training.

Keep on working to achieve your dreams.

Let nothing and no one stand in your way.

That's how Tony Terlazzo did it. And it's how
every champion has had to do it.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Start with a dream. Work to make it a
reality. Dinosaur Training will teach you how:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
the new monthly Dinosaur Files in PDF format
with immediate electronic delivery -- are right
here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When someone
older and wiser tells you you'll never amount
to anything, they're wrong. Every. Single.
Time." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Old Dogs and New Tricks

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The Dinosaur Files

We've re-launched the monthly Dinosaur
Files as of December 2015. The Dec, Jan
and Feb issues are available exclusively
in PDF format. That means you get
instant delivery, and you can print
them if you prefer to read a printed
newsletter.

Go here to grab them:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html


January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

2. Physical Culture Radio

We'll be live at 1:00 EST tomorrow for
a special edition of Physical Culture
Radio. Catch it live at the SuperHuman
Radio network or listen to the download
at your convenience:

http://superhumanradio.com/

Physical Culture Radio normally airs
on Thursdays, but we're going to move
it to Wed this week because my co-host,
Carl Lanore, has another commitment on
Thursday.

3. Old Dogs and New Tricks

After almost 50 years in the Iron Game,
it's always fun to learn something new.

On Saturday night, I found a YouTube
video showing a Masters' weightlifting
contest from 1992. (Masters meaning
a contest for older lifters -- age 35 and
up -- competing in categories by both
bodyweight and age.)

I was watching it, and I saw Mike Huska,
one of the best lifters of all time in both
the senior level and the masters level.

Mike Huska was born in Hungary, and lifted
on the Hungarian team back in the 1960's.
Later he moved to the USA. I'm Hungarian
on my mother's side, so I've always wanted
to see him lift.

And in this video from 1992, he was my
current age and just about my current
weight. So that made it even more
interesting.

But it turned out to be BETTER than
Interesting." It was a real eye-opener.

Huska did some terrific lifting, using a
super-fast, letter perfect style in the
split style snatch.

The best I've ever seen at the Masters
level. It was just superb.

I rewound, and watched him a dozen
more times -- at both regular speed
and in slow motion -- and I noticed
something about his foot movement.

It was something different from most
lifters -- and different from the way Bob
Hoffman and other writers have taught
the lift here in the USA and in the UK.

Why was he doing that?

So I tore through some of my old
resources on the split style snatch --
and buried in one of them, I found a
single sentence that hinted at the
answer.

On Sunday, I did a workout and tried
my best to use the same foot movement
that Huska used -- and it made a HUGE
difference in my lifting.

In short -- I learned something new and
different -- and very effective.

And it only took 50 years to get there.

That's one of the fun things about the
Iron Game -- and one of the reasons
why it's such a wonderful life-long
activity.

You never stop learning -- and you
never stop growing.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training has
plenty of new and different exercises
and tons of great workouts. If you
want something that's new, different
and effective, give it a try:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stay strong,
train hard, and always keep learning."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

A Wee Home Gym in Scotland

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I received a great email from Kevin H.,
one of our many Scottish Dinosaurs. He
has a terrific backyard gym featuring
a massive power rack, barbell and tons
of plates. (What more do you need?)

He shared a photo once, and it was
one of those places that I saw and
thought, "Wow, I want to train there!"

But things change. We downsize, upsize,
right size and move. And when we do,
we need to change our training quarters.

It can be a real problem. I know,
because I've done it. Many of us
have done it. Or will be doing it
in the future.

Here's how Kevin is handling it:

"Hi Brooks,

I hope this message finds you well.

I'm going to be moving house soon,
and my back garden gym shall be no
more.  However, I purposely sought
out a ground floor flat for my training
purposes.

The place I intend to buy has a massive
living room, and my rack and barbell
will fit.

The idea of storing my stuff and joining
any gym, even an old-school one, didn't
sit right with me.

Anyhow, my living arrangements will
not affect any lift other than the deadlift.
I aim to just double my squatting efforts
and use the Romanian deadlift.

The floors are very sturdy concrete, and I
reckon I could construct two sturdy boxes
for partial deadlifts. I could even pad them
with thick rubber to reduce any noise.

In all honesty, I'm more of a squat man,
but the idea of not doing a heavy pull is
not an option.

I envy you Americans with big houses that
come with basements or garages.

Kevin"

I read that, and I had several thoughts.

First, I'm sorry the garden gym is going
to go -- but as I said, it does happen. All
of the great gyms of the past are gone
now -- or have been resurrected in new
surroundings. It's the nature of things.

The old York Barbell Club gym may have
been the most famous gym in the world
in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. It's gone now.

The building has been demolished.

All that's left are some bricks. You can
buy one from the York Barbell Company.

Second, I'm glad to see that Kevin has
found a new home for his barbell and his
power rack.

I'm looking forward to seeing photos of
the new training quarters. It sounds like
they're going to be great!

It also sounds like the focus is going to
be on the most important things: heavy
iron, basic exercises, and lots of squatting,
pushing and pulling.

In short, it sounds like my kind of gym.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. There's a great chapter on home gyms
and home gym training in Strength, Muscle
and Power. It's chapter 14 -- "In Praise of
Cellar Dwellers." And there's lots more in
the book. Go here to grab your copy:

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

P.S. 2. I also cover home gyms and home
gym training in this little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.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: "Where there's
a Dinosaur, there's a great gym." -- Brooks
Kubik

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

Did He Have the Strongest Grip in History?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

October 8 is a day when great things happen.

On October 8, 1480, the Grand Duke Ivan III
of Russia rallied his troops to make an historic
stand against the Great Horde of Akhmat Khan,
saving Russia from one of the most fearsome
armies in history.

October 8, 1871 was the day the Great Chicago
Fire burned the city to the ground.

On October 8, 1918, Corporal Alvin C. York
killed 28 German soldiers and captured 132
others in the dark and bloody Argonne
Forest.

On October 8, 1939, Germany annexed Western
Poland.

On this date in 1956, the New York Yankee's
Don Larson pitched the only perfect game in
World Series history.

And an equally remarkable feat of muscle and
might occurred on October 8, 1920.

It happened in Leipzig, Germany.

A ferociously powerful strongman named Herman
Goerner -- weighing a mere 220 pounds -- set a
World record in the one-hand deadlift.

His record still stands today.

Goerner deadlifted 727.5 pounds.

With one hand.

And in case you're wondering, the lift was performed
on a regulation barbell -- without hooks or straps --
in the classic, bar in front of the lifter style.

It was an amazing lift -- and one of the greatest
feats of strength in recorded history.

Did Herman Goerner have the strongest grip of
all time?

I don't know -- but he definitely has a rightful
claim to the title!

And it didn't happen by accident!

Goerner followed a unique training program to
build super strength into his hands and fingers.
I cover it in detail -- exercise by exercise -- in
Strength, Muscle and Power -- along with a
complete chapter on the one-arm deadlift.

If you already have the book, go back and re-
read those chapters. If you don't have it, go
here to grab 356 pages of strength training
dynamite:

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

You may not end up deadlifting 727 1/2
pounds -- but you'll definitely build a bone-
crusher of a grip!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "There is no
greater battle than the battle of man against
iron." -- Brooks Kubik

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

It's Even Better than I Remembered!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I wrote Chalk and Sweat six years ago.
I wrote it to try to save an hour a day.

That's how much time I spend answering
emails from readers who ask about training
programs and workouts.

"Can you give me a good workout to build
maximum muscle mass?"

"I'm a beginner. Can you give me a good
training program?"

"I've been training for two years, and now
I want to get serious about it. What sort of
workout should I follow?"

"I only have dumbbells and an exercise
bench? Can you give me a good workout?"

"I want to do barbells, dumbbells and
sandbags, but I don't know how to work
them into a program without over-training.
Can you give me a good workout?"

"I need a good bulking up program. Can
you help me? What should I do?"

"I want to train on Olympic lifting. Can you
give me a program?"

"I need something to build all-around
strength, muscle mass and really good
condition. Can you give me a workout?"

"I can only train three days a week for
about 45 minutes. What should I do?"

"I need a two-day a week program. Do
you have one you like?"

"I need a good program for powerlifting.
Can you give me one?"

And so on.

Now, these are all good questions, and
I'm happy to answer them -- but it takes
time, and I'm awfully busy.

So I thought I'd put together a book that
gives you a bunch of different workouts,
with detailed. step by step instructions on
how to do them.

The result was Chalk and Sweat.

50 different workouts, using a variety of
different kinds of equipment. Training
programs for beginners, intermediates
and advanced Dinos. Special programs
for building maximum strength and
muscle mass with leg and back
specialization workouts.

I was looking at it the other day, and I
thought, "This is better than I
remembered!"

Many of you already have a copy of the
little monster. If you do, pick it up and
take a look -- you'll probably see something
you missed the first time you read it.

If you don't have a copy, you're missing a
great little book with a ton of terrific
workouts and training tips. So go here
to grab a copy:

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

By the way, Workout No. 41 is a pretty
good one for advanced Dinos looking to
build some serious strength and mass.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If something
is worth doing, it's worth learning how to
do it right." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Poundage progression for Bottom Position Squats!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I got an email from Nick C., who wrote:

"Hi Brooks!

I'm planning on starting a leg specialization
program that will use the bottom position
squat singles you prescribe in workout no.
39 in Chalk and Sweat.

I'm going to start with 6 x 5 with regular
Olympic squats, followed by five sets of
progressively heavier singles in the bottom
position squat.

I was wondering how you would suggest
increasing weight for this routine. Should
I try to add 5 or 10 lbs. to my top single
every week or every other week? 

Should I also be adding weight at the
same rate to the regular squats?

I guess I really want to know how you
did your weight progression on this
program when you had such great
success with it."

Thanks for your question, Nick, and
have fun with your squat program. It
will build some serious strength and
muscle. As I mention in Chalk and
Sweat, I added almost 200 pounds
to my squat by using bottom position
squats.

BTW, in case anyone is unfamiliar
with them, bottom position squats are
performed in the power rack. You set
the bar on pins placed so it is low
enough that you can get under the
bar and start the squat from the
bottom. 

It's much hard than the conventional
way of doing squats -- which is why it
is so effective.

Of course, it's an ADVANCED training
technique. Don't use it unless you can
handle at least 300 pounds for sets of
5 reps in good, deep form.

Some people find that pause squats work
just as well or better for them than bottom
position squats. Personally, I prefer bottom
position squats for powerlifting squats
(low bar, starting from parallel), and
pause squats for OL squats (high bar,
donkey to grass full squats). I also
prefer pause squats for front squats.

As far as progression goes, do this:

1. Start light and easy and use the first
four to six week as a break-in period. 

a. You need to start light on the bottom
position squat. It's much harder than you
think it is. 

2. After you start to feel comfortable with
the exercise, train it hard and try to add five
pounds to the bar every week for as long
as you can.

3. At some point, your gains will slow
down, and it will become harder and
harder to add the five pounds. When
that happens, change the progression
to five pounds every other week. Do
that for as long as possible.

4. Try adding weight to your regular
squats at the same rate as the bottom
position squats at the start of the
program, when the weights are light.

a. When the weights get heavier, your
poundage increases on the regular squats
will be slower because the bottom position
squats are a new exercise for you, and they
have much more room for improvement.

You can try two workouts a week when
the weights are light, but one workout a
week will probably work better as the
weights get heavier.

I hope that helps, and again, have fun on
the program!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover bottom position squats and other
very effective strength and mass builders
using the power rack in these books:

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. Chalk and Sweat

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.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: "Set high goals,
and work hard to achieve them." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Danger Zone -- On Physical Culture Radio!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let's cover some important news and
updates for Dinos.

1. The Danger Zone -- On Physical
Culture Radio

Earlier in the week I talked about staying
out of the Danger Zone -- meaning the
place where you increase your volume
and/or intensity to the point where you
risk over-training or injury.

If you missed it, go here to read it at the
Dinosaur Training Blog:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-stay-out-of-danger-zone.html

We're going to go into more detail on this
important topic on today's episode of
Physical Culture Radio. Be sure to
listen to the live show at 12:00 noon
today (Eastern Time), or listen to the
download at your convenience.

Physical Culture Radio is part of the
SuperHuman Radio Network, and you
can find it right here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

This is going to be a terrific show. I'm
really looking forward to it.

2. The Dinosaur Files

The Dinosaur Files is back as a monthly
training magazine, available in PDF with
immediate electronic delivery. It's a great
little magazine, and if you're a Dino,
you're definitely going to want every
issue.

And the PDF delivery feature saves you
a ton on shipping and handling -- especially
for our international Dinos.

Go here to grab them:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

3. Retro Lifting in the Dino Dungeon

I shared a fun video of some retro lifting
in the Dinosaur Dungeon on Instagram
the other day. 

It's me, doing some old-school, split style
snatches out in the garage.

Go here to see it -- along with lots of other
fun photos and videos:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

I add new material every day, so be sure
to follow me so you don't miss anything.

4. Hit the Refresh Button!

We've added Dinosaur Arm Training to our
PDF products. To grab the little monster --
or to see all of our PDF courses -- go to the
products page at my website and hit the
refresh button:

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

5. More Instagram Fun!

John Wood has joined Instagram, and he's
putting up some great photos. You can find
him right here:

https://www.instagram.com/oldtime.strongman/

There's a lot of fun stuff you've never seen
before -- like the funky looking wooden board
thingie. I have no idea what it's for -- do you?

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

"Am I Over-training?" He Asked

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I received an email from Sean C., one
of our newer Dinos. He began training
Dino style two years ago, around age
42, and he's made really good progress.

For example, he started with the empty
bar on 20-rep squats, and now he's up
to bodyweight -- which means he's three
or four times stronger than when he
began training.

Sean asked the following question:

"The balance between intensity and
avoiding over-training seems difficult
to figure out.

Going all out for an hour or 90 minutes,
lifting heavy, concentrating, staying
focused and intense seems to conflict
with not doing too much.

How does one know where to draw the
line?"

That's a good question, and one that I
get at least once a week -- so I thought
it would be a good idea to share my
answer with everyone.

First of all, I think anyone can handle two
or three weekly workouts using a divided
workout program and an abbreviated
training schedule without running the
risk of over-training.

And I think that training for 45 to 90
minutes will work fine -- although for
many Dinos, 45 to 60 minutes is better.

Ninety minutes is a very long workout
if you're pushing hard and staying in
the zone the entire time.

Remember, when I give a range (such
as 45 to 90 minutes for a workout),
that does NOT mean that the upper
end of the range is better.

It's a bell curve. Some people do better
at the lower end of the curve, and some
do better at the upper end -- but most
do best right in the middle.

A 45 minute workout might be best for
20 percent of us -- a 90 minute workout
might be best for another 20 percent --
and a 60 minute workout might be best
for the remaining 60 percent.

I also think that focus, concentration,
and mental intensity are vital to your
training success. You need to use these
tools in every workout. They allow you
to make good gains with a relatively
small amount of training.

Training for 45 minutes with full focus
and deep concentration is better than
training for three hours of mindless,
haphazard work.

To find your own best range of how long
to train, then ask yourself three questions:

1. Am I making measurable progress, i.e.,
increasing what I can do in my exercises?

2. Am I enjoying my workouts and having
fun when I train?

3. Do I look forward to my workouts?

If the answer to all three questions is "Yes!"
then you're doing just what you need to be
doing -- so keep on doing it.

If the answer is "no," you need to make
changes -- which probably means to lower
your volume or intensity, or to use the
simple cycling systems I outline in Gray
Hair and Black Iron and Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1 and 3.

In Sean's case, he's making good progress,
and he enjoys his training -- and looks forward
to each and every workout. So he should keep
on doing what he's doing.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

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

P.S. 2. All three of my Dinosaur Training Secrets
courses are available in your choice of hard-copy,
Kindle e-book editions, or PDF with immediate
electronic delivery. You can find the links for
the format of your choice right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If it works,
keep on doing it." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Classic Photos and Other Fun Stuff for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I have a couple of quick notes and updates
for you.

1. Physical Culture Radio

Last week's episode of Physical Culture
Radio gives you an hour of high impact
training advice. We began by talking
about effective lower body training for
older Dinos, and it grew from there.

You can listen to it right here:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1811-physical-culture-radio-individualised-prescription-chronic-sleep-restriction-effects.html

I think this is one of the best shows I've
ever done. Let me know how you like
it.

2. Classic Photos on Instagram

I'm on Instagram now, and I'm posting
all sorts of classic photos, including:

A rare ad for Arthur Saxon's wonderful
book, Development of Physical Power.

Bert Assirati performing a one-hand
handstand - at around 260 or 280
pounds.

Clevio Massimo crushing the heck out
of an old-time spring exerciser.

A cover photo from Bernarr MacFadden's
Physical Culture magazine.

A cover photo from a very old issue of
Strength and Health.

Another one from an old issue of Vigour.
Ditto from Muscle Power.

An autographed (to me) photo of John
Grimek.

Norb Schemansky at about the time he
won his Olympic gold medal.

The cover of the extremely rare little
book, Secrets of the Squat Snatch.

A killer photo of George F. Jowett.

A patron's medal from the 1947 World
Weightlifting championships.

And there's more - much more:

Brooks and Trudi at the old-school, black
iron gym where we met.

My first business card - from a Nautilus
club in Dayton, Ohio - I worked there
40 years ago.

A photo of me training at the Island
Gym I describe in Strength, Muscle
and Power.

Photos of the research library here at
Dino Headquarters.

Photos of the Dinosaur Dungeon.

My York Barbell Company paperweight -
which I keep next to me whenever I
write anything for the Dino Nation.

Videos from my workouts.

Dinosaur breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Our favorite farmers and growers - and
our favorite farmers' market.

And lots more. I add to the list every day.

Go here to follow me on Instagram. We
have 746 followers right now, and I'm
looking for a 1,000 as fast as possible:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

3. The February Dinosaur Files

Here's the link for the February issue of
the Dinosaur Files:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

If you missed the December and January
issues, they're right here:

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

Be sure to send me an email and let me
know how you like the Dinosaur Files.
We love to hear from you.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

How to Stay Out of the Danger Zone!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I saw an interesting article the other day
reporting on several recent research studies
that looked at the effect of different factors
on injuries suffered by (1) runners and (2)
rugby players.

Now, I know that running and rugby are
different than strength training, but bear
with me. There was some good information
for us.

In both studies, the researchers found that
the greatest risk of injury occurred when
there was a sudden increase in the amount
or intensity of one's training.

An increase of just 20 percent was enough
to put an athlete into the danger zone -- and
an increase of 60 percent or more would
increase the risk of injury by about three
to four times.

Now, you may think, "That's fine -- but who
would ever increase their training volume or
intensity by 20 to 60 percent?"

That's a fair question.

Here's the answer.

We've all done it.

Beginners do it all the time. They go from no
training to "lots of training" (usually far too
much). That's why beginners need to start
light and easy and train progressively, with
slow and steady increases in both volume
and  intensity.

Other trainees do it when they come back from
a lay-off. Once again, they go from zero training
to "lots" of training, and usually do it without
any kind of break-in period or any sort of
systematic progression.

Many trainees do it when they go on specialization
programs. You see it happen all the time.

Trainees do it when they go on crash weight loss
programs and start doing high volume workouts
to "burn off the flab".

Trainees do it when they add cardio to their
strength training programs. They go from three
training days a week to six (three days of
strength training and three days of cardio).

I could go on with many more examples, but
you get the point.

So how do you stay out of the danger zone?

It's simple.

You follow old-school, "slow cooking" progression
methods. You increase your volume and your
intensity at a pace your body can handle. You
give your body time to adapt to any increases
in volume or intensity.

In other words, you follow the slow and steady
approach. Not the crash and burn approach.

It sounds simple. But it works. And it's one of
the secrets of lifelong strength and health.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one -- and stay in the gaining zone, not the
danger zone!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. The progression systems in Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, will keep you on
the right track -- and keep you out of the
danger zone!

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

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

PDF with electronic delivery

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.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: "Do it one rep at
a time and one pound at a time." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Rest Between Sets Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll kick the
week off with some old-school training
advice!

1. The February Dinosaur Files

The February issue of the Dinosaur Files
is now available, and has been getting
rave reviews from Dinos around the
world. Grab it here:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

If you missed the December and January
issues, they're right here:

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

Be sure to send me an email and let me
know how you like the Dinosaur Files.
The more feedback we get, the better
we can do for you!

2. The Rest Between Sets Question

I received an email from a reader in
Croatia, thanking me for writing the
Dinosaur Arm Training course. But he
had a question about how long to rest
between sets. He wanted to know how
long the old-timers rested between
sets.

That's an interesting question, and it
made me realize that many of the old
time books and courses didn't address
this issue in much detail -- and many
didn't address it at all.

When they did, the advice was pretty
simple:

"Rest a minute or two and then go on
to your next set or your next exercise."

Or this:

"Rest until your breathing returns to
normal, and then do your next set or
your next exercise."

That was pretty good advice 50 or 60
years ago, and it's still pretty good
advice.

Of course, you can go faster in-between
your warm-up sets. I often rest no longer
than it takes to load the bar on my
warm-up sets. That's all you need.

On heavier sets, you rest a little longer.
I typically rest two to three minutes
in-between my heavy sets.

Also, you need more rest in-between
sets of squats, deadlifts, clean and press
or similar movements that hit the large
muscle groups and cause plenty of heavy
breathing.

So the basic rule of thumb would be 1 to
2 minutes rest on your warm-ups, 2-3 on
heavy sets, and perhaps 3 to 5 on really
hard and heavy sets.

The most important thing is to work at
a pace that allows you to stay warm and
stay focused. If you rest so long that your
body cools down, that's not good -- and
it's also not good to rest so long that
your mind begins to wander.

Keep your mind on your workout. Focus
on the next set or the next exercise
(whichever you will be doing). Visualize
it. Play a little movie in your mind's eye.
You're the star -- and you perform all of
your reps in perfect form.

Do NOT talk, chatter, watch TV, or use
your cell phone during your rest period.
Focus on your workout.

I prefer standing on my feet for my entire
workout. It keeps me loose and it keeps
my muscles from cooling down. But most
of all, it helps me stay focused.

If you prefer to sit down and rest between
sets, that's fine, too. But use your rest
period to get ready for the next set or the
next exercise. Make it an integral part of
your workout. Keep your focus from the
beginning of your workout to the very
end.

I hope that helps, and if you have any
comments or questions, send them 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. Dinosaur Arm Training is available in
your choice of hard copy of PDF with
immediate electronic delivery:

Hard copy

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

PDF version

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtrainingpdf.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: "Details are
important, but the most important thing is
to train progressively, consistently,
passionately and intelligently."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

How to Train for the Sig Klein Dumbbell Challenge

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The February Dinosaur Files.

Is ready, and Dinos around the world are
loving it. Go here to grab the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

And be sure to send feed-back on this issue.
We love to hear from you!

2. Shipping Quotes.

We can usually save you some serious clams
by shipping two or three books or courses
in one package. This is especially true for
international orders. If you want to order
several items with international shipping,
please email first and ask for a shipping
quote. Include your shipping address in
your email.

3. How to Train for the Sig Klein Dumbbell
Challenge.

Not long ago, I sent out an email about Sig
Klein's legendary dumbbell challenge. It's
to perform 12 continuous reps in the two
dumbbell clean and press with a pair of 75
pound dumbbells.

You do the first rep from the floor, and all
of the following reps from the hang.

You do one clean and one press on each
rep.

It's pretty darn tough. Klein estimated that
less than 10 men in the United States could
meet the challenge. Klein was one of them --
and he only weighed a shade over 150 pounds,
so he was doing 12 continuous reps in the
two-dumbbell clean and press with a total
weight just under his own bodyweight!

Yesterday I got an email about how to train
for the dumbbell challenge. One of our Dinos
gave it a try, and managed 12 reps with a
pair of 55 pound dumbbells. He wanted to
know how to move up to 75 pounders.

Here's my advice:

1. Don't stick to 12 rep sets exclusively. Mix
things up. If you do multiple sets of 12 reps
in the two dumbbell clean and press, you're
asking for trouble -- as in, very sore inner
elbows and wrists. Mixing things up will help
avoid this.

2. For example, you might try 5 x 5 in one
workout. That allows you to work up to
heavier weights, which will build more
strength, and make the weight feel lighter
when you try your higher rep sets.

3. In another workout, do 10/8/6. If you
need warm-up sets, then do two or three
warm-up sets. Use anything from 5 to 10
reps in the warm-up sets.

4. Holding onto the dumbbells will be
tough when you do those 12 rep sets.
So train your grip by doing a set of
dumbbell shrugs immediately after
your final set of clean and press. Do
10 to 12 reps in the shrug.

a. If you prefer, do dumbbell deadlifts
after each set of the two dumbbell clean
and press -- or do the farmer's walk --
or do a timed hold after your final set.
b. Do the extra grip work after the final
set only -- because you will fry your
grip, and that means you won't be able
to safely perform another set of clean
and press.

5. Work the two-dumbbell curl and
press into your program. This allows
lighter training days that will have good
carry-over to the heavier days when you
do the two-dumbbell clean and press.

6. Do other dumbbell exercises. The
more dumbbell training you do, the
better you become at handling heavy
dumbbells. And using different exercises
helps avoid over-use problems from doing
just one movement.

a. I would do the two dumbbell clean and
press once a week, and do other dumbbell
exercises once a week -- and do another
workout where I focus on leg training
and rest my arms and shoulders.

b. See Dinosaur Dumbbell Training for
tons of other dumbbell exercises.

7. Include squats, push-ups and pull-ups.
You need plenty of conditioning to do 12
non-stop reps in the two-dumbbell clean
and press. Squats, push-ups and pull-ups
will help.

a. See Chalk and Sweat for some leg training
workiouts that will help build strength and
stamina -- and see Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training for some great push-up and pull-up
variations.

Those tips ought to help you hit Klein's
dumbbell challenge. But don't rush things.
It's a tough challenge, and it will take time
to get there.

If anyone else is working to meet Klein's
challenge, shoot me an email and let me
know what you're doing and how it's
working for you.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I mentioned Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
and Dinosaur Bodyweight Training. Go here
to grab them:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Challenge yourself.
Make every workout a step on the road to the top
of the mountain." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Sensible and Effective Calf Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Buried somewhere in my email box is a
question from a reader about calf training.
It's a good one, so I thought I'd answer it
in an email to the entire group.

It's a three part question. My answers
follow each of the questions:

Q. Have you ever read Arnold's book, The
Education of a Bodybuilder?

A. Yes, many, many years ago.

Q. Do you agree with his statement in the
book that the calves are the most difficult
muscle to develop?

A. Yes and no. They are very difficult for
some people, but not for others. Bodybuilder
Chris Dickerson was famous for his massive
calf development, but according to Arthur
Jones he had a twin brother who never
trained but who had even BIGGER calves!

Q. Do you believe that the only way to make
your calves grow is to bomb them mercilessly
with a muscle-blasting blitzkrieg of exercises,
sets, reps and weight?

A. No, not at all. I think there's a much better
and more effective way to train your calves.

Back in the day, the muscle magazines
would always run an article every so often
that said the calves are a very dense muscle
group because of all the walking we do -- and
the only way to make them grow is to do a
super program of daily workouts, many
different exercises, and plenty of sets
and reps.

I remember reading one of those articles
when I was in high school.

The next day, I went to the school weight
room and did day one of the author's
recommended program.

I couldn't walk right for two weeks.

And that's the problem with the super-duper
high volume calf workouts. They can literally
cripple you.

To me, it makes much more sense to just do
ONE calf exercise in any given workout -- for
two to five sets -- and give your body time to
adopt to the program and start to show some
results. You can train hard without overdoing
things and without developing extreme
muscular soreness.

If you have the genetics for big calves, this
simple approach will work perfectly fine and
everyone else will THINK you have some kind
of secret workout.

If you do NOT have the genetics for big calves,
this simple approach will build strong lower legs
and help to injury-proof your feet and ankles --
without the risk of over-training.

As far as exercises go, the basic calf raise on
a calf machine is hard to beat. Do five sets of
8 to 10 reps and gradually work up to heavy
weight. Reg Park famously used 800 to 1,000
pounds in his calf raises.

If you don't have access to a calf machine, do
one-legged calf raises while holding a dumbbell
in one hand. Do sets of 10 to 20 reps.

People always asked Arthur Jones to build a
special machine for calf raises. He refused to
do so because one-legged calf raises were so
effective.

And Chuck Sipes used to train his calves in a
very low-tech way. He did them in a power rack,
and allowed the barbell to slide up and down
against the uprights so he could keep his
balance. He would stand with his toes on
two old bricks to increase his range of
movement. It worked pretty well -- he
was one of the top bodybuilders in the
world, and one of the strongest -- and
he had terrific calves.

So calf training is like anything else. Keep it
simple, train hard and focus on quality rather
than quantity.

Works every time.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Have you seen the February issue of The
Dinosaur Files? We're getting great feedback
on the little monster:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

P.S. 2. If you missed the December and January
issues, go here to grab them:

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.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: "Those aren't
calves, they're cows!" -- Classic line repeated
by many over the years

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

News, Notes, Updates and Questions for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I need to cover a bunch of different
topics this morning, so let's get going!

1. The February Dinosaur Files

We just released the February issue of
the Dinosaur Files. Go here to grab it:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

If you missed the December and January
issues, go here to grab them:

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

And, as always, a very big THANK YOU to
everyone who reads and enjoys The
Dinosaur Files! Your support and your
enthusiasm means the world to us.

2. Tommy Kono

As I noted last week, Tommy Kono is
very ill, and may not be with us much
longer. If you'd like to send him a card
or letter to wish him well and to thank
him for everything he has done for the
Iron Game, send it to me and I will
forward it to Tommy.

Mail it to me at this address:

Tommy Kono
c/o Dinosaur Training
PO Box 4426
Louisville, Ky 40204

We've had a terrific response so far --
but please step up and take action if
you have not already done so. I know
it will mean a great deal to Tommy.

3. Follow Me on Instagram, Facebook
and Twitter!

I'm posting some great photos and video
on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Be
sure to follow me and join the fun. And
hit the LIKE and SHARE buttons as much
as you can. (Consider it "active rest" for
your thumbs and fingers.)

I'm on Facebook at Brooks Kubik.

I'm on Twitter at #brookskubik and
#dinosaurtraining.

And I'm right here on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

4. Dinosaur Training DVD's

I still carry my Dinosaur Training DVD's
and my Bodyweight Training DVD's -- but
I've also let John Wood upload them at
his member site, The Iron League. Of course,
there's a ton of other great stuff at The Iron
League  -- including some things that are so
rare that I've never seen them anywhere
else -- or even knew they existed. And that's
saying a lot, because I've been collecting Iron
Game books, courses and magazines for close
to 50 years, and I thought I had "seen it all."
Go here to join up:

http://www.ironleague.com/

5. Dinosaur Training Seminars

Are you interested in attending a Dinosaur
Training seminar here in Louisville?

Are you a gym owner -- and would you like
to host a Dinosaur Training seminar?

If the answer to either question is "Yes!" then
shoot me an email. If there's enough interest,
we can make start doing some seminars this
year.

The Wrap-Up

There's more to cover, but that's enough for
now. 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. You can find all of my books and courses
right here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The more you
do, the more you CAN do." -- Brooks Kubik

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Safe and Effective Lower Body Training for Older Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in December, Trudi and I were
talking about training -- and she asked
me about squats for older trainees and
whether I thought they were a good
idea or a bad idea.

Of course, it's one of those "it depends"
questions -- but it was a very interesting
one.

I ran the question by the Dinos in one of
my daily emails -- and the answers starting
pouring in faster than you could say the
Dinosaur motto ("Hard work, heavy iron,
super strength.")

Before you knew it, I had close to 50 responses
from older Dinos. Some of them were just a
sentence or two, and some were a page or
two long.

The Dinos shared some remarkable stories.

Some Dinos used back squats to CURE
serious knee, hip or back problems.

Some Dinos were still squatting hard and
heavy in their 70's.

We received one report of a lifting champion
who is still doing back squats, front squats
and Olympic lifting in his 90's!

Other Dinos had switched to other movements,
and they outlined what was working for them.

Some combined squats with other exercises.

Some used movements you probably have
heard about but may never have tried -- or
used very unique equipment to train their
legs, hips and back. Again, stuff that may
not be on your radar screen -- but stuff
you ought to know about.

Several older Dinos didn't start doing squats
until they were close to retirement age -- and
then they made terrific progress on them.

And many outlined the sets and reps, and the
training frequency, that worked best for them.
It was real-world, no nonsense, straight from
the shoulder training advice.

Training advice from men who are walking the
walk -- and still hitting it hard and heavy no
matter how many candles are on the birthday
cake.

Stuff you don't see anywhere else -- because
the rest of the world is more interested in the
silly stuff. One-legged squats on wobble boards
while wearing a suit of armor and walking a pet
penquin perched on a pogo stick.

The rest of the world also tends to ignore the
unique needs of older trainees and focus almost
exclusively on the young lions. That's totally
understandable, but it leaves a big gap in the
information that older trainees need to be
successful.

Anyhow -- when I saw the responses, I knew
I had to share them. So I ran about half of them
in the January issue of The Dinosaur Files.

And then I ran the other half in the February
issue of the Dinosaur Files.

You can grab them right here -- and while you're
at it, you might as well grab the December issue
if you missed it. It has plenty of good stuff, too.

February 2016 Dinosaur Files (cover photo of Robert
Ruckstool)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

January 2016 Dinosaur Files (cover photo of Eugene Sandow)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files (cover photo of Sig Klein)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

Of course, the Dinosaur Files contains plenty
of different articles in each issue -- but the
series covering effective lower body training
for older Dinos is solid gold. After all, you're
either an older Dino right now -- or you're
going to be one sometime in the future!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

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

P.S. 2. "You're never strong enough, and you
never know enough about training. Always
keep growing, learning, advancing and moving
forward." -- Brooks Kubik

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